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Indians Vs. Athletics Final Score: Justin Masterson Shelled As Cleveland Drops 5th Straight Game, 7-0

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.

Check out Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and be sure to visit Athletics Nation for more A's baseball news. Also head over to Baseball Nation for even more analysis from around the league.

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.