Twins Flip the Script, Sweep the Indians after 4-0 Win to Take Back First in AL Central; Three Takeaways From the Loss

CLEVELAND - Remember all those good feelings fans were getting about the Indians last week as they pounded the Twins and Orioles enroute to winning seven of eight games on their last road trip.

Throw em out the window.

Sunday for the third straight day the Indians had no answers for the Twins, playing lackluster baseball and now after a 4-0 loss are back to looking up at Minnesota for first in what's turning out to be a very weak AL Central.

Josh Tomlin went 5.2 for the Indians but allowed four runs on nine hits in the loss, and as we will chat more about the offense gave him no help whatsoever in leaving men scattered all over the place.

As the team gets ready for Texas, we take a look at this loss to put the team at 39-35 in our three takeaways from Sunday's home setback.

3. Tomlin's Take

Josh Tomlin hasn't gotten a lot of help this year from his buddies on the offensive side, as Sunday marked the ninth time in 2017 he's had one run or less of support in his starts.

He again though put the Indians behind early, as the Twins scored a pair on a couple hard hit balls in the 2nd, then added a single run on a Eddie Rosario homer in the 4th and another on a defensive mental lapse in the 6th.

Tomlin allowed a lot of traffic, giving up nine hits, and also walked three batters in a game for the first time since September of 2015.

His ERA remains at 6.09, so while the run support hasn't been there for him, he's not exactly shut the door on opposing teams either.

Tomlin now sits at 4-9 on the season.

2. Pressing at the Plate with Runners On

The Tribe was awful all weekend with coming up with a big hit with runners in scoring position, and Sunday the storyline was the same.

The team left 10 men on base in the 4-0 loss, and on the weekend they went 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position.

It was a bad time for an offense that scored 56 runs in the eight games on the road recently to go cold, but not only did they go cold but they were, as manager Terry Francona said it, undisciplined.

They didn't do enough to make Ervin Santana or the Twins relievers work, and it showed as despite putting up nine hits, it meant little since it seemed like every rally was killed with a strikeout.

The worst was Yan Gomes, who left six men on base himself, and struck out in three of four at bats. While it was tough to watch, the team has to get better in the RISP department if they are to be taken seriously the rest of the way.

1. Forget About It

Yes, this was a painful and tough weekend to watch for the Indians, getting swept right out of first by the same team they did it to just a week ago.

Now though the team still oddly enough has a shot to have a winning homestand if they can win the next four over the Texas Rangers, but that's not going to be a piece of cake.

The Tribe started the year with three straight wins over the Rangers, but while the Rangers scuffled this season early, they have been better, and entered play on Sunday at .500 at 37-37.

The Indians haven't lost four in a row in two seasons, and will look to Carlos Carrasco to get it going on Monday night at Progressive Field against a tough customer in Cole Hammels for the Rangers.

The team can't look back at this season and start to question themselves again, they have to get back to doing the little things right, and hopefully by the time they take to the road this weekend in Detroit, they will be back atop the division.