CLEVELAND — An eight-game stint at home seemed like an ideal time for the Indians to put some distance between themselves and the Tigers in the race for the Central Division title.

Instead, it did the opposite.

Visits from the White Sox, Angels and Royals wound up costing Cleveland in the division standings, as the Indians dropped six of the eight games, culminating in a 5-3 loss to Kansas City on Sunday at Progressive Field.

Cleveland entered the stand in a first-place tie with Detroit, but now trails the Tigers by 2 1/2 games, and leads the third-place White Sox by just 1 1/2 games.

“It was a disappointing homestand,” said manager Manny Acta, whose club has lost eight of its last 10 games and 10 of its last 14. “After playing well on the road (4-4 against Baltimore and Minnesota), we came over here in front of our fans and lost all three series. We just couldn’t wake up those bats.”

Offense has been a sore spot for the Indians for much of the season, especially as of late, and it was in the series finale as well.

Despite outhitting KC 10-9, Cleveland struggled to come up with a key hit — something that has plagued the Indians throughout their recent cold streak. They scored just two runs on eight hits off fill-in starter Danny Duffy, who got his third win of the season after entering the day 2-4 with a 5.17 ERA.

The Indians, who were unable to land the big bat they were searching for at the trading deadline, had hits in eight of the nine innings but scored in just two of them.

“We were able to get some hits, but we didn’t execute when we had to,” Acta said. “I guess getting the hits is a step in the right direction. Now, we need to get them with guys on base.”

The Indians went scoreless over the first four innings, with Jason Kipnis’ first career home run and an RBI double from Carlos Santana bringing them to within a run in the fifth.

They scored their last run in the eighth inning to pull within a run again, but the Royals added some insurance in the ninth, scoring once off reliever Tony Sipp.

There was no-late game magic at home for the Indians, who are nearing the .500 level (29-24) at Progressive Field, after dominating teams at home over the first two months of the season.

It wasn’t all bad news for Cleveland, which got a positive, if not dominant outing for one-time ace Fausto Carmona.

The right-hander, who has struggled for much of the season allowed four runs on six hits over 7 1/3 innings. He allowed solo homers to Jeff Francouer and Alex Gordon, with one of his runs scoring in the fourth on a throwing error from right fielder Kosuke Fukudome.

“I think it was good,” Carmona said of his outing. “I had quick innings and was making good pitches to get ground balls.”

Though Carmona still doesn’t resemble the ace he was supposed to be at the start of the season, he has been effective over a three-start span — 1-1, 2.79 ERA — since leaving the disabled list.

“He’s throwing the ball well,” Acta said. “He worked very hard after those struggles. Hopefully he continues to go out there and give us a chance to win.”

Carmona (5-11, 5.31 ERA) said slowing down his delivery has helped him as of late.

“I think for me the difference is throwing strikes,” Carmona said. “I just need to take my time every pitch and throw a strike. I feel more confident now.”

Indians hitters could use some of that confidence as the team travels to Boston for a four-game series that begins tonight, and then to Texas for three games. The Red Sox and Rangers both lead their respective divisions, Boston owning the best record in the American League.

“We just have to go on the road and battle,” Acta said.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

CLEVELAND — The rookie won out over the veteran.

The Indians traded infielder Orlando Cabrera to the Giants on Saturday, not because they were disappointed in his play, but because they wanted to clear more time for prized prospect Jason Kipnis.

Cabrera, 36, was signed in the offseason to provide leadership in a young Indians clubhouse and a top-shelf glove alongside All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in his first year at second base.

The two-time Gold Glove award winner didn’t last a year.

“I thought he handled it very well. He was very professional about it,” Indians manager Manny Acta said of Cabrera’s reaction to the trade. “He had a lot to do with the success we had here in the first couple of months of the season. He really helped Asdrubal and helped a lot of the young kids. But the main thing was for us to get Kipnis the playing time that we think he deserves.”
With Cabrera gone, Kipnis, batting .136 (3-for-22) with a home run and two RBIs in seven games since being promoted from Triple-A Columbus, is expected to play fulltime at second.
Outfielder Thomas Neal, whom the Indians acquired for Cabrera, will report to Columbus and assume Cabrera’s 40-man roster spot.
Third baseman Jason Donald was promoted Sunday from Columbus to take Cabrera’s spot on Cleveland’s 25-man roster. He went 0-for-2 as the starting third baseman in the series finale with Kansas City after batting .310 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 47 games for the Clippers.
Donald was expected to open the season as the Indians’ starting third baseman but began the year on the disabled list with a fracture in his left hand that he sustained in spring training.
Cabrera struggled to adjust to his new position and hit just .241 with four homers and 38 RBIs in 91 games. He was not pleased when the Indians began promoting young players to take his playing time and did not sound disappointed to leave Cleveland.
“The (Indians) told me they had good news and bad news — maybe for me it was good news and good news,” Cabrera told reporters in Cincinnati, where the Giants played Saturday. “They were feeling bad that I wasn’t playing much. They were going to go with Kipnis every day. It’s something that will work out for both (teams).
“I’m on the 25-man roster of the world champions. That’s enough for me.”

Big league Choo

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (broken left thumb) accompanied the Indians to Boston, where he will likely take batting practice with the team.

The next step for Choo would be a minor league rehab assignment, with a potential return to Cleveland in mid-August.

Next up

The Indians hit the road for a four-game series in Boston that begins tonight at 7:10.

Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.01 ERA) opens the set for Cleveland, opposing RHP John Lackey (9-8, 6.20), while David Huff (1-1, 0.71) starts Tuesday (7:10) against RHP Josh Beckett (9-4, 2.17).

Carlos Carrasco (8-9, 4.67) starts for the Indians on Wednesday (7:10) against RHP Tim Wakefield (6-4, 5.06), while Justin Masterson (8-7, 2.57) goes in the series finale Thursday (7:10), while the Red Sox counter with LHP Jon Lester (10-4, 3.23).

Minor details

Left fielder Jerad Head hit his team-leading 16th homer in a 2-for-4, three-RBI effort Saturday in Columbus’ 5-4 victory over Norfolk. Head, a non-drafted free-agent signing in 2005, entered Sunday batting .282 with 52 RBIs in 90 games. … Adam Miller’s comeback trail has hit a snag at Double-A Akron, where he has posted a 1-3 record and 7.01 ERA in 18 games since being promoted from High-A Kinston. The former prized prospect who has been derailed by multiple surgeries on his right middle finger, allowed five runs on eight hits in just two innings of the Aeros’ 14-5 loss to Erie on Saturday. … Right fielder Jordan Casas had three of Kinston’s five hits in a 4-1 loss to Wilmington on Saturday. Casas, a 40th-round draft pick last year, was promoted from Class A Lake County, where he batted .281 with no homers and 12 RBIs in 35 games.

Roundin’ third

Asdrubal Cabrera reached base in all five trips to the plate, with a double, two singles and two walks. It was his 12th three-hit game of the season and club-leading 32nd multihit game. … Right fielder Kosuke Fukudome recorded his first American League hit with a double in the sixth inning. … Tonight, 7:10, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

CLEVELAND – Indians fans got exactly what they had been hoping for Saturday night: A big win and a big trade.

First baseman Matt LaPorta hit a three-run, walk-off homer with two out in the ninth inning, giving the Tribe a 5-2 come-from-behind win over the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Chris Getz, but closer Joakim Soria allowed a game-tying sacrifice fly to Kosuke Fukudome and LaPorta’s game-winning blast.

“We’ve had a lot of big hits this season, but for me, this is at the top,” said a smiling LaPorta, who drilled Soria’s pitch off the facing of the home run porch in left field.

Cleveland (53-51), which agreed to acquire Colorado pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez in a five-player deal earlier in the evening, snapped a three-game losing streak in front of 31,436 fans at Progressive Field.

The Indians also moved within 1½ games of Detroit in the American League Central Division and pulled off their 12th walk-off win of the season.

“I don’t know why we have to wait until the ninth inning every time,” Tribe manager Manny Acta said. “It’s tough on all of us. Tomorrow, I think I’ll put the (ninth-inning sign) on the scoreboard to start the game and see if it makes a difference.”

Cleveland actually came back twice in the final two innings, first tying the score at 1 in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Michael Brantley. That hit came off Kansas City setup man Aaron Crow, who took over after Tim Collins surrendered a leadoff walk to Lonnie Chisenhall.

Soria (5-4, 4.23 ERA) completed the meltdown in the ninth with his sixth blown save of the season. He hit Asdrubal Cabrera with a pitch, allowed a double by Carlos Santana, and walked Chisenhall, in addition to the run-scoring swings by Fukudome and LaPorta.

“We had some great at-bats at the end of the game against Soria,” Acta said.

Tony Sipp (6-2, 3.00 ERA) earned the win despite allowing one run in his one inning. Starter Justin Masterson went the first eight-plus, allowing nine hits and two runs while striking out five.

Masterson came out for the ninth, but was lifted after allowing a leadoff single to Jeff Francoeur, who scored on Getz’s hit.

“Justin deserved better tonight, which is why I’m so happy that he didn’t get stuck with the loss,” Acta said. “If he had gotten Francoeur out, we probably would have left him in because he was fresh.”

On the flipside, the Royals’ bullpen ruined a terrific outing by Felipe Paulino, who didn’t allow a hit until Santana doubled in the fifth. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings, only allowing one runner to reach third base.

“My goal was just to keep it close tonight because we have a good team here and we find a way to win,” Masterson said.

Kansas City went up 1-0 in the first on an RBI groundout by Eric Hosmer. It could have been worse, though, as Masterson allowed a leadoff walk to Alex Gordon and a double to Melky Cabrera before limiting the damage.

The Indians had a golden opportunity to tie the score in the sixth, but Gordon gunned down LaPorta at home on a fly ball to left by Brantley.

Kansas City catcher Matt Treanor suffered a concussion on the play – with his head absorbing a significant blow from LaPorta’s right shoulder – but held onto the ball in the collision.

Treanor was placed on the seven-day disabled list by the Royals before he left the stadium for medical tests.

Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Kansas City
• TIME: 1:05
• WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS: Carmona (5-10, 5.34 ERA) vs. Davies (1-9, 6.75)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

RANDOLPH TWP. – You’ve heard it countless times: the team that makes the fewest errors wins the big game.

Likewise, it’s been proven true countless times, as recently as Saturday afternoon in the searing heat and swirling dust of Portage County.

There, in a softball showdown for girls 18 and under, the Lorain Xplosion scored three unearned runs with the help of three Columbia errors. They might have been unearned, but they counted just the same in a 4-2 victory over the Raiders.

For its part, the Lorain girls committed two errors, both in the first inning, and they led to an unearned Columbia run. Without the unearned runs, the teams might still be playing with the score tied at 1.

Instead, the Xplosion went back to Lorain County with the Ohio Girls Softball Organization’s Class D state championship. It was the first OGSO state title by an area team since 2008, when Lorain County teams won three of the four age-group titles.

Grafton Nancy’s Diner, with a chance to take another championship trophy home, lost its Class A (10-and-under) state final showdown to the Champion Flashes, 8-1.

Champion claimed the title for the second year in a row.

In other games involving area teams, Keystone Moyes Trucking drilled the Badger Braves 12-2 in the Class A consolation game and Matthews waxed Medina 11-0 to win the Class C (14U) crown in a perfect-game, mercy-rule rout. No area Class B (12-and-under) teams survived beyond last weekend’s first- and second-round games.

Click here to see photos from the OGSO state finals.

Lorain pitcher Sarah Kaya struck out six and scattered five hits, no more than one by any Columbia player. Kaya wiggled out of a huge jam in the fifth inning.

With the Xplosion leading 4-1, Columbia’s Emily Viccarone drilled a leadoff double to center field, moved to third on Allison Bowes’ single to left and scored on Heather Walaszewski’s first-pitch single to center.

With one out, Sarah Viccarone reached on a bunt single while Bowes and Walaszewski held third and second, respectively. But Kaya breathed easier when the next batter flied out to right field, and she was out of the pickle with a routine popup to short.

“I was just basically trying to stay calm, keeping my focus,” Kaya said of facing Columbia’s final batter in the seventh. “Coming down to that last out was intense. But this means a lot because it’s a first for a lot of us and we can’t wait to start next season.”

Columbia scored its first run when, with two out in the first, Danielle Riolo hit what appeared to be a routine fly ball. But the Xplosion outfield couldn’t handle it and Riolo wound up on second base. Riolo scored when pitcher Kalyn Thompson reached on an infield error.

Lorain tied it at 1 in the third when Kristen Whalen reached on a Columbia error. Then with two outs, Jenee Perry stroked a double to the gap in left-center, sending Whalen home. Until Perry’s hit, the Raiders’ Thompson had retired eight of the first nine batters she faced.

The Xplosion scored what proved to be the winning runs – both unearned – in the fourth. Nikki Kent, who reached on an error, and Kaya, who was aboard via fielder’s choice, scored them. Kent scored when Emily Rousch reached on a Columbia error and Kaya ran in on Whalen’s single to center.

Lorain (21-1) added the crusher in the fifth when Perry led off with a single, stole second and third, then crossed the plate on Abby Coakley’s RBI grounder to the left side. Columbia’s Thompson deserved a better fate. She struck out three and finished with a three-hitter, two of them by the Xplosion’s Perry.

“There were a lot of jitters,” Xplosion coach Shawn Coakley said of his team’s shaky start. “But it’s hard to win at the show if you’ve never been to the show. When we tied the score, you could tell the weight was off our shoulders and we were ready to play ball.”

Columbia finished its season 20-2. Both losses were to the Xplosion.

Contact Bob Daniels at 329-7135 or softball@bobdaniels.info.

OGSO finals
(area teams)

Class A
Champion Flashes 8, Grafton Nancy’s Diner 1
Class C
Mathews 11, Medina 0
Class D
Lorain Xplosion 4, Columbia Raiders 2
Consolation round
Class A
Keystone Moyes Trucking 12, Badger Braves 2