Tampa Bay staves off elimination with walk-off win in Game 4

The Tampa Bay Rays strung together four consecutive hits in the bottom of the 12th inning to pull off a dramatic comeback and stave off elimination in the World Series.

Tampa Bay defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in Game 4 of the World Series on Wednesday (Korean Standard Time) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, needing extra innings to secure the victory.

The Rays, who had dropped the first three games of the best-of-seven series, trimmed the deficit to 1-3 and kept their championship hopes alive. Milwaukee, which had been one win away from its first title in the franchise's 58th season, was left to regroup.

Tampa Bay struck first when Chandler Simpson hit an RBI double in the bottom of the second inning. Milwaukee tied it in the top of the fourth on a double by Cooper Pratt, but the Rays retook the lead 2-1 in the bottom half when a throwing error by Brewers third baseman David Hamilton allowed a run to score. Hamilton then evened things up with a solo home run to right field in the top of the fifth. Both bullpens held firm from there, sending the game to extra innings.

The deadlock broke in the top of the 12th when Milwaukee leadoff batter Pratt hit a solo home run to left off Tampa Bay's seventh pitcher, Ian Seymour, to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.

Tampa Bay answered immediately in the bottom half. Leadoff batter Junior Caminero reached base on a throwing error by Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz, and Liam Hicks followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners with nobody out.

Jonny DeLuca drove in pinch runner Cedric Mullins with a single to center to tie the game at 3-3. After Simpson added another single to center to load the bases, pinch hitter Ben Williamson ended it with a walk-off single to right field.

Williamson had gone just 1-for-15 in the postseason before stepping to the plate. He came through in the most critical moment, with Tampa Bay's season on the line.

Tampa Bay became just the fifth team in World Series history to win Game 4 after losing the first three. All four previous teams that accomplished the feat lost in Game 5 and were eliminated.

The only team in postseason history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit and win four straight in a best-of-seven was the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series. For Tampa Bay to complete only the second such comeback, the Rays must win all three remaining games.

Game 5 of the World Series is scheduled for Thursday at the same venue.