There is a difference between what you have to do to win consistently over the course of 162, and what you have to do in a given situation to win a given one of those 162. Being able to execute small ball when needed in the latter situation is a really valuable tool in the latter situation, though not necessarily critical. As with any competitive situation, having that really valuable tool at your disposal can make all the difference if your opponent lacks that tool. And, as playoff baseball is a much different creature than the 162 grind, usually matching teams that are substatially similar in that they have the broad tools to get that far, those finer tools often take on greater significance when the spotlight is the brightest.