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NEW YORK -- All the big home runs in the first week of the postseason should not be a surprise. The long ball is back.There were 5,610 home runs during the regular season, second only behind the Steroids Era high of 5,693 in 2000.And Mark Teixeira thinks he knows why.I think the balls are harder. Definitely. I can just feel it. I can hear it off the bat, the retiring New York Yankees first baseman said.Already in the young playoffs, Torontos Edwin Encarnacion homered to win the AL wild-card game, San Franciscos Conor Gillaspie had a go-ahead, ninth-inning drive in the NL game and the Cubs Javier Baez hit a decisive eighth-inning shot to win an NL Division Series opener.Cubs pitcher Travis Wood became the first reliever to hit a home run in the postseason since 1924. And on Sunday, Dodgers rookie Corey Seager homered in the first inning for the second straight game against Washington.Home runs had dropped from 4,661 in 2013 to 4,186 the following season. The rise began last year, when the total increased to 4,909.And this year nearly set a record.We have tested the baseball. We are absolutely convinced that this issue is not driven by a difference in the baseball, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. My own view is that the spike is related to the way that the game is being played now, the way that we are training hitters from a very young age, and we have not been able to find any external cause that explains the spike in home runs.A record 111 players hit 20 or more home runs this season, up from 64 last year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And forget the days of the weak-hitting, slick-gloved middle infielder. Thirty-five of those players started at least 100 games combined at second base, third or shortstop.Players with 30 or more homers nearly doubled, from 20 to 38.Home runs create a buzz at the ballpark -- especially in the dugouts. Clevelands Roberto Perez, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor all homered in a single inning of the Indians AL Division Series opener against Boston.After the first one, it was exciting. After mine, it was even kind of getting nuts in there, Kipnis said. And the third one, our dugout was kind of losing it.A day later, the Blue Jays connected three times in an inning at Texas.Increasingly, hitters take nothing-or-all swings. Strikeouts set a record for the ninth straight year at 38,982, an average of 8.02 per team per game. Whiffs are up 27 percent from the 6.30 average in 2007.Offense has been redefined.Sometimes a guy working the count and getting to 3-0 and hitting a home run at Yankee Stadium like (Matt) Wieters is small ball, to work the count like that and get a hittable pitch, said Baltimore manager Buck Showalter, whose Orioles led the major leagues with 253 long balls.Teixeiras evidence goes beyond homers. The average velocity of balls off bats this increased from 88.5 mph in 2015 to 89.1 mph this year, according to Major League Baseballs Statcast.All of a sudden, did we get that much better? That much stronger? he said.Big league baseballs are manufactured by Rawlings in Costa Rica, and balls must weight 5-5 1/4 ounces, have a circumference of 9 to 9 1/4 inches and a diameter of 2 7/8 to 3 inches. The company and MLB insist nothing has changed this year.Were not seeing anything outside our normal tolerance range and specification level, Rawlings spokeswoman Kathy Stephens said, adding the company conducts its own tests.In a statement, MLB said: We direct UMass-Lowells Baseball Research Center to conduct periodic testing of baseballs throughout the regular season.Among the balls that are randomly tested are a sampling from the supplies of clubs. Balls are tested for weight, circumference, coefficient of restitution and other factors. Measurements are made to ensure compliance with our rules and are also compared to previous results. These reviews have found no differences to the ball that would have resulted in a change to its performance, MLB said.Texas manager Jeff Banister had anticipated a decrease in home runs during the postseason because of better pitching. Didnt turn out the way.Youre facing the No. 1s and No. 2s and 3s, he said, and those guys dont generally give up the long ball a lot.Didnt turn out the way. Toronto went deep six times in the first two games of the AL Division Series, hitting four home runs off Yu Darvish.With San Francisco playing postseason games at Chicagos Wrigley Field, former Cub Jeff Samardzija knows the weather in the Windy City can impact how the ball travels. Pitchers are especially aware of home runs on the North Side.You look at those flags, he said, and you kind of go from there. Fake Shoes 2020 . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Wholesale Shoes Authentic . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. https://www.wholesaleshoesusa.com/ .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Wholesale Nike Shoes . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. China Shoes 2020 . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. CINCINNATI -- Anthony DeSclafani is giving the Reds what theyve missed most of the season.The right-hander remained unbeaten since his return from a spring training injury, and Cincinnati got a pair of two-run homers by Tucker Barnhart and Joey Votto in a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. With that, the Reds won the season series between the NLs worst teams.DeSclafani (5-0) was scheduled to start on opening day until he strained an oblique, an injury that sidelined him for most of the first half.Its no fun being on the shelf, said DeSclafani, who has made eight starts. Im just trying to give the team a spark and eat as many innings as I can. I want to keep the bullpen out of it as much as possible.He gave up eight hits, including Freddie Freemans homer, in eight innings. DeSclafani is 5-0 in his last six starts with a 2.61 ERA.Its not just the wins, but its the quality of his wins, manager Bryan Price said. Hes not a white-knuckle guy, and thats a calming influence on a staff. Starts like that allow us to string together some series wins, and we havent had too many of those this year.Adonis Garcia led off the ninth with a homer off Ross Ohlendorf, the 68th homer allowed by Cincinnatis bullpen -- by far the most in the majors.Barnharts homer completed a four-run rally in the sixth off Lucas Harrell (1-2). It was the first homer allowed this season by Harrell, who doesnt mind pitching in hitter-friendly ballparks.Actually I think it works in my favor, Harrell said. You get guys knowing the ball flies, and theyre trying to hit homers. You dont have to be perfect. The home run was just a mistake.Votto extended his post-All Star break surge with his 16th homer off Ian Krol in the seventh. Votto is 11 for 20 in the last six games with two homers, a double and six walks.Cincinnati won four of seven this season against the Braves, who have the leagues worst record at 33-62. Cincinnati is 36-59.Atlanta was trying to win back-to-back road series for the first time this season but couldnt hold a 2-0 lead. They Braves are 19-26 on the road overall.Jose Perazas two-run single tied it in the siixth, and Barnhart followed with his fourth homer.ddddddddddddFreeman emerged from a slump with his first-inning homer, his 17th this season. Freeman was 1 for 19 heading into the game. Erick Aybar doubled in the fifth -- hes in a 5-for-36 slump -- and scored on Chase dArnauds single for a 2-0 lead.STATSGarcia hit safely in all seven games against Cincinnati this season, batting .406 with three homers and four RBI. ... Freeman has fanned in 11 of his last 16 at-bats. ... DeSclafani hasnt walked a batter in his last 21 innings. Hes 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in four starts at GABP. ... Reds relievers have given up 19 homers to the first batter they faced. ... Brandon Phillips singled in his final at-bat, extending his hitting streak to nine games (12 for 34). Its the longest active streak on the club.REPLAYEugenio Suarez was ruled safe as he slid into home on Perazas two-run single in the sixth. The Braves thought that catcher A.J. Pierzynski tagged him before he got his hand on the plate, but the call was upheld after a review.OLD DAYSAs part of Major League Baseballs throwback day, the Braves wore 1969 replica uniforms. To honor Ken Griffey Jr.s induction into baseballs Hall of Fame, the Reds wore uniforms from the early 2000s, when he played for his hometown team.TRAINERS ROOMReds: LF Adam Duvall got a day of rest. He was hit by a pitch on the left arm Tuesday night but stayed in the game. ... RH Homer Bailey pitched 5 1/3 innings of a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday afternoon in Columbus, giving up five runs. He threw 83 pitches, 53 strikes. Bailey had Tommy John surgery last year.UP NEXTBraves: The Braves continue their trip with a four-game series in Colorado. Mike Foltynewicz (3-3) is 0-1 career against the Rockies in two starts and two relief appearances.Reds: After a day off, Dan Straily (4-6) opens a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Great American Ball Park. Hes never faced Arizona.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay ' ' '