The saddest part of Oakland's playoff meltdown

The Oakland Athletics fell short again in the playoffs, losing an extra-inning thriller to the Kansas City Royals Tuesday night. But beyond that heartbreak, the loss may be most disappointing to Oakland's 14-year veteran who made his first postseason trip this year — only to warm the bench all game: Adam Dunn.

Dunn was among the active leaders in games played without reaching the playoffs. Meanwhile, three of the teams he's played for over the years — the Reds, Diamondbacks, and Nationals — all made the playoffs shortly after he left. Yet Dunn did not get the start Tuesday, and never got a chance to pinch hit even as the game dragged into the twelfth inning. And with the A's out of the playoffs after one measly game, so, too, is Dunn.

As he'd hinted earlier this year, Dunn is now likely headed into retirement, meaning he could finish his remarkable career — 462 homers, 2,379 strikeouts, third-most all-time — without ever getting a postseason at-bat.

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"That's probably it," Dunn said after the game.