The Milwaukee Brewers have won their first World Series championship, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5. The victory marks the culmination of a 58-season journey for the franchise, which began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee.
Young pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was instrumental in the clinching game, throwing 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit baseball. He left the game in the sixth inning due to a right calf cramp, receiving a standing ovation from the contingent of Brewers fans in attendance at Tropicana Field.
Rookie infielder Cooper Pratt continued his strong performance throughout the series, collecting two more hits and two RBIs in Game 5. Pratt set a World Series rookie record with six consecutive hits before a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Teammate Jackson Chourio also set a five-game series record with 11 hits.
The Brewers' win ends a long wait for the city, whose only previous World Series appearance in 1982 ended in heartbreak. This championship comes under the guidance of manager Pat Murphy, who has led the team to consistent success, including two Manager of the Year awards in 2024 and 2025, following a health scare in 2020.
Misiorowski, who had broken the World Series velocity record earlier in the series, was dominant, consistently throwing fastballs over 100 mph. Despite leaving the game with cramps, his performance was pivotal. He finished the series with a 2-0 record and a 0.84 ERA in his starts.
The Brewers' bullpen also contributed, with JoJo Romero and Abner Uribe recording outs before closer Trevor Megill secured the final out of the game. Megill allowed an RBI double in the ninth inning but ultimately retired Richie Palacios to clinch the title, igniting celebrations among his teammates and the Brewers faithful.
Offensively, Pratt ignited the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning. William Contreras added an RBI double in the sixth, and Pratt followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-0. The Rays managed their lone run in the ninth inning.
The series highlighted a trend of low-payroll teams reaching the championship, with both the Brewers and Rays ranking in the bottom half of league payrolls. This World Series title comes amidst ongoing labor discussions in MLB, with a potential lockout looming.
The Rays, who were seeking their first World Series title since their debut in 1998, fell to 0-3 in their World Series appearances, having previously lost in 2008 and 2020.