AP Photo/Tony Dejak

By Jeff Hall –

CLEVELAND

The Oakland A’s continue to struggle and especially when Kendall Graveman is the starter and it’s not Graveman’s fault. It seems each time Graveman is on the mound starting for the A’s, the A’s bats get buried into a grave yard. It also seems each season the A’s offense struggles for at least one particular starter and this season, Graveman is the lucky one or should I say unlucky. The A”s fell 5-1 to the Indians on a night when the had one their most reliable pitchers of late.

Graveman  came into the game with a 19-inning scoreless streak — the longest of any Oakland pitcher this season —  the streak ended in the 4th as Cleveland knotted the score at 1

Indians Designated Hitter David Murphy led off the inning with a single to right center. Carlos Santana followed with a single of his own to center moving Murphy to second. Graveman got a much needed strikeout against former A’s all-star Brandon Moss, but Yan Gomes drove in the Indians first run with a double to left to drive in Murphy.

It was Indians starter Danny Salazar who kept the A’s bats quiet. After the first inning Salazar shut the A’s down from that point on picking up his eighth win of the season. Salazar is (8-4). Salazar pitched eight and two thirds inning, he allowed one unearned run, gave up five hits, he walked one and struck out eight.

Graveman ran into more trouble in the bottom of the sixth Santana picked up his second single of the game leading off the inning with a single to right center. Graveman retired the next two hitters in Moss and Gomes. Giovanny Urshela single to center moving Santana to third. Graveman’s night would come to an end after he walked Michael Bourne to load the bases. Drew Pomeranz came on in relief Pomeranz Walked in a run with Jason Kipnis, the first batter he faced.

The A’s teased Graveman giving him some hope early in the contest by scoring the game’s first run. Billy Burns led the game off with a single to left center. Mark Canha reached on a fielding error on second baseman Jason Kipnis moving Burns to second. Josh Reddick moved burns to third on a fielder’s choice. Billy Butler drove in Burns for the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to right.

For the Indians the win moved them just two games below the .500 mark, The A’s going the opposite direction find themselves 11 games below .500.

Graveman allowed four runs and his record dropped to (6-5). Graveman walked three and struck out six.

With the loss, the A’s have lost five of the past seven games and nine of the past 14 after winning nine of the previous 11 contests.