Please note: the Brewers are not a 'scrappy' team. They are talented professionals with outstanding leadership. Full stop.

They met as sophomores at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. Jake Bauers sat behind Lauren Carr in history class. He recalls messing with her, shooting spitballs before getting serious and passing her notes. She recalls supporting him from the time he played JV baseball.

Never, through the trades, minor-league contracts and other disruptions of a journeyman’s career, did they imagine a moment like this. Two moments, actually. Two at-bats that will stand among the greatest in Milwaukee Brewers history. Two at-bats that epitomized Bauers’ resilience, serving as a fitting reward not only for the first baseman-outfielder who was ready to retire only two years ago, but also the woman who became his wife and stood by him at every turn.

You thought Bauers’ 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series was impressive? He topped it Wednesday night in Game 3, concluding an 11-pitch at-bat against Blake Snell by hitting a go-ahead left-on-left home run in the seventh inning that helped the Brewers defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-2, and move within one win of their first World Series appearance since 1982.

“I had so much confidence in him,” Lauren Bauers said. “The first couple of pitches were a little stressful. And then, by like pitch three or four, I was just taking deep breaths. I knew he had it.”

Dodger Stadium, the major-league park closest to Hollywood, was the proper setting for all this. But in truth, most stories out of Hollywood aren’t this compelling. The ascent of Bauers is an only-in-baseball special, and an only-in-Milwaukee special, too.

After the 2024 season, the Brewers removed Bauers from their 40-man roster. He elected to become a free agent rather than accept a minor-league assignment. Just 29, he already had cycled through seven organizations, getting traded four times and designated for assignment once.

Enough was enough.

“I was pretty dead-set (on retiring),” Bauers said. “You go through enough in this game and that thought pops up in your head more than one time. It could have changed as the offseason went on. But in that moment, I was dead-set on it.”

Lauren had heard such talk from her husband before, specifically after the Cleveland Guardians designated him for assignment in June 2021. Along the way, Jake mentioned moving to Costa Rica or Greece, leaving the game behind for good. Those were offhand comments, nothing serious. But at various times, his frustration was real.

Then, days after Jake was finally ready to quit in 2024, Lauren told him she was pregnant with their second child. Their first, Marlee Jane, was born on Nov. 4, 2023, “right after the Yankees traded us to Milwaukee,” Lauren said. The news he would be a father a second time snapped Jake to attention.

“It was like, all right, we have two kids now, more mouths to feed,” Bauers said. “We’re going to have to keep going.”

On Jan. 6, 2025, he re-signed with the Brewers on a minor-league contract. At the time, his career batting average was .208. His career fWAR was -1.3.

Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser was on the training table, getting worked on after stunning the Dodgers with five scoreless innings, when Bauers hit Snell’s 10th pitch down the right-field line for a potential homer.

“I sprung up and stood on the table,” Gasser said. “I saw it was foul. I sat back down, laid down and the next thing you know you hear the crowd erupt. I sprung up again.”

Jake Bauers was ready to retire only two years ago.Harry How / Getty Images

Snell had been brilliant for six innings, striking out nine, allowing only a first-pitch home run by the first batter of the game, Jackson Chourio. But he began the seventh by walking Andrew Vaughn on seven pitches, bringing Bauers to the plate.

Read the rest for free here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7691455/2026/10/15/jake-bauers-brewers-nlcs-game-3-home-run-mlb-playoffs-2026/?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.pQOt.z10zgjeyQtdE&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

LOS ANGELES — It’s like the old beer commercials, the ones that starred Bob Uecker, now the guardian angel of the Milwaukee Brewers. Why drink Miller Lite? Because it tastes great, or it’s less filling? Either way, you’re right.

What makes the 2026 Brewers so tough to beat? Small ball or home runs? Again, both answers work. The formula has Milwaukee on the verge of its first World Series since around the time Ueck wandered near the front row.

The Brewers thrashed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-2, in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday, putting them one win away from a sweep. And while a four-run victory is not really a blowout, the Brewers staged another spirited master class. The Dodgers just looked tired.

“It’s almost too much to take in,” owner Mark Attanasio said in the clubhouse later, after calling Bud Selig, the former commissioner. Selig, 92, was wide awake, still stirring after watching the game on television. He gave Attanasio a one-word assessment of the team he bought out of bankruptcy court in 1970, one of just five MLB franchises to never win it all:

“Remarkable.”

Indeed they are, but the Brewers cannot celebrate yet. Eight years ago they were just as close to the World Series, also facing the Dodgers in the NLCS, and lost Game 7 at home. This time they have much more room for error, in a series played fully on their terms.

The Brewers, who had the fewest home runs in the National League in the regular season, have outhomered their postseason opponents 8-2. They are also taking walks, ripping singles, bunting for hits and stealing bases, generating plenty of offense for a pitching staff with a 1.74 postseason ERA.

“It’s funny, we are hitting some homers, but that’s not the approach at the plate,” outfielder Sal Frelick said. “It’s just: apply pressure, apply pressure. I think by applying pressure, we’re able to dictate that pace of play.

“It’s not result-oriented, it’s just at-bat oriented. It doesn’t matter if you get out, get on, strike out, whatever. Just take a chunk of the pitcher with you and establish (a style of) playing that way.”

Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell took a hearty chunk out of the Dodgers’ Blake Snell in Game 3. Chourio lashed the game’s first pitch over the fence in right field. Bauers launched the 11th pitch of his seventh-inning at-bat into Matt Stairs territory in the right-field bleachers, and Mitchell followed by clobbering a changeup even deeper.

Jake Bauers connects on a go-ahead home run in the sixth. Garrett Mitchell went deep in the next at-bat, and the Brewers never looked back.Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

The Brewers had been trailing 2-1 through six, before the back-to-back home runs. And before the 840 feet worth of homers was a seven-pitch walk by Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers took the fewest swings in the majors this season, and only the Chicago Cubs drew more walks. It’s all part of the plan.

Read the rest here for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7685338/2026/10/15/brewers-small-ball-home-runs-dodgers-nlcs/?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.Z_2q.iiqzWhnR-ax5&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

Milwaukee Brewers

The lesson: Who needs the long ball?

In the regular season, the Brewers scored the second-most runs in the sport and had the second-fewest homers.

It ain’t easy to sustain offense without the long ball, but it can be done. In fact, three of the four Championship Series clubs — the Guardians, Rays and Brewers — were bottom-third of the league in homers this season.

Milwaukee manufactures runs in all sorts of ways. The Brewers led the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and walk rate. They were fifth in stolen bases. They put more balls on the ground than any other team and legged out the second-most infield singles and bunt hits in the league. Their brand of baseball applies constant pressure to opposing pitchers and the defenses behind them.

Even so, the Brewers like homers. Love ‘em! Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang and Jake Bauers had 20-homer seasons this year, and William Contreras has now crossed that threshold with 18 home runs in the regular season and three this postseason. The Brewers can hit the long ball. But they tend to put themselves in position to win whether or not the long balls come.

Last October, the lesson we drew from the best-record-in-baseball Brewers arriving in the NLCS was that they operated with an intelligible roster-building philosophy: They saw how undervalued players fit the Brewers’ style. They could trade Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes, work within small-market budgetary constraints and still build a winner.

This year, after trading away Freddy Peralta, the Brewers again had the best record in baseball, and again advanced to the NLCS. They did it with a young, homegrown core complemented by a cast of players that other teams all but gave up on over the years, from Trevor Megill to Jake Bauers to Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers knew how those veterans could contribute in time — and how the club could help the players extract their full potential.

Read the rest here for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7687797/2026/10/15/mlb-playoffs-dodgers-brewers-guardians-rays/?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.6tKh.ta21xs2wE6l7&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

https://x.com/hunterbonair/status/2110585888002736391/video/1

When the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 6th tonight John Smoltz all but exploded into glee and could scarcely contain his joy…until pitch 11 to Jake Bauers in the top of the 7th.

From that point on he barely spoke at all for an inning before moping his way through the remainder of the game.

Also all of the pregame/postgame panelists were enthusiastically forecasting a Dodger win before the game and then had a pissy attitude about it after the game!

Ortiz and A-Rod were particularly biased for the Dodgers.

And ALL of them keep talking about the Brewers as though they are completely bewildered how the best team in baseball this season could POSSIBLY beat the “almighty” Dodgers.

I’ve had enough…tomorrow I’m muting the FOX broadcasters and listening to the radio broadcast.

I don’t begrudge them having a preferred team, however they need to show more professional impartiality during the telecast!

1. Bauers 11-pitch HR

2. Bauers 12-pitch BB

3. Chourio walkoff single off Mason Miller, G2 NLDS

4. El Gary big-balls BB to set up the walkoff

5. ???

What goes in spot #5? Something from Contreras? Yeli breaking through for his first RBI since 2018, or his single with the bases loaded in G2 NLCS? Something else entirely?

Hey folks!

Saw that there is a 10 AM WI resident presale announced and having trouble figuring out how to add a primary address to my Brewers account. Don't think I've added it before.

I tried updating my account settings but:

a) I can't really find the spot for a primary address

b) I'm running into a screen that tries to verify my email with a 6-digit code. That code is not coming through to my email.

Has anyone done this before or is having the same issue? Had a fantastic time at game 2 on Monday and am hoping to keep it rolling!

Thanks in advance.

I’d like to know everyone’s thoughts on Game 4 starting pitcher. May, Dro, Harrison, bullpen game? My guess is May but something is telling me Murphy rolls with Harrison. I’d like to hear your thoughts….

I know travel has to be factored in for a lot of people, but these prices are something else. If only I had waited until today to purchase. 😭🤣😅

All you hear from the national pundits is how on paper the dodgers are the better team. How on paper they will win because “on paper.” Which got me thinking what fucking paper are they reading? Because google paper reads: Brewers won 103 dodgers 100. Brewers scored 5.14 runs per game to 4.94. Brewers starting pitching era 3.48 to dodgers 3.80. Brewers bullpen era 3.40 to 3.74. The brewers have 55 defensive runs saved to 12 for the dodgers. The brewers stole 162 bases to the dodgers 110. The brewers were on base at a .340 clip to the dodgers .331. The brewers had 1422 hits and a .258 average while the dodgers had 1399 hits and a .257 average. Ooo finally here’s the “on paper” dodgers slugged .427 brewers slugged .400.

I wish someone had the guts to call out the national media narrative that “on paper” the dodgers are the better team because while it’s close… clearly “on paper” the brewers score more, shut down opponents better, and most importantly win more.

I had Contreras at first or maybe Ashby but damn I feel like Bauers may have stolen it and probably my pick right now.

Unreal, that the bug I saw Chourio swiping off his left back shoulder while standing in left field was a praying mantis, which promptly jumped over to his right back shoulder.

Praying mantis to the Brewers: I gotchu!

Since nobody won tonight after running 4 different sets of numbers and running out of people to ask in my house. I'll be adding tonight's card with tomorrow's card seen in picture with two numbers to win off first hit gets first pick. The boys played a good game tonight let's close it out tomorrow GO BREWERS!!!

The query is youngest player to hit a leadoff homerun in the postseason.

(Any other leadoff homeruns this year from him will also be added to the list above the next closest player who is at 22yrs - 293days, Ronald Acuna)