Brewers lose 1st postseason game in 21 days as Rays force Game 5 - ESPN

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When Cooper Pratt led off Tuesday's 12th inning, he was just trying not to strike out. Instead, he hit the home run that gave his Milwaukee Brewers the lead and put them three outs away from their first championship.

He had become the first 22-year-old to accumulate four hits in a potential World Series clincher, and he was on the precipice of becoming a savior in Wisconsin.

«That was probably one of the coolest swings of my life,» Pratt said, «but it's over.»

Actually, when it comes to this World Series, it's not. It's not because the Tampa Bay Rays stormed back in the bottom half, putting the first five baserunners on to win Game 4 in walk-off fashion, 4-3, and avoid a sweep. It's not because the Brewers lost their first postseason game in 21 days. It's not because the Rays would not go down without a fight.

As the Brewers dominated October, winning 10 of their first 11 games and tying a record with eight consecutive victories, it was at times easy to dismiss the difficulty of what they're pursuing.

Not for their players.

«This stuff is not supposed to be easy,» Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. «It's supposed to test you.»

The biggest test presented itself to Shane Drohan, a journeyman rookie who hadn't pitched in 12 days. He was summoned from the bullpen after Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz made an errant throw to begin the bottom of the 12th, putting the tying run on, and couldn't help but think about what three more outs might mean.

«I'm human,» Drohan said. «I know what I was walking into, and I just didn't get the job done.»

The first batter Drohan faced, Liam Hicks, hit a hard ground ball to the left side that would have been a double play if Pratt weren't shaded closer to second