by Paul Hoynes, Plain Dealer Reporter , Plain Dealer

The losses are coming so fast that they probably don't even hurt anymore. Five straight, seven of eight, 14 of 17.

It's as if the Indians are numb, encased in ice. The locker room is quiet before and after games. They seem to have lost before they begin.

Wednesday night was cool at Progressive Field as Chicago completed a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory over Jeremy Sowers and the Indians . It was so cool that it felt like September with winter patiently swirling just beyond the lake.

But no one is getting off that easy this year. It's July 2. There are still nine games left before the All-Star break and seldom has an Eric Wedge team looked so beaten.

Even when CC Sabathia was traded last year during a 10-game losing streak from June 28 through July 9, it didn't feel this bad, this hopeless.

"We're in a rut right now," said Wedge.

A rut? If his definition of a rut looks like the Grand Canyon, then a rut it is.

Wedge's lineup finally is starting to resemble the one he dreamed about in December. Asdrubal Cabrera, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner are off the disabled list and have joined Victor Martinez in the starting nine. But they aren't hitting or scoring. In the past five games, the Indians are averaging 2.6 runs per game.

Maybe they're exhausted from carrying the worst pitching staff in the AL through the first three months of the season. But if this team is going to stop scoring runs, then their first 100-loss season since 1991 is all but guaranteed.

They're on pace to lose 99 games with 82 left to play.

"After every game, it's quiet," said right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, "but the next day is always a new day. People are joking and laughing during batting practice. We're having fun."

Today is an off day.

Said Choo, who lost a ball in the twilight in the seventh inning to give Chicago its final run, "It's a good time to have an off day."

Sowers (2-6, 5.68) lost for the fourth time in his last five decisions. He allowed five runs on 11 hits in six innings.

In his last two starts, Sowers has slipped past the fifth inning with hardly a problem. That hasn't been the case for much of this season.

Wednesday night, however, it was the sixth inning that Sowers couldn't handle.

Sowers, with the score tied, 1-1, gave up consecutive one-out singles to Jim Thome and Paul Konerko in the sixth. Then, Ramon Castro drove Sowers' first pitch into the right-field seats for a three-run homer and a 4-1 lead. Jayson Nix doubled and Gordon Berkman singled him home for a 5-1 lead.

"I didn't think Castro's ball was out," said Wedge. "I thought it was over Choo's head, but I didn't think it was going out."

Said Sowers on the sixth, "Thome hit a good pitch. Konerko hit a ball that was probably half a foot off the plate. It was a good piece of hitting. On the pitch to Castro, sometimes you do the right thing and don't necessarily get the appropriate result."

Jose Contreras (3-7, 4.84) struck out eight and allowed two runs over eight innings for the victory. Contreras, who was so bad early in the season that he volunteered to go to the minors, pitched eight innings for the third time in his last five starts.

"He had a real good splitter," said Choo. "It was moving so much it looked like Tim Wakefield's knuckleball."

Contreras is 6-2 lifetime against the Tribe.

The Indians gave Sowers a 1-0 lead in the third when Jamey Carroll singled, took third on Ben Francisco's double and scored on Sizemore's grounder.

Chicago countered to make it 1-1 in the fifth on Alexei Ramirez's single to right.

The Indians made it 5-2 in the sixth on consecutive doubles by Martinez and Choo. Martinez's double broke an 0-for-15 slump.

The White Sox, who have won five straight and seven of their last eight, made it 6-2 in the seventh. Konerko, with two out, sent a fly ball to right with Ramirez on second. Choo lost the ball off the bat, but charged in. Sizemore, racing over from center, made a diving attempt, but missed.

"I never saw it," said Choo.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

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