On Aug. 9, the Oakland Athletics had a 72-49 record, the best in baseball. Now their season is over. The Kansas City Royals won an extra-innings thriller last night, defeating the A’s 9-8 in 12 innings in their first postseason game in 29 years. 

Oakland had been the best team in baseball most of the season, but after a trade deadline deal sent star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for veteran pitcher Jon Lester, the team took a nosedive. Lester and Jeff Samardzija, also acquired at the trade deadline, delivered solid pitching, but Oakland’s offense disappeared. The team sputtered to a 16-25 finish, one of the worst records in the MLB during the late season stretch.

The Royals can rejoice in finally returning to the postseason. However, they also need to begin preparing for the American League Divisional Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who own the best record in baseball at 98-64. The Angels also happen to be the AL West champions, the division Oakland led most of the season. While the team is riding high off of this victory, the Angels are probably too much for the team to handle.