ST PETERSBURG, Fla. — Back in 1982, the Milwaukee Brewers’ goal was to make it to the World Series, which they did, but fell 4 games to 3 to the St. Louis Cardinals.
But this season, the goal wasn’t to make it to the World Series. It was to win it.
And the Brew Crew did just that, defeating the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in a game five clincher to claim the club’s first-ever World Series title.
It was vintage Brewers baseball, scoring in multiple innings behind 5-2/3 shutout innings from starter Jacob Misiorowski.
Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, who continued to elevate his game throughout the series, got the Brewers on the board first with an RBI single in the second.
In the fifth, Pratt scored on a David Hamilton single to put Milwaukee up 2-0.
In the next inning, a William Contreras RBI double put the Brewers up 3-0, then a Pratt sacrifice fly scored Contreras to go up 4-0.
One run by Tampa in the bottom of the ninth was too little, too late for the Rays.
The Brewers won 11 of 14 games, with eight comeback wins, in their three post-season series on their way to the title.
Back in Milwaukee, fans filled American Family Field, flooded the streets and packed their local taverns to celebrate the historic championship.
Details of the welcome home celebration parade in Milwaukee have yet to be announced.