The fat lady might not be singing for the Tampa Bay Rays just yet, but she's certainly warming up. After dropping the first two games in Milwaukee in excruciating fashion, Tampa entered Game 3 knowing they needed a win to get back into this World Series. Instead, they failed to show up in a humiliating loss — and now they have to win four games in a row to keep their championship dreams alive.

Of course, every fan's mind will go to the 2004 ALCS, when the Boston Red Sox became the first — and still only — team in MLB history to win a best-of-seven series after falling down 3-0. But it's never been done before on the sport's biggest stage.

Biggest comebacks in World Series history: Has any team rallied from 3-0 hole?

It's not just that no team has ever come back to win the World Series after losing the first three games. No team has even managed to force a Game 6, much less a Game 7. Even sending this series back to Milwaukee would be unprecedented in MLB history.

The closest thing to hope the Rays have are the six teams that have erased a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series. Granted, it's only happened once in the last 40 years: the 2016 Chicago Cubs, which dropped three of the first four to Cleveland only to storm back and win three in a row to capture their first title since 1908.

Prior to that, you have to go back to 1985, when the Royals overcame the Cardinals with the help of some very controversial umpiring from Don Denkinger. It's just very, very hard to win even two or three games in a row against a pennant winner.

That said, Rays fans do have some up-close experience that would suggest it's at least possible. Outside of the 2004 Red Sox, the only other team to fall down 3-0 in any best-of-seven series is the 2020 Astros, which battled back with three straight wins against Tampa in the ALCS only to run out of gas in Game 7.

Finding hope for a miraculous Rays comeback in the World Series

I'll admit: We're grasping at straws here. Tampa's offense has had no answers for a dominant Brewers pitching staff, while the Rays rotation — which had itself been brilliant all year — has begun to falter at the worst possible time. With the way Milwaukee is playing right now, and with how exposed Tampa's top-heavy lineup has been, it's hard to talk yourself into a comeback.

That said, let's give it a try anyway. It would have to start on the mound, which has been the driver of the Rays' success all year. Griffin Jax will take the mound in Game 4, followed by Nick Martinez in Game 5, Drew Rasmussen in Game 6 and Freddy Peralta in an extremely hypothetical Game 7. All four are more than capable of delivering a quality start and giving Tampa a chance to win. And from there, you're really just a swing or two away.

Can the Rays come up with those swings? That's a tougher question, especially if Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda remain as quiet as they've been so far. Those are three very good hitters though, capable of catching fire and carrying an offense for games at a time. If Rays pitchers can make this a low-scoring affair, and the big three bats finally show up, hey, you never know.