Red Sox Notes: Alex Cora Applauds 2023 Orioles On AL East Title

The Boston Red Sox already booked their last-place spot in the division, and on Thursday night watched as the Baltimore Orioles clinched the American League East in front of their home crowd at Camden Yards.

That's never an easy sight, especially after finishing rock bottom for the second straight season and the third time in four years.

Nevertheless, there weren't any sore losers in Boston's dugout after the Orioles did their job and earned their first division title since 2014 plus their first 100-plus win season since 1980.

"It was a great season for them, and from all of us, congratulations," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage after Boston's 2-0 loss in Baltimore. "... Understanding how they go about their process and the patience that they show throughout, it's not easy. We live it in our city. That balance of building something from scratch and winning at the big league level is hard to do. We've been through that the last two years, right?

"... It's been, as a baseball fan, fun to watch. As a team in the East, it's not fun. They do a lot of things right. Their pitching program is legit, it's real."

Building through their farm system and overcoming a tough division, which to begin the year, was ruled by the Tampa Bay Rays, is certainly commendable. It also proved that the Red Sox have plenty of work to do in a division that's full of competitors and teams striving to get better.

Perhaps that'll drive some offseason influence.

Here are more notes from Thursday's Red Sox-Orioles game:

-- Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale made his final start of the season, tossing five innings while allowing one earned run off three hits while striking out two Baltimore hitters.

"That was good, that was good," Cora said. "Get him five (innings), get him out and get ready for next year."

-- Boston has lost five straight.

-- Boston is 4-6 against the Orioles this season and 22-27 when facing AL East teams.

-- Boston has been shut out in back-to-back games.

-- The Red Sox and Orioles continue their series in Baltimore on Friday night. First pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, along with a full hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.