In the sixth inning of Game 2 of the 2026 World Series, Rays third-base coach Brady Williams made a call that the internet buried in seconds: he sent Liam Hicks home against Jackson Chourio — the Brewers‘ left fielder and 2026 Gold Glove finalist. Hicks was out by 10 feet. And there’s a detail that makes it even harder to defend: just minutes earlier, Hicks had been hit on the elbow by a 97 mph sinker from reliever DL Hall, and his ability to run at full speed was clearly compromised.
The Play, Step by Step
Top of the sixth, two outs, runner on second. Víctor Mesa Jr. hit a ground ball to left field. Chourio fielded it — and here’s the part with no easy defense — he already had the ball before Hicks even reached third base. Williams windmilled him anyway.
Chourio’s throw arrived clean to William Contreras, who applied the tag with room to spare. The inning was over, and so was Tampa Bay’s threat. Bleacher Report called it a «misguided» decision by Williams, noting that Chourio was the fielder involved in the play.
The Factor Nobody Can Ignore: Hicks Was Already Hurting
Hicks didn’t reach second base under normal circumstances. Earlier in that same inning, DL Hall hit him on the elbow with a sinker. He stayed in the game — it’s the World Series, that’s understandable — but his top-end running ability was in question. There’s no official medical confirmation of an injury that would have disqualified him from running, but the discomfort was visible.
That context makes Williams’ equation even more complicated: sending a runner with limited mobility against one of the strongest outfield arms in the game. Chourio is not an average left fielder throwing to the plate.
The cruel irony? Earlier in the game, Hicks had been the hero: he hit the first home run of the 2026 World Series, a 411-foot shot in the first inning that was part of a four-run Tampa Bay opening. From hero to viral moment, in six innings.
Milwaukee Ties It Up — and the Series Gets Complicated
Williams’ call didn’t lose the game by itself, but the inning that ended with that out was the turning point. The Brewers answered immediately: Sal Frelick hit a solo home run to tie the game at 4-4 — his first postseason homer and just his fourth career home run off a left-handed pitcher.
Drew Rasmussen came into Game 2 with a dominant résumé: 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in the regular season, and in the postseason he carried a 2-0 record, 1.29 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and a 0.76 WHIP across 21 innings — fewer walks than almost any October starter. It wasn’t enough to protect the lead.
Milwaukee had already won Game 1 on Friday, October 23, by a score of 3-2. If the Brewers close out Game 2, the Rays head back to Tampa down two games in their most recent World Series appearance.
Brady Williams knows that third-base coach decisions in October are remembered a lot longer than the ones made in April.
