LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jake Bauers' new lease on life allows him to worry less and give more.
Two seasons after he nearly quit baseball, Bauers has become a big hitter in the middle of the Milwaukee Brewers' lineup — and he put his renewed focus on display in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Bauers’ two-run homer on the 11th pitch of a seventh-inning at-bat against Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell gave Milwaukee the lead for
good in a 6-2 victory Wednesday, putting the Brewers on the cusp of their first World Series since 1982.
“Incredible at-bat,” manager Pat Murphy said.
Bauers fouled off five two-strike pitches before turning on a 97 mph fastball and launching it 412 feet to right field.
“Super sick,” teammate Garrett Mitchell said. “I think that more just goes to show the type of player he is. It’s a selfless at-bat. He’s just trying to put the ball in play. He’s trying to move the guy over, and put an incredible swing on that. For me, being able to watch that on deck was awesome.”
Mitchell followed with a home run of his own to chase Snell and make it 4-2. Milwaukee has a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven NLCS, with Game 4 at Los Angeles on Thursday.
Bauers was drafted in 2013 by the San Diego Padres out of Marina High School in Huntington Beach, located about 40 miles south of Dodger Stadium. After batting .202 for the New York Yankees in 2023, he was traded that November to Milwaukee — where he hit .199 in 2024.
Ready to hang up his spikes, Bauer changed his mind when his wife told him she was pregnant. Wanting to be a provider for his growing family, he put off retirement and maintained their health insurance.
Earlier this week, Bauers spoke eloquently about his wife and her sacrifice while raising two rambunctious children while he is away playing baseball.
Now, he's making fans all over Milwaukee feel like little kids again.
“There’s a lot of people to credit, man,” Bauers said after Wednesday's game. “I’ve played a lot of places. I’ve picked up knowledge from a lot of different people.
“I think what changed for me this year was I stopped caring about results. I started caring about competing. I started caring about being in the moment and getting out of my own way.”
All that showed up in Game 2 of the series when he worked a two-out walk to load the bases on the 12th pitch he saw from Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the third inning. Christian Yelich followed with a two-run single for a 3-2 lead in a 7-4 victory, ending Yamamoto's outing.
Bauers, who turned 31 last week, is in his third year with Milwaukee — his fifth team in seven major league seasons. The first baseman and corner outfielder led the Brewers with 26 home runs and an .874 OPS during the regular season.
“Jake got an opportunity, that’s what he got,” Murphy said. “He got an opportunity to contribute, and he kind of found his offensive approach. And he kind of found, like, I’m really talented, but this is what serves me best. It’s a growth in the game. He’s continued to grow.”
Patient and disciplined with a sharp eye at the plate, Bauers drew 94 walks and compiled a .389 on-base percentage this season. He also had 86 RBIs in 144 games, shattering his previous career highs across the board.
“I came into this year feeling like there was really only one person holding me back, and that was myself,” Bauers said. “So I think I just gave myself the space to believe that I could play — I could play in this league.”
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