Jason Kipnis’ first major league hit was a big one.

Kipnis’ RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning Monday night lifted the Indians to a 3-2 victory over the Angels at Progressive Field.

The Indians snapped a four-game losing skid and won for the first time in six games at home.

CLEVELAND — It’s usually Indians hitters who let down starting pitcher Justin Masterson. Sunday at Progressive Field, the fielders joined the gang.

A pivotal error on rookie center fielder Ezequiel Carrera helped the White Sox to a 4-2 win and Masterson to another hard-luck loss, as the Indians continue to flounder at an inopportune point.

In a pennant race for the first time since 2007, Cleveland has dropped four straight — five consecutive at home — and trail the Tigers by two games in the Central Division standings. The Indians lead the third-place White Sox by just 2 1/2 games, Chicago beating them six times in seven games this season.

Their latest loss was earmarked by a season-high three errors from a normally sound defensive unit, the most costly coming in the sixth inning, when Carrera inexplicably dropped Adam Dunn’s fly ball that scored two runs.

Carrera went back on Dunn’s drive and appeared to have it located before stumbling and watching the ball carom off his glove to give Chicago a 3-1 lead an inning after his two-out single tied the game at one.

“I was right on it, then I stumbled a little bit at the warning track and the ball moved on me a little bit,” Carrera said through an interpreter. “I just missed it. A ball like that with the game on the line, I don’t feel good.”

Carrera, who was also picked off first base after drawing a walk to lead off the opening inning, wasn’t the only one.

Masterson, who allowed just one earned run on four hits over seven innings, was also sideswiped by two errors in the seventh on shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and catcher Carlos Santana that led to a run and the final count.

“Unfortunately, two of the best defenders on the field (Carrera and Cabrera) for us made errors that really hurt us,” manager Manny Acta said. The way we’re swinging the bats, you can’t be giving teams outs.”

The Indians swung the bats the way they normally do when Masterson is on the mound — or when they are facing Edwin Jackson, who improved to 9-1 lifetime with a 2.72 ERA in 15 games (14 starts against Cleveland).

The Indians have scored two runs or fewer in 10 of Masterson’s 21 starts and have scored one run or been shut out in six of them.

“He’s been phenomenal all season,” said designated hitter Travis Hafner, who had the last of the Indians’ five hits on the day, with a one-out single in the sixth. “Once again, we wasted his effort. I wish we would have played better for him.”

“Masterson was brilliant one more time,” Acta said. “I can’t even remember when he had a rough outing. He’s been so good all season. I’m so proud of him. Last year I had to defend the decision to let him start every fifth day.”

Masterson, who has allowed two or fewer runs in eight of his last nine outings, is fighting the frustration.

“As a team, it was a game we should have won,” he said. “Me, personally, I have to go out and continue to battle. I felt like, for the most part, I did what I could to keep us in the game.

“There’s no time to weep or moan and feel sorry for anybody.”

Jackson’s ERA against Cleveland the lowest of any opposing pitcher since 2006, other than Nick Blackburn’s 2.43 ERA for the Twins. He improved to 5-0 with a 1.70 ERA at Progressive Field, shutting the Indians out on two hits over the first four innings.

“Times like this, when you’re not scoring runs, guys have a tendency to try to do too much,” Hafner said. “We just need to do what we’re capable of doing.

“This is where you want to be (in a pennant race). We just have to play good baseball.”

Some fans who sat through another sweltering day in Cleveland had enough by the eighth inning. They gave Carrera a bronx cheer when he made a routine catch on a fly ball in the top of the inning, then booed All-Star Asdrubal Cabrera in the bottom when he failed to run to first after Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski dropped a third strike to end the inning.

At 51-48, the injury-depleted Indians are only three games above .500 for the first time since April 8 (5-2).

“We just need to win a ballgame,” Acta said. “That’s all.”

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

CLEVELAND — If the Indians don’t make a move or two prior to the July 31 trading deadline, manager Manny Acta says it won’t be due to lack of effort.

“We’re trying real hard to get the right guy or right guys,” said Acta, whose club is searching for offensive assistance to help keep it afloat in the Central Division race. “I think if anything is going to happen, it’s going to happen this week. (Teams) are trying to hold on until the last day.

“If nothing happened because we didn’t try, yes (I would be disappointed). But I know (the front office) is working really hard. I’m in the middle of everything and I see it.”

Ideally, the Indians are looking for a hitter or two that could impact a sagging offense that is without key injured components Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo, with whoever they acquire under a favorable contract that allows the club to control their future rights.

The Indians will most likely be forced to part with one or two of their prized prospects in a trade and don’t want to be hamstrung by a player that isn’t in their plans going forward.

“I’m not here to make the playoffs once and that’s it,” Acta said. “We’re trying to build something that’s going to get (fans) excited for years to come, like we did this year. We’re just looking for the right deal.”

Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran and Houston outfielder Hunter Pence are the biggest names among the players that appear to fit Cleveland’s offensive needs. The Indians have reportedly shown interest in outfielders Ryan Ludwick (San Diego), B.J. Upton (Tampa Bay) and Josh Willingham (Oakland) as well.

“I like what we have,” said Indians pitcher Justin Masterson. “But if we go make a move or two and bring someone in, you’re not against it. It could be a little spark that continues to push us.”

Better Brantley

Though he went 0-for-4 Sunday, it’s been a good month for outfielder Michael Brantley, who has his average up to a respectable .278.

Brantley is hitting .316 (25-for-59) with a home run and 10 RBIs in 19 July games. He’s batting .373 (22-for-59) with multihit efforts in eight of his last 13 games.

Next up

The Indians continue the homestand with a three-game series against the Angels that begins tonight at 7:05.

Fausto Carmona (5-10, 5.63 ERA) opens the set, opposing RHP Dan Haren (10-6, 3.10), while Josh Tomlin (11-4, 4.12) starts for Cleveland on Tuesday (7:05 p.m.) against RHP Jered Weaver (13-4, 1.81).

David Huff (1-0, 0.00) goes for the Indians in the series finale Wednesday (12:05), while Los Angeles counters with RHP Ervin Santana (5-8, 3.69).

The Indians are just 2-4 against the Angels in 2011.

Minor details

Reliever Nick Hagadone has put together a solid season thus far, entering Sunday with a combined 2.75 ERA for Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron in 33 games. Hagadone, acquired in the Victor Martinez trade with Boston in 2009, had struck out 55 batters over 52 1/3 innings through Saturday, and had posted a 0.57 ERA in 15 2/3 innings for the Clippers since June 23. … Akron outfielder Ben Copeland, a free-agent acquisition in June from the Giants, went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs in a 7-1 win over Erie on Saturday. Copeland, 27, entered Sunday batting .326 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 24 games for the Aeros.

Roundin’ third

The Indians are 15-16 against the Central Division. … Legendary Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel started at second base for the White Sox, going 1-for-3 with a run in Chicago’s decisive sixth inning and handling plenty of action in the field (seven assists). He received a loud ovation from the crowd prior to his first at-bat in the third. … Lifehouse performed a postgame concert in front of around 5,000 fans after the event and Indians game were postponed Saturday night. … 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 are going to make a move before the July 31 trading deadline.

Team president Mark Shapiro all but guaranteed as much during a radio interview Friday and it’s no secret the club has been actively searching for offensive assistance on the trade market.

But who are they going to get and is it going to be enough?

One thing is clear, with Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore on the shelf with injuries, the Indians need a big bat to stay afloat in the Central Division race — pulling into Saturday trailing the first-place Tigers by 1 1/2 games after leading the division for much of the opening half.

They could use a starting pitcher as well — can’t we all? — but offensive help is the primary focus here.

Unfortunately for the Indians, the pickings are slim in this department — at least from an impact player standpoint, where really, the Mets’ Carlos Beltran and Houston’s Hunter Pence, are the only players reportedly available that fit the bill.

Cleveland has also been tied to interest in outfielders B.J. Upton (Tampa Bay), Josh Willingham (Oakland) and Ryan Ludwick (San Diego), but none of them has the ability to carry an offense like Beltran and Pence, which is the type of player the Indians need for the trade to make a real difference.

Sure, Upton and Ludwick improve the offense, but not enough to part with one of their four prized prospects — pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis.

That’s the dilemma that confronts the Indians in any trade. Because they have little to offer in terms of established veteran players, teams are going to want one or two of their top prospects.

That might be worth it to land someone such as Pence, who is still young, but can be signed long-term, albeit to a projected big money deal that the low-budget Indians normally avoid with players outside the organization.

But Beltran, probably the most talented outfielder available and a middle-of-the-order hitter manager Manny Acta covets, isn’t worth the effort or the price. He’s a 10-5 guy (at least 10 years of experience with the last five on the same team) and has the right to veto any trade, something that’s pretty likely should the Mets try shipping him to Cleveland.

Even if he would accept the trade, how long before his inflated ego would start causing problems in the clubhouse and how long before he would start quitting on the Indians, knowing he was a free agent at the end of the year?

That’s not worth losing part of your projected future, is it?

Normally, I would say go for it. Playoff opportunities don’t come along often, especially for small-market teams such as the Indians, and you can rarely predict when they do — as evidenced by the Tribe’s already surprising run this season.

But dealing one or two from Cleveland’s talented prospect pool doesn’t make much sense, unless it’s for Pence or someone else of his mold — and the Indians don’t appear likely to be in the running for anyone like that.

If it’s not a top-shelf offensive weapon that can hold down the tepee until Choo and Sizemore return, then what the Indians acquire in a trade isn’t going to be enough to turn them back into a contender anyway. Remember, Sizemore and Choo weren’t exactly tearing things up before injuries struck.

Unless there’s a big bopper that surfaces over the next week or so, hold onto your prospects and go get em next year.

Nick of time

Speaking of offense, don’t be surprised to see the arrival of veteran first baseman Nick Johnson, who has been playing in rehab games for Triple-A Columbus after offseason surgery on a problematic wrist.

Cleveland’s starting first baseman, Matt LaPorta, is struggling again — shocker — and it might be worth taking a look at Johnson, an oft-injured player but a career .270 hitter in nine big league seasons, most notably with the Yankees.

In an effort to provide an offensive lift, the Indians have promoted plenty of inexperienced players from the minors — i.e. Cord Phelps, Chisenhall and Kipnis. Why not see what a proven one can do, especially when LaPorta has proven he’s still not ready to fill expectations stemming from the CC Sabathia trade with Milwaukee in 2008?

If Johnson doesn’t hit, but him loose. It’s as easy as that.

Power Poll

1. Philadelphia Phillies: Roy Halladay couldn’t take the heat, but the Phillies are still top chef in this kitchen.

2. Boston Red Sox: Boston looks like it’s brewing up a run at a world title showdown with Philly.

3. New York Yankees: Though always dangerous, Yanks are being forced to overcome a wealth of injuries.

4. Texas Rangers: Defending AL champs are getting hot again and still resemble the only other team in the league that can challenge the Big 2 in the East.

5. Atlanta Braves: Building a nice lead in the NL wild card race, which figures to be their only avenue into the postseason.

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