It was a scene that’s become all too familiar for the Orioles.

A win-or-go-home game that got away from them, players in the dugout sinking in their seats as they watched another promising season slip away.

Except this year it was supposed to be different. They learned from the mistakes they made last year when they were swept in the American League Division Series, they claimed. They knew what to expect this year, they reiterated, so they would be more prepared. And now they had a true ace in Corbin Burnes and a solid No. 2 in Zach Eflin, two veterans who had been in these big spots before.

None of that made a difference.

The Orioles, for the second year in a row, were swept in the postseason as the Royals won Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series 2-1 Wednesday. Kansas City now heads to New York to face the Yankees in the American League Division Series. The Orioles must wait all winter to try again.

“This hurt,” manager Brandon Hyde said. Then he paused. A loud cheer from the celebrating Royals in the visitors clubhouse interrupted his thought.

“We had opportunities to win both games,” he continued. “Last year, Game 1 opportunity, didn’t win, then the next two got out of hand. This year, it felt like these were two winnable games.”

The Orioles dropped their 10th straight playoff game, a stretch dating to the 2014 American League Championship Series, another sweep at the hands of the Royals.

“Disappointed,” infielder Jordan Westburg said. “Broken. Maybe regretful. ... It’s going to sting a little bit. You spend all season with these guys, and it ends that quickly. It just sucks.”

Since their last win, the Orioles have gone through a complete rebuild, tearing down their roster and suffering through three 100-loss seasons to acquire and develop young talent that could raise it back up. Finally, they were on the other side of that, making the postseason in back-to-back seasons. But success in October has not found them. They have a roster that includes three former No. 1 prospects, a candidate for American League Rookie of the Year and the third-best home run hitter in the majors.

But, when it came time to get a hit with runners in scoring position, none of that talent came through for the second year in a row.

“I think this is going to stick a little more,” center fielder Cedric Mullins said. “The second time experiencing the same thing, it’s more frustrating.”

They were shut out on Tuesday in Game 1. In Game 2, Mullins, one of the only remaining players who saw the rebuild from start to finish, scored the only Orioles run of the series with a home run in the fifth inning.

After the home run, Ramón Urías hit a single, Gunnar Henderson walked and Westburg reached on an error. The bases were loaded with no outs, a prime opportunity for the Orioles to take the lead. Yet they came up short once again. Anthony Santander hit a weak pop-up, Colton Cowser struck out on a pitch that hit him in the hand, and Adley Rutschman grounded out on a middle-middle pitch.

The season wasn’t over there — they still had four innings to go, 12 outs to stay alive for one more day. They were never down by more than a run all series; one swing could have changed everything. But, as the game went on, the hitters’ at-bats grew more desperate.

The Orioles’ young stars who were so carefully groomed for this very moment collapsed. Henderson went 0-for-7 in the series, swinging at a pitch far outside the strike zone in the seventh inning as if he was trying to will a hit out of his bat. Santander and Rutschman each had just one hit, singles that did not end make a difference.

“We know the type of offense that we are, and it just wasn’t on our side,” Santander said. “I think we didn’t succeed with runners in scoring position, especially myself. I’m pretty disappointed knowing that I could have done a better job for the team.”

While the offense struggled, the pitching staff kept the team in position. Burnes pitched into the ninth on Tuesday, allowing just one run while being credited with the loss. Eflin allowed one run in four innings on Wednesday, with Hyde conservatively pulling him after 75 pitches. He opted to rely on his bullpen for five innings, using nearly every available pitcher to keep the season alive, and they delivered, allowing just one run.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the Orioles down to their last three outs, Mullins and Urías grounded out. Two outs down.

It was up to Henderson. This was his opportunity, his time to show he can be an October player.

He struck out for the third time in the game.

Another promising season gone, just like that.

“I don’t know — we had some opportunities,” Henderson said. “We went out there and battled our butts off. Some close games and just didn’t come through.”

As the Royals took the field to celebrate after the last out, the Orioles stood still, frozen in place in the home dugout as they watched what could have been. They retreated to the clubhouse, where one by one they walked to their lockers. The sounds of hugs and slaps on the back were the only noises inside.

There will be bags to pack, decisions to make and new players to sign. But for now, in this moment, the only thing they feel is heartbreak over another early exit in October.

“At this point, you just tell everybody you love ’em,” Henderson said. “We did everything we could.”