CLEVELAND – Mitch Talbot allowed five runs in the first inning Wednesday night at Progressive Field. With the way the Indians have been swinging the bat lately, they might as well have gone home before the second.
Oakland’s early uprising was more than enough to beat back the offensively-challenged Indians, who lost for the fifth straight […]

CLEVELAND – Indians fans take solace, your Tribe leads the American League in one category – getting shut out.

In dropping a 5-0 decision to Oakland in the series opener Tuesday night at Progressive Field, the Indians were held scoreless for the 11^th time this season, equaling Seattle for the most shutout losses in the AL.

It was no surprise which opponent and what pitcher it was doing the blanking this time around. The A’s have shut out Cleveland four times this season, three of them with right-hander Gio Gonzalez on the mound.

“Gio Gonzalez was pretty tough on us,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta of Gonzalez, who allowed just five hits and struck out seven over seven innings of the Indians 12^th loss in 15 games. “He had us pretty much all night. “He just dominated us the whole night. He’s done that three times now.”

Gonzalez hasn’t allowed a run in three starts against the Indians this year, covering 20 2/3 innings. He entered the night with a 3-0 record and 1.16 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland.

Though the Indians put some baserunners aboard against Gonzalez, two of them were courtesy of Oakland errors, and the Indians did nothing with their opportunities.

The Indians put two aboard with two outs on Oakland errors in the second, but failed to score when Trevor Crowe struck out to end the inning. Cleveland loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, but Crowe was the culprit again, bouncing into a fielder’s choice out.

“We had some traffic out there but where we’re at right now offensively, we can’t be leaving 10 guys on base,” said Acta, whose team has been outscored 24-3 over its last four games.

“There was nothing different,” said Choo of Gonzalez’s effort. “Most guys tried to be more aggressive. We hit a lot of hard ground balls, but that’s it.”

The Indians got a better performance from starter Fausto Carmona, but the right-hander was still tagged with his fourth loss in four outings, allowing four runs on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. Carmona’s last win came on Aug. 2.

“He gave us a chance,” Acta said. “He threw the ball better. Unfortunately, we continued to scuffle offensively.”

Carmona appeared to remedy the problems with his change-up, which had been coming to the plate at nearly the same speed as his sinking fastball as of late. He said he used the pitch effectively.

“I threw a lot of change-ups,” said Carmona, who is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA over his last six starts. “I made a lot of outs with it. It was much better tonight. I threw a lot. I didn’t care what count.”

But it didn’t do Carmona any good in the win department, as his sagging offense and some mistakes on his part, added up to his 12^th loss in 26 starts.

“I missed a couple pitches up but I tried to keep my team in the game,” said Carmona, who allowed two of Oakland’s three home runs on the night. “I can’t control the hitting. I can only control the pitch. I can’t control anything else.”

The A’s entered the game with the lowest homer count in the majors (73) but got long balls from Jeff Larish, Coco Crisp and Jack Cust. Oakland snapped a streak of 27 straight games hitting one or no homers, which accounted for the second-longest in club history.

The former Indian Crisp burnt his old teammates with a 3-for-5 performance that included everything but a triple. His leadoff homer off Carmona in the fifth put the A’s in front 3-0.

Cleveland was still in the game when Carmona departed, trailing 3-0 with Crisp on second after a leadoff double. But reliever Tony Sipp allowed a two-run homer to Cust, the first batter he faced.

Sipp entered the night leading the AL with the lowest percentage of inherited runners scoring against him (16.7), but he’s also allowed 10 homers in 48 innings. 

“Tony has had some rough spots but he’s had a lot more good (outings) than bad ones. He’s going to give them up now and then because he goes right after guys.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

CLEVELAND – Though it won’t take place officially until the season is complete, assistant general manager Chris Antonetti has already begun the transition into his new job as Indians general manager.

Antonetti, who has served as assistant GM for the past nine years, will replace Mark Shapiro on Nov. 1, with Shapiro, Cleveland’s GM since 2002, assuming the role of team president.

“I think, as the season’s progressed, Mark’s continued to involve me in the various aspects of baseball operations,” said the 35-year-old Antonetti. “As he’s continued to immerse himself in the business side, it has allowed me to transition more on the baseball side.”

Antonetti has worked alongside Shapiro during his entire 12-year tenure with the Indians, and there doesn’t figure to be a change in philosophy when he takes over as GM.

“We’re different people, but at the same time, we’ve worked together for a long period of time,” Antonetti said. “One of the things we have in common is we’re never satisfied.

“I’m excited about the opportunity, excited about the challenge. I’m confident that we have the people in place to be successful. That’s what we’re all building toward, trying to get back to a championship-caliber club.”

The Indians fell well short of that goal this season, pulling into Tuesday in last place in the Central Division with one of the worst records in baseball (50-74).

“We’ve had a number of injuries to a number of key players that impacted our competitiveness,” Antonetti said. “We expect them all to be healthy next year. That will give us a better nucleus to build from and we need to continue to supplement.”

Thanks to a major league-low attendance figure this year, it will be difficult to supplement the team with free-agent acquisitions this offseason. Still, Antonetti remains positive that the Indians will contend again soon into his new role.

“It’s not going to happen over night,” he said. “So many things have to come together to have a contending championship-caliber team. What’s important for us is to continue to show progress.

“I think there a lot of positives. I think we have a good nucleus of talent to build around and I think we have a good depth of talent in the minor leagues. Hopefully that talent will continue to emerge.”

Wounded Wahoos

Outfielder Michael Brantley (sprained left ankle) missed his fourth straight game, but according to manager Manny Acta, will return to the lineup tonight.

(bullet) Travis Hafner did not start Tuesday, but Acta said it was a prescribed day off for the designated hitter, who has been in the lineup on a regular basis since leaving the disabled list Aug. 15.

(bullet) Left-knee surgery ended the seasons of Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana, but Antonetti said that while the pair might not be recovered by the start of spring training, the Indians are confident both will be ready to begin the regular season.

New arrivals

Cleveland’s September call-ups are expected to come in two waves before and after the end of Triple-A Columbus’ season, which might include a playoff run. The Clippers entered Tuesday trailing first-place Louisville by a half game in the International League’s West Division, with three division winners and a wild-card team qualifying for the IL playoffs.

“We’re not going to try to upset what’s going on down there, unless it’s a guy that’s a priority and is going to make an impact right away,” Acta said.

Columbus right-hander Carlos Carrasco (10-6, 3.77 ERA) and third baseman Jared Goedert (.277, 18 HR, 45 RBIs in 68 games through Monday) are the two strongest candidates for promotion, but Goedert is not a member of the club’s 40-man roster.  

“Not being on our 40-man roster would not be an impediment,” Antonetti said. “Getting playing time would be a consideration to whether we bring him up or not. If we bring a guy up, can we play him and give him a meaningful opportunity?”

Minor details

Right-hander Zach McCallister, acquired in the Austin Kearns trade with the Yankees (July 30), made his organizational debut for the Indians on Tuesday, starting for Columbus against Toledo. McCallister went 8-10 with a 5.09 ERA in 24 starts for Triple-A Scranton prior to the trade. … LHP Scott Barnes entered Tuesday leading Double-A Akron in innings pitched (128 1/3) and strikeouts (115). Barnes, acquired in a trade with the Giants last year for Ryan Garko, is 6-9 with a 4.77 ERA in 24 starts for the Aeros.    

Roundin’ third

Tony Sipp entered Tuesday having allowed just 16.7 percent (6-of-36) of his inherited runners to score, which was tops among American League relievers. … The Indians were swept in their last series, scoring just three runs, while batting .147 in three losses to Detroit. … Tonight, 7:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM. Talbot (8-10, 4.23) vs. Cahill (13-5, 2.54).

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.