LOS ANGELES -- One thing is clear: Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers has great eyes when he’s in the batter’s box these days.

His patience at the plate ended up hurting the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-2 victory Wednesday night at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, giving Milwaukee a comfortable 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers are a game away from advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1982. 

Milwaukee was down 2-1 when it rallied and took the lead in the top of the seventh off left-hander Blake Snell. After Andrew Vaughn drew a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Christian Yelich, Bauers came to the plate and had another at-bat for the ages. It was similar to the 12-pitch at-bat he had in Game 2 against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 7-4 victory on Monday. Bauers ended up drawing a walk to load the bases.   

Two days later, Bauers battled Blake Snell for 11 pitches. The count was in Bauers' favor, 2-1, when he fouled off the next three pitches before taking a pitch for Ball 3. Bauers then fouled off the next three pitches before hitting a two-run homer over the right-field wall — a no-doubter. It was the first homer Snell allowed in 2026.  

“There was, for sure, a moment where I thought to myself like, ‘Oh, you're in it again.' As far as the approach for the at-bat, I didn't want to miss a fastball,” Bauers said to reporters. “I was looking for a fastball, and I didn't want to miss it. I said I'll adjust to anything else, but get a heater, don't miss it.”

Prior to the seventh, Snell was having a game to remember, retiring the last 14 hitters he faced prior to the seventh frame. Manager Dave Roberts wanted Snell to face a few more hitters in the seventh.   

“I (didn’t) think (the Brewers) were seeing him well,” Roberts told reporters. “I was trying to get him three more hitters. … Obviously the leadoff walk hurt. He hasn't given up a homer all year, but it's baseball. For me, I felt good with where Blake's stuff was at. You've got to give Bauers credit. He put together another good at-bat, which he did at their place and spurred that rally.” 

Jake Bauers having career-best season in 2026

Bauers is having the best season of his career. It helps that he is playing every day for the first time in his career and has taken advantage of the situation. During the regular season, he slashed .266/.389/.484 with 26 homers and 86 RBI — all career highs. 

Prior to this season, Bauers was a walking vagabond, playing with five Major League Baseball teams before he was given a chance to play on an everyday basis. He never had a batting average higher than .235, and that occurred last year with Milwaukee. When he arrived in spring training this year, Bauers decided to have a new attitude.

“I think what changed for me this year was I stopped caring about results,” Bauers said. “I started caring about competing. I started caring about being in the moment and getting out of my own way.

“I came into this year feeling like there was really only one person holding me back, and that was myself. So I think I just gave myself the space to believe that I could play, I could play in this league.”

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.