A franchise finally gets its title
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 to win the first World Series championship in franchise history. The club plays in the smallest market in Major League Baseball, and it won with a style that has become its signature: strong starting pitching, tight defence and contact hitting instead of home runs.
The final out set off celebrations in Milwaukee that carried into the early hours. The Brewers had never won a title since joining the league in 1969, and their only previous World Series appearance came in 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tampa Bay made it uncomfortable
The Rays forced the deciding game with a two-run rally in the 12th inning of Game 4, a comeback that briefly changed the mood of the series. Tampa Bay had trailed three games to one and was playing without home-field advantage, but its bullpen kept the team in the game longer than most expected.
In Game 5, Milwaukee's starter worked deep into the game and the defence turned two double plays that ended scoring threats. The Brewers added insurance runs late, and the Rays could not string together hits against the back end of the bullpen.
What the win means for a small market
Milwaukee's payroll sits well below the league's biggest spenders, and the title will be cited by small-market executives as evidence that drafting, player development and targeted trades can still compete with clubs that sign star free agents. Several of the team's core players arrived through trades or late draft picks.
The Rays, who have reached the postseason repeatedly on a similar model, face questions about how long they can keep their roster together. The series also gave the sport a reminder that pitching and defence still decide short playoff series, even in an era of rising strikeout rates and longer games.
A parade is expected in Milwaukee later this week, with the date to be confirmed by the city.