World Series 2026: Brewers Beat Rays 4-1 in Game 5, Win First Title

The Milwaukee Brewers. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and won the series 4 games to 1. It is the first World Series title in the franchise's 57-year history, after a single previous appearance in 1982. Milwaukee went 11-2 in the postseason, beating the Padres in the Division Series, sweeping the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS and then the Rays. Sources: ESPN, MLB, AP, CNN.

Brewers 4, Rays 1, in 3 hours 5 minutes in front of 40,489 fans at Tropicana Field. Cooper Pratt singled in the first run in the second inning off Drew Rasmussen, who started on three days' rest; Pratt singled again in the fifth and scored on David Hamilton's single; in the sixth, William Contreras hit an RBI double off Garrett Cleavinger and Pratt added a sacrifice fly. Tampa Bay's only run came on Chandler Simpson's two-out RBI double in the ninth, and Trevor Megill, who pitched the last two innings, got Richie Palacios to ground out for the final out. Sources: ESPN, MLB, FOX Sports.

William Contreras, the Brewers' catcher. He hit .381 in the five games, drove in a run with a sixth-inning double in Game 5 and won 10 of his 13 challenges under the new automated ball-strike (ABS) system, according to ESPN. He is the eighth catcher to be named World Series MVP, and after the clincher he called himself the "best catcher in the world." Sources: ESPN, MLB.

5 2/3 scoreless innings, two hits, two strikeouts, 86 pitches (58 strikes). He left with two outs in the sixth because of a cramp in his right calf, and JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill covered the rest, allowing one run over the final 3 1/3 innings. Misiorowski also won Game 1, when his first pitch was a World Series-record 103.5 mph. Milwaukee's bullpen finished October with a 1.34 ERA. Sources: ESPN, AP.

Friday, October 30, 2026, at 10 a.m. in downtown Milwaukee, as announced by owner Mark Attanasio. The route starts at North 4th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue and ends at Henry Maier Festival Park (the Summerfest grounds), where a rally and fan festival follow. The grounds open at 8 a.m. and general admission is free until capacity is reached; seats in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater for the rally speeches are ticketed. Expect street closures along the route. Sources: WISN, WTMJ, CBS 58, WBAY.

Five. Milwaukee won Game 1 3-2 and Game 2 5-4 at American Family Field, Game 3 10-1 in St. Petersburg, lost Game 4 4-3 in 12 innings, then won Game 5 4-1, so Games 6 and 7, scheduled for October 30 and 31 in Milwaukee, were not needed. Along the way Cooper Pratt set a World Series rookie record with six straight hits and Jackson Chourio a five-game Series record with 11 hits. Sources: ESPN, MLB.

It was played from Friday, October 23 to Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and it is over: the Milwaukee Brewers won it 4-1 by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field. The results were 3-2, 5-4 and 10-1 for Milwaukee, then 4-3 in 12 innings for Tampa Bay, then 4-1 for Milwaukee. Games 6 and 7, pencilled in for October 30 and 31 in Milwaukee, were not needed. Every game started at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Sources: MLB, ESPN, AP.

The 2026 edition started on Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET at American Family Field in Milwaukee, and it is already finished: the Brewers beat the Rays 4 games to 1, clinching on October 28. It was the 122nd World Series. The next one will be in October 2027; MLB had not published its 2027 postseason dates as of October 29. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports, AP.

Game 1 started at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, October 23 (7 p.m. in Milwaukee, 5 p.m. PT) and lasted 3 hours 9 minutes; the Brewers won 3-2, then won Games 2 and 3 in the same slot. Game 4, also at 8 p.m. ET, went 12 innings and 4 hours 20 minutes. Game 5, the Brewers' 4-1 clincher, started at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 28 in St. Petersburg: 5 p.m. PT, 6 p.m. in Mexico City and, with British clocks back on GMT since October 25, midnight in the UK. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports, Wikipedia.

FOX. All five games of the 2026 series aired on FOX in the US, with FOX Deportes in Spanish and streaming on FOX One; Game 5, the clincher, aired on Wednesday, October 28 at 8 p.m. ET. Highlights and replays are on MLB.com and the MLB app. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports, NBC Sports.

It was played at American Family Field in Milwaukee, home of the Brewers, who had home-field advantage at 103-59, the best record in baseball. Milwaukee won Games 1 and 2 there, then went to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg for Games 3, 4 and 5, and won the title there on October 28. Sources: MLB, WTSP.

All games at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Game 1: Friday, October 23, in Milwaukee: Brewers 3, Rays 2. Game 2: Saturday, October 24, in Milwaukee: Brewers 5, Rays 4. Game 3: Monday, October 26, in St. Petersburg (Tropicana Field): Brewers 10, Rays 1. Game 4: Tuesday, October 27, in St. Petersburg: Rays 4, Brewers 3 (12 innings). Game 5: Wednesday, October 28, in St. Petersburg: Brewers 4, Rays 1, Brewers win the series 4-1. Games 6 and 7 (October 30 and 31 in Milwaukee) were not needed. Sources: MLB, ESPN, Wikipedia.

The Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2 over the Tampa Bay Rays, on Friday, October 23, at American Family Field. Winning pitcher: Jacob Misiorowski. Losing pitcher: Nick Martinez. Save: Trevor Megill. Christian Yelich and William Contreras drove in runs in the first inning, Jackson Chourio added an insurance run in the seventh, and Tampa Bay scored once in the fourth and once in the ninth. Sources: AP, ESPN, Wikipedia.

It is over: the Brewers won the series 4-1. Milwaukee won Game 1 3-2, Game 2 5-4 and Game 3 10-1, lost Game 4 4-3 in 12 innings, then closed it out with a 4-1 win in Game 5 on Wednesday, October 28 at Tropicana Field. It is the first title in franchise history. Sources: MLB, ESPN, AP.

Two runs in the first, one in the seventh. Jackson Chourio singled to lead off the bottom of the first, Christian Yelich tripled him home in his first World Series plate appearance and William Contreras singled Yelich in off Nick Martinez. According to Elias, Yelich is the seventh player to triple in his first World Series plate appearance, the first since Lynn Jones in 1985. In the seventh, Cooper Pratt walked against Steven Matz and scored on Chourio's two-out single off Kevin Kelly. Tampa Bay's first run came in the fourth: Jonathan Aranda walked, went to third on a Junior Caminero double and scored on a groundout. Sources: AP, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports.

The Rays nearly tied it. Against closer Trevor Megill, Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson singled with one out, a double steal put the tying run in scoring position and Junior Caminero walked on a full-count pitch in the dirt to load the bases. Liam Hicks then hit what looked like a game-ending double-play grounder, but replay showed shortstop Cooper Pratt's foot had come off second base: only the out at first stood, and pinch-runner Jorge Mateo scored to make it 3-2. With runners on second and third, Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca to end the game. Sources: AP, CBS Sports, FOX Sports.

Five innings, four hits, one run, one walk, three strikeouts, 73 pitches, and the win. His first pitch of the night, to Yandy Díaz, was clocked at 103.5 mph, the fastest pitch tracked in a World Series game (pitch tracking dates back to 2008). It was his best start of this postseason, after he failed to complete five innings in his first two, although three strikeouts was a season low. Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby (two scoreless innings) and Trevor Megill covered the last four innings. Sources: AP, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, ESPN.

It was played on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at American Family Field in Milwaukee, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, and the Brewers won 5-4 after trailing 4-0 in the first inning. Logan Henderson started for Milwaukee (three innings, four runs, three earned) and Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay (3 2/3 innings, his shortest start in months). Milwaukee then won Game 3 10-1 and lost Game 4 4-3 in 12 innings; the next game is Game 5, Wednesday, October 28 at Tropicana Field. Sources: MLB, ESPN, AP.

The Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays, on Saturday, October 24, at American Family Field, in front of 43,245 fans. Winning pitcher: Abner Uribe (1 1/3 hitless innings). Losing pitcher: Tyler Wells. Save: Aaron Ashby. Sal Frelick tied it with a solo homer in the sixth and Cooper Pratt drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh. It was Milwaukee's seventh comeback win of this postseason. Sources: ESPN, AP, MLB.

From 4-0 down after the top of the first. Tampa Bay scored four off Logan Henderson: Yandy Díaz reached on a Cooper Pratt throwing error, Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero drove in runs with singles and Liam Hicks hit a 411-foot two-run homer. Milwaukee answered right away against Drew Rasmussen with RBI singles from William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell (4-2), then a David Hamilton grounder that got under first baseman Jonathan Aranda for an error made it 4-3 in the fourth. Sal Frelick tied it with a solo homer to center off Ian Seymour in the sixth, at the end of a nine-pitch at-bat and after 103 plate appearances without a home run. In the seventh, Brice Turang doubled off Tyler Wells, moved up on a flyout and scored on Cooper Pratt's opposite-field single off Kevin Kelly. Sources: ESPN, AP, MLB.

Another close call. Aaron Ashby, who had pitched a scoreless eighth, gave up a double to Jonny DeLuca, and a groundout moved the tying run to third. With a full count, Yandy Díaz was rung up on a check swing to end the game. Ashby earned his third save of the postseason and has now thrown 15 2/3 scoreless innings in these playoffs. In the eighth, Jackson Chourio had been called out at the plate on a collision play. Sources: ESPN, AP, MLB.

The Milwaukee Brewers, 10-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays, on Monday, October 26, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Milwaukee led 2-0 after three innings, then scored eight runs in the fifth, all with two outs, on seven consecutive hits. Robert Gasser threw six scoreless innings and allowed one hit; Freddy Peralta lasted 4 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay. The Brewers had 16 hits and no errors, the Rays three hits, and Milwaukee took a 3-0 series lead, cut to 3-1 when Tampa Bay won Game 4 in 12 innings. Sources: MLB, ESPN, CNN, Yahoo Sports.

All with two outs, and after a replay review. With two out, Christian Yelich walked and William Contreras hit a grounder first ruled a force-out at second to end the inning; a challenge showed Yelich was safe, loading the bases, and Freddy Peralta's night ended there. Against reliever Cam Booser, Brice Turang hit a two-run single, Garrett Mitchell an RBI single, Cooper Pratt a two-run double and Sal Frelick an RBI double; against Cole Sulser, David Hamilton singled in a run and Jackson Chourio doubled in another. Seven straight hits, no home run, eight runs. Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN, MLB.

Several. Seven consecutive hits had never happened in a postseason game, and eight two-out runs in one inning are a World Series record (the second-most in any postseason inning, per ESPN). Robert Gasser became only the second pitcher to face the minimum over six or more innings in a World Series start, after Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956. Jackson Chourio, 22, went 4-for-5 and is the youngest player since 1946 with four hits in the first five innings of a World Series game. Milwaukee also reached double digits without a homer, a first in the World Series since the 2014 Royals, and tied its franchise postseason record of 10 runs, set in Game 1 of 1982. Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports, FOX Sports.

Six scoreless innings, one hit, and the minimum 18 batters faced. The left-hander, who took the start against his former teammate Freddy Peralta, became the second pitcher in World Series history to face the minimum over a start of six or more innings, after Don Larsen in 1956. According to Yahoo Sports, Gasser has allowed one run in three starts this postseason. Brandon Woodruff, back for his first appearance since July 4, pitched the ninth and gave up the Rays' only run, on a Yandy Díaz RBI double. Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN, MLB.

The Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3 over the Milwaukee Brewers in 12 innings, on Tuesday, October 27, at Tropicana Field, in 4 hours 20 minutes in front of 40,514 fans. Winning pitcher: Ian Seymour. Losing pitcher: Shane Drohan. Line score: Milwaukee 3 runs, 8 hits, 2 errors; Tampa Bay 4 runs, 9 hits, 1 error. It ended Milwaukee's eight-game postseason winning streak and cut the Brewers' series lead to 3-1. Sources: ESPN, AP, NBC Sports.

With two runs in the bottom of the 12th, after falling behind. Rookie Cooper Pratt had put Milwaukee ahead 3-2 with a solo homer to left center in the top half, the first extra-inning home run by a rookie in World Series history. Then Junior Caminero reached on a Joey Ortiz throwing error to lead off, Liam Hicks singled, Jonny DeLuca tied it 3-3 with an RBI single to center (pinch-runner Cedric Mullins scored), Chandler Simpson singled to load the bases and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled to right for the walk-off. Williamson had been 1-for-15 in the postseason before that at-bat. Earlier, Simpson and Pratt traded RBI doubles, Caminero scored on a David Hamilton throwing error, and Hamilton homered to make it 2-2 in the fifth. Sources: ESPN, AP, NBC Sports.

It was played on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, on FOX, and it decided the series: Brewers 4, Rays 1. Jacob Misiorowski started for Milwaukee and threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings; Drew Rasmussen started for Tampa Bay on three days' rest. The win gave Milwaukee the series 4-1, so there was no Game 6. Sources: ESPN, MLB, FOX Sports.

No, and the Rays did not change that. Tampa Bay became the fifth of 26 teams down 0-3 in a World Series to win Game 4, and, like the previous four, it then lost Game 5, 4-1 to Milwaukee on October 28. Only one of 43 teams ever down 0-3 in a best-of-seven postseason series came all the way back, the 2004 Red Sox in the ALCS. Sources: AP, ESPN.

No, the comeback ended in Game 5. The Rays won Game 4 4-3 in 12 innings to avoid the sweep, then lost Game 5 4-1 at home on October 28, and Milwaukee took the series 4-1. No team has ever come back from 0-3 in a World Series; the only 0-3 comeback in MLB history is still the 2004 Boston Red Sox, against the Yankees in the ALCS. Tampa Bay, champion of the American League, remains without a World Series title after losing in 2008, 2020 and 2026. Sources: AP, ESPN, MLB.

It was played on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, on FOX, with FOX Deportes in Spanish and streaming on FOX One, and the Rays won 4-3 in 12 innings, in 4 hours 20 minutes, in front of 40,514 fans. The next game is Game 5, Wednesday, October 28 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. PT, 6 p.m. in Mexico City, midnight in the UK) at the same ballpark, on the same channels; on radio, ESPN Radio, and outside North America, MLB.TV is the usual route. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports, ESPN.

Griffin Jax started for Tampa Bay and Dustin May for Milwaukee. Jax, the Rays' No. 4 starter, went 8-10 with a 3.53 ERA in the regular season. Brandon Woodruff had been expected to start for the Brewers, but he pitched the ninth inning of Game 3, so Milwaukee went to May, who threw 3 innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 earned runs, with 3 strikeouts. The game went 12 innings: Ian Seymour got the win for Tampa Bay and Shane Drohan took the loss for Milwaukee. Sources: MLB, ESPN, Sports Illustrated.

They already have. Milwaukee won Game 5 4-1 on Wednesday, October 28 at Tropicana Field and took the series 4-1 for the first World Series title in franchise history. The sweep had been off since Tampa Bay's 4-3 win in 12 innings in Game 4, which ended Milwaukee's eight-game postseason winning streak. Sources: MLB, ESPN, AP.

It means the first championship in the franchise's history, which began in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots before moving to Milwaukee in 1970; the club's only previous World Series, in 1982, ended in a seven-game loss to the Cardinals. With Milwaukee's title, according to Yahoo Sports, four franchises have never won a World Series: the Rays, Padres, Rockies and Mariners. It also caps a season of 114 combined wins, 103 in the regular season, the most in MLB for a second straight year, and 11 in the playoffs. Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN, MLB.

It was played on Monday, October 26, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, the first World Series game there since 2008, and the Brewers won 10-1 to take a 3-0 lead. The Rays won Game 4 4-3 in 12 innings on Tuesday, October 27; next up is Game 5 on Wednesday, October 28 at 8 p.m. ET in St. Petersburg, then, only if needed, Games 6 and 7 in Milwaukee on October 30 and 31. Sources: MLB, ESPN, FOX Sports.

Freddy Peralta started for Tampa Bay and Robert Gasser for Milwaukee, and it went one way. Gasser, a left-hander, threw six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and facing the minimum 18 batters. Peralta, the ALCS MVP and a Brewer from 2018 to 2025, came in 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA this postseason but was knocked out with two outs in the fifth, with the bases loaded, after 4 2/3 innings, before the eight-run rally was complete. Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN, MLB.

About four times in five. According to MLB.com, teams that took a 2-0 lead in previous World Series went on to win 80.7% of the time. Per ESPN, the last 13 teams to lead 2-0 all won the title, and the last team to blow a 2-0 lead was the 1996 Atlanta Braves. Milwaukee went further, to 3-0 after Game 3, a lead that has been held in 42 of 43 best-of-seven postseason series; after the Rays' Game 4 win, it leads 3-1. Sources: MLB, ESPN, AP.

Yes, 10 times, according to the AP, including the 1985 Kansas City Royals, the 1986 New York Mets and the 1996 New York Yankees. It has not happened since 1996. But Tampa Bay is past that point: after losing Game 3 10-1, the Rays fell to 0-3, won Game 4 in 12 innings and now trail 1-3; no team has ever come back from 0-3 in a World Series. Sources: MLB, ESPN, AP.

A little less than two times in three. According to the AP, the team that wins Game 1 has gone on to win the World Series 62.8% of the time. It is no guarantee: in 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays won Game 1 11-4 and still lost the series to the Dodgers in seven games. Across all best-of-seven postseason series, CBS Sports puts the rate at 64.5%, and 68.4% for teams that won Game 1 at home, as Milwaukee did. Sources: AP, CBS Sports, FOX Sports.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee swept the Dodgers 4-0 in the NLCS on October 15; Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 in the ALCS, clinching with a 7-3 win in Game 6 on Monday, October 19. It is a meeting of both leagues' No. 1 seeds. Sources: MLB, ESPN, CBS Sports.

The Tampa Bay Rays. Down 2-1 in the ALCS, the Rays won three straight games (7-3, 3-1 and 7-3) to knock out Cleveland and take the third American League pennant in their history. Milwaukee won the first three games of the World Series, 3-2, 5-4 and 10-1, before Tampa Bay took Game 4 4-3 in 12 innings; the Brewers lead 3-1. Sources: ESPN, CBS Sports, AP.

Brewers 4, Dodgers 0. Milwaukee won Game 1 2-1 (October 11) and Game 2 7-4 (October 12) at home, then Game 3 6-2 (October 14) and Game 4 6-4 (October 15) at Dodger Stadium. In Game 4 they came back from 4-0 down after a three-run Shohei Ohtani homer; Garrett Mitchell's solo shot in the sixth put them ahead and David Hamilton added one in the ninth. Milwaukee outscored Los Angeles 21-11 and outhomered it 7-1. Sources: ESPN, MLB, Baseball Reference.

Rays 4, Guardians 2. Game 1: Guardians 7-3 at Tropicana Field (October 12). Game 2: Rays 3-1 (October 13), with six scoreless innings from Freddy Peralta. Game 3: Guardians 3-2 at Progressive Field (October 15), on a Petey Halpin two-run homer. Game 4: Rays 7-3 (October 17, a day late because of rain), with Jonathan Aranda driving in two in the seventh and Yandy Díaz homering in the ninth. Game 5: Rays 3-1 (October 18), Drew Rasmussen allowing one run in seven innings. Game 6: Rays 7-3 at Tropicana Field (October 19). Sources: ESPN, CBS Sports, theScore, NBC News.

The Tampa Bay Rays, 7-3 over Cleveland in Game 6 on Monday, October 19, at Tropicana Field. Richie Palacios drove in two early runs, Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer off Cade Smith in the seventh for a 5-1 lead and, after Cleveland scored twice in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk and a hit batter, Yandy Díaz answered with a two-run homer. Freddy Peralta allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings. Sources: ESPN, AP, Yahoo Sports.

Freddy Peralta of the Tampa Bay Rays. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA, allowing one run in 12 innings over three appearances: six scoreless innings to win Game 2, two key outs in relief in Game 4 and 5 1/3 innings to win the clincher. More on his career on our [Freddy Peralta](/en/people/freddy-peralta/) page. Source: ESPN.

Yes, and it did not go his way in Game 3. Peralta pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2018 to 2025 and became their ace before Milwaukee traded him to the New York Mets in January 2026; the Mets sent him to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline for three prospects. On Monday, October 26, he kept the Brewers to two runs into the fifth, then left with the bases loaded and two outs after 4 2/3 innings, as Milwaukee scored eight in the inning and won 10-1. Drew Rasmussen, who started Game 2, also came from Milwaukee, in a 2021 trade. Sources: ESPN, MLB, WBAY, Yahoo Sports.

No, this is their first World Series meeting. Milwaukee won two of three regular-season games against Tampa Bay in March 2026, but both rosters changed a lot at the trade deadline. The two clubs are linked in another way: Rays starters Freddy Peralta and Drew Rasmussen both pitched for Milwaukee before joining Tampa Bay. Sources: The Big Lead, ESPN, MLB.

Nobody anymore: the Brewers won it. Milwaukee opened as the favorite, at -155 against +135 for Tampa Bay on DraftKings according to ESPN, won the first three games and closed the series 4-1 in Game 5 on October 28. Historically, teams leading a best-of-seven postseason series 3-0 have now won 43 of 44 times. Sources: ESPN, MLB.

Jacob Misiorowski for Milwaukee and Nick Martinez for Tampa Bay. The Rays went with Martinez rather than Drew Rasmussen, who started Game 2. Misiorowski, the majors' regular-season leader in ERA (1.80) and strikeouts (252), got the win with five innings and one run allowed. Martinez gave up both of his runs in the first inning, then nothing more over five innings with five strikeouts, and took the loss. Sources: Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, AP, Wikipedia.

Rain in Cleveland. Game 4 was called off late on Friday, October 16, and played on Saturday, October 17, when the Rays won 7-3 to tie the series. Game 5 moved to Sunday, October 18, using an off day, and Game 6 was played on Monday, October 19 at Tropicana Field, so the series ended with three games in three days. The World Series date did not change. Sources: ESPN, CBS Sports, theScore.

The Milwaukee Brewers. At 103-59, the best record in baseball and a franchise record, they finished ahead of the Rays (98-64). Milwaukee hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 at American Family Field; Tampa Bay hosts Games 3, 4 and 5 at Tropicana Field. Sources: MLB, theScore.

At American Family Field in Milwaukee, on Friday, October 23, in front of a sellout crowd of 43,250. It was the first World Series game ever played at the ballpark: Milwaukee's previous Fall Classic, in 1982, was at the old County Stadium. Sources: ESPN, MLB, Wikipedia, AP.

Because neither franchise had ever won it, so a first-time champion was guaranteed, and it turned out to be Milwaukee, in its 57th season. It was the first World Series between two clubs chasing their first title since 1980, when the Phillies beat the Royals. Milwaukee's only previous trip was in 1982; Tampa Bay has now lost in 2008, 2020 and 2026. Both teams rank in the bottom third of the league in payroll. Sources: ESPN, AP, CBS Sports, theScore.

Yes, once: in 2026. Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 4-1 in Game 5 on October 28, 2026, to win the series 4-1, the first championship in franchise history. Before that, its only World Series appearance came in 1982, when the club was still in the American League, a seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The 2026 NLCS sweep of the Dodgers was also its first National League pennant. Sources: ESPN, MLB, AP.

In 1948. Cleveland's two titles came in 1920 and 1948, and the club has lost four World Series since, most recently to the Chicago Cubs in seven games in 2016. The 2026 ALCS loss to Tampa Bay stretched the drought, the longest active one in the majors, to 78 years. Sources: MLB, Baseball Reference, AP.

No. 2026 is their third World Series in 29 seasons: they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. They got back after a franchise-record 98 wins, the AL's best record, a sweep of the Yankees in the ALDS and a 4-2 ALCS win over Cleveland. Sources: MLB, ESPN, CBS Sports.

No. They were swept 4-0 by Milwaukee in the NLCS, ending their bid to become the first National League team to win three titles in a row and the first three-peat champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees. The Brewers also became the first team in postseason history to sweep an opponent that had swept them the year before: Los Angeles beat Milwaukee 4-0 in the 2025 NLCS. Sources: ESPN, MLB.

Jake Bauers of the Milwaukee Brewers. In the clinching Game 4 he hit one of two back-to-back ground-rule doubles, with William Contreras, that tied the game before Garrett Mitchell's go-ahead homer. Source: ESPN.

Seven for the Brewers, three for the Rays. Milwaukee clinched the pennant on October 15 and did not play again until Game 1. Tampa Bay finished the ALCS on Monday, October 19, after three games in three days caused by the Game 4 rainout, and had Tuesday to Thursday off. Rest against rhythm was one of the pre-series storylines; the rested Brewers won Game 1 3-2, with their bullpen covering the last four innings. Sources: ESPN, MLB, AP.

In the US, every game is on FOX, with FOX Deportes in Spanish and streaming on FOX One. Joe Davis calls the games with John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci. On radio, the series is on ESPN Radio. Unlike the earlier rounds, split between NBC, TBS and FOX, the World Series sits with one broadcaster from Game 1 to Game 7. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports, Wikipedia.

MLB says the series is distributed by its rightsholders in 16 languages to more than 200 countries and territories. The common route is MLB.TV, whose international service carries postseason games in most countries outside North America, subject to territory restrictions. Canada is excluded from MLB.TV's international offer: there, Sportsnet holds national rights and carried the whole 2025 World Series. In the UK, coverage has been on TNT Sports in recent seasons, but we could not confirm the 2026 arrangement, so check the local listings before each game. Sources: MLB, Wikipedia.

All seven games start at 8 p.m. ET, which is 7 p.m. in Milwaukee and 5 p.m. PT. For international viewers: Mexico City 6 p.m.; UK 1 a.m. the next morning for Games 1 and 2, then midnight from Game 3 once British clocks go back on October 25; Japan and South Korea 9 a.m. the next morning. Sources: MLB, theScore, Wikipedia.

Best of seven, in a 2-3-2 home split. The team with home-field advantage hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7; its opponent hosts Games 3, 4 and 5. First to four wins takes the Commissioner's Trophy. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports.

The pennant winner with the better regular-season record, not the better playoff seed. Seeding only orders each league's own bracket; once the two champions meet, the 162-game record is the tiebreak. If both finished level, MLB falls back on its standard tiebreakers. In 2026, that means Milwaukee. Sources: MLB, FOX Sports.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in a series that went to a deciding game. They won Game 7 by 5-4 in 11 innings: Miguel Rojas tied it with a ninth-inning home run and Will Smith won it with a home run in the 11th. It made the Dodgers the first back-to-back champions since the 2000 New York Yankees. Sources: ESPN, MLB, NPR.

Both had byes as their league's No. 1 seed. Milwaukee beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the NLDS and swept the Dodgers 4-0 in the NLCS: seven wins in eight postseason games. Tampa Bay swept the Yankees in the ALDS, then came back from 2-1 down to beat the Guardians 4-2 in the ALCS. Full bracket on our [MLB playoffs 2026](/en/mlb-playoffs-2026/) page. Sources: MLB, ESPN.

Four rounds. Wild Card Series from September 29 (best of three, top two division winners per league skip it), Division Series from October 3 (best of five), Championship Series from October 11 (best of seven), then the World Series. A team with a bye needs eleven wins for the title; a Wild Card team needs thirteen. Source: MLB.

It could have been: with Game 1 on October 23 and two travel days, a seven-game series would have ended on Saturday, October 31, at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. It did not happen, because the Brewers won the series in five games on October 28. Sources: MLB, ESPN.

The Commissioner's Trophy, a share of the postseason player pool and a World Series ring. Unlike most trophies in American sport, it is remade each year, so the winning club keeps the actual trophy rather than passing it on. Source: MLB.

Yes, and it has happened since the bracket expanded to twelve teams in 2022, with the 2023 Rangers. Not this year, though: all four 2026 Wild Card survivors (White Sox, Yankees, Padres, Braves) went out in the Division Series, and the final four were the four teams that had byes. Sources: MLB, ESPN.

Nine, counting the Brooklyn years: 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2020, 2024 and 2025. Their run ended in the 2026 NLCS. Sources: MLB, Baseball Reference.

Yes. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay both rank in the bottom third of the league in payroll, so after two years of Dodgers titles the Fall Classic features no big-spending club. Cleveland, the team the Rays eliminated, was in the same bracket. Source: theScore.