Written by Adam Burke

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Just when you think that it cannot possibly get any worse, Coco Crisp drives in five runs against you. The Indians were swept by the Athletics in a series where they really never looked like they belonged on the same field. It was another series of disappointment followed by the inevitable depression that comes along with knowing that the Indians have no choice but to blow it all up and start rebuilding this offseason. The Tribe mustered just six singles en route to losing 7-0.

The Indians had plenty of chances early in the game to give themselves the lead, but failed at all of them. In the first inning, Ezequiel Carrera singled, stole second, and went to third on a groundout just to be left there by Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana. In the second, Michael Brantley singled to leadoff the inning and Brent Lillibridge walked with one out, but neither player advanced any farther. In the third, Choo and Santana both singled with two outs, but Brantley couldn't get a big hit.

Finally, the A's decided to stop letting the Indians hang around. They got on the board in the third following a hit by pitch, a sac bunt, and a Coco Crisp RBI single. In the fourth, they added another single run on a Brandon Moss solo home run. In the fifth, the floodgates opened. Cliff Pennington singled and Jemile Weeks reached on a bunt single. Crisp promptly homered down the right field line to put the A's up by five. It was Crisp's seventh home run of the season and third at home.

The Indians squandered another opportunity in the sixth, putting men on the corners with two outs before Lillibridge grounded into a fielder's choice to end that threat. The Athletics responded by putting the game away with two more runs, one off Masterson and another off Esmil Rogers. Masterson's final line read 5.2 innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Oakland's bullpen finished off the shut out, marking the sixth time this season that the Indians have failed to score a run in a game and the 39th time that they've scored two runs or less. They're 6-33 in those games.

With the loss, the Indians keep reaching new lowpoints to the season, now 13 games under .500 at 54-67. The Athletics, who missed out on gaining ground in the wild card race due to Anaheim's epic collapse on Saturday night, didn't gain any ground on Baltimore or Tampa on Sunday as they were both victorious.

Justin Masterson felt to 9-11, while Jarrod Parker improved to 8-7 and won for the first time since July 21. The Indians lost their fifth in a row.

Stat of the Day: Sunday's start marked the sixth time in 26 starts that Justin Masterson allowed seven or more runs and the fourth time since July 6.

Player of the Game: LOL

Tomorrow's Game: The Indians open a three-game set against Eric Wedge and the Seattle Mariners. Ubaldo Jimenez will take on Kevin Millwood at 10:05 p.m.