Brewers Manager Pat Murphy & NLCS MVP Jake Bauers Reflect on Team’s Resilience, World Series Berth
Brewers manager Pat Murphy and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers spoke at the postgame press conference about Milwaukee’s resilience throughout the NLCS and advancing to the World Series after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 2026 World Series is set.
The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Milwaukee Brewers, as they defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 7-3, in Game 6 of the ALCS to win the American League pennant.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated. This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
The Brewers, who shockingly swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, have been watching this ALCS patiently to see who their opponent will be.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on Oct. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Getty Images)
Tampa Bay won Game 5 on the road, which is always a pivotal tilt when the series is tied at two games apiece, and they didn’t squander their first trip back home at Tropicana Field.
With a sold-out "Trop," the Rays used their momentum to get the job done.
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
Richie Palacios got the Rays on the board first in the bottom of the second inning after a clutch, two-out double to make it 2-0 early.
Then, with the game at 3-1 in favor of Tampa Bay, it was their superstar, Junior Caminero, hitting what felt like the series-sealing home run that sent the Trop into rapture.
Caminero turned on an inside pitch and was willing the ball to stay fair, as it smacked off the foul pole and the celebration ensued. Caminero stopped before hitting first base, screaming in elation with the crowd and his nearby teammates in the dugout as he understood making it a 5-1 game in the bottom of the seventh inning was a back-breaker for the Guardians.
Caminero took his time rounding the bases before touching home plate, and the Rays fans in the stadium matched his energy the entire time.
Freddy Peralta of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Oct. 19, 2026. (Getty Images)
Cleveland, though, wouldn’t go down without a fight. They found some juice in the ensuing frame, scoring twice to make it a 5-3 game. But as they’ve done all season, the Rays responded when they needed it.
Yandy Diaz hit his own home run, and there was no doubt about the 416-footer he sent over the left field wall to give his squad a four-run lead.
As the top of the ninth began, Bryan Baker, the Rays’ lockdown closer, took the mound to finish the job in Game 6. He got Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez to both ground out to first base before Chase DeLauter popped out foul to punch Tampa Bay’s ticket into the Fall Classic.
This marks the first time the Rays have been to the World Series since the 2020 COVID-19-shortened season, while the Brewers are in for the first time in 44 years.
Richie Palacios of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a two-run RBI double during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on Oct. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Getty Images)
OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Either way, one of these franchises will be winning its first-ever World Series as neither have been able to place one in their trophy case in history.
