Unable to pick up a win for the fifth consecutive game, the Cleveland Indians came up short on Sunday in their series finale with the Oakland Athletics, 7-0.
The shutout loss not only gave the hosting Athletics a timely three-game sweep, but also moved Manny Acta's skidding Indians to a dismal 1-5 on their current road trip. Reinforcing his label as one of the most inconsistent starters in the American League once again in the finale, Indians right-hander Justin Masterson was shelled for seven earned runs over 5.2 innings to drop to 9-11 overall after taking the loss.
Despite giving up a total of 15 earned runs in two starts from July 23-28, Masterson actually entered Sunday on a hot streak with two straight wins in search of a third. The poor outing against a light-hitting Athletics lineup, however, now balloons the 6-foot-6 starter's season ERA up to 4.73, and adds further questions about what type of pitcher will appear in his next outing.
Offensively, Shin-Soo Choo and Casey Kotchman were the only Cleveland hitters to finish the day with a multi-hit games, as each player put forth a 2-for-4 performance from the plate. Oakland starter Jarrod Parker's eight innings of six-hit ball proved to be the difference in the end, as Acta's ice cold squad now faces the Seattle Mariners over a three-game series that opens Monday.
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