Sal Frelick supplied a pivotal home run as the Milwaukee Brewers overturned a four-run deficit to beat the Rays 5–4 in Game 2 of the World Series. Although Cooper Pratt ultimately delivered the final blow, Frelick's sixth-inning solo homer had drawn Milwaukee level at 4–4. It was the Brewers' second four-run comeback of the postseason.
Rays reliever Ian Seymour challenged Frelick with nine consecutive fastballs, initially alternating between sinkers and four-seamers. After fouling off four of the first eight pitches and working a full count, Frelick drove the ninth pitch over the boundary. Seymour had thrown consecutive four-seam fastballs for the first time in the encounter.
The breakthrough contrasted sharply with Frelick's regular season: four home runs, a .230 batting average and a .614 OPS. A right shoulder injury sidelined him for six weeks, while his opportunities diminished after his return. Luis Lara, a 21-year-old prospect promoted in July, took some of his playing time.
Manager Pat Murphy linked Frelick's self-belief to the challenges of being a smaller player. His competitive background extends beyond baseball: he earned Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honours as a high-school quarterback in 2017 and also played hockey. Frelick described an almost blackout-like sensation after his homer, while acknowledging that it had only tied the game.
Milwaukee now pursues its first World Series championship as the series moves to Tropicana Field. The Rays have a 59–27 record there this season, including the postseason, and both opening games were decided by a single run.
