Byron Buxton wondered what it was like. Now he knows.
"That was so cold," the Twins' top slugger said. "I don't think I'd do it again. But it was fun."
Don't worry, he doesn't mean he will stop hitting walkoff homers, something he's now done twice this season and three times in his career. He means he won't stand on home plate while his teammates pour a bucket of ice water over him, as he did in the wild scrum following the 3-2 victory over the Orioles he delivered at Target Field.
"I got to kind of experience what it's like," Buxton said. "Usually it's bubble gum or Skittles."
The Twins will probably allow him to dictate the terms of whatever celebration he likes, so long as he regularly rescues them from another sluggish offensive night. Minnesota strung together three hits and a walk in the first inning, and two more in the ninth. In between? An amazing 21 consecutive outs, and by all appearances, the Twins' third time scoring one or fewer runs in their last five home games.
But Luis Arraez and Buxton changed all that. Facing Orioles closer Jorge Lopez, Arraez worked a nine-pitch at-bat, finally grounding a pitch up the middle and into center field.
"It helps a lot," Buxton said. "When he's having an at-bat like that in front of you, fouling off great pitches, it got me going. It got me locked in."
He wasn't thinking home run, though — even if the fireworks-night crowd of 25,540 definitely was — especially after taking a strike and then fouling a pitch off. He ducked out of the way of a high slider, then zeroed in on Lopez's 1-2 pitch, a slider over the heart of the plate.