MLB Notebook: Brewers chase history, Red Sox add depth, managerial changes loom

The Milwaukee Brewers are two wins away from capturing the first World Series championship in franchise history.

And if Saturday night's dramatic comeback was any indication, the Brewers aren't going to make it easy for anyone to stop them.

Milwaukee erased an early four-run deficit and rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the World Series at American Family Field, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead.

The comeback featured a game-tying home run from Sal Frelick in the sixth inning before rookie Cooper Pratt delivered the decisive blow with an opposite-field RBI single in the seventh.

It was another example of Milwaukee's resilience, something that has become a defining characteristic of its postseason run.

The Rays wasted little time jumping on Brewers starter Logan Henderson, scoring four runs in the opening inning.

The trouble began when Pratt bounced a throw to first base on Yandy Díaz's leadoff grounder, allowing Tampa Bay to put its first runner aboard.

After Henderson struck out Jonathan Aranda, Chandler Simpson singled up the middle and Junior Caminero lined a hit down the left-field line to help give the Rays an early advantage.

Liam Hicks then delivered the biggest blow, launching a Statcast-projected 411-foot home run to right-center field.

Just five batters into the game, Milwaukee found itself trailing 4-0.

It was an unusually difficult start for Henderson, who hadn't allowed more than three runs in any of his regular-season major league starts. The four-run outburst also represented the highest-scoring inning in Rays World Series history.

The Brewers began chipping away immediately in the bottom of the first.

Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers opened the inning with consecutive singles, putting runners on the corners. One out later, William Contreras executed a hit-and-run, bouncing a single up the middle and past second baseman Richie Palacios to score Chourio.

Garrett Mitchell followed with a two-out RBI single to right field, cutting Tampa Bay's lead to 4-2.

The Brewers kept Rays starter Drew Rasmussen working, refusing to let the right-hander settle into a rhythm.

Milwaukee forced Rasmussen to throw 29 pitches in the first inning, an early indication that his command wasn't particularly sharp despite pitching on an extra day of rest. The right-hander entered the game having thrown 196 2/3 innings this season, with only seven innings requiring at least 29 pitches. His struggles continued as the Brewers fouled off pitches, extended at-bats and forced him to work deep into counts.

Rasmussen threw first-pitch strikes to just 11 of the 20 batters he faced. Milwaukee swung and missed only nine times in 45 swings while fouling off 22 of his 89 pitches. It took Rasmussen 19 pitches to navigate the second inning and another 18 to finish the third.

By the fourth, the Brewers were threatening again when Pratt worked a walk before Frelick singled, putting runners on the corners. David Hamilton then reached when his ground ball slipped beneath Aranda's glove at first base, allowing Pratt to score.

The error trimmed Tampa Bay's lead to 4-3 and ended Rasmussen's night after just 3 2/3 innings, his shortest start since recording seven outs against the Yankees on July 9.

Although Rasmussen departed with the lead, Milwaukee had seized the momentum and in the sixth inning, Frelick made sure the comeback wouldn't go unfinished. Working a full count, Frelick connected on the ninth pitch of his at-bat, turning on a four-seam fastball that caught too much of the plate and sending it deep to center field.

The game-tying blast sent American Family Field into a frenzy and erased the last of Tampa Bay's four-run advantage.

An inning later, Pratt delivered the finishing touch when the rookie lined an opposite-field RBI single in the seventh, putting Milwaukee ahead 5-4 and completing another remarkable postseason comeback.

The victory placed the Brewers in some exclusive company, joining the 1996 Yankees, 2002 Angels, 2005 White Sox and 2022 Phillies as the only teams to overcome multiple four-run deficits in a single postseason.

The Brewers also became just the second team to win six postseason games in which they didn't score first.

For Tampa Bay, the loss was particularly frustrating given its success when building early leads. The Rays went 75-17 during the regular season when scoring at least four runs and are now 4-1 in the postseason when reaching that mark.

Historically, teams scoring four or more runs in the first inning of a World Series game are now 20-5.

For the second consecutive night, the final out of a World Series game came with a little controversy.

With the tying run standing at third base and two outs in the ninth inning Saturday night, Díaz was called out on a disputed check swing, sealing the Brewers' dramatic 5-4 comeback victory in Game 2 at American Family Field.

Milwaukee left-hander Aaron Ashby delivered a third strike that Díaz attempted to hold up on, prompting an appeal to first base.

Home plate umpire Jim Wolf initially ruled that Díaz had checked his swing, but Brewers catcher William Contreras appealed to first base umpire James Hoye, who determined that Díaz had gone around.

The strikeout ended the game, giving Milwaukee a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series and moving the Brewers within two victories of their first championship in franchise history.

The decision was particularly difficult to swallow for Tampa Bay, which had watched a four-run first-inning lead disappear before mounting one final threat in the ninth.

That ambiguity made Díaz's borderline attempt all the more controversial, particularly given the fact the game was on the line.

For the Rays, it was a frustrating conclusion to a game they appeared to have firmly in hand after jumping out to a four-run lead in the first inning.

Tampa Bay reached the World Series largely on the strength of its starting rotation, but Rasmussen's abbreviated outing exposed a potential weakness and forced the Rays to turn to its bullpen earlier than anticipated. The Rays are already at a disadvantage against a Milwaukee relief corps that has been one of the club's biggest strengths throughout the postseason.

That could become an even bigger concern as the series progresses, particularly against a Brewers lineup that has consistently worked deep counts, capitalized on defensive mistakes and delivered timely hits.

The Rays had a golden opportunity to steal a game on the road after scoring four runs before Milwaukee recorded an out. Instead, the Brewers chipped away, completed another improbable comeback and took a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Now, the pressure shifts squarely onto Tampa Bay who are left searching for answers, while Milwaukee heads into Game 3 just two victories away from capturing the first World Series championship in franchise history.

Red Sox Add Catching Depth

The World Series is set to begin Friday night, but that hasn’t stopped the Red Sox from making moves ahead of the 2027 season.

Boston has reached an agreement with veteran catcher