Ashby has best outing of the season after signing extension

MILWAUKEE -- If this is what the next five-plus years look like, the Brewers will have made a wise investment in Aaron Ashby.

In his first start since signing a contract extension, the 24-year-old left-hander filled up the strike zone while setting career highs for innings (seven) and pitches (111). But he didn’t get any run support in a 2-0 loss to Kyle Freeland and the Rockies on Monday night at American Family Field that denied Milwaukee a rare four-game sweep.

Freeland scattered four singles in seven shutout innings and Rockies closer Daniel Bard stranded the bases loaded in a drama-filled ninth to take some of the air out of the night for Ashby, who was pitching for the first time since he and the Brewers struck a five-year pact with a pair of club options which could keep him in Milwaukee through the end of this decade. Yet Ashby shrugged off the notion that Monday’s start was any different than the ones before.

“I guess a little bit more comfort there,” he said. “It’s not like there’s any more added pressure. I try to carry the same attitude into every start.”

Ashby’s stuff was electric in this particular start from the very first batter, with strikeouts of Rockies’ leadoff man Charlie Blackmon and three-hole hitter C.J. Cron in a perfect first inning on the way to nine strikeouts in all, Ashby’s highest total since June 4. Ashby’s 17 swings and misses were the second-highest total of his career, and his combination of 45 called strikes and swings and misses were a career high.

Only one pitcher in Major League Baseball has outings this season with a higher total of called strikes plus whiffs: Angels ace Shohei Ohtani. He’s had 46 in two different starts.

Of Ashby’s 111 pitches, 81 were strikes. That’s the most for a Brewers pitcher in any outing since Jimmy Nelson threw 118 pitches, 81 strikes in a Father’s Day win over the Padres in 2017.

“[Ashby] did everything well,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “When he stays in the zone, there's going to be good results.”

Trouble was, Ashby also became the first Brewers starter since Yovani Gallardo in 2011 to throw at least 81 strikes in an outing and take a loss. Elias Díaz capped a big series with a home run off Ashby leading off the third inning, and the Rockies manufactured an insurance run in the fifth while Freeland not only kept Milwaukee off the scoreboard, but didn’t allow a single runner into scoring position over seven sharp innings.

It was a big-time bounceback for Freeland, who used a baseball bat to smash a light in the dugout at Coors Field after making an early exit last time out. He’d allowed 11 runs over his previous two starts before Monday’s gem.

“[Ashby] gave up the two runs because he just threw a couple of pitches in the zone. He threw a lot of strikes today,” catcher Pedro Severino said. “That’s sometimes the problem when a pitcher throws lots of strikes. But that’s the way that I want to see him throw every day. The way he attacked the hitters and the way he pitched today is the way I want to see him throw.”

Ashby called it his best outing of the season in terms of command, better than a 12-strikeout performance against the Cubs in Game 2 of a Memorial Day doubleheader at Wrigley Field. He pitched a career-high six innings that day, then matched it five days later against the Padres.

Monday marked the second start in his career that he worked into the seventh inning and the first time he recorded outs in that frame.

“Coming off the All-Star break was a big break there, and everything felt good,” said Ashby, pointing specifically to his signature slider. “I think the mindset was just throw it below the knees or below. Two strikes, it was in the dirt most of the time. There was still a little two-strike contact there that needs to be fixed, but other than that I was happy with it.”

Ashby smelled a Milwaukee walk-off when Christian Yelich singled to open the ninth inning, and why not? The Brewers came back from two runs down in the 10th to win in 13 innings Friday, then slugged their way to 9-4 and 10-9 victories the next two days.

On Monday, Willy Adames reached on a fielder’s choice following Yelich’s leadoff hit to give the Brewers three cracks to take Ashby off the hook for the loss with the heart of the batting order coming up. Andrew McCutchen and Hunter Renfroe flew out and pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez walked before Luis Urías lined out to end the game.

“I thought we had that there,” Ashby said. “Our guys put together some good ABs, but we fell short. Still, a good series overall. Our guys battled all series.”