Brewers win World Series 4-1 after 44-year drought
Milwaukee's 19th-ranked payroll defeated Tampa Bay in Game 5, ending the longest active championship drought in MLB.
By Luka Evans ·
The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, to claim their first World Series title. The victory ended a 44-year championship drought for the franchise, which last won a pennant in 1982.
The path to this moment has been long for the small-market club. The Brewers began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee the following year. Their only prior World Series appearance in 1982 ended in defeat when they blew a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning of Game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Manager Pat Murphy, who led the team to the title, noted that this 2026 roster will be remembered for playing as a cohesive unit rather than focusing on individual statistics.
The series was defined by a low-scoring, small-ball style. The teams combined for just four home runs across all five games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Brewers scored a major league-low 32.1% of their runs on home runs during the season. This approach allowed Milwaukee to overcome a 0-3 deficit against Tampa Bay, becoming the fifth team in history to force a sixth game after losing the first three.
Jacob Misiorowski, the 24-year-old right-hander and NL Cy Young Award favorite, started Game 5 on four days' rest. He threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. Misiorowski topped out at 103 mph twice on a total of 86 pitches, 58 of which were strikes. He left the game due to a right calf cramp and received a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Rookie Cooper Pratt contributed two hits and two runs batted in. He set a Series rookie record with six consecutive hits before his sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. World Series MVP William Contreras added an RBI double in the same inning. Closer Trevor Megill recorded the final three outs, retiring Richie Palacios on a grounder to second base to seal the championship.
The Brewers finished the regular season with 103 wins, the best record in the majors. They went 11-2 in the postseason, including a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The team's 19th-ranked payroll contrasted with the Rays' 25th-ranked payroll, marking the first Series since 1991 between two clubs in the bottom half of the league's financial standings.
The championship celebration began immediately on the field. Owner Mark Attanasio addressed the crowd from the postgame stage, telling fans that Milwaukee finally had its world championship. The win occurs as baseball owners push for a salary cap, with a potential management lockout scheduled to begin December 2.
