Comment on A’s lose 9-8 to Royals in 12 innings in AL wild-card game

[...] a 9-8 loss in 12 innings in the American League wild-card game pounded that home, especially with the team losing two players, catcher Geovany Soto and center fielder Coco Crisp, to injuries before the end of the game. Brandon Moss, quiet for two months, belted two homers and set an Oakland postseason record for RBIs as the A’s took a four-run lead in the winner-takes-all wild-card game. Kansas City tied the game in the bottom of the ninth off closer Sean Doolittle, then the A’s took the lead again on an RBI single by Alberto Callaspo. Kansas City, in the postseason for the first time in nearly 30 years, fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the 12th; Eric Hosmer tripled when left fielder Jonny Gomes and Sam Fuld collided going after his drive to the wall, and he scored on Christian Colon’s high, slow chopper toward third with the infield in. A team official said before Tuesday’s game that a recent cortisone shot appeared to have helped Moss, who will need surgery for a hip injury after the season, and that was one reason he drew the start over Dunn, since neither man had had much success against Kansas City starter James Shields. [...] in the sixth, with Oakland trailing 3-2, Moss hit a three-run shot to center off Yordano Ventura, a starter brought in in the middle of the inning with two on and no outs and Shields at 88 pitches. Nori Aoki reached on an infield single, stole second and then, after a four-pitch walk to Hosmer, Lester gave up an RBI single to Billy Butler on a 3-2 pitch. Soto injured his left thumb on the tag and came out of the game in the third inning - a turning point in the game, considering how much trouble replacement Derek Norris had with Kansas City’s running game. A wild pitch cut the difference to one run, and Alex Gordon walked and stole the Royals’ fourth base of the inning before Gregerson struck out Salvador Perez and Omar Infante to end the inning. [...] a 9-8 loss in 12 innings in the American League wild-card game pounded that home, especially with the team losing two players, catcher Geovany Soto and center fielder Coco Crisp, to injuries before the end of the game. Brandon Moss, quiet for two months, belted two homers and set an Oakland postseason record for RBIs as the A’s took a four-run lead in the winner-takes-all wild-card game. Kansas City tied the game in the bottom of the ninth off closer Sean Doolittle, then the A’s took the lead again on an RBI single by Alberto Callaspo. Kansas City, in the postseason for the first time in nearly 30 years, fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the 12th; Eric Hosmer tripled when left fielder Jonny Gomes and Sam Fuld collided going after his drive to the wall, and he scored on Christian Colon’s high, slow chopper toward third with the infield in. A team official said before Tuesday’s game that a recent cortisone shot appeared to have helped Moss, who will need surgery for a hip injury after the season, and that was one reason he drew the start over Dunn, since neither man had had much success against Kansas City starter James Shields. [...] in the sixth, with Oakland trailing 3-2, Moss hit a three-run shot to center off Yordano Ventura, a starter brought in in the middle of the inning with two on and no outs and Shields at 88 pitches. Nori Aoki reached on an infield single, stole second and then, after a four-pitch walk to Hosmer, Lester gave up an RBI single to Billy Butler on a 3-2 pitch. Soto injured his left thumb on the tag and came out of the game in the third inning - a turning point in the game, considering how much trouble replacement Derek Norris had with Kansas City’s running game. A wild pitch cut the difference to one run, and Alex Gordon walked and stole the Royals’ fourth base of the inning before Gregerson struck out Salvador Perez and Omar Infante to end the inning.