Indians slipping down in division

If the Tribe doesn't start winning soon, it may fall too far back to rally into contention.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The company line coming out of Jacobs Field these days goes something like this: "Sure, we're not playing very well, but look at what we did last year. There's still time."
But it's ticking away.
Truth is, aside from a 6-1 start, the Cleveland Indians haven't played up to expectations -- theirs or anyone else's -- this season.
After 56 games, the Indians, who went 93-69 last season and just missed the playoffs, are a .500 team in the standings only. Much of what they've done on the field has been below average, and they've been maddeningly uneven in virtually every phase of the game.
"I'm disappointed in the inconsistency," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "We're finding ways to lose."
And the victories had better start piling up fast or else the Indians, who trail the first-place Detroit Tigers by 8 1/2 games in the AL Central and are six behind the second-place Chicago White Sox, will see a season that began with such hope and promise dissolve into deep disappointment.
More widespread
The Indians' troubles aren't limited to just a few slumping players having sub-par seasons, either. It's much more widespread than that.
"What concerns me most are the defense and the fundamental executions," Shapiro said. "Those are things we did well last year."
Cleveland, which opens a three-game series at home against Oakland tonight, leads the AL with 40 errors. And while they've been a potent offensive club, the Indians make too many base-running mistakes, which turn into easy outs and wreck potentially big innings.
They rarely move runners up with a well-placed bunt or hit. The bullpen has been up and down, and with the exception of C.C. Sabathia, the starting rotation hasn't performed up to its potential.
"We want to be more consistent in all areas," manager Eric Wedge said. "I do feel like we are moving forward. We are approaching it, but we're just not there yet."
Sabathia, arguably the majors' best pitcher since last August, was due for a bad outing and he had a brutal one Sunday. The left-hander was roughed up for seven runs -- three homers -- in five innings by the Los Angeles Angels, who clobbered the Indians 14-2 on national TV one day after Cleveland thrashed them by the same score.
"I let the team down," Sabathia said. "It's frustrating. I tried to go out and win a series and had a performance like that."
Same point last season
The Indians were 10 1/2 games behind Chicago at the same point last season, and they made up a 15-game deficit with a 46-28 record in the second half that brought them to the brink of a postseason berth.
Repeating that comeback would seem impossible, and Sabathia said the team isn't counting on being able to flip a switch to make things better.
"We're all trying," he said. "It's not like we think we can just go out there and win. I've never felt that way. We just can't seem to do everything right day after day after day. We do a lot of things right and then have one of those games."
Right now, it's shaping up as one of those years in Cleveland, but designated hitter Travis Hafner was encouraged last week when the Indians took three of four from the White Sox.
"There had to be a sense of urgency when you look up and you're 10 games back," said Hafner, who with 15 homers and 50 RBIs is one of the few Indians having an All-Star caliber season. "We've been playing a little better lately and have eliminated a lot of mistakes."
The club's "one game, one series at a time" mantra served the Indians well last season. From Aug. 1 through Sept. 22, they gained 13 1/2 games on the White Sox by going 28-12-4 in their last 44 series, an approach they hope to repeat this season.
"You can't make up the lead in one day," Hafner said, "but if you keep winning series, and that's what we did last year, you'll be there at the end."