One night after being eliminated from the National League West race, the San Francisco Giants clinched a wild card spot on Thursday thanks to a Brewers loss in Cincinnati.
Giants clinch playoff spot in another even-numbered year
The 2010 and 2012 World Series champs are back in the playoffs after overcoming a horrendous midseason slump.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Milwaukee (81-78) is assured of finishing behind the Giants (85-73), meaning all five National League playoff teams are set, with the Giants and Dodgers joining the Nationals, Cardinals and Pirates.
The Giants suffered through an abominable stretch of baseball in the middle of the season, going 20-36 from June 9 through Aug. 12 while seeing their 10-game lead in the NL West turn into a 5½-game deficit. Since then, San Francisco's offense has produced at a much better rate than it had until that point. And the addition of Jake Peavy, who has a 2.20 ERA in 11 starts since arriving from Boston in a trade, provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the Giants' rotation.
San Francisco won the World Series each of the last two times it reached the playoffs. In 2010, the Aubrey Huff-led Giants clinched the NL West on the final weekend of the season before winning their first championship in 56 years. Two years later, Buster Posey's squad swept the Detroit Tigers in the Fall Classic.
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