The 2026 National League Championship Series isn't over yet, but it took a step in that direction on Wednesday night.
The Milwaukee Brewers faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium and came out on top in Game 3, 6-2. The final score makes the contest sound like it was extremely one-sided. That wasn't the case, for the most part. The Brewers were actually losing, 2-1, in the seventh inning. Then, Jake Bauers stepped up to the plate and after 11 pitches, blasted a go-ahead two-run home run off Blake Snell to give Milwaukee the lead. There may be no better feel-good story in baseball in 2026 than Bauers. This is a guy who was going to retire two years ago. Then, he put his cleats back on after finding out that his wife was pregnant for health care purposes. Now, a few years later, the Dodgers are a win away from advancing and Bauers is the club's best overall slugger.
— Baseball (@mlbelites_) October 15, 2026Two years ago, Jake Bauers told his agent he was retiring. His wife would return to teaching while he stayed home with their child.
Three days later, she told him she was pregnant. He returned to baseball for the health insurance.
Tonight, he hit the go-ahead home run in the…
Isn't baseball incredible?
Jake Bauers Had An Excellent Night
Year in and year out, you're going to see superstars do superstar things. Guys like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuna, Mookie Betts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Tarik Skubal and many, many more are expected to do big things each year. Typically, they live up to the hype. But every now and then you find a feel-good story like this out of nowhere.
Bauers had never played more than 117 games in a single season before the 2026 campaign. This year, he played in 144 games in the regular season. Bauers' career high in home runs before the 2026 season was 12. This year, he hit 26 long balls. He nearly doubled his previous career high in RBIs as he racked up 86 in 2026. Plus, he slashed .266/.389/.484 throughout the campaign.
This doesn't even include his playoff success. On Wednesday, the Dodgers took control in the bottom of the sixth inning. If Los Angeles had won on Wednesday, the Brewers would've only had a one-game lead with two to play in Los Angeles before likely going back to Milwaukee.
Instead, Bauers calmly stepped up to the plate and put Milwaukee on his back. Two years ago, this wouldn't have been the case. If he didn't have a baby, it wouldn't be the case right now. Bauers could've been retired somewhere watching the Brewers try to take down the Dodgers. Instead, Milwaukee is one win away from the World Series and Bauers is one of the biggest reasons why.
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