Royals and Athletics go to wild-card game fully armed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  The Kansas City Royals made one of the boldest trades in franchise history two years ago. The Oakland Athletics made a similarly aggressive move only two months ago.

The results of both will be in the starting spotlight Tuesday night.

For the Royals, it’s James Shields, the centerpiece of a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays that finally pushed the long-downtrodden franchise into the postseason for the first time in 29 years. For the A’s, it’s Jon Lester, the postseason star of the Boston Red Sox last season who was acquired by Oakland at the trading deadline just for this moment.

The one-game American League wild-card playoff. The winner advances to face the Angels in a best-of-five division series starting Thursday. The loser trudges away into the off-season.

“I’ve only been here for two years,” Shields said Monday, “but when I got traded over here, I knew the magnitude of what this organization was headed for. And when I got here, walking around the city and talking to the fans and really relishing the 29 years, it’s a special moment.”

The teams share plenty of similarities: pop-gun offenses backed by strong starting pitching and two of the dominant bullpens in baseball.

They also share a significant difference: Oakland has plenty of postseason experience, making it three consecutive years, while Kansas City has languished near the cellar for decades.

That’s the biggest reason why General Manager Dayton Moore got Shields and reliever Wade Davis before last season, trading soon-to-be AL rookie of the year Wil Myers and pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi to Tampa Bay.

Moore wanted a legitimate ace for the rotation, a pitcher who had tasted postseason success, and who could teach a young but rapidly learning Kansas City clubhouse about what it takes to win on the sport’s biggest stage.

Shields has delivered. He has a 2.31 ERA this month and the Royals have won four of his starts in some high-pressure games.

“If you sit back and look at it, it means everything. It was the trade that got us over the hump,” Manager Ned Yost said. “Would we be in this situation without James Shields and Wade Davis? No. In my mind, the trade did exactly what we hoped it would do.”

While the Royals were comfortable in their staff ace, the A’s were still searching for theirs. They already had several front-line starters, but GM Billy Beane had been stung by postseason disappointments, and he coveted a horse for such high-leverage games.

Turns out that the Red Sox were willing to trade away just that kind of guy.

The move Beane made for Lester on July 31, shipping slugger Yoenis Cespedes to Boston, raised eyebrows around the league. And while the Oakland offense took a hit, Lester has done his part. He is 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 starts for the A’s.

Now, he gets another opportunity to pitch in the postseason.

“We have a great opportunity ahead of us,” said Lester, who some thought should have been the MVP of last year’s World Series, when he was 2-0 with an 0.59 ERA against St. Louis.

Tuesday night will mark Lester’s 12th postseason start and 14th appearance.