Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash offered a gracious concession to the Milwaukee Brewers after their franchise-defining World Series victory, specifically highlighting the opposing team’s dominant pitching staff. Following the Brewers’ 4-1 win in Game 5 at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, Cash told MLB Network that Milwaukee possesses “as elite of a bullpen as I’ve ever seen.” The acknowledgment underscores the relentless pressure the Brewers’ relief corps applied throughout the series, repeatedly shutting down Tampa Bay’s offense in high-leverage moments and securing the first championship in Milwaukee history.
Rays manager calls Milwaukee’s relief corps “as elite as I’ve ever seen”
The statistical evidence supports Cash’s assessment, with left-hander Aaron Ashby emerging as the primary architect of the Brewers’ postseason dominance. Ashby pitched a perfect 15 2/3 innings across the playoffs, allowing zero runs and setting the second-most consecutive scoreless innings to start a postseason in MLB history, trailing only Andrew Miller’s 16 in 2016. His composure was critical in Game 2, where he recorded three saves, including the final out with the tying runner on third base, effectively sealing the game and boosting Milwaukee’s momentum.
Beyond Ashby, the depth of the Brewers’ bullpen proved decisive, with Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe providing consistent reliability in crucial situations. The collective effort of this unit strangled Tampa Bay’s scoring opportunities, turning close contests into definitive wins for Milwaukee. For the Rays, the loss marks a painful end to a competitive run, but Cash’s public praise serves as a testament to the caliber of pitching they faced, cementing the Brewers’ relief corps as one of the most formidable units in recent postseason history.
Source: Yahoo Sports
