Indians Wrap Up West Coast Woes with 5-4 Loss to Giants; Three Takeaways From the Loss

There's not many positives when you start the second half of the season with a lackluster road trip that saw you lose five of six games to two last place teams.

There's not many positives when you start the second half of the season with a lackluster road trip that saw you lose five of six games to two last place teams.

Somehow though the Indians managed to fall in all but one game to the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants, two teams that are going nowhere fast in 2017.

While the Indians are somehow still atop the AL Central, they won't be going anywhere either if they don't find a way to get back on track - and fast.

They will get their chance to start getting back in the win column on Friday at Progressive Field against another last place team in the Toronto Blue Jays, but right now, nothing is a for sure with this underachieving team.

Here's three takeaways from another late inning collapse and loss in San Fran.

3. Good News - Interleague is Over (Just About)

The Indians have just one Interleague game left, a makeup home game against the Reds Monday at Progressive Field.

That along is cause for great news.

The Tribe is having their worst season in the history of Interleague play, going 4-13 in interleague overall, losing all six interleague series they have played in.

The losses to National League teams is alarming, but to be fair the team did have to go up against the best division in baseball this year, the NL West - but still - winning just four of 17 isn't going to get it done.

Considering they lost four of six to the two bottom teams in the NL West - the Padres and Giants, there's not much good you can take from this year's round of games against the National League.

Here's hoping the team can win their one last go-around with the NL on Monday when the Reds come to Progressive Field.

2. Same Old RISP Issues

It's been an issue all season long, and from the looks on their latest 1-5 west coast trip, the teams hitting with runners in scoring position is not getting any better.

Wednesday was another long day basically void of clutch hits for the Tribe, as they went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position with chances to put the game away and also in the 9th to come back after loading the bases.

Overall on the trip the team was 8-for-57 (.140) when it came to hitting with runners in scoring position, and just like it has all season long, it's been a huge reason why this team can't get on a roll.

Not putting the bat on the ball also continues to be a huge issue with RISP, and another eight strikeouts on Wednesday won't help in that department either.

1. A Critical Mistake

For the second time in the three-game set the Indians committed an error that had a direct result in the team losing yet again.

Tuesday it was Brandon Guyer's error that allowed the Giants to tie the game at one, and Wednesday it was a huge mistake on grounder to Carlos Santana that cost the team.

Leading the game 4-2 in the 8th with Bryan Shaw on the mound, Conor Gillaspie hit what should have been a perfect double-play grounder to Carlos Santana at first, but as has happened more than once this year for an Indians infielder, the ball got past Santana and the Giants scored a run to make it 4-3.

Buster Posey clinched the Giants comeback two batters later with a double that made it a 5-4 Giants lead and eventual win.

The mistake on Santana's part could have been avoided, and could have ended the inning with the Indians still leading the game 4-3.

It was a play that should have been made, and yet another groaning moment for Tribe fans watching the team struggle to another loss.