5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE A’S

1The A’s are never dead late in games, but their opponents often are. They won 70-of-72 games this season when leading after seven innings. The same cannot be said for the teams they play, though, as the A’s have made a living off late and dramatic comebacks — the most memorable coming July 24, when they trailed the Rangers 10-2 after six innings and pulled off a 13-10, 10-inning win.

2Khris Davis has quietly put together yet another monster season while remaining one of the most consistent hitters in baseball. He finished with the same batting average (.247) for the fourth straight season — the first player in MLB history to accomplish the feat, per Elias Sports Bureau. Davis, who the Brewers traded to the A’s in February 2016 for two prospects who have yet to make an impact, also led MLB with 48 home runs.

3The A’s have reached October despite their Opening Day rotation being in shambles. Their starting five to begin the year were Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden, Daniel Gossett and Andrew Triggs, a unit that made a combined 65 starts. Graveman and Gossett had Tommy John surgery, Triggs underwent thoracic outlet surgery, Manaea had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder and Mengden is back after missing time with a foot injury.

4It was a trade that went beyond baseball, when the A’s acquired Stephen Piscotty (right) from the Cardinals in December, but he has become one of their hottest hitters. Piscotty, who grew up an A’s fan, got to return close to home, where his mom, Gretchen, was battling ALS before she passed away on May 6. Since June 1, Piscotty has hit .286 with 24 home runs and a .907 OPS.

5The franchise that created “Moneyball” had the lowest Opening Day payroll in MLB at $66 million. Third baseman Matt Chapman, who should garner some MVP votes and leads the A’s with a WAR of 8.2, is making $547,500, just $2,500 more than the major league minimum. After in-season trades and roster moves, their payroll now stands at $80.3 million.