Jacob Misiorowski’s brilliant season ended sooner than he had hoped. As the 24-year-old presumptive NL Cy Young Award winner walked off the mound during Game 5 of the World Series, he was visibly frustrated. The biggest start of his life had been cut short after 5 ⅔ innings by a leg cramp. But the Brewers’ ace had already given them everything they needed.

Milwaukee won its first World Series on Wednesday night, beating the Rays 4–1 to end a 56-year championship drought that had been active since major league baseball came to Wisconsin in 1970. The triumph came from a team that’s memorable for what it wasn’t . The Brewers didn’t spend through the nose , didn’t rely heavily on home runs and didn’t feature a roster littered with big names . But in the most important game in franchise history, its two biggest stars brought that elusive championship home.

Misiorowski was excellent on Wednesday night, baffling Tampa Bay’s hitters while allowing just two hits and one walk and striking out two.…