Milwaukee Brewers players celebrating Jake Bauers' go-ahead two-run home run during NLCS Game 3 against the Dodgers.(Photo: Collected from ESPN / Graphic Edit: BDUS News 24)
During Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, a grueling 12-pitch walk drawn by Milwaukee Brewers utility player Jake Bauers proved to be a major turning point in a series quickly shifting away from the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. In Wednesday night’s crucial Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, the 31-year-old veteran needed just 11 pitches to put the Dodgers on the brink of elimination.
Bauers delivered a stunning two-run home run off two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell in the seventh inning. His clutch blast completely flipped a one-run deficit into a one-run advantage, sparking a late surge that carried the Brewers to a decisive 6-2 victory and pushed them one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1982.
Jake Bauers NLCS home run Brewers Dodgers and Game 3 Highlights
The electric matchup began in breathtaking fashion when Jackson Chourio smashed Snell’s very first pitch over the right-field wall, stunning the home crowd before game conditions were even officially announced. Chourio’s fast start mirrored his opening heroics against the Dodgers in the previous year’s postseason.
Despite the early blow, Snell settled into a dominant rhythm, overpowering the Milwaukee lineup through six frames while striking out nine batters and retiring 14 consecutive hitters on just 81 pitches. However, the game shifted dramatically in the seventh after Andrew Vaughn drew a leadoff walk and was replaced by pinch-runner and team captain Christian Yelich.
This set the stage for Bauers, a former journeyman enjoying a stellar career year with 26 regular-season home runs and a high on-base percentage. Following an intense 10-pitch battle that included a close foul ball, Bauers caught a belt-high fastball on the 11th pitch, launching it 412 feet into the right-center field bleachers at 109 mph.
Brewers on the Brink of History
Garrett Mitchell immediately followed with a mammoth 428-foot solo shot to chase Snell from the game, extending Milwaukee’s lead and silencing the Dodger Stadium crowd. Closer Trevor Megill ultimately secured a four-out save to seal the victory.
With a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Brewers look ahead to Thursday’s Game 4, where they have an opportunity to clinch their first pennant in over four decades. As manager Pat Murphy and his players noted, the job is not finished yet as they prepare to continue playing their trademark brand of baseball.
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