CLEVELAND - A record-setting month of futility is finally over for the Indians.
Friday night's 5-3 defeat to Texas gave Cleveland a 5-24 record in August - tying the franchise record for losses in a month that was previously done in July 1914.
"It's been the toughest month that I've had in baseball," manager Manny Acta said.
The Indians have lost six straight and 15 of 16, a stretch in which they have been outscored 94-44. Cleveland is 5-28 since July 26, a skid that continues to puzzle their manager, whose job falls further into jeopardy with each loss.
"You can lose a lot in a month, but we lost a lot in just a couple of periods of time - big losing streaks that we didn't have throughout the first four months here," Acta said.
Acta shook up Cleveland's lineup in an effort to manufacture some offense. He reinstated Shin-Soo Choo into the leadoff spot, dropping Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera one spot each to second and third.
"You've got to die trying, man," Acta said before the game.
