Aaron Ashby walked off the mound without much of a flourish Saturday night, even as American Family Field shook with a Brewers celebration and Yandy Díaz argued the final call of Milwaukee’s 5-4 World Series Game 2 victory. The left-hander had just delivered another five-out save, helping the Brewers take a 2-0 Series advantage over Tampa Bay.
A steady hand in the late innings
Milwaukee asked Ashby to protect a one-run lead in the eighth inning, and he handled the final two outs of that frame cleanly. Manager Pat Murphy then stayed with him for the ninth rather than calling on closer Trevor Megill, who was ready in the bullpen.
The decision briefly got complicated when Jonny DeLuca opened the ninth with a double. Ashby responded by retiring the next three Rays, keeping Milwaukee’s comeback win intact.
- Ashby recorded five outs in Game 2 after getting five outs in Game 1.
- His postseason-opening scoreless streak reached 15 2/3 innings.
- That moved him past the 15-inning starts posted by Goose Gossage in 1981 and Andy Hawkins in 1984.
- Only Andrew Miller’s 16 scoreless innings to begin the 2016 postseason stand ahead of Ashby.
- Ashby can claim the record with another scoreless appearance.
Murphy compared the work to the kind of October relief load once carried by Gossage, then suggested Ashby’s current run has been even stronger. “He does whatever the club needs,” the Brewers manager said.
The call that ended it
With DeLuca at second, Ashby faced Díaz, a dangerous Tampa Bay hitter against left-handed pitching. The Brewers’ lefty got an elevated strike, followed with three changeups beneath the zone, then surprised Díaz with a curveball for a strike on a 3-1 count.
On the full count, Ashby bounced another curveball. Díaz checked his swing and started toward first base, believing he had held up. First-base umpire James Hoye ruled that the bat had crossed the line, ending the game.
Díaz was heated in the immediate aftermath, while Ashby showed little reaction and the Brewers poured out of the dugout and bullpen.
- Rays manager Kevin Cash said Díaz’s frustration came from wanting to deliver in a major moment.
- Cash said Díaz believed he had checked his swing.
- Afterward, Díaz acknowledged that the umpire had ruled it a swing, even though he disagreed with it in the moment.
Ashby said his own approach is built around slowing himself down. “A lot of breathing,” he said, adding that he prays for calm when the game gets loud around him.
From difficult seasons to October’s fireman
That composure was not always there. Ashby has traveled a hard road to this point, including shoulder surgery in 2023, an 8.04 ERA during his 2024 return at Triple-A, a move from the rotation to relief duty and some rough postseason appearances in earlier Octobers.
Over the last two seasons, his curveball has become one of his most effective weapons, while his mental approach has given him a more stable footing in high-leverage work.
Longtime teammate Brandon Woodruff called Ashby “a stud” and said the reliever has put considerable work into the mental side of pitching. Woodruff said Ashby has found the right role and is thriving in it.
Ashby was already in the conversation for National League Championship Series MVP before Jake Bauers won the honor. With Milwaukee holding a two-game World Series lead, the left-hander is now building an early case in the Series MVP picture as well.
Calm, until traffic or golf arrives
The postseason pressure has not disturbed Ashby much, at least not outwardly. He laughed when asked whether the same calm carries into the rest of his life.
Traffic can still get under his skin, he said, and the golf course occasionally does the same. Beyond that, though, Ashby has found a way to keep the noise out—an especially valuable skill for a Brewers club two wins from a championship.
