Jake Bauers delivered the swing that put the Milwaukee Brewers one win away from the World Series, and he revealed that it came down to sticking with his plan no matter what Blake Snell threw his way.
With Milwaukee trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday, Bauers outlasted Snell in an 11-pitch at-bat before launching a 412-foot, two-run homer to right field. The blast put the Brewers in front for good in a 6-2 win at Dodger Stadium that gave them a 3-0 series lead.
Snell had been dominant up to that point, retiring 14 straight batters before Andrew Vaughn drew a leadoff walk. Speaking with the “MLB on FOX” crew after the game, Bauers explained how he approached his third trip to the plate against the left-hander.
“He had been stuffing me in with fastballs, and so I went up for the third one, I was looking for a fastball on the inner half the whole time,” Bauers said. “Figuring if I can just adjust to anything else, I’ll wait them out and try to get the one I’m looking for.”
Jake Bauers reflects on his at-bat that led to his go-ahead home run. pic.twitter.com/zXvG21623r
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Snell threw the kitchen sink at him. Bauers fouled off sliders, a curveball and a pair of changeups, including one that nearly left the yard.
“The changeup surprised me a little bit,” Bauers admitted.
Even after the near miss, Bauers did not change his approach. “I’m always on fastball right there,” he said.
Article Continues BelowThat patience paid off on the 11th pitch, when Snell left a fastball over the middle of the plate. Garrett Mitchell followed two pitches later with a solo homer of his own, knocking Snell out of the game.
It was the second straight game in which Bauers made Dodgers pitching work. In Game 2, he drew a 12-pitch, bases-loaded walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto that helped swing that game in Milwaukee’s favor.
The 31-year-old’s breakout has been one of Milwaukee’s best stories. After hitting .199 in 2024, he re-signed on a minor league deal and went on to lead the Brewers with 26 home runs in 2026.
Milwaukee can complete the sweep and clinch the pennant in Game 4 on Thursday.

