The Tampa Bay Rays are down to their last shot Tuesday night, with their season hanging by a thread in World Series Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Tropicana Field.
Milwaukee has already built a three-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series, putting the Rays one loss away from elimination. The Brewers hammered Tampa Bay 10-1 in Game 3 on Monday, turning the matchup into a steep climb after the Rays were one out from getting through the fifth inning before Milwaukee exploded for eight runs.
Game 4 is set for 8 p.m. ET and will air on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One. Griffin Jax is expected to get the ball for Tampa Bay as the club tries to fend off a sweep and force a Game 5 on Wednesday.
Jax faced the Brewers twice in the opening week of the 2026 regular season and had wildly different results. On March 30, he worked a scoreless, hitless inning in relief. Two days later, Milwaukee tagged him for five runs, three earned, without recording an out in an 8-2 Rays loss.
He has also pitched twice this postseason, including a start against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series, when he allowed three runs over four innings. With the Rays’ backs against the wall, manager Kevin Cash may also have to lean hard on the bullpen to try to slow Milwaukee’s offense.
The Brewers entered Tuesday with a chance to finish off the sweep and claim their first championship. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is trying to keep alive its bid for the first World Series title in franchise history after dropping the first three games, 3-2 in Game 1, 5-4 in Game 2 after coughing up a four-run lead, and then Monday’s lopsided loss.
The numbers around this kind of hole are brutal. Only one team has ever climbed out of a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven postseason series: the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who turned the trick against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series before winning the World Series. No team has ever pushed a World Series series that far after falling behind 3-0.
Before first pitch, Rays fans will get a familiar face back at the ballpark. Former Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Longoria played for the Rays from 2008 through 2017 and was a key figure in the franchise’s rise, including the 2008 season when Tampa Bay won the American League East and reached its first World Series.
He’s also the man behind one of the franchise’s defining moments: his walk-off home run against the New York Yankees on the final day of the 2011 regular season, the swing that sealed a wild-card spot in the game now known as Game 162. Longoria officially retired as a Ray in 2025 after signing a ceremonial one-day contract, and the team later inducted him into the Rays Hall of Fame and retired his No. 3 jersey.
His appearance follows former Rays manager Joe Maddon and pitcher James Shields, who handled the ceremonial first pitch duties before Game 3.
If Tampa Bay survives Tuesday night, Game 5 would be played Wednesday at Tropicana Field. If the series continues beyond that, Game 6 would be Friday in Milwaukee, with Game 7 set for Saturday.
In Other News...
Trevor Megill Just Added New Tension To Brewers World Series Lead
The unusual setting at Tropicana Field has become part of the backdrop of this World Series, and not just for the Rays. Ahead of Game 3, Brewers reliever Trevor Megill took aim at the stadiums white roof during batting practice, saying the look of it makes the baseball tough to follow. For Milwaukee, which arrives with a 2-0 series lead, it was the kind of throwaway observation that can still stir up a little extra noise around a postseason stage already full of pressure.
Megill has been one of the Brewers key arms this October, so even a passing complaint from him carried some weight. The comments quickly drew attention and put another spotlight on a building that has never lacked for quirks, especially in big games. With the series shifting and the environment now part of the conversation, Tampa Bay is left to deal with the baseball side of the matchup and the distractions that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays World Series Return Turned Into A Brutal Reality Check
The Rays World Series return quickly turned into a long night in Game 3, with Milwaukee rolling to a 10-1 win and taking control with relentless pitching and a sudden surge at the plate. Tampa Bay never found much rhythm against the Brewers, who at one point retired 14 straight hitters and made the game feel out of reach before the middle innings even settled in.
Milwaukees starter Peralta never made it deep into the game, but the Brewers hardly needed much from him after the offense exploded in the fifth. Gasser took over the rest of the way and gave the Rays no openings, finishing with six shutout innings to keep the pressure squarely on Tampa Bay as the series continued. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Stadium Push Faces A Crucial Vote Fans Can't Ignore
The next step in the Rays push for a Tampa stadium is headed to a city hall meeting this week, where the Tampa City Council is scheduled to vote on a community benefits agreement tied to the teams commitments. The proposal is part of the broader stadium process and is expected to outline how the club would support local initiatives as the project moves forward, with details set to be presented at the meeting.
The timing makes the vote especially important, because the councils makeup is about to change and that could alter how future stadium-related decisions play out. For supporters watching the ballpark effort closely, this is one of those moments that can shape the tone of what comes next, even before the full picture of the agreement is laid out in public. [Read more 🡒]