The Tampa Bay Rays' quest for their first World Series title is on life support.
The AL champions looked helpless against the Milwaukee Brewers during Monday's 10-1 loss in Game 3 of the World Series, which dropped them into a 3-0 hole. Milwaukee can now clinch its first championship Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
The nine-run loss is the second-largest margin of defeat in Rays postseason history and their worst in a World Series game.
Now, Tampa Bay must make baseball history in order to take home the Commissioner's Trophy. Only one team - the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS - has ever erased a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.
"We've got a seat at the table. We've got to do something with the chip. Obviously the only thing we can do is win tomorrow," manager Kevin Cash told reporters postgame.
A return home to St. Petersburg didn't provide the Rays with the spark they sought following two one-run losses in Wisconsin. They were limited to just three hits and five baserunners, and they pushed only one runner into scoring position - in the ninth inning.
The normally fundamentally sound Rays had another all-around sloppy game. Speedster Chandler Simpson was caught stealing when he overslid second base to end the first inning; Tampa Bay wouldn't have another baserunner until the sixth.
In the top of the fifth with two out, star third baseman Junior Caminero threw to second on a ground ball for an inning-ending force out. Umpires originally ruled it an out, but the call was overturned on replay, opening the door for Milwaukee's historic eight-run rally.
"He might have had a play at (William) Contreras getting down the first base line," Cash said. "Don't fault Cammy at all. That ball is a hard hit ground ball, topspin, took him almost back to the grass or the turf. Understood why he thought the best avenue was to go to second. But it was a good job by ... (Christian) Yelich busting it to second base and getting there safe."
Caminero, who's gone 2-for-10 in the series, gave his opponents plenty of credit following the loss.
"They're just playing better and things are going their way," Caminero said in Spanish, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "Look, I said it to Contreras today: 'Wow, God gave you a blessing that every challenge goes your way.'"
ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings of work versus his former team. Three of those runs on Peralta's line came around to score against reliever Cam Booser, who failed to record an out and was charged with four runs during the fateful fifth.
The Rays will give the ball to Griffin Jax in an attempt to save their season Tuesday night, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
