A two-out, eight-run fifth put the Brewers one win from a first title

A replay call opened the door

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 on Monday night, moving within one victory of the franchise’s first World Series title. The game was 2-0 when a fifth-inning replay review changed what looked like the final out. Christian Yelich was initially called out at second on a force play; the review reversed the call, leaving Milwaukee with the bases loaded and two outs. mlb +1

Brice Turang’s single began the eruption, and each of the next five Milwaukee hitters also reached with a hit. The sequence produced eight runs before the inning ended, turning a close game into a 10-0 lead. Jackson Chourio capped the scoring with an RBI double; Milwaukee did it without a home run. mlb +1 Sports Illustrated, citing OptaSTATS, reported that the rally included the first seven consecutive hits in a postseason game. si

Gasser kept Tampa Bay quiet

The cushion followed a remarkable start by left-hander Robert Gasser: one hit, one walk and three strikeouts over six scoreless innings. The first-inning single was erased by a double play, and the sixth-inning walk ended with a caught stealing, so Gasser faced the minimum 18 batters. mlb +1 He became the first left-handed starter to do that through six innings of a World Series game since Sandy Koufax in 1965. theguardian

Chourio went 4-for-5, while Milwaukee collected 16 hits. mlb +1 The Rays had managed only three hits by the end of the game, with Yandy Díaz accounting for two. theguardian The Brewers’ offense and Gasser’s outing meant Milwaukee did not need its most-used late-inning relievers to protect the large lead. nytimes

Tampa Bay has no margin left

The blowout followed two one-run Brewers wins at home. In Game 2, Milwaukee had trailed 4-0 before rallying to win 5-4, a comeback that put the Rays in a 0-2 hole before the series moved to Florida. theguardian +1

Now Tampa Bay must win four straight. Only one MLB team has recovered from a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series: the 2004 Boston Red Sox, in the American League Championship Series. theguardian +1 In World Series history, 21 of the previous 25 teams to take a 3-0 lead swept; the other four won in five games. theguardian

Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. mlb +1 A Brewers win would deliver the club its first championship; a Rays win would keep the series alive for another game. mlb +1