Homers help, too

Homers help, too

I realized after I made my last post that it might have left the impression that home runs aren't important.

That wasn't my point. Perhaps I didn't make well enough that point: Teams need more than home runs to make their offense strong enough to win in the playoffs.

Conversely, it's very difficult to win in the postseason -- or even get there -- without some kind of home run threat.

There's nothing wrong with getting an instant run with a homer. But it's not always easy to hit the ball out of the park against the better pitching staffs you'll see in the playoffs.

And the Giants and Nationals might still be playing if San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt hadn't led off the  top of the 18th with the home run that brought a 2-1 victory. If you look back at a lot of extra-long games in baseball history, they're won by long balls. And not always by the big boppers, but often by someone like Jack Reed or Rick Camp. Google them and if there's anything on the web about them it's probably that home run.

The Dodgers also won last night on CF Matt Kemp's tie-breaking homer.

If you can hit homers AND build big innings by stringing hits, walks and whatever else you can get -- see Baltimore Orioles, 2014 -- you're going to have a better chance to win. You can't just will a home run.

* * *

The Royals-Angels series is reminding me of the best Championship Series no one remembers. That's the 1980 NLCS, which the Phillies won over Houston three games to two. (That was 5 years before that playoff round was stretched to best-of-seven.)

The first two KC-LAA games, plus the Royals' wild card game, have gone to extra innings. The last four games between Philadelphia and the Astros went into overtime. The last three were won by one run. It was nail-biting fun that wasn't duplicated until Houston and the Mets went 16 innings to decide the '86 NLCS -- and there was tragic drama between the Red Sox and Angels in the other league.

Another forgotten feature was a line drive back to the mound that caused great confusion among the players and the umpires. Was it a triple play or only one out? There was no official replay in those days, but the play was resolved when the umpires went to the commissioner's box, where Bowie Kuhn made a ruling: Double play. Huh?

I did take the time to consult Google about that 1980 NLCS and found something else that surprised me. Through five games and 50 innings, there was only one home run, by Phillies LF Greg Luzinski in their 3-1 first-game victory.

Lynn Ks 10; Rollins on the block?

Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings March 7, but more than made up for that Thursday. He allowed only one hit while striking out 10 Braves in four innings of an 11-0 victory. Lynn has more competition for a spot in St. Louis' rotation this year after slipping late in 2013.
-- Teams looking for a shortstop might cast their eyes on the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins. New manager Ryne Sandberg apparently took issue with the fact that Rollins was quoted as saying "Who cares?" about the team's offensive struggles this spring. After he wasn't in the lineup for three days, Sandberg explained himself. Freddy Galvis played shortstop during Rollins' absence. The veteran could be trade bait for a bat at another position. Third base? Outfield? A right-handed-batting first baseman?
One possibility could be a trade to the Tigers. SS Jose Iglesias has been out two weeks because of shin splints. In his place, light-hitting 22-year-old rookie SS Eugenio Suarez has received playing time.
-- After I wrote nice things about the Pirates' lineup, they've stopped hitting for the most part. That makes sense. No team maintains either a very high or very low success rate for very long. Pittsburgh had roughed up Rays LHP Matt Moore the last time he faced the Bucs, but Moore shut them out for 3 1/3 innings in Thursday's 4-1 victory. Pirates RHP Jeanmar Gomez pitched two scoreless innings, but gave up all four runs in the third.
-- The Astros' future was on display in their 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays. Rookie SS Carlos Correa hit two home runs, and 1B Jonathan Singleton had one. Those came against marginal major league pitchers, RHPs Esmil Rogers and Neil Wagner, but still represent a step forward for Houston.-- For openers: RHP Yovani Gallardo will be the Brewers' Opening Day starter. It would be a franchise-record fifth opening assignment.
Injury update
-- Indians DH Jason Giambi will miss the beginning of the season because of a broken rib suffered when a pitch from Cubs RHP Edwin Jackson hit Giambi Friday.
-- RHP Josh Beckett, down to fifth in the Dodgers' rotation, is planning to start Friday even though he has a sprained right thumb. He has been trying to pitch through the injury since a door hit his thumb a week and a half earlier. Beckett gave up three home runs and five runs in three innings Saturday.
His teammate, CF Matt Kemp, definitely will miss LA's first two games in Australia March 22 and 23, and probably won't play in the Dodgers' third game at San Diego March 30. He's recovering from surgery on his left knee and left shoulder.
-- Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker threw off a mound Thursday for the first time since Feb. 28, when he was shut down because of bursitis. He isn't expected to pitch this season until some time in April.
-- Nationals RHP Doug Fister experienced pain in his elbow after playing catch for the third consecutive day. This time he was throwing 120 feet.
-- Athletics RHP Ryan Cook was scheduled for a bullpen session Thursday, but might not be ready by Opening Day because of shoulder inflammation.
-- The battle to become the Mets' first baseman continues, in slow motion. Neither Ike Davis (sore calves) nor Lance Duda (strained hamstring) is active. For now, playing time is going to 29-year-old journeyman 1B/3B Josh Satin.