Rare power barrage leaves Brewers eyeing NLCS sweep of Dodgers

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LOS ANGELES Patience and some unexpected power have the Milwaukee Brewers on the brink of their first World Series appearance in 44 years, and they will get their first chance to advance in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday.

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Jake Bauers turned an 11-pitch at-bat into a go-ahead two-run homer on Wednesday as the Brewers finished off a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3.

Milwaukee has a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series entering the Thursday contest at Dodger Stadium.

Bauers' tenacity was so complete that on-deck hitter Garrett Mitchell went to the plate inspired. He added his own home run, giving a team that rarely used might this season its third home run of the game.

"Super sick," Mitchell said of the at-bat by Bauers. "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."

The power display came after the Brewers hit 154 home runs in the regular season. Only the Toronto Blue Jays were worse in the major leagues with 152.

"We play for each other," Bauers said. "When you have 26 guys that are bought into that and believe that and show up every day, completely selfless, playing for each other, it's a special thing to be a part of."

Milwaukee announced Thursday that rookie left-hander Shane Drohan will get the start as the team attempts to complete a sweep that would avenge their sweep at the hands of Los Angeles in last year's NLCS.

Drohan will be making his postseason debut. He was 7-5 with a 4.19 ERA and two saves in 33 games in the regular season. He faced the Dodgers three times and had no decisions with a 4.66 ERA, striking out 12 and walking five in 9 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers will put their season on the line with Tyler Glasnow on the mound. The right-hander started the Game 4 clincher in the NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves and gave up one run over 4 2/3 innings but walked five.

In nine career regular-season appearances against the Brewers, Glasnow is 0-3 with a 4.55 ERA. He also started Game 3 of the 2025 NLCS against Milwaukee and gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision.

While getting Glasnow to find his command will be key, the Dodgers also need some offensive consistency. Shohei Ohtani has struggled since late in the regular season and was moved to the No. 6 spot in the order for Game 3. He came through by reaching base three times, including a hard-hit single late in the game.

Los Angeles catcher Will Smith, who had been in a 1-for-25 postseason slide, delivered a two-run double. However, the Dodgers finished with just five hits on the night after collecting just three in their Game 2 loss at Milwaukee.

"I'll talk to them ," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his players. "They know what's at stake. We've won four in a row a number of times this year. Ten times, I think, something like that."

And Roberts knows what a comeback from a 3-0 deficit in a league championship series looks like. His stolen base inspired the Boston Red Sox to an improbable rally over the New York Yankees in 2004. That was the only time in the previous 42 instances that a major league team escaped an 0-3 postseason hole to win a best-of-seven series.

"Our guys know how good are. Our guys know what we're up against," Roberts said. "But that doesn't change anything. We come out and play the same way every time."

Doug Padilla, Field Level Media

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