Milwaukee Brewers Fall Short of World Series Title in Game 4
Brewers Lose to Tampa Bay in NLCS Game 4
Aaron Ashby Breaks Postseason Scoreless Record
Manager Pat Murphy Pulls Ashby in 11th Inning
Rookie Shane Drohan Allows Four Singles
Third Baseman Joey Ortiz Throwing Error Costs Brewers
Closer Trevor Megill Ends Game with Strikeout
Brewers Aim for Victory in Game 5
Just three outs from winning the first World Series title in franchise history, the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen finally faltered in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Left-hander Aaron Ashby retired all seven batters he faced, breaking Andrew Miller’s record for scoreless innings by a reliever in a single postseason with his perfect 10th inning and flawless ninth. However, manager Pat Murphy pulled Ashby with one out in the 11th, and the Brewers ultimately fell 4-3 to the Rays.
Ashby’s performance was historic. He retired the first batter in the bottom of the ninth and then delivered a perfect tenth, leaving the game without a run allowed over nine postseason appearances. This marked the longest streak of consecutive scoreless relief innings by a postseason reliever in a single postseason, surpassing Andrew Miller’s previous record of 16 consecutive scoreless innings in 2016 for Cleveland. During the regular season, Ashby has been virtually untouchable, allowing only five hits, walking three, and recording 20 strikeouts across 71 relief appearances.
Despite his stellar individual performance, the Brewers’ loss was sealed by a critical error on third baseman Joey Ortiz. Ortiz made a throwing mistake on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder, which proved costly as the Rays capitalized on the mistake to score. The error occurred early in the inning, but the damage was done as the Rays built a one-run lead before the Brewers could mount a comeback.
Rookie left-hander Shane Drohan entered the game to replace a struggling rotation and allowed four straight singles to Liam Hicks, Jonny DeLuca, Chandler Simpson, and pinch hitter Ben Williamson. This sequence of hits proved devastating for Milwaukee, as the Rays avoided a sweep with a 4-3 victory. Drohan, who had not pitched since October 15 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, had been a key piece of the Brewers’ strategy to face the Rays’ left-handed pitchers in the series.
The decision to pull Ashby came after the manager recognized the physical toll of the game. “I’m human. I knew what I was walking into. I just didn’t do the job there,” said Drohan, who had not pitched since October 15 against the Dodgers in the NLCS. Manager Pat Murphy explained the reasoning: “We had to be mindful of your health, and we’ve got to be mindful of winning the whole thing. If you’re going to win the whole thing, you have to understand that we can’t drain you today or risk injury today.”
Ashby himself acknowledged the decision, stating that he understood why Murphy made the call. “I think I had an idea of why he was coming out. I feel good, but probably a part of throwing a lot of innings. Felt good to keep going but we have more games now, try and recover as well as I can tonight and be ready to go as soon as possible.”
Looking ahead, the Brewers can count on ace Jacob Misiorowski to start Game 5 on Wednesday night. The team’s relievers have allowed nine earned runs over 61â…” postseason innings, highlighting the need for additional pitching depth. Ashby, who passed Miller with a 1-2-3 ninth and a perfect 10th, has been a consistent presence in Milwaukee’s rotation, posting a 13-3 record with a 3.12 ERA in 71 relief appearances during the season.
Trevor Megill, the closer who entered the game in the eighth inning, struck out the only batter he faced to end the contest. His performance provides the Brewers with a solid foundation as they prepare to face the Rays again in Game 5. The loss marks the end of an intense NLCS series, with the Brewers having swept the Dodgers on October 15 to reach this pivotal moment.
For the Brewers, the focus now shifts to Game 5, where they must overcome the early setback and secure a victory to advance to the World Series. The team’s ability to bounce back from the error and the bullpen situation will be crucial in determining their fate in the postseason.
In summary, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Game 4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays was a heartbreaking end to their NLCS campaign. While Aaron Ashby delivered a historic performance that broke a postseason record, the team’s bullpen faltered in the final innings, and a critical throwing error by Joey Ortiz sealed the defeat. The Brewers now face a pivotal Game 5 against the Rays, with the outcome potentially determining their entire postseason run.
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