AL Wild Card 2014, A’s vs Royals final score: Kansas City comes back, walks off for 9-8 victory

By Hayden Kane | Oct 1, 2014

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

9. 7. 8. 96. Final

The Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics started the postseason off in thrilling fashion on Tuesday in the American League Wild Card game. These two teams played an extra-inning affair late into the night. The Royals came back in their final at-bat twice, shocking the A’s and walking off with a 9-8 victory in 12 innings.

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This game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams coming through in big spots. Ultimately it was Salvador Perez who delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the 12th inning to seal the victory for the Royals.

Jon Lester and James Shields were the starting pitchers for Tuesday night’s game. On paper that seemed to set up a low-scoring, pitcher’s duel. That was not how things played out, however, as the offenses were the story in this game.

The scoring started right away in this game, as Brandon Moss blasted the first of his two home runs in the top of the first inning off Shields. The Kansas City ace settled in after that, however, and took a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning thanks to a couple Kansas City rallies against Lester.

With that lead on the line and a couple runners on base, Royals’ manager Ned Yost made an interesting decision that also happened to melt the internet. He lifted Shields in the sixth inning for young starting pitcher Yordano Ventura. The aforementioned Moss faced Ventura and promptly delivered a three-run home run, his second of the game, to give Oakland a 5-3 lead.

Shields threw only 88 pitches on the night and ended up being charged with four earned runs in 5.0 innings of work. That inning eventually turned into a five-run inning for the A’s, making the score 7-3.

Lester settled in after a couple early hiccups and pitched into the eighth inning. He faced some more trouble late before giving way to the Oakland bullpen, however, allowing the Royals to mount an unlikely comeback. Lorenzo Cain and Billy Butler continued to be the stars on offense, delivering RBI hits to make the score 7-6. Lester’s final line: 7.1 innings, eight hits, six earned runs, and five strikeouts.

Luke Gregerson slammed the door on the Royals’ rally in the eighth, but Kansas City wasn’t done yet.

With Oakland closer Sean Doolittle on for the save attempt in the 9th inning, Josh Willingham led off the inning with a blooping single. Jarrod Dyson pinch ran, was bunted up to second base, and then he stole the show by stealing third base.

Nori Aoki delivered a deep sacrifice fly, and this game went to extra innings tied at 7-7.

With both teams deep into their benches and into their bullpens, it felt like the kind of game where an understated hero would emerge as the extra innings continued late into the night.

Alberto Callaspo was the first to try and play the role of “unlikely” postseason hero extra innings, coming through with an RBI single in the top of the 12th inning to plate the go-ahead run.

Hosmer saw to it that Kansas City stayed alive with a triple off the wall in the bottom of the 12th inning. He then scored on a high chopper from Christian Colon to tie the score at 8-8.

Colon then stole the seventh base of the night for the Royals, getting into scoring position. Perez, who struck out in ugly fashion previously and left the winning run on third in previous at-bats in this one, reached out and yanked an off-speed pitch down the left-field line for the walk-off victory. And there was much rejoicing.

What a start to the 2014 postseason.

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