Sal Frelick delivered an unexpected turning point in Game 2 of the World Series, and the Milwaukee Brewers are now traveling to Florida just two wins away from the first championship in franchise history.
Frelick entered Saturday having hit only four home runs in 407 plate appearances this season, but his first homer in three months brought Milwaukee level. Cooper Pratt then drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning single, completing the Brewers’ comeback from an early 4-0 hole in a 5-4 victory.
“Honestly, it feels like we’ve faced an early deficit in almost every series this postseason,” Frelick told Fox Sports after Milwaukee secured its seventh comeback win of the playoffs.
The Rays, whose run to the AL pennant was built in part on capitalizing on opponents’ errors, struggled to protect their lead. Tampa Bay made one official error, misplayed two other balls and also saw a runner cut down at home plate.
Milwaukee’s response to the four-run first inning marked its seventh comeback victory of the postseason. The Brewers had already erased a 4-0 deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, winning 6-4 on their way to a four-game sweep.
“If there’s still time left on the clock, we believe we can win,” Pratt said. “Everyone has embraced that mindset. We’re never out of a game.”
Sal Frelick celebrates as he rounds the bases after tying Game 2 with a home run
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero watches after Tampa Bay surrendered Game 2 on Saturday
A night after dropping the World Series opener 3-2, Tampa Bay immediately put pressure on rookie Logan Henderson. The Brewers, however, answered with two runs in the bottom of the first against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen and began chipping away at the deficit.
David Hamilton’s run-scoring groundout pulled Milwaukee within one in the fourth inning. Then, in the sixth, Frelick ended a nine-pitch battle with Ian Seymour by launching a fastball over the center-field wall to make it 4-4.
The excitement surrounding the Brewers’ first World Series appearance since 1982 was evident throughout Milwaukee. Saturday’s crowd reached 43,245, exceeding capacity, while MLB officials told owner Mark Attanasio that the team had sold more postseason merchandise than any club in baseball history.
Frelick’s home run ended a 103-plate-appearance drought dating back to his July 11 shot against Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft. It was also his first homer against a left-handed pitcher since Opening Day, when he went deep against Tyler Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox. He circled the bases in 18.72 seconds, a noticeably faster trip than some of the more elaborate home-run celebrations seen this postseason.
“I was just excited to get back to the dugout,” Frelick said. “I don’t hit many home runs, especially to center field, so I was thrilled that it carried out.”
The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their Game 2 victory after falling behind 4-0 in the first inning
The sold-out Milwaukee crowd erupted during the seventh-inning stretch, with fans dancing to “Beer Barrel Polka” performed by Mike Schneider, an accordionist from Clinton, Wisconsin.
Brice Turang opened the bottom of the seventh with a double on Tyler Wells’ second pitch. Garrett Mitchell’s fly ball moved him to third, and Pratt, a 22-year-old who made his major league debut in June, lifted a sinker from Kevin Kelly into shallow right field to bring him home.
“We’ve been forced to come from behind early a lot during these playoffs,” Frelick said. “But with nine innings ahead of you, the approach doesn’t change. We’re trying to win each at-bat, take something from the pitcher and hand the opportunity to the next hitter. Hopefully, that process turns into runs.”
Abner Uribe earned the win after working 1 1/3 hitless innings.
Jonny DeLuca began the ninth with a double against Aaron Ashby. Victor Mesa Jr. then struck out after failing to hold his swing, while pinch-hitter Ben Williamson grounded out to move the runner forward. Yandy Díaz ended Tampa Bay’s final threat by also checking his swing unsuccessfully on a full-count pitch.
Ashby now has three postseason saves and has yet to surrender a run.
Milwaukee Brewers fans wave towels prior to Game 2 on Saturday night in Wisconsin
Milwaukee won its seventh straight game, becoming the fifth team to twice overcome four-run deficits for victories in a single postseason and the first since Philadelphia in 2022.
Game 3 of the matchup between teams seeking their first title is Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the Brewers last played in 2023.
Of the 57 previous teams to take 2-0 World Series leads, 46 claimed the championship.
Tampa Bay took a 4-2 lead in the highest-scoring Series first inning since 1993’s Game 4 as teams combined for seven hits, tying the most in an opening frame.
Still, Milwaukee improved to 13-0 in games started by Henderson, dating to his 2025 debut. He followed Jacob Misiorowski in the Brewers’ rotation, the first time teammates 24 or younger started the first two games of the Series since Cincinnati’s Gary Nolan and Ross Grimsley in 1972.
Henderson started on 11 days’ rest and struggled as the Rays fouled off 13 of 35 pitches in the first. He gave up four runs – three earned – in three innings.
Given an extra day of rest, Rasmussen allowed three runs and six hits over 3 2/3 innings in his shortest start since July 9.
‘Just felt like he wasn’t as sharp as he’s been for quite some time,’ Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Abner Uribe #45 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts as he walks back to the dugout after being pulled against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning
Pratt made his fourth error of the postseason at shortstop, the Brewers’ ninth in 10 games, bouncing his throw past first baseman Jake Bauers on a leadoff grounder by Díaz. Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero followed with RBI singles, and Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer.
Jackson Chourio and Bauers started the bottom half with singles and first baseman Jonathan Aranda allowed Contreras’ one-out foul pop to bounce out of his mitt near netting in front of the seats.
With Bauers running on a full-count pitch, Contreras bounced an RBI single to the left of second baseman Richie Palacios, who had taken a step toward the base. Mitchell’s two-out single cut the deficit to 4-2.
Hamilton hit an RBI grounder in the fourth that bounced under Aranda’s legs for an error.
Chourio threw out Hicks from left for the final out of the sixth when third base coach Brady Williams waved the slow-footed catcher to try to score from second on Mesa’s single.
