The Milwaukee Brewers are facing elimination after Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS. But one of the night’s most memorable moments came after the final pitch, when Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers dropped an unfiltered assessment of what it’s like to hit under the notorious Dodger Stadium shadows.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) to share Bauers’ postgame comments, which mixed honesty and frustration after struggling to see pitches from Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow in the middle innings.
“It sucked. You can’t see spin. When a guy is trying to tunnel like (Glasnow) is, it’s obviously tough.”
Still, that didn’t change Bauers’ approach.
“At the same time, you gotta f****** stick your face in there and find a way.”
The remarks quickly spread online, resonating with fans for their bluntness and competitive fire. The challenge he described wasn’t exaggerated — the Dodgers’ 3:08 p.m. local start time created one of baseball’s toughest visual conditions. The pitcher’s mound was bathed in sunlight while home plate sat in shadow, making pitch recognition nearly impossible. Glasnow exploited the contrast with upper-90s fastballs and late-breaking sliders, allowing just one run and striking out eight.
Bauers drove in the Brewers’ only run with a second-inning RBI single and continued his strong postseason showing. Through five playoff games, he’s hitting .364 with a 1.144 OPS, one of the few consistent bats in Milwaukee’s lineup. His NSFW message perfectly captured the team’s attitude — acknowledgment of adversity without excuses.
The Brewers now trail 0-3 in the series, with manager Pat Murphy urging his players to focus on execution over frustration. History isn’t on their side — MLB teams down 0-3 in a best-of-seven series are 1-40 all-time — but Bauers’ “find a way” mentality remains their rallying cry as they prepare for Game 4.
In the end, the 30-year-old's words summed up postseason baseball in its rawest form, no excuses, no complaints, just compete. Whether the Brewers extend their season or not, his message won’t be forgotten.
