Indians Confidential

In a matter of four days, the Indians have gone from the cat-bird seat in the AL Central to looking up from third place.  Yes, that’s what no offense can do for you.  It was that lack of offense on display yet again on Tuesday night in Chicago, as the team failed to plate more than just one run, as they fell to the red-hot White Sox 4-1.  C.C. Sabathia did what he could to keep the Sox in check, but allowing just two runs for this offense was one too much.

The team was held in check by Sox starter Jose Contreras, who went six innings, allowing one run on four hits.  Four Sox relievers closed out the night, not allowing an Indians base runner over the last three innings, striking out two.  Sabathia can’t be to blame for the loss, allowing a pair of solo homers, one to Carlos Quentin and anothe to Jim Thome.  Sabathia falls to 3-6 on the season, his ERA sits at 5.14.

The offense managed a weak four hits, the only run coming in the 3rd when Grady Sizemore grounded out to first that scored Casey Blake.  Other than that, it was like hitting the snooze button each time the team came to the plate.  The 2-3-4 hitters, Ben Francisco, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez combined to go 0-for-12 with three strikeouts.  Not that the rest of the order did all that much better.

The team now falls to 22-23, losers of four straight, their longest losing streak of the season.  They now sit in third in the Central, 2.5 back of the Sox, who have won six in a row.  They will look to stop the bleeding on Wednesday night at 8:11pm, as Paul Byrd goes up against Javier Vazquez.