By Mychael Urban / MLB.com

Tim Hudson is called on again to start against the Red Sox, this time to seal the deal in Game 4. (AP)

That he said it when the A's still were leading the American League Division Series, 2-0, compelled him to qualify the comment by admitting it sounded crazy, but it didn't sound so crazy Sunday morning.

After Trot Nixon sent a sellout crowd at Fenway Park into delirium with a walk-off homer in the 11th inning Saturday night, the A's were left to ponder a recent playoff history every bit as unsavory as Boston's playoff history as a whole.

In 2000, the underdog A's hosted the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the ALDS and lost. In 2001, they shocked the baseball world by winning the first two games at Yankee Stadium but laid an egg in two home games and lost the decider back in New York. In 2002, they were up 2-1 on the Minnesota Twins, lost Game 4 at the Metrodome and spit the bit again at Game 5 in Oakland.

Seven chances to move on to the AL Championship Series. Seven disappointments. Sunday is chance No. 8, and Tim Hudson will be on the mound for the A's trying to stop the slide.

"It's not something we think about a lot," Hudson said before this series started. "But when it's brought up, you're kind of like, 'Man, that is pretty bad, isn't it?' We need to get that fixed."

If they don't get it fixed behind Hudson, who'll start Game 4 opposite Boston's John Burkett, they'll turn to Barry Zito for Game 5 in Oakland. Told of Lowe's assessment, Zito didn't entirely disagree.

"I think they've got the same kind of pressure, but yeah, we've got some of our own," Zito said. "I mean, how many chances are you going to get? We've gotten four now, and it's time we cashed in."

Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.