Controversial call caught all the limelight as the Tampa Bay Rays saved their World Series hopes by winning Game 4, leaving the Milwaukee Brewers fuming. Just when the Brewers appeared poised to make a late push on Tuesday, a disputed call on Cooper Pratt’s stolen-base attempt brought their ninth inning to an abrupt end. Yet, controversy was only one part of an extra-inning thriller packed with jaw-dropping defensive plays, clutch homers, and Junior Caminero’s elite baserunning.

Meanwhile, Chandler Simpson continued his redemption arc, producing another spectacular catch near the left-field fence after his costly miss in Game 2. From heated debates to highlight-reel moments, Game 4 had everything a World Series classic demands. In this episode of MLB Recap, let’s revisit the moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Controversial call ends Brewers’ momentum

“After further review, the call is overturned to an out, and we head to the bottom of the 9th all tied up in Tampa Bay,” Fox Sports: MLB shared via X.

The controversial replay review in the 9th inning of Game 4 took place when the Brewers rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt attempted to steal second base with the game tied 2-2. With one out in the top of the 9th, Pratt singled to left field. During the next at-bat, he attempted to swipe second base to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.

Rays catcher Liam Hicks delivered a precise throw, and second baseman Richie Palacios applied a quick tag as Pratt slid in.

Second base umpire Tripp Gibson originally called Pratt safe on the field, ruling that he had slid under the tag. But the Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the ruling.

Following a painstaking review lasting nearly four minutes, it was determined that there was enough evidence to show the tip of Palacios’s glove grazed Pratt’s left sliding mitt before his hand touched the bag. Umpire James Hoye announced the call was overturned to out, ending the Brewers’ 9th-inning threat.

The decision sparked intense debate because MLB replay rules require clear and conclusive visual evidence to overturn a call made on the field. The television broadcast parsed multiple camera angles. While one specific angle suggested a faint grazing of the glove, several other angles appeared to show a distinct gap between the glove and Pratt’s hand.

Junior Caminero’s elite baserunning stuff

“Rays took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 4th when replay review showed that David Hamilton couldn’t get the tag on Junior Caminero. Out of the baseline is not a challengeable play,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

The Rays looked up to Caminero’s bat in the World Series. But with a .200 average and just 1 RBI, he has yet to showcase his elite hitting. While his practice hits took out the American Family Field scoreboard and Fox’s pregame set, a World Series homer is yet to come.

However, Caminero’s elite baserunning skill made a case in Game 4, giving the Rays a 1-2 lead in the fourth. After leading off the inning with a single, Caminero advanced to second base. When Jonny DeLuca hit a sharp grounder, David Hamilton attempted to field it and quickly reach out to tag Caminero as he dashed toward third base. Caminero swerved noticeably toward the infield grass to evade the tag.

Caught in a frantic moment trying to execute both the tag and the throw, Hamilton missed Caminero and uncorked a desperate, wild throw to first baseman Jake Bauers. The ball sailed past first base, allowing Caminero to trot home easily.

The Brewers challenged the play at third base, arguing that Caminero either was tagged or had run out of the basepath. By rule, an established basepath only exists once a tag is attempted. Furthermore, running out of the baseline is an unreviewable judgment call. However, replay review confirmed that Hamilton completely missed the tag, and the call stood, giving the Rays a temporary 2-1 lead.

Chandler Simpson’s redemption continues

Since Caminero called out the Rays’ outfielder for missing a routine flyout in Game 2, every hit to left field is facing Simpson’s gloves. In Game 3, Sal Frelick sliced a line drive toward the left-field line. Simpson utilized his elite speed to chase it down, making a full-extension diving grab before slamming face-first hard into the wall.

Dazed but uninjured, he managed to throw the ball back to the infield to prevent runner Garrett Mitchell from advancing. “As a mom? Is he okay? Does he have a concussion?” his mother recalled. “And then I saw he was okay. So then we were just so excited that he made that incredible [catch],” Simpson’s mother said.

The Rays’ outfielder followed that up by tracking down another spectacular, game-saving leaping catch at the wall in the 9th inning of Game 4 to rob Garrett Mitchell and keep the game tied.

With a runner on first and the score knotted up at 2-2, Garrett Mitchell launched a deep fly ball to left field that looked like it would drive in the go-ahead run. Simpson tracked it to the warning track and made another leaping grab against the wall.

The Brewers adjusted their error with a home run

David Hamilton’s error in the fourth surrendered a run to the Rays, and he made it up by hitting a homer in the next inning. The 2026 World Series is witnessing a dearth of home runs, with only 4 dingers recorded so far. Among those, two are from tonight’s game and came from the Brewers’ offense.

Facing Rays right-handed reliever Griffin Jax, Hamilton stepped up as the leadoff hitter in the fifth. Jax got ahead early with strike one, eventually working the count to a high-pressure 0-2 count. He then left a pitch over the heart of the plate trying to put Hamilton away.

Hamilton didn’t hesitate, absolutely hammered the ball at an exit velocity of 102 mph. A towering 391-foot fly ball driven deep into the right-center field seats at Tropicana Field, tying the game back up at 2-2.

Remarkably, despite hitting just 4 home runs during the entire 121-game regular season, the blast made Hamilton the only player in the 2026 World Series with multiple home runs at that point in the series.

The Brewers’ rookie shortstop made his mark

With the Brewers needing clutch hits from Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers, Cooper Pratt delivered. In the 12th inning, he hit a dramatic go-ahead solo home run off Rays pitcher Ian Seymour.

The clutch blast broke a 2-2 tie to put the Brewers ahead 3-2, marking his first career postseason home run. Earlier in the game, Pratt drove in Sal Frelick with a two-out RBI double in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1.

Pratt began the 2026 MLB season ranked as the Brewers’ No. 4 prospect. Across 74 games, the 6’4″ shortstop posted a stellar .281 batting average, a .350 OBP, 19 stolen bases, and 34 RBIs, anchoring the bottom of the order and providing excellent speed on the basepaths.

However, Cooper’s clutch moment was awaited in World Series Game 4.