ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rookie Cooper Pratt drove in two runs and Jacob Misiorowski tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, helping the Milwaukee Brewers capture their first World Series title with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
The Brewers, who dispatched the Rays in five games, won 11 of their 13 postseason games.
Pratt followed up his four-hit performance in Game 4 on Tuesday with an RBI single in the second inning and a base hit in the fifth. His six consecutive hits set a World Series record for a rookie, eclipsing the mark set by the New York Yankees’ Brian Doyle in 1978.
Pratt’s run of consecutive hits ended with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
William Contreras ripped an RBI double and David Hamilton added a run-scoring single to mark his fourth straight game with an RBI.
The offense was more than enough for Misiorowski (2-0), who notched his second win in the World Series. The fireballer scattered two hits and a walk before exiting in the sixth inning due to a cramp in his right calf. He struck out two.
Two relievers bridged the gap to Trevor Megill, who handled the last two innings. Megill allowed an RBI double to Chandler Simpson with two outs in the ninth before inducing Richie Palacios to ground to second base for the final out.
Pitching on three days’ rest, Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen (2-1) ran into trouble in the second inning.
Brice Turang ripped a one-out double and scored two batters later after Pratt deposited a first-pitch cutter from Rasmussen into center field.
The Rays attempted to respond in the fourth inning after speedy Chandler Simpson took advantage of a slight bobble by right fielder Sal Frelick to reach second after a single. That put runners on second and third base, but Misiorowski induced Ben Williamson to ground out to end the inning.
Pratt notched his sixth consecutive hit over a two-game stretch with a one-out single off Kevin Kelly in the fifth inning. Garrett Mitchell and Hamilton each added a single, with the latter’s hit to right field plating Pratt to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.
The Brewers tacked on two more runs in the sixth, with Contreras’ double off the left field wall scoring Christian Yelich from first base. Pratt followed three batters later with a fly ball into foul territory, but it was deep enough for Contreras to score from third base.
Rasmussen permitted one run on two hits in four innings. He fanned four without issuing a walk.
The Brewers were appearing in their second World Series, having lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. The Rays are still seeking their first championship, having also lost in the World Series in 2008 and 2020.