Brewers Claim First World Series Title With 4-1 Win Over Rays in Game 5

The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time, closing out the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night, October 28. The win gave Milwaukee the series four games to one.

Brewers fans filled American Family Field in Milwaukee for a watch party while supporters also traveled to St. Petersburg for the clincher. Jacob Misiorowski and Cooper Pratt both spoke in post-game interviews through tears. Christian Yelich dedicated the title to Bob Uecker, the team's late radio broadcaster known as Mr. Baseball.

Milwaukee went 11-2 across the three playoff rounds. The Brewers swept San Diego in the Division Series, then swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series to reach the World Series for the first time in 44 years. Tampa Bay's lone win in the final round came in 12 innings. Brewers pitchers allowed 12 runs over the five games.

The Dodgers had eliminated Milwaukee with a sweep in last year's NLCS. Manager Pat Murphy recalled how that series ended. "They just spanked us. They were dominant. They looked at it like, 'Ah, you guys aren't in our league,'" Murphy said. "Then we played them again twice this year and the guys were sizing 'em up, saying, 'You know what? We're different. We're a little bit better. We're way more committed to each other. We've done this movie. And we're going to get a different ending.'"

The Brewers went 4-3 against the Dodgers during the regular season. Milwaukee's roster was assembled through trades, the amateur draft and international signings. The 2022 trade of Josh Hader brought Robert Gasser, who started three road victories in the postseason, and later yielded catcher William Contreras, named Series MVP. The trade of Corbin Burnes brought Joey Ortiz and DL Hall. Trevor Megill, who recorded the final out of Game 5, arrived in a minor trade, as did NLCS MVP Jake Bauers.

Milwaukee's front office, led by president of baseball operations Matt Arnold, has also spent on amateur and international talent. Cooper Pratt signed for $1.35 million after being drafted 182nd overall in 2024; players selected around him signed in the $300,000 range. Jackson Chourio signed out of Venezuela for $1.8 million and Luis Lara for $1.1 million. Abner Uribe signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 for $85,000.

In describing the hitter the organization targets, Arnold used the phrase, "athletes that hit." "It's our mantra," he said. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Milwaukee's hitters, "Their at-bats over the five games were as impressive as I've seen all season long."

Rays manager Kevin Cash also pointed to Milwaukee's eighth-inning rally in Game 3, when the Brewers scored eight two-out runs in the fifth inning, the most ever in a World Series inning. The Brewers hit three home runs in the Division Series, seven in the NLCS and three in the World Series.

Milwaukee finished the regular season second in runs but tied for next-to-last in home runs. The Brewers' only potential free agent of significance is Bauers. Arnold must decide whether to keep or trade Contreras and Megill, both under club control for one more season. On Wednesday morning, Murphy was already mapping spring training plans. "Arnold got mad at me. He was like, throw that crap away. I was like, no, I need to think about it. I've got good thoughts for 2027," Murphy said.

The Brewers' postseason run followed a sweep by Los Angeles in the 2025 NLCS. Milwaukee's last World Series appearance came in 1982, when the team lost to St. Louis.