This is familiar ground for Oakland A’s fans. A playoff series has reached its final, sudden death, winner-take-all elimination game. Sometimes it gets here because the A’s took an early lead and then let the other team back into the series. Sometimes they fall behind and make a late comeback, as is the case this year. But it always ends up here eventually.
In the last decade, it has always resulted in an A’s loss. Whether in Game 5 of the ALDS, or a one-and-done Wild Card Game, the opponent always does just enough to capture it. Take it out to the entire 21st century, and the story is the same, with just one year in which they won a single series — but did so in a sweep.