The Milwaukee Brewers now have a commanding lead in the World Series after winning Game 2 by a 5-4 score. They erased a four-run deficit in the first inning for the second time in three games, dating back to NLCS Game 4.
The big hit in the game came from rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt. The 22-year-old shook off a costly first-inning throwing error, providing the inch the Rays needed to take a 4-0 lead off Logan Henderson. But he didn’t let that error define his game, as he responded with the game’s biggest hit of the night in the seventh inning.
“That speaks to Cooper, what type of individual he is, being able to hang in there when things didn’t go great for him early,” Murphy told CBS58 Milwaukee’s Cameron Ezeir.
The type of individual Pratt is served as the same reason the Brewers felt comfortable signing him to a $50 million deal. He had yet to make his MLB debut at the time, but that decision is looking good in its first year. He’s hitting .286 in postseason play and recorded his first postseason RBI on that hit.
Pratt faced Rays right-hander Kevin Kelly, a sinker baller who’s tough on right-handed hitters due to the lower arm slot and the angle that presents. Kelly has held righties to a .182/.213/.264 slash line in the regular season, presenting a tough matchup for the rookie shortstop.
Pratt fell behind 1-2 after chasing a changeup in the dirt. To his credit, he battled back to a 2-2 count and got a sinker to hit, slicing a line drive to right field to score Brice Turang from third for the game’s decisive run. Turang led off the frame with a double off Tyler Wells.
“He’s an outstanding hitter. Coop put together a great at-bat. A great teacher for a young person in the room that a game doesn’t start a certain way doesn’t mean it has to end that way.”
Pratt’s had some tough miscues defensively. Beyond the throwing error, he failed to keep his foot off the bag on a potential game-ending double play in Game 1. But the rookie shortstop has continued to battle back and has provided the Brewers more good moments than bad this year. And the defining moment of his Game 2 performance will be his seventh-inning single that put the Brewers up 2-0 in the series.
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