Red Sox's Alex Cora Talks Frustration With Team's Play, 'We're Not Getting Better'

The Boston Red Sox will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season if things don't turn around relatively soon, and manager Alex Cora is growing frustrated.

"We keep making the same mistakes. We're not getting better," Cora said following Tuesday's 4-3 extra-innings loss to the Los Angeles Angels, per Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press. 

"At one point it has to be on me I guess. I'm the manager. I've got to keep pushing them to be better. They're not getting better. They're not. We keep making the same mistakes. I'll be honest about it and very open about it."

Boston fell to 29-34 overall and 2-8 in the last 10 with Tuesday's loss, which magnified more of the struggles in close games. In fact, Hightower noted half of the team's 34 losses have come by one run, including the last two against the Angels.

"You get frustrated, but at one point, OK, what are you going to do? What's going to change? We keep doing the same thing," Cora said.

Boston is in fourth place in the American League East and 10 games behind the rival New York Yankees. While it is still early in a long season, it is digging quite the hole that may prove to be insurmountable if those close-game struggles continue.

It seemed like Tuesday's contest was potentially going to be a turning point when the Red Sox overcame an early 3-0 deficit with an RBI double from Jarren Duran and a two-run homer from Ceddanne Rafaela to force extra innings.

However, the home team was unable to match Los Angeles' one run in the top of the 10th despite starting the frame with the runner on second base.

Things don't get much easier for the Red Sox after Wednesday's series finale against the Angels, as they face the Yankees in six of their next nine games. Cora's frustration is only going to grow if the losses keep piling up, especially against the team Boston is chasing in the standings.