Columbus gets a home run from Lonnie Chisenhall in a win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Class AAA: Columbus 4, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3 Chris Wallace singled in Matt Carson with two outs in the ninth inning as the Clippers had a walk-off victory over the RailRiders. Lonnie Chisenhall hit his second homer of the season for Columbus.

Class AA: Erie 4, Akron 2 The SeaWolves scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to defeat the host Aeros. Blake Wood pitched a scoreless inning for Akron.

Class A Advanced: Lynchburg 7, Carolina 3 The Hillcats capitalized on three errors to score six unearned runs to defeat the visiting Mudcats. Tyler Naquin went 1-for-4 with a double for Carolina.

Class A: Lake County 3, Fort Wayne 2 Ryan Merritt (2-3, 3.35 ERA) struck out seven over seven innings to lead the host Captains over the TinCaps.

Independent: Lake Erie 2, Gateway 1 (12)

Daniel Bowman scored on an error by the right fielder after a single by Seth Granger in the 12th inning as the Crushers defeated the Grizzlies at home.

Indians host an afternoon game against Seattle. NHL and NBA playoffs continue.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

AUTO RACING

Noon Indianapolis 500 Bump Day, NBCSN

2 p.m. Menards 200, Speed Channel

4 p.m. Austin 400, Speed Channel

8 p.m. Kansas Nationals (tape), ESPN2

BASEBALL

1:05 p.m. Seattle at CLEVELAND INDIANS, SportsTime Ohio; AM/1100, FM/100.7

1:30 p.m. Fort Wayne at LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS, AM/970

1:30 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, TBS

2:05 p.m. Erie at AKRON AEROS, AM/1350

2:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Chicago Cubs, WGN

8 p.m. Detroit at Texas, ESPN

COLLEGE SOFTBALL REGIONALS

3:30 p.m. Teams TBD, ESPN2

6 p.m. Teams TBD, ESPN2

CYCLING

1 p.m. Tour of California, final stage, WKYC

6:30 p.m. Tour of California, final stage (tape), NBCSN

EXTREME SPORTS

10 a.m. X Games, ESPN

GOLF

5 a.m. World Match Play, semifinals and final, Golf Channel

1 p.m. Byron Nelson Championship, Golf Channel

3 p.m. Byron Nelson Championship, WOIO

3 p.m. BMW Charity Pro-Am, Golf Channel

5 p.m. Mobile Bay Classic, Golf Channel

MOTORSPORTS

8 a.m. MotoGP World Championship, French Grand Prix, Speed Channel

Noon MotoGP Moto2, French Grand Prix (tape), Speed Channel

NBA CONFERENCE FINALS

3:30 p.m. Game 1, Memphis at San Antonio, WEWS

NHL CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

3 p.m. Game 2, N.Y. Rangers at Boston, WKYC

7:30 p.m. Game 3, Pittsburgh at Ottawa, NBCSN

SOCCER

10:30 a.m. Premier League, Arsenal at Newcastle, ESPN2

10:30 a.m. Premier League, West Brom Albion at Man U, Fox Sports Ohio

1:10 p.m. MLS, Los Angeles at New York, ESPN2

11 p.m. Liga MX, Cruz Azul at Santos, ESPN2

TENNIS

7:30 a.m. WTA Italian Open final, Tennis Channel

10 a.m. ATP Italian Open final, Tennis Channel

The Indians rallied in the ninth inning Saturday to beat Seattle, 5-4, after closer Chris Perez wasted a 4-2 lead by allowing consecutive homers to Raul Ibanez and Justin Smoak.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' May Express kept flying down the tracks Saturday despite a detour on a windy afternoon at Progressive Field.

Closer Chris Perez turned a 4-2 lead into a 4-4 tie with two out in the ninth when he allowed consecutive homers to Raul Ibanez and Justin Smoak. It was his second blown save of the season.

The swing of emotions did not stop the Indians from rallying for a 5-4 victory in their half of the ninth. After loading the bases with no outs on a single by Jason Kipnis, double by Asdrubal Cabrera and an intentional walk to Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds scored Kipnis with the winning run on an infield grounder to shortstop Brendan Ryan. After a diving stop, Ryan threw home, but catcher Jesus Montero didn't have his foot on the plate as Kipnis scored.

"For five seconds you're thinking negative thoughts," said Kipnis. "Then it's right back to positive reinforcement. In the dugout we were saying, "OK, let's get CP the win. Let's get right back on the basepaths."

• Final Mariners-Indians boxscore | Scoreboard | Standings

The Mariners pulled the infield in and Reynolds, facing Yoervis Medina, sent the grounder to the hole at short.

"When it left the bat I was like, 'Please get through,'" said Reynolds, who drove in three of the Tribe's five runs. "Then I was like, 'Please make a bad throw.' Then I was like 'Please beat it out.' It all worked out in the end."

As Kipnis, the hero of Friday's night's walkoff victory in 10 innings, sprinted home, he was weighing his options. Should he slide, dive or collide with Montero?

"The shortstop made a heckuva play," said Kipnis. "As I got closer to the plate, I said, 'Good, the ball isn't even there yet. I'm going to try and beat this one because I had the outside of the plate.'"

Kipnis crossed the plate standing, but not sure of the outcome.

"I didn't know if I beat it or not," he said, "but I noticed [Montero] was edging more and more forward. Either way I was called safe."

Said manager Eric Wedge, "Montero has to stay on the plate."

Perez (2-0) backed into the victory. Oliver Perez (1-1), who loaded the bases in the ninth, took the loss. The victory made the Indians 13-4 in May. They've won 16 of their last 20 games.

Perez retired the Mariners in order in the ninth Friday. It was his first appearance since May 11. On May 12 in Detroit, he told the Indians he couldn't pitch because of a stiff right shoulder. He warmed up in the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Yankees, but was not needed until Friday.

When asked if the layoff hurt him, Perez said, "Did it affect me last night? What kind of question is that? I pitched last night. It didn't affect me last night, so why would it affect me today?"

Ibanez and Smoak each homered on 1-1 pitches to tie the game.

"The pitch to Ibanez was a mistake," said Perez. "I don't think the pitch to Smoak was that bad. I haven't looked at it yet, but obviously it must have been if he hit a home run."

Asked if he was healthy, Perez said, "I'm out there pitching, right? I'm not going to make an excuse every time something goes wrong."

The Indians had the game in hand through eight innings. Zach McAllister pitched 7.1 strong innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout.

"That win should be Mac's," said Perez.

Reynolds, quiet of late with the bat, did a little bit of everything Saturday. In the first, with two out, he singled through the right side against Joe Saunders to score Asdrubal Cabrera for a 1-0 lead. The single gave him a .500 (9-for-18) batting average with two out and runners in scoring position.

He made it 2-0 in the fifth with his 12th homer. After a strong wind knocked down Swisher's bid for a two-run homer to left, Reynolds hit a 3-2 pitch in the same place, but his went a little bit farther.

"That was a change up that Mark was out front on," said manager Terry Francona. "It just shows you how strong he is and how much bat speed he has."

The Indians made it 4-0 with two runs in sixth. Michael Bourn scored Mike Aviles from third on a bouncer to short and Kipnis blooped a single into left to score Yan Gomes.

Seattle made it 4-2 on Ryan's first homer of the season, a two-run shot off McAllister in the eighth.

Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to give the Cleveland Indians a four-game sweep of Mariners on Monday afternoon at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians never win a game like this. Not even in their dreams.

They should have lost Monday to Seattle three times. Instead they won once, when it mattered the most -- at the end.

Their top relievers, Vinnie Pestano, Chris Perez and Joe Smith each gave up a home run in the last three innings, but the Indians still beat the Mariners, 10-8, in 10 innings because Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer on a day when the offense never stopped churning.

Pestano started the eighth with a 6-5 lead. Five pitches into the inning, it was gone as Kyle Seager hit a leadoff homer to tie the score.

In the ninth, Perez turned a 6-6 tie into a 7-6 deficit by surrendering a leadoff homer to Endy Chavez. It was the third homer Perez has allowed in his past two appearances.

In the 10th, after the Indians scrambled to tie the score at 7 with two outs in the ninth, Smith (2-0) surrendered a two-out homer to Justin Smoak for an 8-7 Seattle lead. Smith's expletive could be heard bouncing off the acoustics of Progressive Field despite a crowd of 19,390 that had been quite loud until that point.

Certainly the Indians were finished. The pen had wasted a lead and two ties in rapid succession. What more did the offense have to give?

Pestano found out. All he had to do was ask.

"With this lineup, you can go back in the dugout look guys in the eyes and say, 'Come on, boys pick me up,' " said Pestano. "And they're all in. It's not deflating by any means. It's like, 'OK, let's go back to work.' "

In sweeping a four-game series from Seattle, the first time that's happened since 1981, the Indians won three games in their last at-bat. Here's how they did it Monday.

Michael Brantley, facing Charlie Furbush (0-3), blooped a 3-2 pitch into right field for a single to start the 10th. Drew Stubbs, a defensive replacement in the eighth, bunted back to Furbush, who thought about throwing to second, recoiled to go to first and juggled the ball before throwing to Smoak at first. Umpire Tim Timmons called Stubbs out, then changed his call to safe because Smoak couldn't control the throw.

Up came Gomes, who had homered in the four-run second. Manager Terry Francona asked him to bunt, but that didn't go so well. Two pitches into the at-bat, Francona took the bunt off because the Mariners corner infielders were charging so hard, but Gomes didn't notice.

"I was still trying to bunt and then they told me two swing the bat," said Gomes with a smile.

Swing he did, sending a 3-2 pitch into the left field bleachers to give the Indians five straight wins and 18 victories in their past 22 games.

Gomes watched the replay of himself circling the bases after hitting the game-winner. He did not see a conquering hero riding home on a white steed.

"You just don't know what to do with your arms," he said with a laugh. "It was like, finally, this game is done."

He was mobbed at the plate.

"I didn't want to get hit in the face, but I did," he said. "Either way it's exciting. You know inside you did something good."

The Tribe's tying run in the ninth came from the same vein of improbability and good fortune.

There were two out with Kipnis on third and Mike Aviles, pinch-running for Nick Swisher, on first. Carlos Santana sent a grounder to first. Smoak made a diving stop and closer Tom Wilhelmsen sprinted to the bag to make the final out, only to drop the ball for an error as Kipnis scored to make it 7-7.

Manager Terry Francona admitted it was a strange game.

"You don't look up very often and see your opponent score in three straight innings and you win," he said. "That was interesting."

It was game in which no lead was seemingly safe.

Seattle, behind Japanese right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, took a 2-0 lead in the first off Scott Kazmir. Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse drove in the runs.

The Indians took a 4-2 lead on consecutive homers by Ryan Raburn and Gomes in the second. Raburn's homer was a three-run shot.

Seattle came back to tie, 4-4, in the third, but the Indians pulled ahead, 5-4, on Brantley's RBI single in the bottom of the third. The Mariners again tied it, this time at 5-5, in the fourth on an RBI grounder by Brendan Ryan.

It stayed that way until the Indians took a 6-5 lead on a manufactured run in the seventh. Michael Bourn walked, took second on a passed ball and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's tapper to the mound that Yoervis Medina couldn't handle.

Then things really turned strange.

This year's draft began on Thursday, April 25. Reports say the 2014 draft -- which would again last three days -- might begin on Thursday, May 15.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NFL has no peers in keeping hype alive, nor in considering every possible effect from any decision.

Thus, the league must have done extensive research prior to making a move which may be imminent -- that the draft of college players will move from late April to dates in May.

(Update: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports via Twitter that "Looks like 2014 NFL draft will be held May 15-17.")

Vinnie Iyer reports for the Sporting News:

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that the league, in accordance with the NFL Players Association, is "on the verge" of pushing the draft back a month from April to May.

According to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, under the new schedule, a target date for the annual three-day selection meeting to begin in 2014 is Thursday, May 15.

What do you think of the possible move of the NFL draft from late April to mid-May?

Separation of public and private high school tournaments isn't going away. Expect it to make a strong comeback with a much more attractive referendum next year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Now what?

Competitive Balance IV or separate playoffs for public and private schools in team sports? Or the status quo?

Ohio high school principals have spoken three times and told the Ohio High School Athletic Association, in essence, keep things the way they are.

Nevertheless, the OHSAA will forge ahead with Competitive Balance IV next year. Commissioner Dan Ross said he is looking for the "right mix." We know this: When it comes to cooking up solutions under pressure, he's no Michael Symon.

Ross has one thing right. He knows separation will sour Ohio high school sports tournaments. Without separation on the menu, it's likely the OHSAA would push itself away from the table after three failed attempts at competitive balance and say "enough."

Separation isn't going away. Expect it to make a strong comeback with a much more attractive referendum next year, limited to football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball and baseball. That eliminates the sting of the recent, short-lived separation referendum, which was pulled when its author, Wooster Triway Superintendent Dave Rice, realized the OHSAA intended to eliminate ice hockey, field hockey and gymnastics state tournaments if separation passed.

Reduced separation will have a good chance of passing. If it is the only choice on the May 2014 ballot, it will have a great shot at passing. Thus, the OHSAA will take another shot at competitive balance, to offer a softer landing for schools that want change but do not want to turn Ohio high school sports upside down.

Competitive Balance IV will pass if the OHSAA does a few things right.

First, it must ignore private schools' plea to consider students who have been in a private school's system since grade school as in-district and not out-of-district. Ross said he sees the merit of the concept, as do I, but it's a bad tactical move for the OHSAA because it will water down the effect of Competitive Balance IV and cost the referendum public-school votes. Private schools will vote for it regardless because they fear separation.

The OHSAA should run a pilot program or computer model to demonstrate how Competitive Balance IV's roster multipliers will affect most schools. I'm always disappointed by superintendents and principals who vote for a referendum strictly based on how it will impact their school at the moment, and not on what's best for the state. But that's the reality. They need to see it, so show them.

Schools should insist the OHSAA tighten Competitive Balance IV language and limit the power of the Competitive Balance Committee, i.e., Ross. The devil is in the details.

Set the sport-by-sport multipliers in the referendum. Changes should require a referendum vote. Don't leave an opening for changing the above inclusion of grade-school-to-high-school students. Don't leave an opening for later inclusion of other factors, such as the tradition factor Ross favored in the past and keeps mentioning. Many administrators don't trust the OHSAA and won't write a blank check.

Expand Competitive Balance IV to include cross-country, track, team and individual wrestling and swimming. If the OHSAA continues to award team trophies in those tournaments, they are part of the problem and should be part of the solution. Private and open-enrollment public schools have a greater advantage in those sports than in most team sports (see St. Vincent-St. Mary girls cross-country, St. Paris Graham wrestling and Hawken girls swimming).

Be careful here. Including individual sports, some of which have huge rosters, increases the risk of coaches cutting kids who live outside the district and count toward a multiplier. Parents should police their schools in this regard and pressure school boards and principals to fire coaches who do so.

Expand the new football super-Division I format (the top 10 percent of enrollment schools) for use in all sports with at least three divisions. The disparity between the smallest and largest Division I schools is far greater in sports other than football, and relieving that stress will induce more Division I schools to vote for Competitive Balance IV.

This might require the addition of more divisions in other sports. We have seven football divisions. What's the big deal about four soccer or five basketball divisions? The OHSAA has already crossed the "everyone gets a trophy" bridge.

Allow teams that volunteer to move up a division to do so.

Finally, private schools need to stop their saber rattling about leaving the OHSAA if separation passes. No one else cares, and such silliness encourages public schools to vote for separation. Without private schools, there is no need for separate tournaments, which will be a boondoggle.

A multidimensional offense of power, speed, and -- get this -- brains has propelled the Indians to the division lead. 

View full sizeCleveland Indians center fielder Michael Bourn has speed, and knows how to use it. Here he started Sunday's win over Seattle by legging out a double in the first inning.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mike Aviles rounded third Sunday and headed straight for yesteryear.

Mr. Aviles, meet Mr. Lofton.

Aviles' scoring sprint against Seattle from second on a roller in the dirt in front of home plate brought back, except for the context, Kenny Lofton's pell-mell dash from second to score on a passed ball in the clinching game of the 1995 American League Championship Series, also against Seattle.

Aviles' play was more thrilling than Willie Mays Hayes scoring on the silver screen from second on a bunt in "Major League."

Sunday's Mariners pitcher, Felix Hernandez, had to cover home because catcher Jesus Montero was occupied in fielding the ball and pivoting to get a better angle for the throw to first. But Hernandez froze and left no one home and, frankly, no light on.

The play showed that these Indians can win with the long ball and the itty-bitty ball, the latter because of their speed, something that simply didn't exist in the recent past except for the brittle Grady Sizemore.

It's not just the fleet outfielders in Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn and Stubbs, whose backups include wall-bangers Aviles and recent AL Player of the Week award-winner Ryan Raburn. Only Sizemore and Lofton could really fly in the last generation of Indians' outfielders.

Lofton was a world-class athlete, the sixth man on a Final Four basketball team at Arizona, and a wall climber whose equal was maybe Spider-Man. He could be fooled by a big swing into taking the wrong break on the ball and still outrun his mistake. He could not, however, outrun the initial misread when Brady Anderson's pop fly dropped in to extend what became a season-ending Tribe playoff game against Baltimore in 1996.

It's not just in the fleet base-runners, either. A double steal by Bourn and Stubbs in the Mariners series didn't even draw a throw from Montero. Bourn started Sunday's game with a double. The extra base was earned by his legs.

One of the biggest changes in this Indians team compared to the station-to-station ball of the Eric Wedge era or the stat-geeked lineup of not very larrupin' lefties last year is the judicious use of speed by the current Indians. Sheer hustle by Carlos Santana affected the concentration of Mariners closer Tom Wilhelmsen, who dropped a throw that would have meant the final out of the game Monday. The Indians tied the game, 7-7, on the play and came back again to win on Yan Gomes' three-run home run in the 10th, 10-8.

When the Indians won two of three at Detroit, a venue in which the Tigers had usually been the car and the Indians the road pizza, Bourn showed how much things have changed in grasping the subtleties of the game. In the 10th, Bourn was on first with Carlos Santana on second when Mark Reynolds singled to left. Bourn could have probably gone from first to third, but if he were thrown out, Santana's run might not score before he was tagged. So he deliberately got himself in a rundown to make sure what turned out to be the winning run scored.

The flip side of that was a base-running mistake that cost a game in the 1990s era. Glorious as those teams were in many ways, they sometimes had, as former Boston Herald columnist Michael Gee once wrote, "the inside-baseball sense of a fungo bat."

Manny Ramirez, the Tribe's wandering wayfarer, was on third, Omar Vizquel on first, and the Indians were down a run when what seemed to be a game-tying sacrifice fly was turned into the third out by Ramirez's nonchalant jog home after tagging up and Vizquel's inexplicable attempt to move up to second on the same play. Vizquel was tagged out well before Manny sauntered across the plate.

Manager Mike Hargrove turned his post-game wrath on Ramirez, a young player at the time, not Vizquel, a veteran. But, while Ramirez definitely could have spared everyone the home run trot to the plate, the play was behind him, and it was in front of Vizquel, who really had no excuse for his play.

Wedge spent a lot of time harping on playing fundamentally sound baseball during his seven years in the Indians' dugout. The reverse often occurred, although seldom to the extent of the traveling circus he has brought to Cleveland in this series.

Baseball is more of a team game than many think. There are sacrifices, such as Bourn's rundown, that are never recorded in the box score. It's only the quarter-pole of the long season, but there are encouraging signs that early contention will have some durability for a change.

The Tribe can outslug you, outrun you, and -- who'd have thought it off the recent model? -- out-think you.

Read how sportwriters, fans and members of the Indians organization themselves reacted to the Indians' dramatic on win Monday on Twitter and post your reaction in the comments section below.

The Indians are indeed hot after Yan Gomes' dramatic 3-run home run in the 10th inning lifted the Tribe to a 10-8 win to cap a four-game sweep of the Mariners. 3 of the 4 wins came in walkoff fashion.

The win extended the Indians' lead in the AL Central as second place Detroit comes to town on Tuesday.

Read how sportwriters, fans and members of the Indians organization themselves reacted to the win on Twitter and post your reaction in the comments section below.

The Cleveland Indians face Detroit starters Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in a two-game series starting Tuesday at Progressive Field.

When: Tuesday and Wednesday.

Where: Progressive Field.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS/100.7.

Pitching matchups: RHP Max Scherzer (5-0, 3.98 ERA) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (3-2, 5.40) today at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Justin Verlander (4-4, 3.17) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (3-2, 5.31) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

Series: The Indians lead the Tigers this season, 2-1. The Tigers lead, 1,072-1,040, overall.

Indians update: They've won five straight and eight of 10. The Tribe took two of three from the Tigers at Comerica Park on May 10 through May 12, but were outscored, 19-15. Jimenez is 1-0 and Kluber 0-1 against the Tigers in 2013.

Tigers update: They're 4-6 in the past 10 games. Scherzer is 1-0 and Verlander 0-1 against the Tribe this year. Miguel Cabrera is hitting .357 (5-for-14) with one homer and three RBI against the Indians this year.

Injuries: Indians -- C Lou Marson (right shoulder), RHP Brett Myers (right elbow/forearm), RHP Josh Tomlin (right elbow), RHP Frank Herrmann (right elbow) and RHP Blake Wood (right elbow) are on the disabled list. Tigers -- RHP Octavio Dotel (right elbow) and OF Austin Jackson (left hamstring) are on the disabled list.

Next for Indians: Indians open a four-game series Thursday against Boston at Fenway Park.

The Cleveland Indians' current winning streak seems set to a soundtrack of fireworks and cheering fans.

View full sizeRyan Raburn -- Ryan Raburn!! -- rounds the bases Monday after hitting his fifth home run of the season. He had one home run in 205 at-bats with Detroit last year.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I was going to write about how we'll learn a lot about the Tribe in the next month -- 25 games against teams with a combined winning percentage of .585, only 10 are home.

Here comes Detroit to Progressive Field, opening a two-game series Tuesday, then it's off to Boston and Cincinnati. And later, trips to New York, Detroit and Texas.

But I'm not going to look that far ahead because ...

Yan Gomes!

Not once, but twice!

Yan Gomes! YAN GOMES!

Two swings of the bat, two home runs.

When Yan Gomes couldn't bunt, he hit a three-run homer. In the bottom of the 10th inning.

Ballgame!

Tribe wins, 10-8, over Seattle ... a game they seemed to have lost about three times.

I was going to write about Scott Kazmir, who departed after three innings and five runs.

In his past two starts, Kazmir has been knocked around for 13 hits and nine runs in eight innings. He has had three strong starts, three feeble ones.

Overall, his ERA is 6.35.

I was going to write that Kazmir is one of the keys to the Tribe staying on top of the Central Division, and he's still trying to establish himself as a consistent starter.

But instead, let's talk Ryan Raburn.

Because it happened in the second inning, it was barely mentioned after the game. But with the Indians losing, 2-0, Raburn crushed a three-run homer. Raburn is 7-of-11 with two outs and runners in scoring position.

This is the same Ryan Raburn who batted .171 with one homer in 205 official at-bats for the Tigers last season.

Raburn has five homers for the Tribe. He already has more RBI (14) this season than all of last year (12) for Detroit.

I was going to write about Chris Perez, who has allowed three homers in his past two outings.

But I'm just going to say that Perez is in a mini-slump ...

Because the Indians have won five in a row ...

And 21-of-28 ...

And they had three walk-off victories in the four-game sweep of Seattle.

Think about this for a moment ... the Indians scored 10 runs, and seven were knocked home by Raburn and Gomes.

Did anyone dare dream that on opening day?

I'm fighting off the urge to worry, because that's what following the Tribe for a lifetime conditions you to do.

The rotation shows promise, but remains under construction. This team can't afford many bullpen blips, such as Monday. Nor can you imagine them winning so many games in so many improbable ways.

But I'll leave that for another time.

Instead, the Tribe hit three more homers on Monday, giving them 60 for the year. That leads the American League.

These guys aren't just winning, they are doing it to the sound track of fans roaring and fireworks flaring as the Tribe is 15-8 at home.

The Tigers arrive having won only 4-of-10 games. In the past four games, their starters have a 10.23 ERA. The bullpen has been iffy.

They trail the Tribe by 2 1/2 games in the Central Division.

So every team ... even the good ones ... has some problems.

And right now, the Tribe has been finding a way to overcome all of theirs ...

And that's what this story is really all about.

The Cleveland Cavaliers goal is to make this their last lottery appearance for a while

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Although it feels as if the NBA lottery is an annual event for the Cavaliers, it really isn't.

Yes, this will be the Cavs third straight appearance, but it's their 17th appearance overall since the current system was adopted in 1985, and that includes two chances in 1999 and two in 2011. They're tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the fourth -most appearances.

The Los Angeles Clippers have made 22 appearances in the lottery, followed by Golden State with 20 appearances and Sacramento with 18, including this year.

Not coincidentally, the Clippers have won the lottery three times, which ties them with the Orlando Magic for the most victories.

The Cavs, who won the lottery in 2003 and 2011, will be bidding to join them on Tuesday evening, when the 29th draft lottery will be held in ABC's Disney Times Square Studios in New York. It will be televised at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN, before Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and Memphis.

For the third straight year, Nick Gilbert, son of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, will represent the team on stage, wearing his traditional bow tie. Nick Gilbert was the Cavs representative when the team won the lottery and the chance to draft Kyrie Irving in 2011, uttering the memorable phrase, "What's not to like?''

He was distraught last year when New Orleans vaulted from the No. 4 spot to win. Although the Cavs and Hornets each finished with 21-45 records in 2011-12, tied for the third-worst record in the league behind Charlotte and Washington, the Cavs had won a tiebreaker with the Hornets and had one more combination. It didn't help, and they wound up with the No. 4 pick in the draft, which they used to select Dion Waiters.

This year, the top prize in the lottery looks to be Kentucky power forward/center Nerlens Noel, even though he's coming off a torn ACL and likely won't be ready to play until Christmas. Most teams feel as though he will be worth the wait.

The No. 2 pick is projected to be Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore, with No. 3 likely to be Georgetown small forward Otto Porter Jr.

But a lot can happen between the lottery and the NBA draft of June 27.

Ideally, lottery teams will be looking to replicate the performance of the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. Those teams won the lottery in 1997 and 2008, respectively, and haven't been back since.

Jeff Cohen, the Cavs vice chairman who will be in the room for the actual lottery drawing for the third straight year, promised as much.

"Last time,'' he said, meaning the Cavs would be in the playoffs next year and not the lottery.

Lucky fans: Gerry Burma of Brecksville and Tate Moore of Wadsworth won a trip to the lottery with the Cavs. Burma won a random drawing for Cavs Wine & Gold United members, and Moore's 30-second Twitter video was judged the best of all entrants who took Dan Gilbert up on his challenge last week. To see Moore's video: http://youtu.be/tJZFUnBr0xY.

Cleveland native and hip hop artist Machine Gun Kelly will make the trip to New York as well, but Browns stars Bernie Kosar, Joe Haden and Josh Cribbs are not expected to take part this year.

Fact box

What: 2013 NBA lottery

When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: ABC's Disney Times Square Studios in New York

TV: ESPN

Cavs odds: The Cavs, who finished with the third-worst record in the league, have a 15.6 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick, a 15.74 chance of winning the No. 2 pick, a 15.58 chance of staying at No. 3, a 22.56 chance of dropping to No. 4, and a 22.48 chance of falling to No. 5. The worst they can draft is No. 6.

How it works: Representatives of each team and selected reporters, including Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer, will gather in a secured room before the televised lottery begins. At that point, 14 ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 are placed in a drum. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn, without regard to order. Prior to the lottery, each team is assigned a number of combinations based on the order of finish in the regular season. Orlando has 250 combinations. Charlotte has 119. The Cavs have 156 possible combinations. Four balls are drawn to the top to determine a four-digit combination. The team that has that combination wins the lottery and the No. 1 pick in the draft. The process is repeated for the No. 2 pick and the No. 3 pick. The rest of the teams will select in inverse order of finish.

Jason Giambi, no speed-burner himself, told catcher Carlos Santana that it's always good to run as hard as you can to first, just in case.

Clubhouse confidential: On a team full of hot wheels, Carlos Santana is a snow plow. He's a catcher who doesn't run real fast, but recently Jason Giambi talked to him about always running as hard as he can to first base because you never know what can happen.

In the ninth inning Monday, the Indians trailed Seattle, 7-6, with two outs. Santana sent a grounder to first that Justin Smoak stopped with a dive. Santana, chugging hard, wasn't close to beating it out, but perhaps closer Tom Wilhelmsen heard him coming because he took his eye off the ball, dropped it, and Jason Kipnis scored the tying run from third.

"Giambi told me to just run hard and put pressure on the defense," said Santana following the Tribe's 10-8 victory in 10 innings. "I think that's what happened."

Rehab central: The Indians want Brett Myers to make at least two more rehab starts. He was originally scheduled to pitch Tuesday, but now he'll throw Wednesday for Class AA Akron.

"I was going to throw Tuesday, but since they want me to throw at least one more, I figured I'd take the extra day and throw Wednesday," said Myers.

Stat of the day: The Indians have swept four-game series from the A's and Mariners in May. It's the first time they've had two four-game sweeps in the same month since 1977, when they swept the Tigers and Blue Jays.

Before hitting two home runs and throwing out two would-be base-stealers, Cleveland Indians catcher drank a bottle of beet juice before the game with the Seattle Mariners.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe it was the beet juice.

Catcher Yan Gomes not only hit the game-winning homer in the 10th inning Monday to give the Indians a 10-8 victory over Seattle, he hit another homer in the second and a single in the fourth.

From behind the plate, Gomes went 2-for-4 throwing out potential base stealers, erasing Michael Saunders in the fourth and Brendan Ryan in the seventh. In the third, he took Nick Swisher's throw from first and tagged out Roberto Andino, who was trying to score from third.

"He played a very good game," said manager Terry Francona. "He threw the ball extremely well. His at-bats speak for themselves."

Gomes is hitting .302 (16-for-53) with 10 runs. Half of his 16 hits, including four homers, have gone for extra bases.

Asked what he'd eaten before the game: "I drank a bottle of beet juice. I guess I'll keep drinking that."

Gomes, 25, who came to the Tribe with Mike Aviles last November in a trade with Toronto, has thrown out six of the 10 base runners he's faced.

Nasty Masty: Justin Masterson was named American League Player of the Week on Monday after throwing 16 straight scoreless innings in consecutive victories against the Yankees and Mariners.

Masterson struck out 20, walked five and allowed seven hits in two starts. He beat the Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader on May 13 with a three-hit shutout and threw seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over Seattle on Sunday.

He is the first Indians pitcher to win the award since CC Sabathia in 2008.

Minislump: Closer Chris Perez has allowed three homers in his past two appearances. Endy Chavez took him deep Monday to start the ninth inning and give Seattle a 7-6 lead.

"I don't know if mentally I've changed my mechanics since I went through that little shoulder hiccup a week or two ago," said Perez. "I'm not one to look at a lot of video, but I will definitely get in there and see if I can pick up anything.

"It's a little slump. A minislump. It happens once or twice a year. You just have to keep grinding and keep pitching and get through it."

Perez is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA with six saves in seven chances. He has 18 strikeouts and seven walks in 16 innings. Four of the 13 hits he's allowed have been homers.

Testing, testing: Catcher Lou Marson (right shoulder) has been playing catch on a daily basis trying to strengthen his shoulder.

"I've got to do a lot throwing until my shoulder feels right," said Marson. "In spring training, I've got to throw a lot to get it to feel right. That's where I'm at right now."

Marson has been on the disabled list since April 25 with soreness in the shoulder.

Three up, three down: For the first time in his career, lefty Rich Hill pitched three straight games in three consecutive days.

From 2005 through 2009, Hill was a starter for the Cubs and Baltimore. Elbow problems, which ended in Tommy John surgery in 2011, resulted in a move to the bullpen.

Hill made six relief appearances in 2010, nine in 2011 and 25 last year. This year he's made 16 appearances for the Tribe, including pitching three consecutive days Friday through Sunday.

"My arm feels great and I'm just not saying that to throw it out there," he said. "The ball has been coming out well. I just want to continue to do the stuff to stay ready so I can go out there and pitch when I'm asked."

Don't forget: With Scott Kazmir turning in his shortest start of the season Monday, Francona turned to Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw to bridge the gap. They combined to throw four innings, allowing one run on two hits and five strikeouts.

"That should not be overlooked," said Francona. "They gave us a chance."

Finally: ESPN's "Mike and Mike" radio show will broadcast live Wednesday morning from Progressive Field. Cleveland native Mike Golic and his partner, Mike Greenberg, will host the show.

Greenberg will throw out the first pitch for tonight's game between the Tigers and Indians.

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- Mike Ptacek is giving up the coaching sideline for the front office. The North Olmsted football and boys track coach will become the school's athletic director on July 1. He will take over for Tim Carras, who has decided to retire after 15 years in the AD position.

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- Mike Ptacek is giving up the coaching sideline for the front office.

The North Olmsted football and boys track coach will become the school's athletic director on July 1. He will take over for Tim Carras, who has decided to retire after 15 years in the AD position.

"I enjoyed coaching football and track and field," said Ptacek, a 1988 North Olmsted graduate. "But I decided this would be good for me, my family and the school system. I look forward to the next challenge."

Ptacek, 42, compiled a 44-37 record in eight seasons as football coach for the Eagles. North Olmsted made the playoffs for the only time in school history under Ptacek in 2005.

In 12 years as boys track coach, the Eagles won their lone Southwestern Conference championship in 2009.

He attended the Baldwin Wallace, where he played wide receiver for the Yellow Jackets. He has taught health and physical education at North Olmsted for 21 years.

Carras, 60, said his tenure as athletic director will end on June 30.

"I'm very torn," said Carras. "I put a lot of time, effort and toil to bring consistency to the department. The biggest thing was hiring good coaches for the kids. Mike is a great guy and very organized. He'll do a very good job."

Carras said he has also resigned as president of the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League, a position he has held for the past nine years.

BASEBALL DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

BASEBALL

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

Note: Games start at 4:30 unless noted and are subject to weather and field conditions. Contact the host school for updates.

DIVISION II

Akron District

At Sislar Field

Finals

Hoban vs. Tallmadge

Jefferson District

At Jefferson Little League Complex

Finals

#1 Chagrin Falls vs. #2 NDCL

Lorain District

At Pipe Yard

Finals

Benedictine vs. Holy Name

DIVISION III

Euclid District

At Euclid H.S.

Semifinals

Garrettsville vs. Gilmour

Wickliffe vs. Pymatuning Valley

Parma District

At Cuyahoga Comm. College West

Semifinals

Independence vs. Elyria Catholic, 4

Keystone vs. Clearview, 6:30

SOFTBALL

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

Note: Games start at 4:30 unless noted and are subject to weather and field conditions. Contact the host school for updates.

BARBERTON DISTRICT

At Barberton H.S.

Semifinals

#4 Barberton vs. #1 Medina

Brunswick vs. Cloverleaf

BOARDMAN DISTRICT

At Boardman Field of Dreams

Semifinals

Warren G. Harding vs. Aurora

Austintown Fitch vs. Stow

MENTOR DISTRICT

At Mentor H.S.

Semifinals

Madison vs. #1 Riverside

#3 Willoughby South vs. #2 Mentor

N. RIDGEVILLE DISTRICT

At North Ridgeville H.S.

Semifinals

Westlake vs. Elyria, 3

North Ridgeville at Avon Lake, 5

PARMA DISTRICT

At Parma Day Park

Semifinal

St. Joseph Academy vs. North Royalton

Midpark vs. Strongsville

SOLON DISTRICT

At Solon Roxbury Field

Semifinals

Shaker Heights vs. Brecksville, 4

Solon vs. Garfield Heights, 6

Division IV

COPLEY DISTRICT

Finals

At Copley H.S.

Cuyahoga Hts. vs. Mapleton

WARREN DISTRICT

At Cortland Candlelite Knolls

Finals

Bristol vs. Mathews, 5

Baseball District tournament

Baseball

District tournament

DIVISION II

AKRON DISTRICT

Semifinals

Buckeye000 000 1--1 3 1

Hoban100 012 x--4 8 1

B (18-8): Kraus (L, 7-1). H (17-10): Pero (W, 4-2).

Notable: Burns (H) 2H, R, RBI.

Tallmadge122 041 0--10 11 1

Field100 002 0-- 3 10 1

T (14-12): S. Noel (W, 5-3). F (18-8): Kissamoore (L). HR: T, S. Noel

Notable: Noel (S) 2 RBI; 10K

JEFFERSON DISTRICT

Semifinals

Jefferson000 010 1--2 5 0

Chagrin Falls000 201 x--3 5 1

J (16-9): Erdel (L). CF (22-7): Orzen (W, 6-2). S: T. Kennedy (3).

Notable: Thombs (CF) 2-2, 2 RBI.

Ash. Edgewood221 000 0--5 7 2

NDCL003 014 x--8 8 3

E (13-7): Zappitelli (L). NDCL (15-11): Falls (W, 3-0).

Notable: Paterniti (NDCL) 2-4, 2 R, SB.

LORAIN DISTRICT

Semifinals

Benedictine200 020 3--7 8 2

Vermilion050 001 0--6 10 1

B (15-12): Piascik (W, 4-4). V (13-15): Waller (L). S: Pecoraro.

Notable: Pecoraro 3-4, 2 RBI.

Holy Name000 151 0--7 10 1

Firelands031 000 0--4 5 3

HN (14-12): Javor (W, 4-2). F (17-12): Helton (L).

Notable: Javor (HN) CG, 5K, 2 ER.

REGULAR SEASON

AKRON CITY SERIES

Akron Garfield210 041 0--8 6 5

Akron East102 010 2--6 9 5

G (7-13): Falls (W, 3-5). E: Swain (L).

Notable: Spisak (G) 2-3, 2H, 2R, 3 SB.

CHAGRIN VALLEY CONFERENCE

Crossover

Fairport363 010 0--13 8 2

Hawken301 001 0-- 5 8 5

F (17-7): Vale (W). H (13-15): Murgiano (L, 2-3).

Notable: Paolo (F) 2-2, 2 RBI, 2-BB, SF.

PATRIOT ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Lutheran West000 300 0--3 4 1

Black River203 002 x--7 0 2

LW (11-10): Geye (L, 4-3). BR (11-15): Tomes (W). HR: LW, Griffin; BR, Vaughn

Notable: Tomes (BR) CG, 1 ER, 4K

PORTAGE TRAIL CONFERENCE

Rootstown001 000-- 1 6 2

Southeast004 043--11 14 2

R (7-17, 5-8): England (L). S (17-9, 11-2): Lock (W, 7-1). HR: Morgan (S).

Notable: Meadows (S) 3-1B, 2 RBI.

PRINCIPALS' ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Tuslaw000 150 2-- 8 9 3

CVCA30(11) 100 x--15 18 2

T (18-10, 6-8): Wake (L). CVCA (14-10, 8-4): Starcher (W, 6-2). HR: Reed (T).

Notable: Brook (CVCA) 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI.

SENATE ATHLETIC LEAGUE

John Hay100 00-- 1 1 3

Lincoln West447 3x--18 11 3

JH (6-10, 6-4): Redding (L, 0-3). LW (11-10, 9-0): Ortiz (W, 3-2). HR: Ortiz (LW).

Notable: Ortiz 4 IP, 11K, 2-3, 3-SB, 3 RBI.

John Marshall001 030-- 4 4 3

Rhodes510 332--14 12 2

JM (7-12): Evans (L). R (12-8): Bocachica (W, 3-1).

Notable: Rodriguez (JM) 3-4, 2-2B, 5 RBI.  

WEST SHORE CONFERENCE

Midview003 044 5--16 16 2

North Ridgeville000 104 0-- 5 9 2

M (20-6, 12-2): Stephenson (W, 4-1). NR: Morrow (L). HR: Lauer.

Notable: Higley (M) 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI.

NONLEAGUE

Extra innings

St. Martin(12)5 4 141 130--31 28 3

Cristo Rey31(11) 203 520--27 17 3

SM (2-10): French (W, 1-0). CR (1-3): Ramos (L, 0-2). HR: Munoz (CR(.

Notable: Clinkscales (SM) 6-7, 6 RBI 3-SB, 5 R, 2B.

Cleveland JFK000 0-- 0 2 3

Cle. Cent. Cath.437 1--15 4 0

JFK: Sumbry (L). CCC (7-14): Motley (W, 5-5).

Notable: Motley 9K, 4-BB, R.

OHSBCA POLL

The fifth weekly Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll for 2013 by OHSAA divisions with first-place votes and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

SchoolPoints

DIVISION I

1. Mason (23) 248

2. Arch. Moeller (2) 222

3. Brecksville (4)213

4. St. Francis De Sales 155

5. Perrysburg (1) 143

6. Lakota East 130

7. Pickerington North 123

8. Centerville 99

9. Walsh Jesuit73

10. Olentangy Orange 42

11. Thomas Worthington 31

12. Brunswick25

13. Mentor18

13. Nordonia18

15. Norwalk 15

16. Hudson13

17. St. Ignatius11

18. Anthony wayne 10

19. Aurora8

20. Highland7

Other teams receiving votes (points): Midview (5), Lake (5), Tecumseh (5), Dublin Jerome (5), Olentangy (4), Milford (4), Amherst (4), Northmont (3), North (3), Lebanon (3), Kenston (3), Watkins Memorial (1), Lakewood (1)

DIVISION II

1. Defiance (17) 261

2. Perkins (11) 257

3. Tippecanoe 179

4. Gallia Academy 143

5. Dover 140

6. Miami Trace

7. Bellevue 93

8. Wauseon 70

9. Wapakoneta 57

10. Lexington 54

11. Edison 47

12. Chagrin Falls29

12. Bexley 29

14. Canton South 15

14. Granville 15

16. Waverly 10

17. Jonathan alder 7

18. Big Walnut 2

18. Cambridge 2

18. Jefferson 2

Other teams receiving votes (points): Wyoming (1), Steubenville (1), West Holmes (1)

DIVISION III

1. Ontario (15) 254

2. Carlisle (7) 213

3. Cin. Hills Chr. Ac.(4) 196

4. Independence141

5. Coldwater 117

6. Fredericktown 116

7. Waynesville 82

8. Bloom-Carroll 77

9. Liberty-Benton 59

10. Wheelersburg 51

11. Badin 45

12. Piketon 42

12. Versailles 42

14. New london 36

15. Gilmour Ac.32

16. Keystone24

17. Madeira 20

18. Galion 16

19. Ottawa-Glandorf 13

19. Triad 13

Other teams receiving votes (points): Patrick Henry (12), Tuslaw (8), Summit Country Day (7), Cleveland Central Catholic (6), Westfall (5), Oak Hill (5), Zane Trace (4), Edison (4), Canton Central Catholic (4), Blanchester (3), Archbold (2), Mariemont (1)

DIVISION IV

1. St. Henry (9) 239

2. Minster (13) 198

3. Seneca East (1) 182

4. Southern (2) 170

5. Tusc. C.C. 135

6. Toronto 125

7. Newark Catholic 115

8. Cin. Christian (1) 94

9. Whiteoak 61

10. Lehman Catholic 49

11. Russia 36

12. Columbus Grove 25

13. Fairport22

13. Del. Riverside 22

15. Miller City 21

15. Tinora 21

17. Crestview 20

18. Hiland 13

19. Gibsonburg 7

19. Symmes Valley 7

Other teams receiving votes (points): Fisher Catholic (5), Bethel (4), St. Mary Central Catholic (4), Valley (3), Trimble (2), Plymouth (2), Ayersville (2), Ottawa Hills (1), McKinley (1), Worthington Christian (1)

Softball

District tournament

Division IV

COPLEY DISTRICT

Semifinals

Lake Center Chr.100 00-- 1 0 3

Cuyahoga Hts.122 7x--12 12 1

LC (15-9): Floyd (L, 12-7). CH (27-2): Chopka (W, 24-1).

Notable: Gervase (CH) 3-3, 2B, 2-1B, R, 3 RBI.

REGULAR SEASON

AKRON CITY SERIES

Ellet070 219 --19 22 2

Firestone100 010 -- 2 4 1

E (13-12): Smith (W, 11-12). F (12-15): Skeans (L, 6-11).

Notable: Cook (E) 5H, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI.

PATRIOT ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Fairview000 000 0--0 3 3

Wellington201 015 x--9 13 0

F: Rinehart (L). W (10-17, 7-9): Rangel (W, 9-16).

Notable: Moitoret (W) 2-2B, R, 3 RBI.

Lutheran West000 001 0--1 3 4

Black River001 032 x--6 11 4

LW: Mystic (L). BR: Smith (W, 11-9). HR: Smith (BR).

Notable: Smith 3-1B, SB, RBI.

Oberlin050 014 0--10 11 4

Brookside050 000 0--5 2 5

O (6-19): Santiago (W). B (6-17): Weber (L).

Notable: Santiago (O) 3-3, 2-3B, 4 RBI.

PORTAGE TRAIL CONFERENCE

East Canton000 000 3--3 9 2

Southeast000 430 X--7 6 1

EC (2-20): Kimbel (L, 2-15). S (10-13): Harris (W, 2-4). HR: S, Wheeler

Notable: Swierz (S) 2H, 2B, 3 RBI.

NONLEAGUE

SVSM320 200 2--9 12 0

Cuyahoga Falls000 000 0--0 4 5

SVSM (14-8): Hoffman (W, 7-5). CF (7-19): Ka. Fryberger (L).

Notable: Gilbride (SVSM) 2-4, R, 2 RBI.

Cloverleaf100 000 0--1 5 3

Stow310 301 x--8 12 1

C (14-15): Lewarchick (L). S (22-6): Ingram (W, 6-0).

Notable: S. Jones (S) 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI.

OHSSCA POLL

The fifth weekly Ohio High School Softball Coaches Association poll for 2013 by OHSAA divisions with first-place votes and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

SchoolPoints

DIVISION I

1. N. Canton Hoover (12) 120

2. Lebanon 88

3. Elyria80

4. Avon Lake78

5. Holland Springfield 70

6. Northmont 44

7. Delaware Hayes 40

8. Grove City 34

9. Oregon Clay 31

10. Brecksville29

DIVISION II

1. River Valley (5) 65

2. Kenton Ridge (1) 61

3. Greenville 49

4. Keystone44

5. Springfield 43

6. Lima Bath 38

7. Franklin 30

8. Hebron Lakewood 24

9. Licking Valley 17

10. Mansfield Madison 13

DIVISION III

1. Bloom Carroll (6) 87

2. Archbold (2) 79

3. Milan Edison 46

4. Cler. Northeastern (1) 44

5. Columbia41

6. South Range 37

7. Hamilton Baden 33

8. Spring. Northeastern 22

9. Heath 17

10. North Union 11

10. Brookville 11

Division IV

1. Covington (5) 68

2. Berlin W.R. (1) 56

3. Strasburg Franklin (1) 54

4. Rockford Parkway 39

5. Portsmouth Notre Dame 27

6. Vienna Mathews 25

7. Sycamore Mohawk 20

8. New Riegel 18

9. Lincolnview 15

9. Triad 15

Boys tennis

OTCA POLL

The fifth and final weekly Ohio Tennis Coaches Association polls for 2013 by OHSAA divisions with first-place votes and total points.

DIVISION I

1. Mason (12) 120

2. Cin. Sycamore 108

3. Upper Arlington 94

4. Cin. St. Xavier 71

5. Copley68

6. Springboro 66

7. Toledo St. John Jesuit 46

8. Walsh Jesuit33

9. New Albany 28

10. St. Ignatius13

DIVISION II

1. Cin. Country Day (10) 100

2. Gahanna Columbus Ac. 88

3. Cin. Seven Hills 76

4. Lexington 72

5. Cin. Indian Hill 56

6. Cin. Hills Christian 43

7. Bexley 39

8. Cinti Wyoming 17

9. Beachwood14

10.Hawken13

Boys lacrosse

Benedictine 14, Wadsworth 5

B (12-4): Cancellierre 4, Kleindienst 4, Judy 3, Gedetsis 2, Roscace. W: Hasinger 3, Dall, Frontez.

Goalies: B, Musarra (5 saves), Monaco (2), Moner (1); W, Finnegan (12).

Girls lacrosse

Medina 14, Hoover 5

M (13-0-2): Rom 4, Thomas 3, Hudson-Heck 2, Vanadia 2, Grenfell 2, Schorr. H: Albertson 2, Eastman, Grandjean, Milligan.

Goalies: M, Getto (3 saves); H, Staggers (10).

Benedictine's baseball team has had plenty of experience playing in one-run games this season. That seasoning paid off for the third-seeded Bengals on Monday in a 7-6 Division II district semifinal victory over top-seeded Vermilion at the Pipe Yard in Lorain. They will play No. 4-seeded Holy Name for the championship.

Benedictine's baseball team has had plenty of experience playing in one-run games this season.

That seasoning paid off for the third-seeded Bengals on Monday in a 7-6 Division II district semifinal victory over top-seeded Vermilion at the Pipe Yard in Lorain. They will play No. 4-seeded Holy Name for the championship.

Benedictine overcame a 6-4 deficit by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh inning on RBI singles by Dan Piascik, Collin Pecoraro and Nick Manochino.

Piascik pitched the first six innings. Pecoraro pitched the seventh to earn the save.

It was Benedictine's fourth one-run victory in 10 games.

Archbishop Hoban 4, Buckeye 1: Travis Pero picked up his fourth win of the year, going 6 2/3 innings and striking out six in the Division II district semifinal victory at Sisler Field. Dom Hinton got the final out on a strikeout with runners on first and second. Jordan Burns had two hits, a run scored and drove in a run.

Tallmadge 10, Field 3: Winning pitcher Scott Noel went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, and John Rensel had two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI to advance to a Division II district title game against Hoban.

Chagrin Falls 3, Jefferson 2: Keith Orzen and Tyler Kennedy combined on a five-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Tigers, ranked 12th in the state, eliminated fourth-seeded/18th-ranked Jefferson in a Division II district semifinal game at Jefferson Little League complex. Johnny Thombs went 2-for-2 with two RBI.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 8, Edgewood 5: The second-seeded Lions earned a Division II district championship game showdown with Chagrin Falls, thanks to Ryan Falls' game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Falls also pitched the final two innings for NDCL, which had Cody Paterniti chip in with a game-tying double.

Midview 16, North Ridgeville 5: Ryan Smith went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the Middies to the West Shore Conference win, giving them a school-record 20 victories.

Softball

Cuyahoga Heights 12, Lake Center Christian 1 (5): The top-seeded but unranked Redskins won their 24th consecutive game to earn a Division IV district final berth behind Meridith Chopka's no-hit/12-strikeout/three-walk effort.

Kaitlynn Gervase's two singles, double and three RBI paced the winners, and Dana Denner had two hits and two stolen bases.

Stow 8, Cloverleaf 1: Stow advanced to the Division I district semifinal against Austintown Fitch with its 17th straight victory as Sadie Jones had a single, double and two RBI.

Girls lacrosse

Medina 14, North Canton Hoover 5: Amanda Rom had four goals and three assists to lead the Battling Bees.

Columbus Clippers win in bottom of the ninth.

Class AAA: Columbus 6, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5 Matt LaPorta's line drive single started the winning rally for the Clippers in the bottom of the ninth. Lonnie Chisenhall followed with a bunt single and Chun-Hsiu Chen singled home pinch runner Matt Lawson. Chen also clubbed his first homer of the season, a solo shot, in the fourth.

Class AA: Bowie 4, Akron 3 (12) Bryce Stowell (1-2) served up a solo home run in the top of the 12th, and the Aeros lost an Eastern League game at Canal Park to the Bowie, Md., Baysox. Center fielder Tyler Holt of Akron was 3-for-6 with a triple.

Class A Advanced: The Carolina Mudcats were idle.

Class A: Fort Wayne 7, Lake County 4 Starter Jake Sisco (1-3) surrendered five runs (all earned) on eight hits in 61/3 innings, as the Captains lost to the TinCaps in a Midwest League game at Classic Park in Eastlake. Lake County's LeVon Washington slugged two doubles, had one RBI and scored a run.

Independent: The Lake Erie Crushers were idle.

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner says the Cleveland Browns initially see recently signed quarterback Brian Hoyer, from St. Ignatius, as someone who will play a backup role.

AKRON, Ohio --Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner quelled a little of the Brian Hoyer-mania on Monday night and sounded as if he's counting on Brandon Weeden to be his guy in 2013.

"Brandon is a one-year player in the NFL who did a lot more good things than people give him credit for," Turner said before his speech to the Akron Browns Backers banquet at Tangier Events Center. "I like his composure, the way he competes, he's worked awfully hard. He's got to be one of the hardest-working guys on our team. So you look and say, 'Hey, you hope there's a big upside.' "

Turner stressed that Weeden's woes and 5-10 record as a starter last season can be attributed to being a rookie surrounded by rookies.

"What happened to Brandon, Brandon was in here with a very young group of guys," Turner said in his first remarks about Weeden since seeing him practice against the defense in organized team activities. "So when you have a lot of young guys and they're trying to feel their way together, it's hard. All those guys having a year together, including Brandon, will help him a great deal."

Turner also threw a little water on the notion that Hoyer, a native of North Olmsted and St. Ignatius grad, is being brought in to potentially challenge for a starting role. Hoyer, 27, signed his two-year deal on Friday and will be on the field Tuesday for the second week of organized team activities.

"I think there have been more stories written about Brian Hoyer being a Brown over the last four months than probably any player in history," Turner said. "He was released. He was available. He's a guy that has been with some good teams in backup situations. He's played very little football, but I do think we like his skill set."

Turner stressed it's difficult to assess the quarterbacks after only three days of OTAs, but he likes the group.

"I think we have three talented guys," said Turner, who was asked specifically about Weeden, Campbell and Hoyer. "We have a vastly different group of guys. Jason's played nine years in the league. He's proven he can win in this league. When he's been with good teams, he's played better than when he's been with bad teams. And then with Brian, you've got a guy that's been a backup in some good situations. He really hasn't played enough to know where he's at, and we like the way he throws the ball. We like a lot of things about him."

Turner acknowledged that it will be tough to find enough quality reps for the quarterbacks, especially those with the first-team offense.

"That's probably the hardest thing," he said. "If you have a veteran quarterback who's played a lot you can kind of take care of him and limit a little bit his reps. But the real good veterans I've been around want all the reps anyway. But that's to be a real hard one. That's one of the reasons having a guy like Jason Campbell – he's played so much you hope maybe once we get going with everything we're doing he doesn't need as many reps as maybe a young guy does. But my experience with young quarterbacks, a guy that's in his second year you need all the reps you can give him."

One thing is certain: Turner will vote for keeping three QBs on the 53-man roster.

"I think if you don't, you're playing with fire," he said. "I think it's too valuable a position."

Turner stressed he's only seen Weeden practice three times, "but the things I've seen is what we saw on film. He's got a big arm. He's very intelligent. He makes good decisions. He throws the ball up the field the way we would like to, but he's very accurate underneath. He's like all our guys. He's learning a new system. We have a lot of work to do."

He also believes it's been overstated that Weeden will fare better in the new vertical scheme.

"Good players play," he said. "They play in any system, and they play when they're comfortable...he's responded to everything we've asked him to do. He likes football an awful lot, he's a very competitive guy and he's made it clear he wants to be the guy and now you go out and do it."

TURNER ON RICHARDSON: Turner is excited to have Trent Richardson in the backfield: "If you want to be a good offense, you better have good players, and Trent is outstanding and he's a young player that got a taste of it last year. He had to fight through the ups and downs of being a rookie, the injuries, those things. Hopefully we don't have to deal with that and that he can make that big step from year one to year two."

TURNER ON GORDON: Turner also has high hopes for Gordon, among others: "When we came in from San Diego on that miserable cold, rainy day I stood about as I am from you to Josh Gordon and I said, 'Wow – now I know why they took him.' He's an impressive guy. He's young. He has a lot of work to do but he has a lot of ability. You put those two things together and just grind as a player and as a coach, I think he can really be a fine player."

JACKSON ON MCMILLAN: Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who was honored at the banquet as the team's Good Guy, expressed sorrow over the death of former teammate David McMillan, who was shot and killed in DeCatur , Ga. on Saturday in an apparent robbery attempt as he was exiting his truck, according to reports. McMillan was a backup linebacker for the Browns from 2005 to 2007.

"He was a good teammate," said Jackson. "He wouldn't harm a fly. Outspoken guy. When he was here with the Browns, he developed relationships with big Ted Washington and Willie McGinest. It was a blast. It was fun being in that locker room with Dave. It's just unfortunate. He was a good guy. We hadn't been in touch every day, but we kept in touch enough to where I knew some friends of his who kind of updated me on how he was doing and whatnot. It's just unfortunate. It's sad news. He was too young and too good of a guy."

Jackson, who heard the news from former teammate Andra Davis, said he'll attend the services in Georgia.

Looking for a way to avoid the wet stuff and get better control of the club? Perhaps these items will help.

View full sizeShedRain's Windpro Vented 4008 has a 68-inch canopy arc, probably wide enough to protect you and a playing partner with ease and significantly larger than most.Courtesy ShedRain 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sorting through some new products that might be handy on the course.

ShedRain umbrella

The draw: This might be the mother of all golf umbrellas. The Windpro Vented 4008 withstood a test that included a simulated heavy downpour and conditions as windy as you would find on any golf course. It has a 68-inch canopy arc, probably wide enough to protect you and a playing partner with ease and significantly larger than most. It opens automatically with the touch of a button.

ShedRain claims the heavy duty nylon cables are engineered to resist windy conditions. The sturdy shaft is made of fiber reinforced polymer, a composite made from fiberglass and carbon. The canopy is protected with a Teflon coating. The handle is unlike any I've seen on a golf umbrella, designed to adapt to each user's hand through the use of air pockets. The model comes in seven color options.

The scorecard: The umbrella, one of many in ShedRain's line, is priced at $42. That might be a little steep. But, it appears this piece will last a long time. This model is available at Macy's and Nordstrom's or you can order it on-line directly from shedrain.com.

View full sizeThe Lateral Golf Grips offer better contract with the club throughout the swing.Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer 

The Lateral Golf Grip

The draw: Earl Weiss was the Ohio high school state champion in 1959 while playing for Shaker Heights. Even in those days Weiss asked himself why golf grips were tapered, thicker at the butt end of the club and thinner down the shaft? Many years later he answered his own question by designing the Lateral Golf Grip.

The grips are practically the same size at one end as they are at the other and Weiss feels they provide a more natural, 10-finger grip that enables golfers to hold the club more securely throughout the swing, especially the end top of the backswing.

The scorecard: The standard size grips come in black, white, orange and corded and in black, white and corded in the midsize. The midsize is the larger, designed for players with larger hands. They range in price from $6.95 to $7.95 and can be found in a local pro shops or ordered at lateralgolfgrips.com.