Hopes down

The teeth of the fans are clenching again. The roller coaster is careening back downhill.
The low point of the Indians season was still probably the four-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox in mid-July, but being swept three straight at home by the last-place Devil Rays has to be a close second.
What's worse, this sweep was already in the works by the second inning of Friday's game. The Indians looked like they were going to pick right back up after six stright wins against the Tigers and Royals, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning Friday.
Then Jake Westbrook took the mound in the second, and sealed the fate of the game, and most likely the series, by hacking up six runs (with the aid of a Jhonny Peralta error) in the top of the second.
A totally different team took the field after the second inning. A team with no focus, no patience and no stomach for adversity. Once again abandoning the "one-through-nine" team hitting mantra, Cleveland's delicate offense fell down like a house of cards, abandoning disciplined at-bats in the name of pressing for production, which never works.
Cleveland hitters grounded into four double plays, including an Aaron Boone 6-4-3 job to end the game. Numerically, it fit nicely with four Cleveland errors, including a botched pick-off throw from Westbrook and an aimless heave to second base by Victor Martinez in a futile effort to cut down a base stealer. The throw sailed into center field.
No one, I think, would be surprised if this sweep ignites a three-week strech of losing that kills the Indians' playoff hopes once and for all. I'm not so sure today's off day is a good thing, giving players an extra day to stew over getting swept.
You are seeing a team that is not yet mature enough to handle real contention. They haven't yet learned to let a loss be simply a loss. After a week of Houdini acts in Detroit and Kansas City, the Indians were due to receive a shin-kick of their own, which they did on Friday night.
A more veteran team would be able to shake off Friday's loss and come back to the ballpark ready to compete on Saturday. The Indians let Friday's loss get in their heads and haunt them for the rest of the weekend, which is kind of ridiculous considering even the best teams lose 60 to 70 games a year.
By Sunday, the sweep was kind of a given. Indian hitters went to the plate spooked, terrified of getting swept. The result was a 1-0 loss and a great pitching performance by Cliff Lee wasted.
This team isn't going anywhere toward October until they learn how not to let a semi-shocking loss turn into a three-week, 3-14 catastrophe. Some of that will come as guys like Martinez, Peralta, and Travis Hafner become veteran players. But this team could still use a few more Kevin Millwoods for the coming years.
Seriously, could you imagine this team with a lead in a first-round playoff series right now? They go up 2-0 in the series, have a 5-0 lead in Game 3, then the roof caves in and they lose, say, 8-5.
The series is over right then. The Indians would spend the remainder of the series in full-scale retreat and lose in five.
The Indians have to overcome themselves before they can overcome other teams.