MLB postseason picture: Yasiel Puig fuels Dodgers with clutch homer, epic bat flip

September is upon us, which means every race in Major League Baseball is headed for the home stretch. Every game matters more than ever to the teams competing for a postseason spot. That’s why every night between now and the end of the regular season we’ll bring you an updated look at the MLB postseason picture.

The Los Angeles Dodgers would not have been in the postseason at this time last week. Now they’re 2.5 games up on the Colorado Rockies in the NL West standings after sweeping them at Dodger Stadium.

Yasiel Puig delivered a clutch three-run homer to fuel Wednesday’s 5-2 win. He also ignited social media with another bat flip for the ages.

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That will certainly get people talking.

Puig has every reason to feel good about himself considering the hot streak he’s been on. Puig homered five times in less than 24 hours over the weekend in St. Louis. And though he wasn’t in the lineup to start Tuesday or Wednesday’s game, he was ready to contribute when called on.

The three-run homer and bat flip will be a signature moment in the Dodgers red hot September assuming they hold on for a sixth straight NL West title. They’re in prime position now with just over a week to play.

The state of MLB’s playoff races

AL East: The New York Yankees are bound and determined to keep the Boston Red Sox from celebrating at Yankee Stadium. After denying the Red Sox a champagne celebration with a comeback win on Tuesday, the Yankees took firm command on Wednesday and rolled over Boston with a 10-1 win. Boston’s Magic Number remains two.

• AL Wild Card: About those Yankees. They’re playing spoiler, yes, but they’re also closing in on a Wild Card berth. The Oakland Athletics remained close behind after thumping the Los Angeles Angels 10-0. Oakland is 2.5 games behind New York for home-field in the AL Wild Card. The Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 victory. Overall, they’ve won five straight and are 5.5 games back.

• AL West: The Houston Astros were pummeled by the Seattle Mariners, 9-0. That means Oakland is four games back in the division.

• NL Wild Card: The Brewers have the inside track to host the NL Wild Card game. They are three games up on the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rockies stayed 1.5 behind St. Louis for the second spot.

• NL East: The Atlanta Braves got back on track, ending a four-game skid with a 7-3 win against the Cardinals. The Philadelphia Phillies kept pace though, topping Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park. The win keeps Philadelphia 5.5 games back heading into a big weekend series against Atlanta.

• NL Central: The Milwaukee Brewers are sitting pretty in the NL Wild Card, but they still have division hopes too. Their 7-0 win against the Cincinnati Reds gets them to 2.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs were blown out 9-0 by a near spring-training Arizona Diamondbacks lineup.

Already clinched

• Cleveland Indians: The Indians became the first team to clinch their division on Sept. 15, winning their third AL Central title in dominant fashion. The good times haven’t stopped though. They won again Wednesday, topping the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Jason Kipnis’ dramatic walk-off grand slam.

Magic Number Watch

• Boston Red Sox —: It’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when.

• New York Yankees — 4: The Yankees Magic Number to clinch home-field advantage in the AL Wild Card game in nine.

• Atlanta Braves — 6: The Braves begin a four-game series against the second-place Phillies on Thursday. The Nationals are still hanging in too with an elimination number of four in the division.

If the playoff started tomorrow

Wild-card games: A’s at Yankees; Cardinals at Brewers

ALDS: Indians vs. Astros; Wild-card winner vs. Red Sox

NLDS: Dodgers vs. Braves; Wild-card winner vs. Cubs

Elimination Watch

Thirteen teams have already been eliminated from postseason contention. Seven more will follow before the regular season ends.

The Seattle Mariners were hoping to snap a 17-season playoff drought. Unfortunately, they have the shortest path to being finished with an elimination number of five in the AL Wild Card race. The Washington Nationals have elimination numbers of four in both the division and wild card, so they need a larger combination of bad things to happen to be eliminated.

Thursday’s must-see game

The Braves have a chance to lock down the NL East when they open a four-game weekend series with the Phillies in Atlanta. As noted, the Braves Magic Number is down to two, so even a split puts them in the driver’s seat. A series win for Philadelphia would at least make the final week interesting, and a sweep could have Braves fans feeling uneasy.

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