ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One of baseball’s longest championship droughts is over. The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4-1 in Game 5 of Major League Baseball’s fall classic on Wednesday, October 28 to clinch the title. Milwaukee won the Best-of-7 championship series 4-1.
Across the entire postseason, the Brewers completed one of the most prolific runs in the history of the game. In the National League Division Series, Milwaukee defeated Padres — who had won 19 of their previous 22 games — 3-1 in four games. Then, the Barrelmen swept the two-time defending World Series champion and 100-win team Los Angeles Dodgers in four straight games. Against Tampa Bay, the team with the most wins in the American League, Milwaukee won the first three games, putting the series on the brink.
While the Rays won Game 4 on a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning, the Brew Crew took care of business in Game 5.
Cy Young trophy-favorite Jacob Misiorowski took the mound as Milwaukee’s starting pitcher and lasted 5 2/3 innings before exiting with a leg cramp in the middle of an at bat. JoJo Romero came out of the bullpen and completed the inning, then started the seventh. Abner Uribe closed out the seventh, and Trevor McGill closed out the eighth and ninth for the save.
Milwaukee catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP. In the postseason, he had team-highs in hits (19), batting average (.373), OPS (1.036), home runs (3) and RBIs (9).
Left fielder Jackson Chourio tied Babe Ruth for the most hits in the first four games of a World Series (10), and rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt collected six straight hits between Games 4 and 5, a new rookie record. He also hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the 12th in Game 4 before the Rays rallied against Milwaukee rookie pitcher Shane Drohan in his second playoff appearance.
On the mound, reliever Aaron Ashby pitched 18 innings this postseason without allowing an earned run. Rookie starter Robert Gasser allowed one run in 15 innings (0.60 ERA). As a team, the Brewers’ ERA was just 1.86.
Milwaukee also saw its longest-tenured player, Brandon Woodruff, return after rehabbing a shoulder injury. Earlier this season, after twice re-injuring the shoulder that has plagued the one-time ace since 2023, Woodruff announced in July he needed season-ending surgery. However, before the procedure took place, scans showed significant progress of healing on its own. While still on the injured list during the playoffs and after a short throwing program, team officials felt comfortable bringing him back, and he was activated the day before Game 1 of the World Series.
In Game 3, the first in Tampa Bay, Milwaukee scored eight runs in the top of the fifth inning to go ahead 10-0. Woodruff entered to pitch the ninth inning — his first and so far only World Series appearance. He allowed one run in the inning.
Brewers fans supported their team both at home and away this postseason as well. Tickets prices for home games in the World Series broke MLB records. Once the series moved to Tampa, both American Family Field and the Deer District in downtown Milwaukee held sold-out watch parties. Brewers fans also traveled to Florida, with an estimated 25-50% of the crowd at Tropicana Field donning Brewers colors.
The team held a celebratory parade that traveled through downtown Milwaukee on Friday, October 30.
Woodruff, Romero, and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers all elected free agency on Thursday. There is also an impending lockout between the owners and players that will likely happen beginning in December. Depending on how long it lasts, the start of Spring Training and the 2027 regular season could be delayed.
