Of the many ways that the 2022 Orioles have been more fun to watch than woeful O’s teams of the recent past, they generally don’t have heartbreaking losses.
They’ve had some dumb losses, sure. Some blowout losses, of course. But thanks to their shutdown bullpen, they haven’t suffered many of those last at-bat, shoulda-had-it defeats where they let a late lead slip away.
On the rare occasion that it does happen, though, it really sucks.
Byron Buxton’s walkoff, two-run homer against closer Jorge Lopez — turning a 2-1 ninth-inning O’s lead into an instant 3-2 defeat in Minnesota — washed away what had been one of the most sensational pitching efforts of the season.