It was 7-4 when I saw it first.
The bottom of the 8th.
Oakland led Kansas City in a wild card playoff game at Kauffman Stadium.
I watched Lorenzo Cain at 1st.
Eric Hosmer slammed a ball toward the right field corner, skimming the first baseman’s glove.
Foul.
It was fair, and brought to mind the Royals’ postseason in 1985.
It was fair.
But Cain stole 2nd, and Hosmer walked, and Billy Butler blooped a single to make it 7-5.
No one would talk of umpires now.
Terrance Gore ran for Butler, stealing 2nd and 3rd, running on a field marked with the word “postseason.”
He dove across the plate on a wild pitch.
7-6.
But first Salvador Perez and then Omar Infante swung at strike 3, and left the tying run at 3rd.
Of course, KC couldn’t let Oakland score in the 9th.
But Greg Holland threw wildly to Sam Fuld, Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick, walking all three.
Between them, Luke Donaldson drove a ball to the track, and Jed Lowrie lined a sure double to right.
But people can be in the right place sometimes.
And it remained 7-6.
In the bottom of the 9th, Josh Willingham singled off Sean Doolittle.
Jarrod Dyson ran for him, advancing on a bunt before stealing third, nearly sliding over the bag.
He tied it on a fly out.
To extra innings, of course.
Oakland went in order, and KC left the winning run at third with one out.
KC did the same in the 11th, leaving their fans blue.
It has been 29 years since they won a playoff game.
They have not been close for a while.
And then Oakland’s Luke Reddick walked to start the 12th.
So he scored, of course:
On a single, after advancing on a bunt and and wild pitch.
The A’s were up 8-7.
But in the bottom of the 12th, Hosmer drove a ball to the fence:
Outfielders Fuld and Jonny Gomes scraped the wall, then knocked each other, falling to the ground.
Hosmer stood at 3rd.
He scored on a high chopper by Christian Colon, who then stole second when the ball popped out of the catcher’s glove.
Perez streaked a liner to left.
This one was fair.
Colon scored to make it 9-8.
And KC advanced to the division series against the Angels.
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