Deutsche-Bedrohung » the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

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 just a couple of months ago.The results of both will be in the starting spotlight Tuesday night.For the Royals, its Big Game James a€” James Shields, the centerpiece of a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays that finally pushed the long-downtrodden franchise into the post-season for the first time in 29 years. For the As, its Jon Lester a€” the post-season star of the Red Sox last season who was acquired by Oakland at the trading deadline just for this moment.The one-game AL wild-card playoff. The winner advances to face the Los Angeles Angels in the best-of-five division series Thursday. The loser trudges away into the off-season.Ive 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, its a special moment.The teams share plenty of similarities: pop-gun offences backed by strong starting pitching and two of the dominant bullpens in baseball.They also share a significant difference: Oakland has plenty of post-season experience, making it three straight years, while Kansas City has languished near the cellar for decades.Thats the biggest reason why Royals general manager Dayton Moore got Shields and shut-down reliever Wade Davis prior to 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 starting rotation, a pitcher who had tasted post-season success, and who could mould a young but rapidly learning Kansas City clubhouse what it takes to win on the games biggest stage.Shields has delivered. Hes pitching to a 2.31 ERA this September, 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, Royals 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 As were still searching for their own. They already had several front-line starters, but general manager Billy Beane had been stung by post-season 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 offence took a hit, Lester has done his part. He is 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 starts since he arrived in the Bay Area.Now, he gets another opportunity to pitch in the post-season.We have a great opportunity ahead of us, said Lester, who some thought should have been the MVP of last years World Series, when he went 2-0 with an 0.59 ERA against St. Louis.Tuesday night will mark Lesters 12th start and 14th post-season appearance.Were going to give it the best shot we can and hopefully at the end of the day were doing this again, he said. You never know whats going to happen. This could be my last chance.It bodes well for him that hes facing the Royals, a team that likens the left-hander to kryptonite. He went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA against them this season, winning twice in a span of a couple weeks with Oakland. He also no-hit Kansas City in 2008.He has a lot of traits like Shields does. Hes a competitor, Royals outfielder Alex Gordon said. He battles out there. You can tell the way he carries himself ... Obviously his stuff is great, and thats why hes so great in the post-season. Hes a bulldog.The Royals were in a pennant race until the final weekend of the regular season, when Detroit sewed up the AL Central, but they were reasonably secure in their wild card. That wasnt the case for the As, who nearly had to play Seattle in a one-off just for the right to play Tuesday.All that matters now is what happens at Kauffman Stadium, between two starting pitchers who were brought to their respective teams just for this moment.All we can think about is this one game against Oakland, Shields said. We get past this we have a little breathing room. We just have to really focus on this one game and go from there. Alex Smith Youth Jersey . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Charley Taylor Womens Jersey . 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Bryan Lerg also had two assists. Corban Knight and Max Reinhart scored for the Heat (1-1-0), who opened their season Friday with a 5-2 win over the Monsters in Cleveland.Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Peavy picked up his first career postseason win as the San Francisco Giants held on to beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 in their NL Division Series opener on Friday. Peavy (1-0) had a solid outing, scattering two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Joe Paanik each knocked in a run for the Giants, who have won nine straight playoff games.dddddddddddd They were coming off Wednesdays 8-0 wild-card victory at Pittsburgh. Stephen Strasburg (0-1) gave up two runs in his postseason debut -- one earned -- on eight singles in five-plus innings for the NL East-champion Nationals. ' ' '