[9] The Athletics also made several major trades to gain players like Jason Hammel and Jon Lester to bolster the team.

[10][11] Despite the late struggles, Oakland still won 88 games and secured a wild card spot, making 2014 the third straight season the team had made the playoffs.

[12] The one-game playoff was touted as a duel between the Royals' James Shields and the Athletics' Jon Lester, but neither starting pitcher would earn a decision in the game.

Oakland's Brandon Moss homered early off of Shields with Coco Crisp on base, giving the Athletics a 2–0 advantage; Kansas City halved the lead in the bottom of the first when Billy Butler singled to score Nori Aoki.

In this third inning, Oakland catcher Geovany Soto left the game with a thumb injury sustained in a play at the plate.

Both Oakland and Kansas City batted fruitlessly in the seventh inning, and Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis recorded three straight outs in the top of the eighth.

After walking Alex Gordon, Gregerson struck out the next two batters to preserve the Athletics' lead, but the Royals had narrowed the score to 7–6.

Aoki hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field for the second out of the inning, but Dyson was able to jog home, tying the game at 7–7 and completing the Royals' four-run comeback.

Brandon Finnegan, who only three months earlier had pitched for TCU in the College World Series, began a strong inning of work in the tenth, replacing Greg Holland and recording three outs in quick succession.

The new pitcher Frasor quickly stopped the bleeding by retiring Derek Norris and Nick Punto, but the Athletics had retaken the lead, 8–7.

Christian Colon, still on first base, stole second (the seventh steal of the game for the Royals) with Pérez at the plate, after a pitchout was dropped by Derek Norris.

Pérez (who was 0-for-5 at this point) then singled down the line to left field, the ball narrowly missing the outstretched glove of Josh Donaldson.

Making it sweeter for certain Royals fans was their bitter feelings towards the Athletics, who had played in Kansas City from 1955 to 1967 before owner Charles O. Finley moved the franchise to Oakland.