Andy Ashby won 17 games in 1998, helping the Padres get into the World Series and get their new ballpark erected in the East Village.
He spent more time in San Diego — eight years— than anywhere else in his big-league career.
Still, his nephew is in the visiting dugout at Petco Park this week, and Aaron Ashby has a pretty good idea where Andy Ashby’s allegiances sit this round of the postseason.
“He’s obviously had a huge part when he was playing here, but I think he’s in my corner right now,” the 28-year-old left-hander said before Game 3.
The elder Ashby was an undrafted free agent who ultimately carved out a 14-year career in the majors. His nephew was drafted in the fourth round in 2018 out of Crowder College, developed into one of the Brewers’ top prospects and spent his first two years in the majors bouncing between the rotation and Milwaukee’s bullpen.
Aaron Ashby lost the 2023 season to shoulder surgery and has a 2.73 ERA while throwing 184 ⅓ innings over the last three years, mostly in relief. He struck out two over 2⅔ scoreless innings over the first two games of the series as a key piece in a Brewers bullpen that limited the Padres to one unearned run over nine innings.
“I think any time you go into the postseason, you know the bullpens are going to be used,” Ashby said. “You try and stop momentum from the other team when it seems to be going their way. We know that coming in. Any time I can contribute and try and throw every game, you always feel good about that.”
Tough to watch
Luis Rengifo hobbled out of the home dugout Tuesday afternoon during visiting batting practice and spent much of the session catching up with the friends he started the year with.
The switch-hitting infielder began the year in Milwaukee, where he signed a $3.5 million deal for the 2026 season. He was released earlier this summer after hitting .205/.280/.254 in 57 games with the Brewers, but he made good friends in that clubhouse — like Jackson Chourio and former Padres catcher Gary Sanchez — before catching on with the Padres.
Rengifo hit .291/.375/.409 in 38 games with the Padres and even hit a grand slam while going 3-for-11 in his new team’s sweep of Milwaukee in San Diego in August. A knee injury suffered in Tampa ended Rengifo’s season and forced him to watch from the dugout.
So yes. It’s been difficult.
“It’s a little tough for me because for me I want to be on the field all the time and just play for my teammates and fight every single night,” Rengifo said. “ It’s really hard … but I support my guys.”
Notable
- C Luis Campusano is over the hand issue that caused a bit of a scare before Game 2. Campusano took a ball off the knob of the bat in Game 1, went for X-rays before Game 2 and was iffy enough for Ethan Salas to be scratched as the DH in case Campusano had to come out of Sunday’s game. Campusano was not in Tuesday’s lineup as Salas has been paired with RHP Nick Pivetta since Pivetta’s return from the injured list. “(Campusano is) good to go,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “He’s over that. It was just a bruise; that was a day game after a night game that just didn’t heal as quickly as he thought. He probably forgot about it overnight and then woke up and swung a bat, and was like, oh, that doesn’t feel as good. But as we saw, he played in the game, was just fine. The workout (Monday) was good to go also.”
- DH Gavin Sheets was scratched with a stiff neck and replaced in the lineup by Samad Taylor. Sheets was available off the bench.
- Padres Hall of Famer Jake Peavyin his No. 44 jersey, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to RHP Joe Musgrovein his No. 44 jersey.
- A crowd of 47,708 was the third largest in Petco Park history.