Brewers Overtake Rays 10-1 to Take 3-0 World Series Lead

Jackson Chourio recorded four hits in a 10-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in St. Petersburg, Florida. The win gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 3-0 lead in the World Series. One more win will secure the franchise's first championship in its 57-year history.

The 22-year-old outfielder is the first player of that age to collect four hits in a World Series game since 1946. This was his 23rd career postseason game, all played within the last three years. He currently holds eight hits through the first three games of the current series.

Chourio sparked the Brewers' decisive fifth-inning rally with a base hit up the middle. He concluded the inning with a double into the right-center-field gap. The team scored eight runs on two-out plays during that frame. The offense had previously shown resilience by scoring early in Game 1 and overcoming a four-run deficit in Game 2.

Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold described Chourio as a superstar emerging in real time. Arnold served as general manager when Milwaukee signed Chourio out of Venezuela in 2021 at age 16. Captain Christian Yelich noted that Chourio maintains a slow heartbeat and enjoys the moment.

Chourio said in Spanish that his approach involves staying calm and focusing on positive outcomes. He acknowledged high expectations from others and himself. Field coordinator Nestor Corredor, who coached Chourio in Venezuelan winter ball and this year's World Baseball Classic, said the outfielder has settled into a routine of working counts and shortening his swing. Corredor noted that Chourio understands the full team supports him.

Chourio's postseason statistics contrast with league-wide trends. Across the 2024 to 2026 seasons, the average out-of-park slugging percentage in the regular season is 39 points higher than in the playoffs. Chourio has performed better in the postseason. His regular-season OPS for that three-year span is .799, while his playoff OPS is .882.

In that same period, he became the first player to record three consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases before turning 23. Backup catcher Gary Sanchez said Chourio appears to prefer these high-pressure moments over regular-season play.

Chourio believes his name contributes to his comfort on the stage. His father, Jackson Sr., was a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. His younger brother, Jaison, an outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians system, has the middle name Oneel after Shaquille O'Neal. Chourio's middle name, Bryan, honors Kobe Bryant. He has read parts of Bryant's autobiography, The Mamba Mentality, and tries to adopt its lessons.

Chourio noted that Bryant struggled in his early playoff appearances before becoming a five-time champion. Chourio has reached a level of comfort much sooner. He stated that he knows how hard he has worked for this opportunity and that it is working out in the best way possible.