Dodgers Clinch 2014 Playoff Berth: Highlights, Twitter Reaction and More

Updates from Thursday, Sept. 25

Fox Sports provides an update on the Dodgers' postseason situation:

CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly also noted the significance of Clayton Kershaw's season ERA following his 21st win:

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Looks like Kershaw will finish with a 1.77 ERA. That's the lowest by any qualified major league starting pitcher since Maddux (1.63) in '95.

— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) September 25, 2014"

Original Text

The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the postseason for the second year in a row.

With a 14-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday, all the Dodgers needed to clinch a playoff spot was a Milwaukee Brewers loss. The "Brew Crew" promptly delivered, succumbing 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Los Angeles celebrated the defeat on its official Twitter account:

SportsNet LA saluted the Dodgers for their accomplishment:

MLB's Instagram page also got in on the fun:

The Dodgers still own a three-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West, so they have plenty to play for between now and the end of the regular season. They're also in hot pursuit of the Washington Nationals for top spot in the NL. The Nats won earlier in the day, pushing their record to 89-64. Los Angeles is back 1.5 games at 88-66.

At the very least, the Dodgers have a wild-card spot in the bag, and that's more than they could say from 2010-12.

No matter whether the team must navigate through the one-game wild-card playoff or gets straight into the Division Series, Los Angeles will certainly be the World Series favorite for more than a few fans and baseball writers.

According to FanGraphs, LA is third in the majors in team batting average (.264), ninth in slugging (.400), eighth in runs (651) and second in offensive WAR (28.5).

Yasiel Puig is also a year older, meaning he shouldn't have the kind of problems he experienced in the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Puig hit a three-run bomb on Friday that helped Los Angeles along in its victory.

And you can't forget who Los Angeles can put on the mound in the most crucial games.

In Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the Dodgers boast arguably the best 1-2 punch among those headed for the playoffs. MLB.com's Ken Gurnick listed the pair of aces as one of the biggest reasons the Dodgers have succeeded as much as they have in 2014:

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For $362 million worth of contracts, the Dodgers have the closest thing to a Koufax/Drysdale tandem that money can buy these days. No wonder this club has avoided even one losing streak as long as four games. Kershaw will win a third Cy Young Award and maybe an MVP.

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Kershaw picked up his 20th win on Friday, joining a short list of Dodgers greats who won 20 or more games since the franchise moved to Los Angeles, per ESPN Stats and Info:

Much of the team's playoff hopes will hinge on the All-Star lefty. When he's taking the bump, the Dodgers a demonstrably better team. Their winning percentage over the last five seasons is 100 percentage points better when Kershaw starts than when he doesn't, per Aaron Gleeman of Hardball Talk:

The tried and true axiom is that pitching wins rings, and few teams can match the Dodgers' stable of arms. They could also get Hyun-Jin Ryu back for the postseason.

"I don't think there’s a big difference which game I pitch in, whether it's the playoffs or the regular season," said Ryu about whether making his return from injury in the playoffs would be a problem, per ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon. "If I'm healthy enough to pitch, I'm going to pitch.

You can view the current postseason picture on MLB.com. As things stand now, the Dodgers would meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.

Once Los Angeles is done with Chicago, it gets the Giants in what will be a critical three-game series. As Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area pointed out, San Francisco will need some great pitching performances to get across the line first:

Whether it's the Giants or the Dodgers, the West will likely be decided by next Wednesday. And if it comes down to pitching, you have to favor Los Angeles.