CLEVELAND — The standings say the Indians are far from out of the race for a Central Division title, but the team assembled Sunday at Progressive Field, didn’t look like one itching to chase down the Tigers anytime soon.

With a chance to sweep the last-place Royals while gaining ground on first-place Detroit, the Indians instead limped to a lethargic and inopportune 2-1 loss that kept their division deficit at 6 1/2 games.

Once again, it was an inefficient performance from an injury-derailed offense at the root of defeat for Cleveland, which despite taking the first two games of the series, has dropped seven of its last 10.

The offensive ineptness reached its low early when the Indians left the bases loaded with no outs against journeyman Kansas City starter Bruce Chen, who had already walked in the first run of the game.

“Our first inning basically killed us,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta. “We let him off the hook right there. After the first four hitters, I don’t think we had the right approach against him. He recognized that and started changing speeds and mixing pitches in and out.

“It’s on us, letting him off the hook in the first inning.”

The Indians didn’t do much better over the next eight innings, failing to muster a single hit after the third, while helping starting pitcher Justin Masterson to another tough-luck defeat — his first since July 24.

Masterson (10-8, 2.83 ERA) allowed all of his runs (two) and hits (nine) within the first four innings, lasting six while striking out three and walking two.

While it wasn’t Masterson’s best effort, the right-hander was still able to hold the opposition to two runs or fewer for the 21st time in 28 starts. Meanwhile, the Indians have scored two runs or fewer in 11 of his outings — one or been shut out  in seven of them.

“My command was just a little bit off (early),” Masterson said. “But in the end, we kept it close and gave the team a chance to win like we’ve done so many times before.

“The stuff wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t terrible. That’s why we were able to make pitches.”

Facing a struggling Cleveland lineup, Chen was able to make more.

After allowing two-out singles in both the second and third innings, the right-hander who has pitched for 10 teams in 13 big league seasons, permitted just two more baserunners over his final 4 1/3 innings — one on a walk in the fifth and the other on an error in the eighth.

“A lot of people don’t give him enough credit,” said designated hitter Shelley Duncan, who popped put for the first out in the opening inning before Kosuke Fukudome hit into an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play. “You feel like you should hit him, but he changes the pace and the rhythm and he’s always around the plate.

“It seems like the older he gets, the craftier he gets. It’s frustrating.”

Frustration is setting in for the Indians, who were baseball’s most surprising story with the majors’ best record for nearly the entire first two months of the season. It’s been a downhill slide since with Cleveland going 35-50 since May 24 to lose 13 1/2 games in the standings.

The Indians have lost five games to Detroit since Aug. 18, but still consider themselves a contender, with six more games against the Tigers before the season is complete, including the final three of the year.

“They know it’s only 6 1/2 games with a month left,” Acta said of his players. “We talk to them about how much things can change in a week. It happened to us. We were up a half game and then it was 6 1/2.”

“We still have six games against Detroit,” Masterson said. “That keeps it right there within the grasp. We won the series and that’s what we’re trying to do. Detroit’s been hot, but we’re a team that can stay right there.”

For how long?

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

CLEVELAND — A lingering injury that kept outfielder Michael Brantley out of the lineup on various occasions over the past month has ended his season.

Brantley was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list Sunday and will undergo surgery early this week on a broken bone in his right hand.

Brantley missed a handful of games but was able to stay off the disabled list with what the Indians originally thought was a wrist injury. He was still expected to return before the season was complete but the Indians determined that the injury was more severe over the past week.

Brantley batted .266 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 114 games.

Because Cleveland is already down an outfielder in right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who is expected to miss an undisclosed amount of games with a left oblique injury, Jerad Head was promoted from Triple-A Columbus. Reliever Nick Hagadone was optioned back to the Clippers to clear room for Head without making an appearance.

The injuries have been mounting for the Indians, who have seven players on the disabled list and have used it more than any other team in the American League save the Twins.

“It’s a challenge but everybody has issues,” manager Manny Acta said. “We lost our whole outfield (Brantley, Choo and Grady Sizemore) and our DH (Travis Hafner), but we’re not going to sit here and complain. I knew we couldn’t survive some of these injuries, but we’ve battled.

“We have to continue to battle. We can’t call the commissioner and ask for a month off.”

** Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff said it was not “inconceivable” for Sizemore (right knee contusion) to begin playing in minor league rehab games this week. Sizemore has taken batting practice and participated in a number of baseball activities, running the bases for the first time Sunday.

** According to Soloff, Josh Tomlin (sprained ligament right elbow) will undergo an examination in two weeks to determine a recovery process for the right-hander. If it is not positive, Tomlin (12-7, 4.25 ERA) will most likely be shut down for the season.

** The Indians are hopeful that right-hander Carlos Carrasco (right elbow inflammation) will begin a throwing program this week. If and when Carrasco leaves the DL, he will have to serve a six-game suspension.

Rest day

As was expected, Jim Thome was out of the lineup Sunday, but did make a pinch-hit appearance in the eighth inning, striking out on three pitches from Royals reliever Greg Holland with a runner on first and the Indians trailing by a run.

Thome, who hit his first homer Saturday night since arriving in a trade from Minnesota, will not play every day and is expected to sit in day games after night ones.

Head’s up

Head made his big league debut, going 1-for-3 with a single in his first at-bat.

Head, 29, hit .284 with a team-leading 24 homers and 70 RBIs in 114 games at Columbus. He went undrafted before signing with the Indians as a minor league free agent in 2005.

“This guy has worked so hard to earn the right to be here,” Acta said. “It’s a credit to him.”

Head’s brother Stephen was a second-round draft pick of Cleveland’s in 2005, spending five seasons in the organization but never making it to the majors.

Next up

The Indians begin a four-game series with the Oakland A’s at Progressive Field tonight at 7:05.

David Huff (1-2, 2.70 ERA) opens the set for Cleveland, opposing RHP Brandon McCarthy (7-6, 3.72), while the Indians have yet to name a starter for Tuesday (7:05) to face RHP Trevor Cahill (9-12, 4.13). It is expected to be right-hander Jeanmar Gomez (0-2, 5.70).

Ubaldo Jimenez (8-10, 4.71) starts for Cleveland on Wednesday against RHP Rich Harden (4-2, 4.55), while Fausto Carmona (6-12, 4.85) goes for the Indians in the series finale Thursday, Oakland countering with LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 3.45).

Minor details

Veteran first baseman Nick Johnson has done little to show the Indians he could help their sagging offense, batting just .201 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 49 games for Columbus through Saturday. … Columbus third baseman Jared Goedert went 3-for-4 with a double and three of the Clippers’ four RBIs Saturday in a 4-3 win over Indianapolis. Goedert, once considered a candidate to start at third for the Indians, had his average up to .266 through Saturday during an injury-plagued season for the ninth-round draft pick in 2006. He entered Sunday with 12 homers and 29 RBIs in 71 games for Columbus.

Roundin’ third

The Indians fell to 22-24 in one-run games, 16-8 at home. … Cleveland didn’t record an extra-base hit, snapping it’s streak of consecutive games with at least one at 27. … Of Asdrubal Cabrera’s 21 homers on the season, 12 have given the Indians the lead. … Tonight, 7:05, 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.

The Indians failed to complete the three-game sweep of the Royals on Sunday, dropping a 2-1 decision at Progressive Field.

The Indians managed just a run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings off Royals starter Bruce Chen. Cleveland didn’t have a hit after the third inning.

Justin Masterson was the tough-luck loser again, allowing two runs on nine hits over six innings.

CLEVELAND – Jim Thome celebrated his birthday by putting another candle on the cake and another ball into the stands.

Asdrubal Cabrera, however, gave Indians fans an even bigger reason to cheer Saturday night.

Cabrera hammered a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting the Tribe to a stunning 8-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

The come-from-behind win allowed Cleveland (65-64) to stay 6½ games behind Detroit in the American League Central Division – and was its second in as many nights since Thome rejoined the team in a trade with Minnesota.

“I’m old enough to be a lot of people’s dads, but these guys are making me feel young,” said Thome, who hit his 602nd career home run on his 41st birthday. “Asdrubal’s homer was tremendous and really made this night special. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

Cabrera’s three-run shot off Royals reliever Louis Coleman completed the Indians’ comeback from a 7-4 deficit. Kansas City had broken a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh on Alex Gordon’s three-run homer deep into the center-field stands.

Tribe left-hander Tony Sipp entered the game specifically to face Gordon, but it turned out disastrously as he served up a 390-foot shot that scored Johnny Giavotella and Alcides Escobar.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions tonight, but we wound up with a very important win,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said.

“We need to continue to take care of our own business and see what happens. This win was big, though.”

The Indians pulled within 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Cabrera scored Kosuke Fukudome on a double off Kansas City reliever Blake Wood.

Coleman (1-4, 2.75 ERA) quickly recorded two outs in the eighth, but pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall singled and Fukudome walked, putting the potential go-ahead run at the plate in Cabrera.

The all-star shortstop got a hanging slider from Coleman, and promptly smashed it to deep right field for his 21st homer of the season.

Cleveland closer Chris Perez rapidly warmed up and retired the Royals in the ninth for his 29th save, while Joe Smith (3-3, 1.53 ERA) picked up the win with his third of an inning of work.

“As soon as Cabby hit it, I knew it was gone,” Perez said. “We need wins right now, so this was very big tonight. Being 6½ games out isn’t an easy situation, but it looks a whole lot better than being 7½ out.”

Thome brought the energetic crowd of 35,370 to its feet in the sixth inning when he hit one of his trademark laser shots into the first row of the bleachers in left.

The solo home run off starter Danny Duffy tied the score at 4 and earned Thome a two-minute standing ovation and subsequent curtain call.

It was Thome’s first home run in an Indians uniform since Sept. 28, 2002, marked his 187th at Jacobs/Progressive Field and extended his franchise record to 335. He finished the evening 1-for-3 with two runs, one walk and two strikeouts.

“The last two days have been a whirlwind in a good sort of way,” said Thome, who ranks eighth in MLB history in homers and is seven behind Sammy Sosa for seventh place. “This home run brought back a lot of memories, but I have already made new memories here since I got home.

“To come home and hear the reception and the fans be so joyful and energetic, I’ll never forget it.”

Tribe starter Fausto Carmona lived on the edge throughout his 61⁄3-inning stint, allowing eight hits and six runs, five of them earned.

The right-hander’s numbers could have been much worse, but Shelley Duncan saved at least two runs by making a pair of clutch defensive plays in left field. On the other hand, they would have looked much better had Sipp not staged his torch job.

“Carmona was OK, but their left-handed hitters kind of wore him out,” Acta said. “Tony has been money all year, but he hung a slider and Gordon made him pay for it.”

Left-hander Duffy went 51⁄3 innings, allowing four runs while striking out seven before being removed after Thome’s blast. He also was on the mound when Cleveland right fielder Shin-Soo Choo felt his sore left back/side flare up, forcing him to leave the game and be shut down for several days.

Third baseman Jack Hannahan was another major contributor for the Indians with two hits and three RBIs. He and Duncan were the only players to honor Thome by emulating his high-socks look.

“As soon as Jimmy walked into the clubhouse for the first time, everybody sparked up,” Hannahan said. “The impact he’s had here already has been big. We’re having a great time right now, and we don’t want it to stop.”

Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Kansas City
• TIME: 1:05WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS: Masterson (10-7, 2.83 ERA) vs. Chen (9-5, 4.12)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio, Channel 3; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM