Rays Face Staff Depletion and Injury Doubts Before Game 5

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings on Tuesday, reducing their deficit in the World Series to 3-1. The victory keeps the Rays alive, though their historical odds of winning the series stand at 14.6%. That figure is based on the 14 teams that have come back from a 3-1 hole in best-of-seven postseason history, out of 96 total attempts. In that specific scenario, teams down 3-1 have a 50-50 record in Game 5.

The win came at a high cost to the Rays' pitching staff. Manager Kevin Cash deployed seven pitchers in Game 4, a strategy he described as a must-win effort. Starter Griffin Jax threw 74 pitches and is likely unavailable for Wednesday. Nick Martinez, originally scheduled to start Game 5, worked two scoreless innings in relief using 33 pitches. Ian Seymour threw 32 pitches and may also be ruled out. Tyler Wells and Cameron Booser have already worked two consecutive days.

Cash has few clear options for Wednesday's starting rotation. Cole Sulser, Steven Matz, and Garrett Cleavinger sat out Game 4 and are the most likely candidates to pitch. Bryan Baker and Kevin Kelly missed Monday's Game 3 loss and are presumably available. Drew Rasmussen, who started Game 2, is on three days of rest. He has never made a short-rest start in his career. The Rays may need to rely on bullpen arms to bridge the gap if their starters do not go deep.

Milwaukee faces a more straightforward decision. Jacob Misiorowski, the 24-year-old National League Cy Young favorite, will start Game 5 on four days of rest. He is the hardest-throwing starter in the league and will make his fourth playoff start. In Game 1, he worked five innings, allowed one run, and earned the win. He is currently in career-high workload territory, which adds a variable to his performance. The Brewers may need length from him because their bullpen worked hard in the 12-inning loss.

A third concern for Tampa Bay involves first baseman Junior Caminero. The 23-year-old left Game 4 in the 12th inning with a left foot injury after reaching base on a throwing error by Joey Ortiz. Cash was confident in Caminero's availability, stating, "He'll play tomorrow on one leg. I'll make sure of it." Whether the player can perform at full strength less than 24 hours after the injury remains an open question.

Caminero has struggled with power in the postseason. He has recorded only one home run in 48 at-bats this October, a stark contrast to his regular season pace of one home run every 14.7 at-bats. He hit 42 home runs during the regular season. His playoff OPS stands at .717. The Rays will likely need his usual bat to send the series back to Milwaukee for Game 6.