Indians Vs. Twins Final Score: Cleveland Picks Up 6-2 Win To End 11-Game Losing Streak

After 11 absolutely brutal baseball games that ended the exact same way, the Cleveland Indians finally ended their losing streak on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory over Minnesota.

Staring down a chance to tie the franchise's all-time record of 12 consecutive losses, Indians pitcher Justin Masterson turned in a dominant performance to keep Minnesota hitters at bay all afternoon. Now 8-10 on the year after the victory, Masterson yielded a mere three hits over seven innings to Twins batters, and bounced back in a huge way from being shelled the last two times he took the mound (9.2 IP, 15 ER, 6 BB).

Representing only the third time the Indians scored at least six runs in a game since their streak began on July 27, Cleveland racked up 11 hits on the day, and was led by a 4-for-4 performance from outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. Choo added an RBI double to open the scoring in the first inning, and then stepped to plate and delivered once again one inning later with an RBI single to left. The productive day bumped Choo's season average exactly seven points from .284 to .291, and marked only his second multi-hit effort over his last 13 games.

Up next for the Indians is another daunting stretch, as the team will play host to Boston for a four-game weekend series starting Thursday before flying out West for a nine-game road trip against AL West opponents.

Head over to Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and be sure to visit Twinkie Town for more on the Twins. For more MLB news and analysis, check out Baseball Nation.

Indians Vs. Twins: Lineups For Wednesday Afternoon

Cleveland will be seeking their first win in quite a while on Wednesday afternoon, and they'll be looking to do it with a lineup very similar to the ones that they've been using in most of their games recently -- it's been more pitching follies than offensive woes for the team recently, so they're hoping that Justin Masterson will find a solid game in him. Cleveland has allowed 21 runs in this series and over 90 so far during their almost historic losing run.

From both teams twitter accounts, here are the lineups for the third and final game of the Twins vs. Indians series:

August 8 #Indians lineup: Kipnis 2B Cabrera SS Choo RF Santana DH Brantley CF Duncan LF Marson CA Kotchman 1B Lillibridge 3B Masterson P

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 8, 2012

#Twins lineup @ Cleveland: Span CF, Revere RF, Mauer 1B, Willingham LF, Morneau DH, Doumit C, Nishioka 2B, Dozier SS, Casilla 3B, Duensing P

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 8, 2012

The game will begin shortly, being a very early 12:05 p.m. ET start.

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The State Of Cleveland Indians, Summed Up In Pictures

Indians Vs. Twins: Cleveland Looks For First Win In A While On Wednesday Afternoon

After blowing a late lead and losing their 11th straight game, the Cleveland Indians won't have much time to mourn as they get right back up for an early game against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon.

Justin Masterson (7-10, 4.78 ERA) will come up to the mound for game three of the series, facing off against Brian Duensing (2-6, 4.39 ERA) of the Twins. Masterson will have plenty to do if the past few games have been any indication, as the Indians have been giving up runs at record rates during their 11 game losing streak, giving up 21 already in the first two games of the Twins series.

If Cleveland manages to lose their 12th game in a row, it will tie a franchise record losing streak. A loss would also push the Twins into a tie for third place in the AL Central with the Indians.

The game will be at Progressive Field at 12:05 p.m. ET.

Head over to Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and be sure to check out Twinkie Town for more on the Twins. And for even more MLB news and analysis, visit Baseball Nation.

Indians Losing Streak: Cleveland Giving Up Runs At Historic Rate During 11-Game Losing Streak

The Cleveland Indians continued struggling on Tuesday night when they lost their eleventh straight game to the Minnesota Twins. The Tribe couldn't get out of their own way as fielding errors by Jason Kipnis and Casey Kotchman gave the Twins an opportunity to rally for the win.

The Indians continued finding ways to give up runs which have been mounting at a historic rate during the losing streak. Jordan Bastian breaks down how the latest stretch of futility stacks up against past Cleveland teams.

Indians' 95 runs allowed in past 11 are most over any 11-game stretch for Cleveland since giving up 97 RA in 11 games from Aug. 23-30, 1938.

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 8, 2012

For the record, that 1938 team went 4-7 through that eleven-game stretch on their way to an 86-66 record which was good for third place in the American League.

Head over to Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and be sure to check out Twinkie Town for more on the Twins. And for even more MLB news and analysis, visit Baseball Nation.

Indians Vs. Twins: Cleveland Blows Ninth Inning Lead To Lose 7-5 To Minnesota

The Cleveland Indians fumbled away a ninth-inning lead on their way to a 7-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field.

With one out in the ninth inning, Cleveland closer Chris Perez appeared to be on his way to locking up a save and ending the Indians ten-game losing streak. Instead, an error by first baseman Casey Kotchman helped extend the inning which would see the Twins score three runs to take the lead and send the Tribe to their eleventh consecutive loss.

Cleveland held an early 5-1 lead. knockign out Minnesota starter Samuel Deduno after four innings. But the Twins started rallying in the seventh inning when a fielding error by Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis allowed two unearned runs to score. Cleveland would surrender five unearned runs for the game as Perez (0-4) took the loss while blowing his second consecutive save opportunity.

Reliever Tyler Robertson (1-0) picked up the win for the Twins.

The two teams complete their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon at 12:05 p.m. ET.

Head over to Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and be sure to check out Twinkie Town for more on the Twins. And for even more MLB news and analysis, visit Baseball Nation.

Indians Vs. Twins: Starting Lineups For Tuesday's Game

Desperate to avoid dropping their 11th consecutive game, the Cleveland Indians will hope that 26-year-old right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber will be able to stop the bleeding on Tuesday against the Twins.

After making his first career MLB start against Kansas City last week and being bombed for six earned runs in just 4.1 innings, Kluber now will take on a Minnesota lineup that shelled Cleveland pitchers for 14 runs in Monday's blowout.

And after designating infielder Jose Lopez, who was batting .249 with 28 RBI this year, for assignment on Tuesday in favor of more pitching depth, it's clear that Cleveland's entire organization might be bracing for this ice-cold stretch to press on for the remainder of the season.

Hoping to shake things up, manager Manny Acta will once again use second baseman Jason Kipnis in the leadoff slot on Tuesday, despite the youngster's .182 average this year atop the order. The bulk of Kipnis' playing time has come in the No. 3 spot in the order, but it's entirely evident that the Indians are willing to try anything to create a spark at this point.

Here are Tuesday's starting lineups:

Indians
1. Jason Kipnis - 2B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera - SS
3. Shin-Soo Choo - RF
4. Carlos Santana - C
5. Michael Brantley - CF
6. Casey Kotchman - 1B
7. Shelley Duncan - DH
8. Jack Hannahan - 3B
9. Ezequiel Carrera - LF
Corey Kluber - SP

Twins
1. Denard Span - CF
2. Ben Revere - RF
3. Joe Mauer - C
4. Josh Willingham - DH
5. Justin Morneau - 1B
6. Ryan Doumit - LF
7. Tsuyoshi Nishioka - 2B
8. Brian Dozier - SS
9. Jamey Carroll - 3B
Samuel Deduno - SP

Head over to Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and be sure to check out Twinkie Town for more on the Twins. And for even more MLB news and analysis, visit Baseball Nation.

Indians Recall Pitcher Frank Herrmann From Triple-A, Designate Veteran Jose Lopez For Assignment

A 10-game losing streak can often be more than enough to facilitate a roster shakeup for any organization, and the Indians did just that on Tuesday by recalling right-handed pitcher Frank Herrmann from Triple-A to take the place of veteran infielder Jose Lopez, who was promptly designated for assignment according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.

Herrmann made 38 appearances with Columbus this year, posting a 4.28 earned-run average with seven saves. Although he seen action in 80 big league games during his career, Herrman's career ERA is nearly a full run higher at the major league level, and he will need to use his powerful fastball much more efficiently this time around if he plans to stick in the majors.

Lopez, who became an everyday starter with the Indians back in May, hit four home runs and knocked in 28 RBI in 66 games this season, but struggled to a woeful .272 on-base percentage. Seemingly eons away from being the same player who belted 26 bombs and 96 RBI back with Seattle in 2009, Lopez, still just 28 years old, is once again at a crossroads in his career.

Be sure to check out Let's Go Tribe for more Indians news, and head over to Baseball Nation for more MLB analysis.

Indians Vs. Twins: Cleveland Tries To Halt Streak, Avoid Standings Freefall

There are any number of stats that attest to how bad things have gotten for the Cleveland Indians. But one that shouldn't get lost: The Indians could finish their three-game set with the Minnesota Twins tied for fourth place in the AL Central.

The Twins are now just two games behind Cleveland, which has dropped 10 straight after Monday night's 14-3 drubbing at the hands of Minnesota. The two teams play Tuesday and Wednesday, by which point -- if Cleveland doesn't right the ship -- they could both be 50-61.

While so much has gone awry during the Tribe's collapse, starting pitching has been as big a culprit as any. Cleveland's starters are 0-8 during the 10-game losing streak with an 11.66 ERA.

So it's not the most comforting of news that the Indians will send Corey Kluber to the hill Tuesday. In his season debut last week, Kluber, 0-1 with a 12.46 ERA, was shelled by the Kansas City Royals, giving up six runs in 4.1 innings.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 Eastern.

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Indians Losing Streak: Stats Show It Hasn't Been Pretty

The Cleveland Indians losing streak stands at 10 after dropping the first of three against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

With any ugly streak comes ugly numbers and MLB.com's Jordan Bastian has crunched some of them. Here is a sampling:

There have been 327 losing streaks of 10 or more games in baseball history, dating back to 1918. This is only the 13th time that a Major League team has given up at least five runs in each of the losses.

The Indians have allowed 88 runs in the past 10 games. That marks the most runs allowed by Cleveland in any 10-game stretch since the club gave up 89 runs in a 10-game period in August of 1938.

Cleveland's pitching staff has an 8.12 ERA (77 ER/85.1 IP) during the current 10-game losing streak. That is the highest ERA posted by an Indians team in any of the nine 10-game skids in franchise history.

Cleveland's starting rotation has gone 0-8 with an 11.66 ERA (57 ER/44 IP) over the 10-game losing streak. Zach McAllister's outing (1.2 IP) on Monday marked the sixth time in 10 losses that the Tribe's starting pitcher lasted fewer than five innings. ...

… Over the course of the 10-game skid, the Indians offense has hit a collective .219 (75-for-343) with 31 run scored (3.1 per game).

Over the 10 losses, the Indians have been outscored 13-4 through the first inning, 31-7 through the second inning, 39-13 through three innings and 58-15 through four innings. That means they've been down roughly five runs on average after four frames.

Yikes. With the Twins now just two games back of them in the AL Central, they need to turn things around quickly.

For more on the Cleveland Indians, head over to Let's Go Tribe, and check out Twinkie Town for more on their opposition. You can also check out Baseball Nation for more news and analysis on MLB as well as SB Nation's Youtube Channel:

Indians Vs. Twins Final Score: Cleveland Loses Big, Losing Streak At 10

The Cleveland Indians are in rough shape. After losing 14-3 to the Minnesota Twins at home on Monday night, they have lost 10 straight games.

It was all but over after the second inning, as starter Zach McAllister surrendered back-to-back home runs to Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau, then gave up five more runs on a single from Ben Revere, a double from Joe Mauer and a single from Morneau. He was replaced by Josh Tomlin, who promptly gave up a three-run homer to Ryan Doumit.

McAllister gave up six hits, nine runs and struck out three in 1 2/3 innings.

In the fourth, Morneau put Cleveland further behind with another home run, a two-run shot. Mauer made it 13-1 with an RBI-double in the sixth.

Carlos Santana's two-run home run made it 13-3 in the sixth, but that's as close as the Indians would get. .Denard Span scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth and that was it.

A stat illustrating the Indians' recent futility, courtesy of MLB.com's Jordan Bastian:

The 88 runs allowed by Indians over last 10 games are most in any 10-game stretch by CLE since allowing 89 from Aug. 23-29, 1938.

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 7, 2012

Cleveland will try to put a stop to the streak again on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Indians Vs. Twins Score Update: Cleveland Down Big After Minnesota's 10-Run Inning

The Cleveland Indians entered tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins trying to end a nine-game losing streak. Early on, it isn't looking good. In the fourth inning at Progressive Field, the Tribe is down 12-1.

Cleveland started the scoring in the first inning when Jason Kipnis scored on a Carlos Santana groundout, but it was all Twins after that. Minnesota scored a ridiculous 10 runs in the second inning.

Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau hit back to back home runs to start it off, then a scoring error by Kipnis resulted in Ryan Doumit reaching home plate. Then, starter Zach McAllister gave up an RBI-single to Ben Revere, a two-run double to Joe Mauer, and another RBI-single, this time to Morneau. That was the end of his evening.

Reliever Josh Tomlin surrendered a three-run home run to Doumit after that and it was 10-1.

Neither team managed a hit in the third inning, then Morneau hit a two-run home run in the fourth. Cleveland will need a big inning of its own soon.

For more on the Cleveland Indians, head over to Let's Go Tribe, and check out Twinkie Town for more on their opposition. You can also check out Baseball Nation for more news and analysis on MLB as well as SB Nation's Youtube Channel:

Indians Vs. Twins: Projected Starting Lineups For Monday Night

The Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins will play the first game of a three-game set at Progressive Field on Monday night.

The Indians are currently in the midst of a brutal nine-game losing streak, which has spanned across three separate series and began with the Twins on July 27.

Here is the projected starting lineup, which Cleveland hopes can end the slide:

Indians

1. Jason Kipnis, Second Base
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, Short Stop
3. Shin-Soo Choo, Right Field
4. Carlos Santana, First Base
5. Michael Brantley, Center Field
6. Shelley Duncan, Designated Hitter
7. Jose Lopez, Third Base
8. Lou Marson, Catcher
9. Ezequiel Carrera, Left Field

Starting Pitcher: Zach McAllister

Twins

1. Denard Span, Center Field
2. Ben Revere, Right Field
3. Joe Mauer, Designated Hitter
4. Josh Willingham, Left Field
5. Justin Morneau, First Base
6. Ryan Doumit, Catcher
7. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Second Base
8. Brian Dozier, Short Stop
9. Jamey Carroll, Third Base

Starting Pitcher: Scott Diamond

For more on the Cleveland Indians, head over to Let's Go Tribe, and check out Twinkie Town for more on their opposition. You can also check out Baseball Nation for more news and analysis on MLB as well as SB Nation's Youtube Channel:

Indians Vs. Twins: Cleveland Looks To Gain Ground In AL Central Against Minnesota

Cleveland and Minnesota will face off for three games in a battle for third place in the AL Central.