Corbin Burnes Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Milwaukee Brewers scored a World Series-record eight runs with two outs in the fifth inning Monday night to rout the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 and seize a 3-0 series lead, moving within one victory of the franchise's first championship.

Rookie left-hander Robert Gasser limited the Rays to one hit over six scoreless innings while facing the minimum, and the Brewers collected 16 hits overall. Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI singles by Christian Yelich and William Contreras. The game broke open in the fifth against former Brewer Freddy Peralta and relievers. After two outs, the Brewers strung together seven consecutive hits, including a two-run single by Brice Turang that ticked off the glove of shortstop Taylor Walls, an RBI single by Garrett Mitchell, a two-run double by Cooper Pratt, a run-scoring double by Sal Frelick, an RBI single by David Hamilton and an RBI double by Jackson Chourio. All eight runs scored with two outs, a World Series first, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The seven straight two-out hits also set a postseason record.

"The guys play hard," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "They don't give in. They make every pitch count, and that's what it takes to win." Murphy added that the Rays remain "very, very capable" and that "this is a best-of-seven series. It looks like we're in the driver's seat, but it's baseball. Anything can happen."

Chourio, 22, went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base. He has multiple hits in each of the first three games of the series. "I was ready, and I wanted to win today," Chourio said. "I knew that us winning this game today, it was a big one and it was going to be a big one for us." He added, "We've been preparing for this day. We've known it was coming. We have one more to lock in for tomorrow to complete the mission."

Gasser allowed only a first-inning single and a walk. "It was awesome," Gasser said. "We're going to enjoy tonight. It was a great team win. But we've got work to do." He later called the fifth-inning rally "just surreal."

The Rays scored their lone run in the ninth on a double by Yandy Díaz. Manager Kevin Cash said the inning was "definitely deflating. How could it not be?"

No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in World Series history. Of the 43 previous clubs to trail 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox rallied to win four straight, doing so in the American League Championship Series. The Brewers have won eight consecutive postseason games. A victory Tuesday would make them the first team to sweep both a League Championship Series and the World Series since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.

Milwaukee finished with 16 hits and no errors. Contreras was 3-for-5. Brandon Woodruff, returning from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him since July, closed the ninth.

The series opened with narrow Brewers wins in Games 1 and 2 at American Family Field. The Rays entered Game 3 hoping a return home would spark their offense after being held to six runs across the first two contests. Instead, Milwaukee continued to control the series with contact hitting, opportunistic baserunning and strong pitching.

Murphy noted the presence of Brewers fans at Tropicana Field. "It was unbelievable, and our players felt it," he said. "That's a statement about how much this team has captured the hearts of the people from Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin."

The Brewers, who finished the regular season with the National League's best record, have relied throughout the postseason on a deep roster and a disciplined approach rather than power. Monday's game was the first time a team scored double digits in a World Series contest without a home run since the 2014 Kansas City Royals.

Rays starter Peralta, who had been traded from Milwaukee earlier in his career, allowed the early runs and exited in the fifth. The Rays used five relievers after him. Tampa Bay managed only three hits and one run for the night.

With a 3-0 lead, the Brewers can clinch the title as soon as Tuesday. Murphy and his players emphasized that the series is not over. "We're focused on winning tomorrow," outfielder Sal Frelick said. "We're going to treat it like a Game 7."

The Rays, who advanced as American League champions, face the difficult task of winning four consecutive games against a team that has not lost a postseason contest in more than two weeks. Cash and his club will look for a stronger offensive response in Game 4, while Milwaukee aims to close out the series on the road.