Woodruff Closes Out Brewers' Game 3 Win in Emotional Return
Brandon Woodruff recorded the final three outs of Milwaukee's Game 3 victory over Tampa Bay, allowing one run and two hits while striking out one batter as the Brewers took a 3-0 lead in the 2026 World Series. The ninth-inning appearance marked Woodruff's first game action since July 4 and his World Series debut.
Milwaukee's win was built on an eight-run fifth inning, the defining stretch of the game and one of the biggest offensive outbursts of the series so far. Woodruff's closing appearance added a personal storyline to the night: the right-hander made his major league debut with the Brewers in 2017, also at Tropicana Field, giving his return to the same ballpark a symbolic weight. futsal bookmakere
Woodruff's path back to the mound was uncertain for months. He underwent season-ending surgery in the fall of 2023 and missed part of the 2024 season recovering from the procedure. In 2025, his shoulder remained a concern, limiting him to 12 regular-season starts, and shoulder inflammation sidelined him again after his July 4 outing, when he opted against further surgery. Those questions extended into October, when manager Pat Murphy had to decide whether Woodruff, given his health history, belonged on the World Series roster at all.
Murphy ultimately included Woodruff, though his role remained unclear entering the series - whether he would start, work in relief, or not pitch at all. His ninth-inning outing in Game 3 answered that question. Now in his 10th major league season, entirely with Milwaukee, Woodruff and the Brewers need one more win to clinch the franchise's first World Series title.
