Who won Game 2 of the World Series? Brewers rally past Rays 5-4 on Cooper Pratt's go-ahead hit

The Milwaukee Brewers won Game 2 of the World Series. They fell behind 4-0 before they ever came to bat, then chipped away and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday night, Oct. 24, at American Family Field. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, whose error started the Rays’ first-inning rally, drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh.

Milwaukee now leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 as it heads to St. Petersburg, Florida, chasing the first championship in franchise history.

World Series Game 2 score

• Win: Angel Uribe (1-0), 1 1/3 scoreless innings
• Loss: Tyler Wells (0-2)
• Save: Aaron Ashby, 1 2/3 innings, 3 strikeouts

Box score via ESPN.

How the Rays built a 4-0 lead

Tampa Bay struck first. On the game’s first batter, Pratt fielded Yandy Díaz’s ground ball and bounced the throw, an error that MLB.com said was his fourth of the postseason. Brewers starter Logan Henderson then gave up two run-scoring singles and a two-run homer to Liam Hicks. The Brewers trailed 4-0 against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen before they took a swing.

How the Brewers came back

Milwaukee answered right away. Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers singled to start the bottom of the first. William Contreras then drove in a run with a hit-and-run single up the middle, which came after Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda dropped a catchable foul pop, according to MLB.com. Garrett Mitchell’s two-out single made it 4-2.

In the fourth, Pratt walked and later scored when David Hamilton’s grounder went under Aranda’s glove for an error, cutting it to 4-3.

Sal Frelick tied the game leading off the sixth with a home run off left-hander Ian Seymour. MLB.com said it was Frelick’s first homer off a lefty since Opening Day and only the fourth of his four-year career.

Cooper Pratt’s go-ahead single

In the seventh, Brice Turang doubled off Tyler Wells and moved to third on a deep fly ball. The Rays brought in right-hander Kevin Kelly to face Pratt. The 22-year-old fell behind 1-2, worked the count full at 2-2, then lined a sinker into right field to put Milwaukee ahead 5-4.

“My heart was racing, I’m not going to lie,” Pratt said, according to MLB.com. “It’s nine innings for a reason.”

Pratt then stole second. MLB.com reported that made him the second-youngest player with an RBI and a stolen base in a World Series game since the RBI became an official stat in 1920. Only Juan Soto was younger.

William Contreras and Aaron Ashby lead early MVP talk

MLB.com called Contreras and Ashby early Series MVP candidates. Contreras had two more hits in Game 2. In the sixth, he also tagged out Hicks at the plate after the Rays sent the slow-footed catcher home on a Victor Mesa Jr. single. Through two games, Contreras is tied with Aranda and Chourio for the Series lead with four hits.

Ashby got five outs in Game 1 and five more to close Game 2. He survived a ninth-inning scare when the Rays got the tying run to third base, then struck out Díaz to end it. MLB.com said his 15 2/3 scoreless innings to start this postseason are one out shy of Andrew Miller’s 2016 mark.

The Brewers also had a chance for an insurance run in the eighth. Chourio was thrown out at the plate by Rays shortstop Taylor Walls on a collision play.

Series status: what a 2-0 lead means

MLB.com reported that teams with a 2-0 lead in the World Series have won the title 80.7% of the time (in 55 previous cases). It also noted that the Brewers came back from a 4-0 deficit for the second straight round, after doing it against the Dodgers in the NLCS.

When is Game 3 of the World Series?

Game 3 is Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, after a travel day Sunday. It airs on FOX and FOX Deportes, with streaming on FOX One, according to MLB.com and NBC Sports.

The probable starters are left-hander Robert Gasser for Milwaukee and right-hander Freddy Peralta for Tampa Bay. Peralta is the former Brewers ace who was named ALCS MVP after joining the Rays at the trade deadline.

World Series 2026 schedule

If necessary. Schedule via NBC Sports.

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