Brewers rout Rays to reach brink of World Series sweep
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — With a devastating 16-hit batting performance and masterful pitching by Robert Gasser, the Milwaukee Brewers routed Tampa Bay, 10-1, on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), reaching the brink of a World Series sweep.
Left-handed starter Gasser threw six shutout innings, allowing only one hit with a walk and three strikeouts in facing the minimum 18 batters.
“It was awesome,” Gasser said. “We’re going to enjoy tonight. It was a great team win. But we’ve got work to do.”
Jackson Chourio, a 22-year-old Venezuelan outfielder, went 4-for-5 at the plate, scored twice, stole a base and also drove in a run in the Brewers’ historic eight-run fifth inning to humble the Rays.
All eight runs came with two outs in the inning, a World Series record, and Milwaukee batters made seven consecutive hits, a playoff first.
“It was special for sure,” Chourio said through a translator. “We’ve been preparing for this day. We’ve known it was coming. We have one more to lock in for tomorrow to complete the mission.”
The Brewers seized a 3-0 lead in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final and can win the first title in team history with a triumph in Game 4 on Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
“There’s still one more game to go for us to win,” Gasser said. “I know everybody is eager to do it, and we’re going to show up tomorrow ready to go.”
Gasser became the first lefty to face the minimum over six innings in a World Series clash since Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965. The Rays managed a run in the ninth but only three hits in the game.
Chourio raced home from second base on a Christian Yelich single in the third inning to score the first run and William Contreras drove in another with a hit to right field for a 2-0 lead.
The Brewers, whose only prior World Series was a 1982 loss to St. Louis in seven games, had two one-run wins to start the Series but overwhelmed Tampa Bay with a barrage in the fifth.
Chourio singled, stole second and advanced to third on a Contreras single that loaded the bases as Rays starter Freddy Peralta, who had played for Milwaukee the past eight seasons, was lifted for relief pitcher Cam Booser.
Brice Turang followed with a two-run single up the middle, Garrett Mitchell added a single to score Contreras, and Cooper Pratt followed with a two-run double to left field for a 7-0 Brewers lead.
Sal Frelick doubled in Pratt for an 8-0 Milwaukee edge, bringing on Rays reliever Cole Sulser, who promptly surrendered a single to David Hamilton to drive in Frelick for a 9-0 lead.
Chourio concluded the stunning streak with a double to right field to score Hamilton for a 10-0 Brewers lead.
Gasser, meanwhile, had to wait for an extra 45 minutes before returning to the mound, watching the amazing streak with glee.
“It was special. I had a smile on my face the whole time,” Gasser said. “It was just surreal when something like that happens.”
Chourio’s eight hits through three games are the second-most in World Series history after nine by Billy Hatcher for Cincinnati in 1990.
“My mentality is to stay on top of the ball and hit line drives,” Chourio said. “I consider myself more of a hitter than a home run hitter.”
Chourio became the youngest player to ever begin a World Series with three multi-hit games, delivering singles in the first, third and fifth innings on Monday. AFP
