Brandon Woodruff made his triumphant return to the mound, pitching the last inning of the Milwaukee Brewers' 10-1 rout against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the World Series.
Woodruff threw 18 pitches, allowing the Rays' only run on two hits and one strikeout. But his return itself was triumph enough.
Woodruff hadn't pitched since going 3⅔ innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 4 due to right shoulder inflammation. Once his shoulder flared up for a second time after spending nearly two months on the injured list in May and June, Woodruff was supposed to undergo season-ending surgery in August. However, he gradually started feeling better and opted for another attempt at building up his arm strength.
Woodruff returned to American Family Field days before the World Series began to throw a live batting practice session and was added to the Brewers' World Series roster hours before Game 1 on Friday, Oct. 23.
"I didn’t want this to be a charity pick," Woodruff said a few hours before Game 1. "I wanted to be on the roster so I could help win. I was very straightforward about that. I just wanted to help win and give innings as much as possible.
"That was the message."
His surprise inclusion fired up his teammates, yet after a pair of one-run Brewers victories in Games 1 and 2, it seemed there might not be a lane for Woodruff in this Series. In fact, any pitcher not named Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill seemed like a longshot to get their name called once the starting pitcher was done.
Then came the fifth inning of Game 3, when the Brewers set a World Series record by scoring eight runs with two outs, seizing a 10-0 lead. Come the ninth, the final three outs were entrusted to Woodruff, who was drafted by the club in 2014 and debuted in 2017.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Woodruff makes long-awaited return with Brewers cruising in World Series Game 3