Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca connects for an RBI single in the 12th inning of Game 4, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Center fielder Jonny DeLuca said last week he hopes the World Series provides a platform for people to see God through how he plays. Thanks in large part to his game-tying base hit in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 4 on Tuesday, he and the Tampa Bay Rays will have at least one more game to do just that.
Shortly after DeLuca’s RBI single, Ben Williamson chopped a base hit into right field with the bases loaded, scoring Nick Fortes and helping the Rays come back to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3, and stave off elimination. Milwaukee leads the series, 3-1.
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After both bullpens hung zeroes for six straight innings, Milwaukee shortstop Cooper Pratt hit a solo home run in the top of the 12th inning to break the deadlock and give the Brewers a 3-2 lead, putting them just three outs away from a sweep and the franchise’s first-ever World Series win. Instead, the two teams will meet Wednesday night for Game 5 again in Tampa as the Rays stay in pursuit of their first World Series title.
“Today, we’ve just been playing so free,” DeLuca told reporters after the game. “Go out there, there’s really nothing to lose. So go out there, balls to the wall and compete. … It’s a special opportunity that we have. We’re going to take it one day at a time and be in the moment.”
With the win, Tampa Bay became just the fifth of 26 teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series to win Game 4. The Rays also ended an eight-game winning streak by the Brewers, who were looking to become just the second team to sweep a League Championship Series and the World Series.
DeLuca was just 2-for-11 at the plate in the World Series heading into Game 4, and he had just the one hit in five at-bats Tuesday night. But he made it count. While the bat hasn’t been as hot, he’s played solid defense throughout the series for the Rays.
DeLuca is in his fourth major league season and third with the Rays after playing his rookie year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 27-year-old batted .266 with 11 home runs, 50 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in a career-high 112 regular-season games this year. He collected four hits, drove in three runs and stole a base against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series.
Through it all, he’s been guided by God.
“It’s a blessing to be here and I owe it all to Him,” DeLuca told CBN Sports before the World Series started. “I’m trying to give glory to Him as I play. It’s been a foundational part, having my identity be rooted in Jesus. This baseball game is super fun and it’s rewarding, but it’s a very bad god and it’s going to disappoint you every time. So being able to put my faith and trust in Jesus, it gives me a lot of peace. I’m just very blessed and thankful.”
He recently told Travel Chapel that he accepted Christ at age 11, but it took him a while to fully grasp everything about the Christian faith. At age 16, he suffered a serious injury playing baseball and had to have part of his kidney removed. That was a pivotal moment for him to realize that anything can happen and he’s not in control of his life.
Now, his faith “means everything” to him.
“Growing up in a Christian home, being able to go to church and worship God at an early age has been foundational for me,” he told CBN Sports. “Having pastors and teachers and people pouring into my life, praying for me, encouraging me, has been so huge. And obviously that’s the biggest part of my life.”
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a World Series, but the Rays will look to keep their hopes alive with a Game 5 win to continue that pursuit.
For DeLuca, winning a World Series would be an incredible accomplishment. Getting the chance to play Major League Baseball and compete on the sport’s biggest stage was always something he dreamed of, just like virtually any other baseball player. But even reaching that pinnacle doesn’t guarantee the fulfillment he once expected.
“There’s still an emptiness of like, ‘Oh, this is it. There should have been more,'” he told Travel Chapel. “So you’re kind of expecting more there. And that’s a perfect lead-in to that Christ will fully satisfy you.”
DeLuca said that doesn’t mean he wants to stop working hard or making the most of the opportunities God has given him. Rather, his faith reminds him that his ultimate hope isn’t tied to what he can accomplish on a baseball field.
“Obviously, you want to work hard and you want to use what the Lord has given you,” he told Travel Chapel. “But at the same time, the Gospel is completely contrary to that in that the work has been done on the cross, and now we get to have the blessing of receiving Christ in our life and the blessing of not necessarily living an easy life, but having the hope of eternal life with Jesus.”
First pitch for Wednesday’s Game 5 is set for 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with the game being broadcast on Fox.
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