HEARTBREAK IN KC: A’S COLLAPSE IN THE 9TH

The A’s were three outs away from stealing another one in Kansas City, but the ninth inning turned into a nightmare. Leading 3-1, the A’s handed the ball to Hogan Harris, who surrendered a single, a walk and then watched Kansas City tie the game on a two-run single from John Tolbert. After the A’s went to Elvin Alvarado, Bobby Witt Jr. delivered the gut punch—a walk-off RBI single that completed a three-run ninth-inning comeback and a 4-3 Royals victory. Before the collapse, the A’s did plenty right. Brady Basso and the pitching staff kept Kansas City largely quiet, while Jeff McNeil continued swinging a hot bat and the offense manufactured three runs, including a two-run sixth inning. Zack Gelof and McNeil helped set the table, while Nick Kurtz's replacement in the lineup and the bottom half of the order battled to give the A’s a 3-1 cushion. But in the end, another late-game failure turned a potential road win into another brutal loss. Last Call: A’s Postgame breaks down where it went wrong, the ninth-inning decisions, the bullpen meltdown and whether this was a game the A’s simply had no business losing.