KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals manager Ned Yost went with a nine-man pitching staff and Oakland counterpart Bob Melvin opted to keep eight pitchers for their AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday night.
The winner advances to face the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Division Series on Thursday.
The Royals are sending James Shields to the mound to start their first postseason game in 29 years. He'll be backed by one of the strongest bullpens in baseball, which includes left-hander Brandon Finnegan, the club's first-round pick out of TCU just this year.
The Athletics will start Jon Lester. He'll be backed by an equally stout bullpen and an offense that includes slugger Adam Dunn, making his first postseason appearance after playing 2,001 regular-season games for five clubs over 14 seasons.
