Dodgers Clinch NL West for 5th Straight Year to Earn Postseason Berth

The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title Friday night with a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium, earning a berth in the 2017 MLB playoffs.

The Dodgers secured their place in the postseason with more than a week left in the regular season, and they have much bigger goals on the horizon.

"You have to celebrate every accomplishment," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez told reporters. "But it's World Series or bust."

The Dodgers' place atop the NL West was rarely in doubt throughout the summer. They built a 14-game lead by the start of August and, even after an 11-game losing streak from early to mid-September and a 1-16 stretch that started in late August, maintained a nine-game edge over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles (98-56) also continues to own the best record in baseball. It's two games better than the American League-leading Cleveland Indians and 5.5 games ahead of the Washington Nationals for the best mark in the NL.

Now manager Dave Roberts is looking to build positive vibes over the final week of the regular season after the team's dip in form over the past month.

"We've had a great season," he told reporters. "We still have a good opportunity to get some momentum going in the postseason.

"We have a lot of work to do. This is only the beginning."

The Dodgers certainly have the talent to make a World Series run. The Cody Bellinger-led offense ranks eighth in MLB in OPS (.768), and they have a ridiculous amount of depth in their rotation, which features Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish and Alex Wood, who have all pitched like aces this year. And Kenley Jansen, perhaps the best closer in baseball, headlines a bullpen with the fourth-best ERA in the majors (3.47).

In addition, L.A. has showed signs of life with a 6-4 record over its past 10 games—though it lost three of four at the Philadelphia Phillies, who have the second-worst record in baseball, it also won two of three at the Nationals. It was a step in the right direction with the playoffs right around the corner.