Brewers Defeat Rays 4-1 to End 44-Year Title Drought
Milwaukee's 2026 squad captures its first World Series championship, capping a season where the team led the majors with 103 wins.
By Lauren Foster ·
The Milwaukee Brewers won the 2026 World Series on Wednesday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The victory marks the first championship in franchise history. The team, which began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969, had previously reached the World Series only in 1982 when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. Manager Pat Murphy, who survived a heart attack in 2020, called the 2026 group a team that will be remembered forever.
Jacob Misiorowski started the game and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings before leaving with a right calf cramp. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 86 pitches, 58 of which were strikes. He opened the game with 12 consecutive four-seamers, topping out at 103 mph twice. Misiorowski finished the Series with a 0.84 ERA and two wins as a starter.
Rookie Cooper Pratt provided the offensive spark. He set a Series rookie record with six consecutive hits before sacrificing out in the sixth inning. Pratt had an RBI single in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the sixth to extend the lead to 4-0. William Contreras, named World Series MVP, hit an RBI double in the sixth.
The Brewers bullpen secured the late innings. JoJo Romero and Abner Uribe combined for four outs, while closer Trevor Megill pitched the final two innings. Megill allowed an RBI double to Chandler Simpson with two outs in the ninth but retired Richie Palacios on a grounder to end the game. He was mobbed by teammates near the mound after the final out.
The championship came at a time when owners are pushing for a salary cap, arguing that small-market teams struggle to succeed. A management lockout is likely to begin December 2, which could threaten the 2027 season. This was the first World Series since 1991 between two teams in the bottom half of major league payrolls. The Brewers ranked 19th in payroll, while the Rays were 25th.
Thousands of Brewers fans attended the game, taking over the section behind the dugout. They continued chanting almost two hours after the final pitch. Owner Mark Attanasio told the crowd from the postgame stage that Milwaukee had waited 44 years for its world championship.
Source: Newsday
