The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Saturday, increasing their World Series lead to 2-0. The Brewers’ odds of winning the Fall Classic are -750, while the Rays’ are +500, according to FOX Sports.
It may be hard for the Rays to feel hopeful right now. If they're looking for inspiration, they should read up on the Minnesota Twins' heartbreaking 1965 World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Twins took a 2-0 lead in the 1965 Fall Classic after winning the first two games at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The series then moved to Los Angeles for Games 3 through 5, and the Dodgers won all three of their home games. The Twins bounced back with a 5-1 Game 6 win in Minnesota, but were shut out 2-0 in Game 7, giving the Dodgers their fourth World Series championship.
Luckily, the Twins won the 1987 and 1991 World Series, and both were classics, especially the latter. Still, the 1965 Fall Classic is a painful memory for the franchise, considering Minnesota blew a 2-0 lead.
Can the Rays come back down 2-0, as the Dodgers did against the Twins?
Can the Rays do what the Dodgers did in 1965? It'll be tough, but it's certainly possible. Some recent examples of teams coming back from a 2-0 deficit in a seven-game series include the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 ALCS, the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLCS, and the Dodgers in the 2020 NLCS.
What makes the deficit even more painful for the Rays is the fact that the team lost both games by just one run. Milwaukee won 3-2 in Game 1. With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth inning, Rays catcher Liam Hicks appeared to ground into a double play. However, instant replay revealed that Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt's foot came off the bag when he caught the ball from second baseman Brice Turang. Pratt got the out at first, but a run scored, and there were runners on second and third base with two outs.
Was Cooper Pratt's foot off the bag on this potential game-ending double play? pic.twitter.com/8JpspjM3HY
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 24, 2026
The Brewers held on as closer Trevor Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca to win the game.
In Game 2, the Rays took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. It very much looked like Tampa Bay was going to tie the series.
However, the Rays failed to score another run. Milwaukee came back, with Sal Frelick tying the game with a solo home run in the sixth inning and Pratt giving the Brewers the lead with an RBI single in the seventh.
With a runner on third base and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Rays designated hitter Yandy Díaz appeared to check his swing on a two-strike count. The home plate umpire ruled the pitch a ball, but Brewers catcher William Contreras appealed to the first base umpire, who called it a swing, ending the game and giving Milwaukee a 2-0 series lead.
Game 3 of the World Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. CDT on Monday. The game will be available to watch on FOX.
Add us as a preferred source on Google