World Series Game 5: Takeaways as Brewers beat Rays, clinch title - ESPN

For the first time in franchise history, the Milwaukee Brewers are champions of baseball!

It was nearly a Fall Classic sweep. But after a thrilling, 12-inning Game 4 victory saved the season for the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, Milwaukee bounced back Wednesday to put them away and win the 2026 World Series.

Here are our takeaways from the Brewers' title-clinching Game 5 victory.

Milwaukee wins series 4-1

Game 5 was over when ... Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled Drew Rasmussen. Tampa Bay's ace was originally slated to start Game 6, but the Rays used Nick Martinez, their scheduled Game 5 starter, out of the bullpen in Tuesday's 12-inning win. So Rasmussen started Wednesday on three days' rest after throwing 89 pitches in 3⅔ innings in Game 1.

He was, as a result, on a shorter leash than usual. But Rasmussen looked sharp after throwing 48 pitches over four innings. He allowed just one run. He didn't issue a walk. Cash, however, decided to replace him with right-hander Kevin Kelly for the fifth inning. Kelly then allowed the consecutive singles to Milwaukee's Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters.

David Hamilton, who homered in Game 4, supplied the third hit, a ground ball through the right side of a drawn-in infield to score Cooper Pratt. The knock gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead — more than enough for Jacob Misiorowski and the A-side of Milwaukee's bullpen to seal the victory. — Jorge Castillo

Game 5 star: After a 12-inning, pitching-staff-draining Game 4, the Brewers needed everything they could get from their ace, Misiorowski. They got it in a very literal sense.

As has been the case throughout the postseason, Misiorowski was more effective than dominant. Despite an average fastball velocity that sat at 101.1 mph, Misiorowski struck