Jake Bauers offers the exact level-setting NSFW quote the Brewers needed

The Milwaukee Brewers' offense is scuffling. Since the calendar flipped to August, the Brewers, as a team, have a brutal .212 batting average and are scoring just 3.33 runs per game. Both numbers are far worse than what the offense was producing prior to August 1 (.255 batting average, 5.06 runs per game), and the result has been a lackluster 6-6 record during the month.

A frustrating sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres during which the Brewers' offense scored just seven total runs in three games was the cherry on top. Despite two brilliant pitching performances from Logan Henderson in the opener and Dustin May in yesterday afternoon's series finale, the Brewers' offense couldn't piece together enough runs to win either game and avoid a sweep in San Diego. Yes, there were a number of defensive miscues throughout the series, chief among them being a groundball to first base in the 8th inning of yesterday's loss that wasn't converted into an out, but at the end of the day, the Brewers shouldn't expect to win many games when their offense is scoring just two or three runs per game.

When asked about the offense's recent struggles after the game, Jake Bauers, who has been one of the Brewers' most consistent hitters this season, offered a quote reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers' "R-E-L-A-X" back in 2014. However, as reported by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bauers chose a slightly more colorful way of describing what the Brewers' offense needs to do to get back to their productive ways.

Jake Bauers hit the nail on the head when saying that the Brewers' offense needs to chill out

Bauers, who has frequently cited a change in his mindset this year as a key reason for his offensive breakout, is spot on with his assessment of the Brewers' offensive struggles. Known for their patient approach at the plate, Milwaukee's offense, which possesses the lowest swing and chase rates of any team in baseball, has not stuck to this approach as of late.

The Brewers' offense has been more aggressive during this cold stretch, with both their overall swing and chase rates increasing slightly since the beginning of August, but yesterday's loss saw this approach change reach new heights.

In the final three innings of Wednesday's loss to the Padres, the Brewers faced Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon, two of the best relief pitchers in the sport. However, it was clear that neither Miller nor Morejon had their best stuff yesterday. Miller, who covered the ninth inning, threw just nine of his 23 pitches for strikes, but still turned in a clean inning, aided by Jackson Chourio swinging at a pitch well above the strike zone that resulted in a lazy fly out to right field after Miller had walked the previous two batters.

After a disappointing 10th inning, during which Brice Turang's caught stealing at third base kicked off a scoreless frame which the Brewers impressively matched in the bottom half of the 10th, the 11th inning was when Milwaukee's abnormally aggressive approach at the plate really hurt them. After Gary Sánchez doubled to start the inning, and Garrett Mitchell walked, the Brewers had Morejon on the ropes. The Padres' southpaw even threw a wild pitch which allowed Sánchez to advance to third with nobody out. However, after watching Mitchell draw a six-pitch walk, during which Morejon was consistently missing arm-side, David Hamilton swung at two pitches up-and-in, well out of the zone, before watching a slider for strike three.

Still with less than two outs and an important run standing on third base, Morejon had yet to prove his control of his four-seam fastball when Joey Ortiz followed Hamilton to the plate. However, despite Morejon not throwing a single pitch in the zone to the Brewers' third baseman, Ortiz struck out swinging, Sánchez was ultimately left stranded on third base, and Milwaukee lost the game in the bottom half of the 11th.

The Brewers don't chase pitches out of the zone. It's perhaps the thing that their offense does best. However, during this recent cold stretch and especially in yesterday's loss to the Padres, the Brewers' offense has been far less disciplined. In that regard, Bauers' analysis of the offense's struggles is exactly correct. Milwaukee's offense needs to stop trying to force results and instead let the game come to them. They need to "chill out," wait for their pitch, and stop bailing out opposing pitchers by chasing pitches out of the zone. It's far easier said than done, especially now with the pressure of a three-game losing streak, but it's the approach that led the Brewers to success through the first four months of the season, and the approach they need to return to if they want to make noise in the postseason this year.

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