Another week of Brewers baseball is in the books, and if you’re feeling a little whiplash, congratulations: you watched the games. Milwaukee went 3–3 in a stretch that started with two convincing wins in Cleveland, dipped into a three‑game pit of blown leads and walk‑offs, and then somehow ended with an eight‑run second inning in Atlanta that felt like someone finally kicked the jukebox.

It was a week where the bullpen was asked to do everything: protect leads, stop bleeding, survive chaos, and occasionally just hold on for dear life. And in the middle of all that, we saw three very different stories unfold; one about trust, one about stability, and one about the cost of success.

Without further ado, let’s take the walk up to the mound.

Chad Patrick: Trust, Tough Love, and a Three‑Inning Answer

If there was one reliever who defined the week, it was Chad Patrick, not because he was perfect, but because he was trusted. And that trust came straight from Pat Murphy, who coached this week like a dad who knows when to put a hand on your shoulder and when to shove you back out there to figure it out.

After the Las Vegas meltdown, fans were circling Patrick like sharks. The easy move (the modern baseball move) would’ve been to hide him. Murph didn’t do that. He handed Patrick real innings and essentially said:

“Go pitch. Go learn. Go grow. I’m not pulling the plug on you.”

And Patrick took that opportunity and ran with it.

• 6.1 innings

• 9 strikeouts

• 2.84 ERA

• 2.79 FIP

• 16 swinging strikes

• A three‑inning save in Atlanta

Patrick has been finding the strike zone and missing lumber all week, posting a 12.8 K/9 that shows he’s sharpening up. Just like a Blacksmith, in order to sharpen, you need a bit of heat.

He pitched like someone trying to claw his way back into the rotation, or maybe just someone fighting to keep his job. Either way, the progress is real, and it’s impossible to ignore.

This was a pitcher taking the trust he was given and turning it into momentum.

Trevor Megill: From Wobbling to Steadying the Ship

If Patrick was the week’s surprise, Trevor Megill was the week’s reminder that progress doesn’t always look like dominance, sometimes it just looks like a guy finally standing on solid ground again.

Megill entered May looking like a closer in name only (barely). The numbers were rough and every save opportunity felt like a coin flip with a dent in it.

Before May:

• 0–2

• 4 saves

• 1 blown

• 13 K in 11 IP

• 6.55 ERA

But since the calendar flipped to May?

Since May 1st:

• 1–0

• 5 saves

• 1 blown

• 24 K in 16 IP

• 2.25 ERA

He’s not “dominant Megill”… yet but he’s no longer the liability he was in April. And this week was another step forward:

• 2 scoreless innings

• 0 hits

• 3 strikeouts

• 0.307 WPA

• aLI over 2.0= Murphy trusted him with the highest‑stress moments of the week

Megill pitched like a guy who finally stopped fighting himself. The delivery looked calmer. The misses were competitive. The fastball had intent instead of panic.

He’s become something far more valuable to a bullpen that’s been stretched thin:

A stabilizer. A grown‑up inning. A guy you can hand the ball to without bracing for impact.

Aaron Ashby: The Weight of Opportunity

If Patrick’s week was about trust and Megill’s was about stability, Aaron Ashby’s week was about something a little heavier: the weight that comes with success.

Seven days ago, I was bragging about the Brewers’ secret bearded, goggled weapon; the guy who’d quietly become one of the most reliable arms in the bullpen. And then baseball did what baseball always does: it reminded us that the moment you start thriving, the game starts handing you bigger moments.

Ashby didn’t pitch poorly this week. He pitched in bigger situations than he’s ever been asked to handle.

• 3 games

• 2.1 innings

• 3 ER

• 2 blown saves

• Walk‑off HR to Albies

• -0.948 WPA

And that’s the point.

Ashby’s leverage has skyrocketed because he earned it.
The “closer by committee” approach means the hot hand gets the fire, and Ashby has been the hot hand for a month. This week was the bill coming due for his own success.

He was no longer hidden in easy spots, no longer pitching with a cushion, but trusted with the ball in the highest-pressure moments.

Ashby’s week was a collision with the reality of high‑leverage baseball. The stuff is still there. The confidence is still there. The role just got bigger, faster than anyone expected.

And if this bullpen is going to survive the long haul, they’re going to need him to learn from this week, not run from it.

Closing: A Week Defined by Trust, Tests, and Turning Points

If there’s a theme to this week on the mound, it’s that the Brewers’ bullpen grew while they pitched. Growth comes in a lot of different forms. Most of the time it’s character development (Patrick). Other times it’s redemption (Megill). And yes, there is always a bit of emotional damage (Ashby). But the growth will be present regardless.

Chad Patrick showed what can happen when a manager believes in you more than the moment does. Trevor Megill reminded everyone that stability isn’t a switch you flip, it’s something you build one pitch at a time. And Aaron Ashby learned the hard truth that success doesn’t make the game easier; it just hands you tougher assignments.

Three different pitchers.
Three different arcs.
One bullpen trying to find its identity in real time.

The Brewers went 3–3, but the record doesn’t tell the whole story. The bullpen did. And if this week was any indication, the pieces are there. The question now is whether they can keep growing in the right direction.

Because if Patrick keeps sharpening, if Megill keeps steadying, and if Ashby learns from the fire instead of fearing it, this group might come out of June looking a whole lot more dangerous than they did going in.

Milwaukee Metric Mix-up Week 2 Update

Yelich — 3 BB = 3

Chourio — 5 H = 4

Turang — 1 SB = 0

Contreras — 2 HR = 1

Bauers — 2 2B = 0

Vaughn — < 4 SO = 2

Mitchell — 4 R = 1

Pratt — 3 RBI = 2

Hamilton — 1 3B = 0

Check in tomorrow night after the game for the results and next week's lineup for Week 3 of the Milwaukee Metric Mix-up.

Lower your expectations,

-Irrelevant

Follow a writer on X whose relevance cannot be understated: @IrrelevantRiter