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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With his left arm hooked up to a recovery device, Aaron Ashby remained optimistic about his chances of pitching in a second consecutive game after the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-3, 12-inning defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the World Series at Tropicana Field on Oct. 27.
"I never assume anything about how I'll feel until I play catch the next day," the left-hander said following another dominant performance in which he tossed two scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts. "I've tried to stay consistent with that approach all year. I'll wait until after I play catch and then let [manager Pat Murphy] know if I'm good to go."
Does Ashby believe Murphy will give him the green light if the situation calls for it and he feels ready? The Brewers are, after all, just one win away from their first World Series championship. "I think so," Ashby said. "He's always allowed it in the past. If I feel good enough, I'll definitely be ready."
Since October began, Ashby has been a machine for Milwaukee. After his Game 4 outing, he has now thrown 18 scoreless innings across nine appearances, compiling a 1-0 record with three saves in three chances. He has surrendered only five hits (a .044 opponents' batting average) and three walks for a 0.44 WHIP while striking out 20 batters.
Ashby has surpassed Andrew Miller (16 innings for Cleveland in 2016) for the longest postseason scoreless streak by a reliever in history. Including the regular season, his scoreless run extends to 23 innings dating back to Sept. 19 — the longest such streak of his career.
Additionally, Ashby's 18 scoreless innings are tied for third-most by a pitcher who did not allow a run during an entire postseason, matching Whitey Ford (18 innings for the New York Yankees in 1960). He trails Christy Mathewson (27 innings for the New York Giants in 1905) and Kenny Rogers (23 innings for the Detroit Tigers in 2006). Ashby is also the first pitcher in postseason history to record at least five outs in seven consecutive appearances without allowing a run in any of them.
"It's one of those cool things, I guess," Ashby said. "But more than anything, that loss stings. It's part of our story, and the guys are fired up to get back out there [Wednesday]."
Ashby threw 31 pitches to seven batters from the ninth inning into the 11th before Murphy made the slow walk from the dugout to replace him with Antonio Senzatela. "I had an idea of why he was coming out," Ashby said. "I noticed the last fastball was ticking down and I knew that was probably on their minds. I feel good; it's probably just from throwing a lot of innings. I kind of knew what might be coming when he walked out; I felt good to keep going. But we've got more games now, so I'm trying to recover as best I can and be ready."
Key Analysis
Ashby's remarkable postseason run has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee's bullpen success, and his willingness to pitch on back-to-back days underscores his value in high-leverage situations. With the Brewers on the brink of a title, his availability could be a decisive factor in Game 5.
Originally reported by yahoo.