Aaron Ashby goes two innings for first save

The Brewers have asked for a whole lot from Ashby this year, even when they scarcely seemed to need him. For instance, just last night, he was brought in to get one out in the sixth inning of a game with no one on and the team leading by five. Whether Ashby has enough left in October figures to have a significant impact on the Brewers’ chances then, and one would think it’s past time to back off him somewhat. He’s given up 19 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings since the beginning of June, taking his ERA from 2.00 to 4.02.

Ashby got the call to close out the game against the Braves with a one-run lead in the ninth following a scoreless eighth inning by Trevor Megill. Ashby struck out the first batter, then gave up a base hit to Matt Olson. Ozzie Albies followed with a two-run homer to walk it off. Ashby takes his first loss and third blown save. Despite the matchup play on Saturday, expect Megill to continue regular closing duties.

Ashby’s wins in middle relief this year have almost exclusively been genuine, but this was a vulture; he coughed up Robert Gasser’s 1-0 lead and then was put in line for the decision after Garrett Mitchell homered in the bottom of the seventh. It’s only the second time one of his wins followed a blown save. Ashby is the first pitcher to 10 wins this year. Davis Martin could have beaten him, but he got smoked by the Yankees tonight. Gavin Williams is the only other pitcher with nine wins at the moment.

Abner Uribe went unused today after his controversial gestures at the conclusion of Tuesday’s game. Aaron Ashby ended up with the win after working scoreless seventh and eighth innings, and Megill closed things out despite a one-out single and a steal from Masyn Winn. Since giving up seven runs in a two-appearance span in mid-April, Megill has a 1.29 ERA and an 18/2 K/BB in his last 14 innings of work. Still, Uribe likely remains the favorite for saves in Milwaukee.

Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby and Uribe all had easy innings in a tie game today, even though Ashby was pitching again after throwing two innings last night. For once, the win went to someone other than Ashby after Brice Turang’s walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth. Uribe’s appearance was his ninth straight to come in the ninth inning of a game.

Ashby struck out three after coming into a tie game to begin the ninth. He has a 2.16 ERA while throwing 25 innings in the Brewers’ first 36 games. It’ll be interesting to see if he can stay healthy with his kind of usage, because he’s definitely had issues there previously. He’s been one of the Brewers’ MVPs to date.

In what seems to be their preferred alignment at the moment, the Brewers against went with Trevor Megill in the seventh, Aaron Ashby in the eighth and Uribe in the ninth. All got through scoreless frames, but Megill and Ashby both allowed two baserunners. Uribe, who struck out two, had the best day of the group, adding a little to his stock.

Chad Patrick will be the follower against Washington and be (much more likely) to be in line for the win. This is generally good news for Patrick. Ashby should probably be pulled in shallow leagues with daily transactions as he stands little chance of garnering a win.

If he can stay healthy and avoid having the Brewers treat him as an opener, Ashby might be the favorite to lead the majors in relief victories this season. The left-hander had a 2.16 ERA over 66 2/3 innings in his 43 appearances last season, and the Brewers aren’t shy about employing quick hooks with their starting pitchers.

On the plus side, Ashby piled up four strikeouts on the afternoon, though he also issued a pair of walks. Despite the parade of baserunners against him, the only run charged to Ashby in this one came on an RBI single by Dalton Rushing in the third inning — the final hitter that he faced. The 27-year-old southpaw got four swings and misses on 50 pitches in the ballgame, registering a strong CSW of 38 percent. The expectation remains that he’ll pitch out of the Brewers’ bullpen to open the 2026 campaign.