Worst Orioles Loss of My Lifetime

[Grt 2BA FL Gator]

I waited a long time for the Orioles to be competitive enough to make the playoffs. 2012-16 brought some joy.

But this squad, starting in 2022, had a different vibe. More talent up and down the system. 100 wins. Traded for an ace. 

10 straight playoff losses over 10 years. Sheesh! Bookended by the Royals, who Baltimore chop and infield hit their way past us.

It’s like losing again to them in this fashion kicked up all the feels. Would rather have faced Skubal and the Tigers in hindsight, at least that would have been a new experience.

For me, this is just a helluva narrative and a bitter pill.

10 straight losses. 6 to the lowly Royals.

I still have hope this core can make something happen in the coming years.

But today and for a while, there’s disappointment and anger. My favorite hobby twisting the proverbial knife.  

Edited October 3 by Grt 2BA FL Gator

[JR Oriole]

Worst loss for me.....Game 6, 1997 ALCS.  Tony Fernandez homer off Benitez.  1-0 loss in extra innings.  That 1997 team was a great team across the board and I was sure it was our year.  Sickens me to this day, but those Indians paid the piper when Mesa blew the save in Game 7 and Fernandez made that huge error which ended with the Marlins walking it off. 

[1fingerwillie]

I would like to introduce you to Jeffrey Maier.

[glenn__davis]

17 minutes ago, 1fingerwillie said:

I would like to introduce you to Jeffrey Maier.

Eh, that was in Game 1.  That loss sucked and we all know why, but there was still hope to rebound.

I think the worst loss almost has to be an elimination game.

I think I agree with the OP.  Most disappointing loss for me in my lifetime (born in '81).  

[eddie83]

41 minutes ago, JR Oriole said:

Worst loss for me.....Game 6, 1997 ALCS.  Tony Fernandez homer off Benitez.  1-0 loss in extra innings.  That 1997 team was a great team across the board and I was sure it was our year.  Sickens me to this day, but those Indians paid the piper when Mesa blew the save in Game 7 and Fernandez made that huge error which ended with the Marlins walking it off. 

Same. I’m too young to remember 1979. 

[Fiver6565]

What are you 11 years old or something?
 

We lost game 5 in NY in 2012 after a tying home run was called foul and very probably was fair. 
 

We lost game 6 in the 97 ALCS 1-0 after Mussina pitched a gem that would make Burnes’ performance a couple days ago look ordinary. Solo homer top 9 wins it and Brady Anderson just missed hitting a tying shot in the bottom. 
 

We lost the 96 ALCS after a terrible call went against us in game 1 (the aforementioned Maier game). 
 

We lost four games in a row to KC in the 2014 ALCS, and all four were gut punches similar to yesterday. 
 

And that’s just the 90’s forward, I wasn’t around for anything before that.
 

Yesterday was terrible but it might not even be top 5. This franchise has had its share of bad losses. Get out of here with this recency bias BS. 

[Aristotelian]

58 minutes ago, JR Oriole said:

Worst loss for me.....Game 6, 1997 ALCS.  Tony Fernandez homer off Benitez.  1-0 loss in extra innings.  That 1997 team was a great team across the board and I was sure it was our year.  Sickens me to this day, but those Indians paid the piper when Mesa blew the save in Game 7 and Fernandez made that huge error which ended with the Marlins walking it off. 

ALCS Game 3 was pretty brutal too with the squeeze play walkoff that looked foul to everyone but the umpire.

[Sports Guy]

The Webster/Mussina game was extremely painful. That whole series was the worst for me and nothing is close.

[Brian88]

The walkoff loss in Toronto with Britton sitting in the bullpen was pretty bad

[Safelykept]

13 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

What are you 11 years old or something?
 

We lost game 5 in NY in 2012 after a tying home run was called foul and very probably was fair. 
 

We lost game 6 in the 97 ALCS 1-0 after Mussina pitched a gem that would make Burnes’ performance a couple days ago look ordinary. Solo homer top 9 wins it and Brady Anderson just missed hitting a tying shot in the bottom. 
 

We lost the 96 ALCS after a terrible call went against us in game 1 (the aforementioned Maier game). 
 

We lost four games in a row to KC in the 2014 ALCS, and all four were gut punches similar to yesterday. 
 

And that’s just the 90’s forward, I wasn’t around for anything before that.
 

Yesterday was terrible but it might not even be top 5. This franchise has had its share of bad losses. Get out of here with this recency bias BS. 

Also final game of 1982

Last 3 games of1979 WS, that was the worst for me, when it seemed certain to win the Series. That also a KC feel to it. Pirates got us twice in the 70s after we went up by 2 games in both.

1997 was next for me. Two masterpieces by Mussina, 15 ip, 1ER, 4hits 25 SO, lost both. Best I ever saw an oriole pitch in the postseason. Also 2 other 1 run losses

[maybenxtyr]

Considering how they went into the playoffs this season...I was mad last night, but after some sleep I realized that it wasn't a surprise. 

 

As other's have mentioned,  there's some in the last 10 years that stack up worse than this.

[Aristotelian]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

The Webster/Mussina game was extremely painful. That whole series was the worst for me and nothing is close.

I really felt that team was one of the greatest of all time (not just Orioles). We were set up to win it all. It's even more painful in hindsight knowing that was our opportunity, and it was going to be 14 years of darkness.

[MDK02]

This loss is really tough to get over. Especially with the way we started the season.. just really tough.

[Aglets]

Jeffrey Maier game,  the 2016 absurd WC loss with Ubaldo, the 30-3 game.   Heck, pick one of the Texas playoff losses last year when we expected to roll them.

All seem like worse losses in recent memory.  Guess you could say the expectations were higher going into this one.............but.............should they have been?  This isn't like we won 101 again and were a top seed.

[JR Oriole]

1 minute ago, Aristotelian said:

I really felt that team was one of the greatest of all time (not just Orioles). We were set up to win it all. It's even more painful in hindsight knowing that was our opportunity, and it was going to be 14 years of darkness.

I agree completely.  That entire series featured 4 horrendous losses.  Benitez giving up the 3-run homer to Grissom in Game 2. The squeeze play thing in Game 3.  Benitez giving up the walk-off single to Sandy Alomar in Game 4. Fernandez in Game 6, again off Benitez.  The 1997 team was great and absolutely should have won and that is the one (along with 2014) that I will never get over. 

This 2024 team was like a horse that just needed to be put down after being terminally ill (and really boring) for 3 1/2 months.