THE APEX TIMES
Brewers flip the pressure into power, beating Dodgers again and moving one win from their first World Series in 44 years
Milwaukee used a seventh-inning turning point, sparked by Jake Bauers’ two-run homer, to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the 2026 NLCS after a 6-2 Game 3 win.
One swing answered the Dodgers’ late resistance and put the Brewers one victory from their first World Series appearance in 44 years. Milwaukee defeated Los Angeles 6-2 in Game 3 on Wednesday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.
The defining moment came in the top of the seventh, with Jake Bauers continuing the at-bat theme that has anchored his postseason. The release describes an extended battle that began with 11 pitches from Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell and culminated when Bauers stayed alive through multiple fouls before turning the 11th pitch, a fastball that missed its spot, into a two-run homer that electrified the ballpark.
Milwaukee already led 3-2 when Bauers struck, and the Brewers quickly added insurance. The game description says Garrett Mitchell doubled, then homered to extend the advantage as the Brewers pushed toward a 3-0 series lead.
The story also frames Milwaukee’s postseason resilience as more than a one-off. It reports the Brewers have now earned five comeback wins in their first seven playoff games, a mark tied to the most by a team in that span in MLB postseason history (with the 1996 Yankees and 1980 Phillies referenced for comparison).
Los Angeles did generate momentum earlier, but Milwaukee kept it within reach. The release says Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto was involved in the prior game’s marathon and that in Game 3, Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser held the Dodgers scoreless through five, then was followed by Abner Uribe in the sixth. After Uribe walked three batters, Will Smith’s two-run double off the wall helped swing the game before Bauers’ homer restored the Brewers’ control.
With the NLCS one win away from a closeout, the release places the moment in historical context. It notes that since playoff comebacks became a matter of recorded opportunity in earlier decades, most teams that fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series have gone quietly, and it highlights that only a pair have even managed to push to a Game 7 in such situations, leaving Milwaukee positioned for a series-clinching finish.
Why It Matters
- Milwaukee is on the brink of ending a 44-year wait for a World Series appearance, a franchise milestone driven by clutch postseason swings in Los Angeles.
- The 3-0 series deficit puts the Dodgers’ bid for a third straight World Series crown in serious jeopardy, compressing the margin for error into one late-game performance.
- Bauers’ multi-pitch, high-leverage homer is the kind of moment that often defines postseason series narratives, especially when one team controls the game’s late innings.
- The Brewers’ reported ability to produce multiple comebacks early in the postseason suggests depth and late-game resilience, traits that matter in closeout scenarios.
- With one win separating Milwaukee from the Fall Classic, the Brewers’ path from here is now entirely about converting leverage, not building it.
Key Facts
- The Brewers beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 3 of the 2026 NLCS on Wednesday night.
- Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, moving one win from the World Series.
- Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh off Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell.
- Garrett Mitchell added to the lead after Milwaukee’s go-ahead, extending the margin with extra-base production.
- Milwaukee’s comeback record through its first seven postseason games is five, tied for the most in team history for that span with the referenced 1996 Yankees and 1980 Phillies.
- The release says Robert Gasser held Los Angeles scoreless through five before Abner Uribe appeared in the sixth and allowed a two-run double by Will Smith.