4.4%. Those were the odds. In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Royals trailed the Oakland A’s and starter Jon Lester 7-3. After struggling in the first few innings, Lester had taken control of the game retiring 13 of 14 Royals batters going into the 8th. With Lester already being known as a “Royals killer”, it looked like the Royals first playoff appearance in 29 years would end with yet another royal disappointment. That’s when the “Royals Devil Magic” decided to show it’s work to a national audience. Maybe it was Sung Woo Lee telling the fans to continue supporting the team even though things looked bad. Maybe it was the baseball gods trying to make up for the 29 years of suffering Royals fans had been through. Whatever “it” was, it would give a crowd, a city, and a franchise a win they will not soon forget.
The story of this game really starts in the 6th inning. With two on and nobody out, Manager Ned Yost decided to take out ace James Shields for 23 year old rookie Yordano Ventura. The result was a three run Brandon Moss Home Run to dead center, and an absolutely shocked KC crowd. Sitting in the basement of my friend’s house, it dawned on me that we may have just seen the last of James Shields in a KC uniform. For two innings the odds continued to get worse. 12 outs. 9 outs. 6 outs. 6 outs, to score 4 runs on a pitcher who has a career 2.46 ERA against the Royals. It was at this point that a 4.4% chance of winning seemed a little high.
Bottom of the 8th. It was an eerie feeling. It was like when you want to ask a girl on a date but you think she’s out of your league. You kept telling yourself “there’s no chance”, but that little part of your brain, the dumb part, kept telling you to believe. Leadoff single. As soon as Alcides Escobar fit a ground ball up the middle into center field, there seemed to be new life in the crowd. After a stolen base and a ground ball, Lorenzo (LO) Cain singled in Escobar and the track meet began. After the second stolen base of the inning by Cain, Eric Hosmer drew an impressive 7 pitch walk to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of the one and only Billy Butler.

Oh Billy. Remember when he was Mr. Kansas City in the 2012 All Star game? A lot can happen in 2 years, and unfortunately for Billy, he learned a lot of bad can happen. One swing could turn the boos into cheers, the haters into believers. Bang. Line drive into the gap and we have a two run ball game. Billy’s night was done after a two hit effort. After Terrence Gore stole second base, the Royals were a base hit away from the win. Catcher Salvador Perez stepped up to the plate looking to come back from a tough start to the game. He would strikeout, followed by an Omar Infante strikeout, leaving two runners on base.

After Greg Holland worked out of a jam in the top of the 9th, the Royals came up looking for one run to tie. After a lead off single by pinch hitter Josh Willingham, Jarod “dat’s what speed do” Dyson came on to pinch run. And it would pay off. With one out and a lefty at the plate, Dyson stole third, barely beating the throw. On the very next pitch Norichika Aoki would hit a fly ball in to deep right field. Tie game.
The game would stay tied for the next 2 innings. Fresh out of college, rookie Brandon Finnegan pitched an electric two innings of relief out of the bullpen. In the 12th, after allowing a walk, Finnegan was replaced. Jason Frasor came in and allowed the run to come around to score. It was at this point that things looked bleak again. With one out in the bottom of the 12th, Eric Hosmer stepped to the plate. Pitcher Jason Hammel left a 2-2 fastball up, and Hosmer didn’t miss it. The ball would bounce off the wall and roll away from two colliding Athletics, and Hosmer would end up on third with a triple. Unreal. Going with the theme of the game, it was rookie and former first round draft pick Christian Colon who would tie the game with an innocent chopper to third. Two outs. Salvador Perez comes to the plate, with a chance to turn his night from a disaster to being the hero. After a Calon stolen base the stage was set. 29 years of pain laid on the shoulders of the Royals catcher. Down the line, fair ball. Game over. Madness.
The story of the 2014 Kansas City Royals is far from over. The team will head to Anaheim for a series against the Angels. No matter what the team does from here on out, this city, and these fans will never forget the win the Royals provided on Tuesday night, and it will live on in Kansas City sports history forever.