Brewers’ Aaron Ashby credits prayer for peace as Milwaukee reaches first World Series since ’82 

The left-handed reliever who has helped lead Milwaukee to its first World Series since 1982 with late-inning heroics is a man of faith who says he prays on the field and trusts Christ to guide every aspect of his life.

Lefty Aaron Ashby has been instrumental in the Brewers’ magical run, tallying a pair of saves in the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers while holding opponents scoreless in all six of his postseason appearances.

Ashby recorded the final out Thursday in Milwaukee’s series-clinching 6-4 win at Los Angeles, completing a sweep and sparking a jubilant celebration on the field.

The Brewers will face the winner of the American League Championship Series between Tampa and Cleveland.

Milwaukee has never won a World Series in its 57-year history.

On Thursday, he twice stranded the tying run on third base. Asked during a postgame interview on Fox what was going through his mind in those pressure-packed moments, Ashby pointed to his faith.

“I was just praying for a little peace in the chaos – because with this crowd [and] this team, things can happen fast,” Ashby said of a Dodgers team that finished 100-62, second only to the Brewers’ league-best 103-59.

Recognizing that most of the fans at the sold-out park wanted to see him fail, Ashby added, “I was just trying to be calm. I felt a lot of peace out there.”

Ashby was a dominant relief pitcher all season, posting a solid 3.12 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 87 innings of relief – the second-most relief innings by any pitcher in baseball, according to MLB.com. He finished the regular season 13-3, setting a career high in wins.

Last year, it was the Dodgers who were sweeping the Brewers.

“We survived, and we came back this year,” he told Fox. “… I would die for any of these dudes, man. It’s unbelievable. This team’s awesome.”

Ashby has also shared how his faith shapes his life beyond baseball.

“I recently became a father,” Ashby wrote in a devotional this year for Sports Spectrum magazine, “and it’s helped me gain a new glimpse into how much Christ loves us. … My wife and I look down on [our son] with this love.”

He opened up about how he and his wife, Avery, struggled with infertility before becoming parents. During that difficult season, they leaned on God’s promises in Psalm 23, he wrote.

“To go through that valley of darkness (v. 4) and then see it redeemed,” he wrote, “it feels like we’re now in a moment of green pastures (v. 2).”

Ashby encouraged others facing uncertainty to turn to prayer and trust God.

“We never understand what God’s doing when we’re in the midst of a tough time. We don’t know the full picture like He does,” Ashby wrote. “If you’re in a low moment and wondering what God is doing right now, let me encourage you to be prayerful and lean on someone around you.

“… You’ll soon look back on what you experienced and know God was with you through it all, giving you confidence that He actually never leaves your side.”

The World Series starts Friday.

(Image credit: Screen Grab/Fox)