Milwaukee Brewers lose Game 4 to Rays after Pat Murphy skips ace

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the bottom of the 12th inning in Game 4 of the World Series on October 27, 2026, just three outs away from their first championship in franchise history. Instead of a parade, the city of Milwaukee is preparing for a Game 5, after manager Pat Murphy opted to use a little-used reliever over his ace pitcher, leading to a walk-off loss against the Tampa Bay Rays.

While the Brewers hold a 3-0 series lead, the choice to prioritize tomorrow’s starter over today’s trophy represents a gamble that failed in real-time.

The 12th Inning Collapse

The game followed a script that seemed written for Milwaukee. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt delivered a go-ahead home run in the top of the 12th, putting the Brewers in a position to clinch. But the bottom of the inning dissolved quickly. It started with an error by Junior Caminero and a single by Liam Hicks. Jonny DeLuca tied the game with a hit to center, and Chandler Simpson loaded the bases. The game ended when Ben Williamson hit a ground ball to the right side that bounced over first base and into the outfield.

World Series: Pat Murphy after Brewers lose Game 4 | FOX6 News Milwaukee

The sequence was a textbook baseball spiral, but the frustration stems from who was on the mound. Pat Murphy started the inning with Antonio Senzatela before turning to Shane Drohan. Drohan was a deep-bench option who had pitched in a competitive game just once in the past month; his last appearance was October 15 during the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was tasked with facing the heart of the Rays’ lineup while the most dominant pitcher on the roster sat in the dugout.

Murphy Avoids Using Misiorowski to Protect Game 5 Start

The available alternative was Jacob Misiorowski, the likely NL Cy Young Award winner and the Brewers’ young ace. The conflict for Murphy was structural: Misiorowski was scheduled to start Game 5 on Wednesday. In a standard regular-season game, no manager would burn their starter in relief. But the World Series operates under a different set of stakes.

World Series: Brewers Manager Pat Murphy fields questions | FOX6 News Milwaukee

As reported by Curt Hogg, Murphy explained that he did not want to “burn” Misiorowski in a one-run extra-inning game because the Brewers already held a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. He argued that he trusted his bullpen to get the final three outs.

“Yeah, it’s all hands on deck,” Murphy said regarding the shift to Game 5. “You can write it up and hope that they perform like the back of their baseball card, but that doesn’t always happen. You go with what you believe is the deal. I trust our guys.”

The logic fails when considering the ultimate goal. If the Brewers win Game 4, the need for a Game 5 starter vanishes. By protecting his ace for a future game, Murphy inadvertently created the necessity for that very game to happen.

BREWERS vs. RAYS: World Series Full Game 4 Highlights (October 27) | 2026 MLB Postseason

A Season of Statistical Anomalies

Until Tuesday night, the Brewers’ postseason run looked like a statistical miracle. They had won eight straight games against the Padres, Dodgers, and Rays. The roster, a high-powered group that won 100 games in the regular season, seemed to be operating with supernatural efficiency.

Player	Postseason Performance Note	Impact
Aaron Ashby	18 scoreless innings to start	Set new baseball record
Robert Gasser	1 run allowed in 15 innings	Overperformed expectations
David Hamilton	Two critical postseason HRs	Unexpected offensive spark

The Brewers had leaned on unlikely heroes. David Hamilton, who hit only four home runs during the regular season, provided insurance runs in the NLCS and tied the score in Game 4 of the World Series. Aaron Ashby had ascended from a “very good reliever” to the best reliever in postseason history, eclipsing the early-run dominance of legends like Mariano Rivera.

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Bullpen Exhaustion Follows Decision to Save Misiorowski

The decision to save Misiorowski has now created a secondary problem: bullpen exhaustion. To get to the 12th inning, Murphy had already burned through his high-leverage arms. Aaron Ashby went over two innings, and Trevor Megill, DL Hall, Abner Uribe, and JoJo Romero were all utilized.

There is a counter-argument to be made that using a starter like Misiorowski in a relief role carries its own risks, including injury or a failure to adjust to the pace of a relief appearance. Some analysts argue that with a 3-0 lead, the “safe” play is to trust the depth of the roster rather than risking the health of a franchise cornerstone.

However, the reality of the current situation is that the Brewers’ relief core is now depleted. Ashby showed a drop in velocity toward the end of his outing, meaning the team’s most reliable weapon may not be available for Game 5. If the bullpen falters again, the Rays—who have now found momentum—could feasibly push the series to a Game 6.

Murphy’s gamble was based on the belief that a 3-0 lead provided a safety net. In the World Series, however, the only safety net is a trophy. The question now is whether the Brewers’ dominance was a product of a star-studded roster or a streak of luck that finally ran out when the manager decided to play for tomorrow instead of today.

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