OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Byung-Hyun Kim blew it again – and talk about a flashback for the Boston closer.

The Red Sox were two outs from putting away the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 on Wednesday night when Kim became wild. Yes, baseball’s bad-luck closer crumbled yet another time.

And the Red Sox lost 5-4 in 12 innings.

“We had the game won because of Pedro,” Todd Walker said of Boston’s ace, Pedro Martinez.

Kim walked pinch-hitter Billy McMillon with one out in the ninth, then hit Chris Singleton in the upper chest area with a pitch to put runners on first and second. The 24-year-old Kim then walked in a couple of steps and threw his arms up in frustration, apparently arguing with plate umpire Randy Marsh that Singleton swung.

Red Sox manager Grady Little came out and appealed the call, but third-base umpire Gary Darling agreed with Marsh.

Kim then struck out Mark Ellis before Alan Embree relieved. Erubiel Durazo immediately lined a single to center that scored pinch-runner Eric Byrnes from second for the tying run to make it 4-4.

Ramon Hernandez dropped a perfect bases-loaded bunt with two outs in the 12th inning, scoring Eric Chavez with the winning run.

Kim’s postseason trouble began in 2001 while with Arizona. And two terrible nights have defined his playoff performances since. Of course, they’re even more memorable because they came against the New York Yankees, who were going for their fourth straight World Series championship.

Kim gave up game-tying homers in both Games 4 and 5 at Yankee Stadium, the first on what became a frightful Halloween night for the young Korean. New York won both in extra innings.

In the initial meltdown, Kim gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Tino Martinez in the bottom of the ninth. Derek Jeter then homered off Kim in the 10th to win it.

The next night in the Bronx, Kim was tagged for another two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth by Scott Brosius. The shot prompted Kim to sink into a prolonged crouch on the mound. The Yankees later won to take a 3-2 lead in series.

Kim was spared a lot of grief because Arizona won the series in seven.

Last year, Kim pitched one inning in the playoffs for Arizona and gave up two runs to St. Louis in the finale of the NL division series. He entered with Arizona down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth and the Cardinals scored twice to seal a sweep.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox had played so well, too. At least on offense.

Boston got 12 hits, including 10 against A’s star right-hander Tim Hudson, who’s had his own share of bad luck in the postseason – just not nearly as bad as Kim’s.

The wild-card Red Sox have lost seven of their last eight postseason openers. Kim, who started this season as a starter for Arizona, became Boston’s closer July 1. He went 6-4 with 16 saves and a 2.28 ERA.

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