The Opener: Rays Survive, Pratt, Misiorowski

Game 3 was a laugher. Game 4 delivered, and then some. The season isn’t over just yet. 1. Rays force Game 5 Tampa Bay extended the postseason for at least another game with a thrilling 4-3 win in 12 innings on Tuesday. A Joey Ortiz error opened the door in the final frame. Four straight hits pushed the tying and winning runs across. Ben Williamson played the hero, chopping a ground ball over a drawn-in infield for the walk-off hit. Game 5 is tonight at 7 pm CT. “We have tomorrow,” Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz said (h/t Jeff Passan of ESPN). “We have a new day. We have life.” 2. Pratt nearly the hero If the Brewers were able to hold on, it would’ve been known as the Cooper Pratt Game. The rookie shortstop went 4-for-5 on a night where his teammates combined for four hits. The biggest swing was a go-ahead homer in the top of the 12th inning. It was the first playoff home run of his young career. Pratt is now hitting .333 with four extra-base hits in the postseason. 3. Misiorowski gets Game 5 Most of the damage in the 12th inning came against lefty Shane Drohan, who had only pitched one inning in the playoffs coming into Tuesday. Technically, he’s still stuck on one inning after failing to record an out. The task of recording the final three outs could’ve gone to ace Jacob Misiorowski, but manager Pat Murphy told reporters he didn’t want to burn him in that spot (h/t Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Misiorowski will start Game 5 tonight. He tossed five innings of one-run ball in a Game 1 victory. Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images View Comments (1)