The Tampa Bay Rays were one inning away from watching the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their first World Series championship Tuesday night.

Instead, the Rays delivered one of the wildest finishes of the postseason.

Tampa Bay rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning to defeat Milwaukee 4-3 in Game 4 of the World Series, extending the series and giving its fans at least one more night of October baseball. The was was remarkable on its own. The historical context makes it even more interesting.

Tampa Bay joins a very exclusive group

The Rays became just the fifth team in World Series history to win Game 4 after losing the first three games. The previous four teams all lost Game 5. That means Tampa Bay accomplished something rare Tuesday, but the franchise still faces an enormous challenge if it wants to turn its dramatic victory into a legitimate championship comeback.

RAYS ALIVE 🗣️ A 12th-inning @RaysBaseball walk-off extends the #WorldSeries to Game 5! #NoTimeLikeOctober (MLB x @FirehouseSubs) https://t.co/eDy4rpb8cs

— MLB (@MLB) October 28, 2026

There is another piece of history that baseball fans know particularly well.

Only one team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series in Major League Baseball postseason history. The 2004 Boston Red Sox famously accomplished that against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

The Rays are trying to join that group while competing on the biggest stage in baseball. Tuesday's win was the first step, but it was also a reminder of how quickly a postseason series can change.

One error opened the door to an incredible finish

Milwaukee appeared positioned to complete the sweep when rookie Cooper Pratt hit a solo home run in the top of the 12th inning, giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead. But Tampa Bay's final opportunity began with a defensive mistake.

Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz committed a throwing error on Junior Caminero's ground ball, allowing the tying run to reach base. Liam Hicks followed with a single before Jonny DeLuca drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the game. Chandler Simpson then singled to load the bases.

Milwaukee brought an additional infielder into the defensive alignment, attempting to prevent the winning run from scoring.

Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson responded with a bouncing single over first baseman Jake Bauers, bringing Nick Fortes home with the winning run. Williamson entered the at-bat having recorded just one hit in 15 postseason opportunities.

He suddenly owned one of the biggest hits in franchise history.

MORE: Brewers just pulled off something no World Series team had ever done before

Game 5 brings another enormous test

The Brewers remain one victory away from their first World Series championship, and they have an opportunity to finish the job Wednesday night. Jacob Misiorowski is expected to start Game 5 for Milwaukee. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash had not announced his starter following Tuesday's game.

The Rays also have a potential injury concern after Caminero appeared to hurt his left foot during the winning rally. The slugger expressed confidence that he would play Wednesday. Milwaukee still controls the series, and the historical odds remain heavily against Tampa Bay.

But for one extraordinary inning, the Rays turned what appeared to be a championship celebration for their opponent into another chapter of World Series history.

Now comes the question that could define the rest of the series.

Can Tampa Bay make history twice?

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