Baltimore Orioles Praised by New York Yankees Ace Despite Losing AL East

The Baltimore Orioles will have to settle for a Wild Card spot after losing the AL East.

Sep 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson studies video in between innings. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The race for the AL East is officially over, and it ended with a familiar face on top.

The Baltimore Orioles were unable to defend their division title from last year, falling just short in 2024. Instead, the AL East once again belongs to the New York Yankees, who clinched the division with their 10-1 rout of the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.

After winning the first two games of the series (and clinching a playoff berth in the process), Baltimore was unable to complete the sweep and keep its slim division hopes alive.

Corbin Burnes delivered another gem in potentially his final regular-season start in an Orioles uniform, tossing five innings of one-run ball and racking up nine strikeouts -- his most since May 19.

Unfortunately for him, reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole was even better, blanking Baltimore over 6 2/3 dominant frames in his last start of the regular season.

The Orioles' bullpen immediately imploded after Burnes departed, giving up nine runs over the next three innings -- including six runs in the sixth inning alone. That put the game out of reach for Baltimore, sealing its fate and handing first place to the Yankees on a silver platter.

After the game, Cole showed his respect for the Orioles during New York's celebration in the clubhouse.

Gerrit Cole was asked about people picking the Orioles to win the AL East before the season:

"We have a ton of respect for Baltimore. That's a real good-ass club over here. You're not stupid if you pick them." pic.twitter.com/1TRuX5hdbv

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2024

"We have a ton of respect for Baltimore. That's a real good-ass club over there," Cole said as champagne sprayed around him. "They're definitely a threat and they were obviously into it here for the last three games."

After winning 101 games last year, the Orioles were a popular preseason pick to win the AL East again, especially after acquiring Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason and signing Craig Kimbrel to bolster their bullpen.

Buoyed by its seemingly endless young talent, Baltimore got off to a tremendous start (as did the Yankees). The Orioles paced the AL East for much of the summer and spent 60 days in first place, including six straight weeks from late June through early August.

Baltimore led the division as late as Sept. 6, only to lose 10 of its next 14 games and fall behind New York for good.

Despite losing several key players to injuries in the second half, the Orioles have only themselves to blame. They've played sub-.500 baseball for the last three months and failed to pull away when they had the chance, much like the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.

Now, they're finally paying the price. Baltimore has more talent and depth than the Yankees, but it choked during the most critical stretch of the season and let the division slip away.

Had the Orioles won just a few more games this summer, they'd be the ones at the top of the standings with a first-round bye. Instead, they need to survive an extra playoff round to win their first World Series since 1983.

Cole is right about Baltimore being a threat, but only if it plays like it did in the first half. If it plays like it has over the last few months, it won't last long in October.