Brewers’ Aaron Ashby set to break 45-year-old MLB playoff record held by Goose Gossage

Aaron Ashby is putting together one of the most dominant postseason performances by a reliever in MLB history, and the Milwaukee Brewers left-hander is now within striking distance of a record that has stood for 45 years.

Aaron Ashby is putting together arguably the greatest postseason performance by any reliever:
7 games
14 innings
14 strikeouts
0 runs
4 hits
3 walks
From Travis Feldhaus of ESPN research: The record for scoreless relief in any postseason was set by Goose Gossage in 1981, when he had 14 1/3 innings, zero runs allowed.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 24, 2026

He has appeared in seven of the Brewers’ nine postseason games and has repeatedly been asked to record more than three outs. In those seven appearances, he has allowed just four hits and three walks, struck out 14 batters, and allowed no runs.

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Ashby is chasing Goose Gossage’s historic mark

Gossage established the record in 1981, throwing 14⅓ scoreless innings as a reliever during the postseason. That mark has remained one of the most impressive relief-pitching accomplishments in October history, particularly because multi-inning relief appearances have become much less common in the modern game.

Ashby now sits at exactly 14 scoreless innings after pitching 1⅔ scoreless innings in Milwaukee’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series. He struck out three of the five batters he faced and allowed no hits or walks.

That means Ashby needs just one more scoreless out to match Gossage’s 14⅓-inning mark.

And he is not simply accumulating empty innings. Brewers manager Pat Murphy has consistently turned to Ashby in the most important games. He has been used in tied games and one-run situations, often entering in the mid-to-late innings and staying in for multiple frames.

Ashby could make postseason history in the World Series

The bigger question now is whether Ashby can take the record for himself.

His performance has now pushed him directly alongside some of the greatest postseason relief runs in baseball history.

What makes Ashby’s run even more impressive is how often Milwaukee has asked him to pitch. He has already recorded multiple three-inning outings this postseason, including a three-inning save to help eliminate the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Now, with the Brewers three victories away from their first World Series championship, Ashby has a chance to accomplish something that has not been done since the days of Goose Gossage.

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