MILWAUKEE \u2013 Aaron Ashby’s playoff struggles in previous years taught him how important it was to avoid getting caught up in the pressure of the moment.<\/p>\n
The mindset shift has helped the Milwaukee Brewers left-hander deliver one of the great runs by any reliever in postseason history. <\/p>\n
Ashby finished a five-out save after the Brewers rallied from a four-run deficit in a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays for a 2-0 World Series lead Saturday night. He struck out Yandy D\u00edaz and ended the game by stranding the tying run at third base.<\/p>\n
That extended Ashby\u2019s shutout streak this postseason to 15 2\/3 innings. According to Sportradar, Cleveland\u2019s Andrew Miller had the longest streak of consecutive scoreless relief innings within one postseason with 16 in 2016. Including the regular season, Ashby has thrown a career-best 20 2\/3 straight scoreless innings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know that I have the words to describe it,\u201d the 28-year-old Ashby said of his playoff success. \u201cMaybe when it\u2019s all said and done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashby has been one of many outstanding bullpen performers<\/a> during Milwaukee’s playoff run.<\/p>\n Brewers relievers have allowed seven earned runs over 50 2\/3 postseason innings. That has helped the Brewers come from behind in seven of their nine playoff victories.<\/p>\n Ashby’s performance is particularly notable because of how he had struggled in previous postseasons.<\/p>\n Before this year, Ashby had allowed nine runs \u2013 eight earned \u2013 in 9 1\/3 playoff innings. Ashby believed he knew the reason why he had come up short.<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to grip it too tight and make too much happen, be too good, throw too hard,\u201d Ashby said. \u201cAny number of things you can do in a big situation when there\u2019s a lot of adrenaline.\u201d<\/p>\n Now he\u2019s reminding himself to take a breath and trust his stuff. The results have his teammates marveling at his poise under pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just low-key, man,\u201d Brewers captain Christian Yelich said after Game 1. \u201cHe just goes with the flow. He\u2019s got the same heartbeat every day. He\u2019s been like that for us all season.\u201d<\/p>\n That approach has made him the guy the Brewers trust as much as anyone when a game\u2019s on the line.<\/p>\n Brewers manager Pat Murphy showed his faith in Ashby by bringing him back out for the ninth inning after he already had gotten the final two outs in the eighth. Ashby allowed a leadoff double to Jonny DeLuca before striking out Victor Mesa Jr. and retiring pinch hitter Ben Williamson on a grounder to the right side.<\/p>\n That brought up the right-handed D\u00edaz, who got ahead 3-1 in the count after Ashby threw two pitches in the dirt. Ashby froze him with a backdoor breaking ball to make it 3-2, then D\u00edaz attempted to check his swing but didn\u2019t get the call, throwing up his arms in frustration.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t go look at it, but from my vantage point, it did look like that he swung,\u201d Rays manager Kevin Cash said.<\/p>\n Ashby credited William Contreras for guiding him through that final inning.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just trusting him,\u201d Ashby said. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of thinking I\u2019ve got to do. He\u2019s locked in right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy was asked after the game how he chose to bring Ashby back out for the ninth rather than using usual closer Trevor Megill.<\/p>\n \u201cVery carefully,\u201d Murphy quipped. \u201cVery carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n But he spoke before the game about the progress Ashby has made that has enabled him to shine in the postseason spotlight.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing that comes to mind first is his commitment to his teammates,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cHe\u2019s been through a lot, this kid — major surgery on his shoulder \u2014 not everybody comes back from that. His rehabs and what he\u2019s been through, ups and downs, minor leagues, big leagues, starter, reliever, long reliever. I mean, it\u2019s been a lot.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s committed to his teammates, and he knows that\u2019s a responsibility on himself to continue to improve, and he\u2019s done that.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, Ashby has taken a winding road to get to this point.<\/p>\n Ashby signed a five-year, $20.5 million contract<\/a> in the summer of 2022 as he alternated between starting and relief roles early in his career. He underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery<\/a> the following April, knocking him out for the entire 2023 season. He was struggling in the minor leagues with a drop in velocity for much of the 2024 season before he started feeling like himself again.<\/p>\n He eventually carved out a niche as a key member of Milwaukee\u2019s bullpen. Now he\u2019s one of the biggest reasons why the Brewers are two victories away from winning the World Series for the first time ever.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n