IndyCar drivers happy not to have two-for-one this weekend.

LEXINGTON, Ohio -- That exhale heard from many drivers at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend came with the realization that only one weekend of Saturday-Sunday racing remains this season.

IndyCar scheduled three events featuring two races this season with two already in the books at Detroit's Belle Isle and at Toronto. The one remaining double is in Houston in October.

The residue of those weekend doubles is, drivers who get off the truck fast have a chance to make huge gains in the standings in two days, while slower cars, or those with mechanical issues in the first race, can become casualties.

"From the series standpoint, and from the standpoint of the fans, I totally understand why we do it,'' Simon Pagenaud said. "You get more for your money. I see that. But on the racing side, for us drivers, it is just a little too much.

"You only have one practice session, and the rest is racing. You don't have the time to get the car where you need it to be. And if you have a problem, like we did in Toronto, a mechanical issue, your weekend is toast.

"I'm so glad it's just one race here at Mid-Ohio. This is one of the most physical, most difficult races we have. IndyCar is such a race car driven series, that two races here in two days would really take its measure of the drivers.''

Pagenaud, who enters Mid-Ohio fifth in points, struggled in Toronto finishing ninth and 12th. Following the week off prior to Mid-Ohio, he and his Schmidt Hamilton race team found a more welcome format at the 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit. A Thursday test session was followed by an early Friday practice session, then afternoon provisional qualifying.

This is indicative of Mid-Ohio being the 14th race in the 19-race season. It is imperative for the points race to hold serve at the very least and move up if possible. Any setback, major or minor, from here probably ends any chance for a championship season.

"This is a big race for the drivers, and a big race for the teams and the crews,'' Pagenaud said.

None of this means Pagenaud wants to see an end to back-to-back events.

"If it is good for the series and good for the fans, we have to do it, why not,'' he said.

But for this season, at least, not having to do it at Mid-Ohio is a blessing Pagenaud is glad to have. His practice efforts, Friday, show there is room for improvement as he was ninth on the provisional grid.

Still rolling: Scott Dixon has won the last three races -- one at Pocono and two in Toronto -- now he's looking to make it four straight at Mid-Ohio where he is the defending champ, winner of the last two here and four of the last five. During afternoon practice Dixon was second-fastest to No. 1 Will Power.

"We rolled off (the truck) well this morning,'' Dixon said.

Dixon was consistently among the speed leaders throughout the session, but Power put his fast lap of 124.231 mph together his last tour around the track to nip Dixon at 124.205 mph.

"We got a good time at the end there,'' he said. "Now to win here would be unbelievable. But we are still not quite on top of things."

Power is currently 10th in points, well behind his teammate and series leader, Helio Castroneves. But like power, Castroneves struggled in the middle of the pack all session, and did not get that hot lap in the books. He will join the others during Saturday's final 2 p.m. qualifying session.

That will be critical, as passing at Mid-Ohio always comes at a premium.

"Qualifying is just about everything here,'' Power said. "You have to be in the top five or six.''

Dixon agreed; "Around here, it is difficult to pass. It is important to be near the front and get the clean air.''

Father, son and ...: Marco Andretti, third in line behind grandfather Mario and father Michael, has never won at Mid-Ohio while his elders have a combined five checkered flags. Young Andretti quipped, "I'll have to win five in a row."

Needless to say, this is one of a few tracks where his father and grandfather were notorious, but Marco Andretti has yet to win. But this is not a stress point for the young driver.

"I always feel right at home when I come here,'' he said. "I was actually able to drive from my house (Nazareth, Pa.). I really enjoy it. (The track) really allows you to grab the car by the throat, especially in Turn 1. There are some real tough corners, but it is a flowing track. So if you mess up one corner, your whole lap is done, for sure."

Sophia Carpenter saw Woods at breakfast, then got a ball from him during his round.

AKRON, Ohio – Flirt with a 59 and good luck charms pop up everywhere.

When Tiger Woods looked like he might fire the lowest competitive score of his life, and after he tied his own course record at Firestone Country Club with a 61 on Friday, the search for why was on.

Joel Gerberich carried the scoreboard for Tiger Woods on Friday because the guy who originally got Woods wanted to swap him for Bubba Watson.Doug Lesmerises

The round may have come about because of 8-year-old Sophia Carpenter of Dalton. She was at Starbucks this morning with her father, Tony, when a guy walked in behind them.

“It's Tiger, it's Tiger, it's Tiger,” Sophia told her dad.

She was right, and she had the proof, a photo on her dad's iPhone showing her with Woods, a cup of coffee in his hand. Woods maybe didn't need the photo to remember. Walking from the 14th green to the 15th tee, he saw Sophia along the ropes and flipped his ball to her. Sophia then gave the ball to her 9-year-old friend, Hannah Justice.

“Good friend,” Hannah said.

At that point, with Woods at 9 under for the day with four holes left, needing two more birdies for a 59, it could have been a truly historic ball. Only five 59s have been shot in competition on the PGA Tour. By the end of round, the shot at 59 was gone, but Woods was thrilled to save his 61 with a 26-foot par putt from the back fringe, tying his course record.

Maybe it was because of 17-year-old Joel Gerberich of Akron, a Revere High student who was the standard bearer for Woods' group, carrying the portable scoreboard that flashed Woods' overall 13 under at the end of the day. Gerberich was supposed to carry the scoreboard for Watson's group, but the guy who got Woods was a huge Bubba fan and wanted to switch.

Go figure.

“Nobody expected Tiger to do this well,” Gerberich said. “I'm his good luck charm.”

Get in line.

See Saturday's tee times, which begin at 11:10 a.m. off both the first and 10th tees.

AKRON, Ohio – Here are Saturday's tee times and pairings for the third round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. Leader Tiger Woods, who has a seven shot lead over defending champ Keegan Bradley and Chris Wood, starts at 1:10 p.m. at the first tee.

Tee No. 1

11:10 a.m.: Brandt Snedeker, Brian Gay, Graeme McDowell.

11:20: Richie Ramsay, Thorbjorn Olesen Denmark, D.A. Points.

11:30: Adam Scott, Ian Poulter, Russell Henley.

11:40: Justin Rose, Matteo Manassero, Dustin Johnson.

11:50: Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie, Rory McIlroy.

Noon: Ryan Moore, Hideki Matsuyama, Miguel A. Jimenez.

12:10 p.m.: Francesco Molinari, Angel Cabrera, Paul Casey.

12:20: Jamie Donaldson Wales, Zach Johnson, Webb Simpson.

12:30: Steve Stricker, Rickie Fowler, Harris English.

12:40: Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Richard Sterne, John Merrick.

12:50: Luke Donald, Jason Dufner, Bubba Watson.

1:00: Bill Haas, Henrik Stenson, Jim Furyk.

1:10: Tiger Woods, Keegan Bradley, Chris Wood.

Tee No. 10

11:10 a.m.: Nicolas Colsaerts, Lee Westwood, Peter Hanson.

11:20: Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar.

11:30: Michael Thompson, Boo Weekley, Nick Watney.

11:40: Satoshi Kodaira, David Lynn, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano.

11:50 Bo Van Pelt, Carl Pettersson, Branden Grace.

Noon: Scott Piercy, Jonas Blixt, Ken Duke.

12:10 p.m.: Tommy Gainey, Mikko Ilonen, Sang-Moon Bae.

12:20: Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Martin Laird.

12:30: Toru Taniguchi, Charl Schwartzel, Shane Lowry.

12:40: Stephen Gallacher, Billy Horschel, Derek Ernst.

12:50: Kevin Streelman, Brett Rumford.

1:00: Jaco Van Zyl, Daniel Popovic.

Thirteen years after unparalleled dominance, Tiger Woods shoots a 61 again at Firestone South.

AKRON, Ohio -- Tiger Woods shot a 61 in the second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Friday. This shows what a copy-Tiger he is.

He has now shot 61 four times, twice here, the first being in 2000. That was the year when no one could touch him, when he won every major but the Masters, an oversight he corrected the next April for the "Tiger Slam." The 61 then led to another of his week-long demonstrations of unshakeable focus and unparalleled shot-making as he won by 11 shots and made birdie on the last hole with an approach guided by moonbeams and the flickering cigarette lighters in the gallery.

Oddly, it was the only tournament of Woods' three previous 61s (2005 Byron Nelson, 1999 Buick Open) that he won.

Asked to rate the 2000 round on a scale of one to 10, Woods said, "How about just pleased?"

"It was probably a little more difficult to do, coming off the PGA win," said Woods. The PGA Championship in 2000 took place one week before the WGC tournament. Nowadays, it is one week after it.

"We were all pretty tired at the time and spent from being -- you have to remember, I was in a playoff and to try and win three (majors) in a row that year, the emotional energy that took, it was tough," Woods said.

The 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville lacked the rugged grandeur of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach or the historical validation of the British Open at St. Andrews, the cradle of the game. However, it offered an upside-down dynamic for a major, in which par was not a particularly good score. Woods and journeyman Bob May tied at a stunning 18 under. An exhausted Woods survived a frantic three-hole playoff.

To this day, the 5-footer he made to force the playoff is the most pressurized moment I ever saw in sports. The huge gallery fell silent around the 18th green in the late afternoon sun and even the crickets stifled their lament for the end of the summer. Then, as a roar erupted from the crowd, Woods stroked in the putt to keep golf's greatest year alive.

"My practice rounds (at the Bridgestone in 2000) were absolutely dreadful," he recalled. "I didn't hit it worth a darn. I would hit snipes and blocks." The former are dive-bombing hooks, the latter are shots that veer to the right like a tax-and-spend politician gerrymandered into a conservative district.

"I really didn't care until Thursday came along and all of a sudden, I got my juices going," Woods said.

The schedule change casts the Bridgestone inevitably as the featured prelim for the PGA but it would have been an afterthought, lavish though the prize money is, after the last major.

Motivation certainly is higher for Woods now than it was then, as he wants to go to the PGA with triumphant thoughts in his head while he drags the ball-and-chain of five major-less years behind him.

Woods needs five majors to turn Jack Nicklaus into a Best Career Ever runner-up. Tiger already owns the Best Year Ever because half of Bobby Jones' Grand Slam in 1930 was against amateurs in a time when golf was played by Americans and people named Angus.

When Woods was 9 under through 13 holes Friday and one-putting Northeast Ohio, a share of the Best Round Ever seemed possible. Golf's magic number is 59. Only five men have ever shot it. But he missed 9- and 6 1/2-foot birdie putts at 15 and 17, his first misses inside 10 feet in the tournament.

Despite huge advances in equipment, nutrition and strength training, only three 59s have been shot since Woods turned professional in 1996. Why is 59 still so elusive?

"We're hitting it farther. The clubs are more forgiving. Our equipment is just that much better," Woods said. "But also every golf course we go to is longer and they're narrowing them up. They're pinching (the fairways) in, but you're seeing cuts so much lower. It's hard to believe how many cuts are at 3- and 4-under par. That was never the case when I came out on the Tour."

A 59 occasionally happens in the developmental league, the Web.Com Tour or in pro-ams. But not on the PGA Tour.

Asked if he ranked Friday among his top 10 best rounds, Woods said, "Certainly it's up there, but I don't know about top 10. I remember I had four of them at Pebble Beach (in a 15-stroke rout in the Open) in 2000. Three of them were pretty good in '97 at Augusta (in a 12-stroke rout). So we're at seven right there."

Tightly focused as he was, Woods did not have the tunnel vision of such past greats as Ben Hogan. Woods said nice things about playing partner Hideki Matsuyama, a 21-year-old from the Japanese Tour who shot the world's least noticed 68 Friday. Hogan once birdied the 12th hole at Augusta National while his playing partner, Claude Harmon, father of Woods' former swing coach Butch Harmon, made a hole-in-one.

The story goes that Hogan said, 'That's the first time I ever birdied that hole. Claude, what did you shoot?"

Tiger shot a 61 Friday. Again.

Ross Atkins, Indians director of player development, said Francisco Lindor probably wouldn't be promoted to Class AAA Columbus this year.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor is expected to stay at Class AA Akron this season after getting promoted from Class A Carolina.Plain Dealer

MIAMI, Fla. -- Seen and heard at Marlins Park before Friday's game.

Clubhouse confidential: Unless something unexpected happens, it appears shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor will end the season at Class AA Akron.

Ross Atkins, Indians director of player development, was asked Friday about the possibility of Lindor being promoted to Class AAA Columbus before the end of the year.

"There's not much upside to it unless we thought he could impact our big-league club," said Atkins. "The most likely scenario is that he'd stay at Akron."

Lindor since getting promoted to Akron at the All-Star break is hitting .322 (19-for-59) with two doubles, one triple, one homer and seven RBI in 16 games. Atkins did say that Lindor is expected to be invited to big league camp next spring.

Tube time: SportsTime Ohio reported that the ratings for the Tribe's first three games against the White Sox earlier this week ranked among its top five ratings all season. Opening Day and the Tribe's game against Detroit on July 8 were the only games that pulled a higher rating.

Stat of the day: Rookie right-hander Chris Archer, a one-time Tribe prospect, went 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five starts in July for the Rays. The Indians traded Archer to the Cubs for Mark DeRosa on Dec. 31, 2008. On Jan. 8, 2011, Archer was one of five players the Cubs sent to the Rays for Matt Garza.

Trent Richardson was kicked in the shin Thursday and sat out Friday. He'll also sit out Family Night.

BEREA, Ohio -- Trent Richardson sat out Friday and will miss Family Fun night Saturday at FirstEnergy Field after getting kicked in the right shin during Thursday's practice when a lineman was knocked backwards.

It's the same shin in which Richardson suffered a muscle strain during organized team activities. It caused him to miss some practice time in OTAs and all of the June minicamp.

But Richardson won't sit down without a fight.

"Ain’t no problem,'' said Richardson. "I was kind of upset and fighting with coach a little bit for me to practice. It’s just (Rob Chudzinski) letting me get a little rest. Ain’t nothing going on. He was just resting me a little bit and saying I was running a lot and it’s August.

"It is what it is. ... I’ll be back out here when he lets me back out here.”

Richardson acknowledged he got kicked in the same shin that kept him out of action in the spring. He came out late to watch practice, and received treatment on the shin afterwards.

“Ain’t no kick going to stop me from running," he said. "I might get kicked two years from now and I might have that same thing. It ain’t nothing to be worried about.

"I’ll be back out here Monday, whenever he said I would be back.”

Richardson, who missed all four preseason games last year, said that won't be the case this fall.

"I’m going to play in all of them,'' he said. "Coach knows that if it was a preseason game tomorrow or today, I’d be playing in it. If we were playing in the Hall of Fame game right now, I’d be playing in the game. It doesn’t matter. I’m playing in every game this year. That’s my word, and that’s what I’m going to do. That’s my goal.”

Chudzinski said Richardson could've practiced or played Friday "but it's part of the plan we have for him in continuing to keep him healthy and rested and get him ready for the season.''

Holmgren drops in: Former Browns President Mike Holmgren dropped into training camp Friday. He talked to Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CBS Sports analyst Jim Nantz on the field.

“Actually I just came in for the Hall of Fame. Hope to see (Bill) Parcells and (Warren) Sapp and Chris Carter and all of those guys that I coached against all those years,'' he said. "I was driving by the facility and I thought practice would be over and I was going to sneak in, just going to sneak in and sneak out. I understand they have new offices. My old office, the little cubbyhole I had up there is now fancy so I came out to say hello to Jim [Haslam] and Joe [Banner] and [Mike] Lombardi.”

He said life's been good since leaving the Browns.

"We’re in California, all the kids are out there for summer at the cabin. I’m doing a little radio. I’m one of you now, which oh (sigh). I’m doing a little radio thing in Seattle so that’s fun and just traveling a little bit and doing some things that I haven’t been able to do for a long time. I still miss it tremendously but that’s what it is right now.”

Perry stops by: Six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Michael Dean Perry visited practice and talked to the defensive linemen.

"I told them I didn't realize just how quickly it ends, and if I had to do it all over again, I would've taken better care of my body,'' he said. "Hopefully those guys will listen. Because really, I could've played another two years. The off-season could've started earlier. I took an elongated off-season. It takes a lot more to get back in shape and that's wear and tear on your body. That's all, just a nice little tidbit.''

Defensive tackle Phil Taylor said it was an honor to hear from one of the Browns' greatest defensive linemen.

Jousting linemen: Taylor said he’s enjoyed his move to nose tackle this season in the Browns reconfigured 3-4 defensive front. Center Alex Mack might not agree.

The starters have had minor dustups the last two days in one-on-one passing drills. Taylor shoved Mack on Thursday after the center landed on top of him and took his time getting up.

On Friday, the nose guard grabbed Mack’s shoulder pads with both hands just under his chin and didn’t let go as the whistle blew.

“It’s just practice, just practice,” Taylor said.

Chudzinski was asked about the flare-ups.

“It’s the middle of training camp,” the coach said. “They are tired of going against each other every day. They have a good competition . . . Obviously, we are going to be smart, but that’s the kind of competition you want.”

Quotable: Chuzinski on the three guards, John Greco, Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston fighting for two spots: “All of them have shown and done a good job out here. It’s a good competition. They all have experience so they understand what they need to do. It is really close. It is a tight competition. What we really wanted and focused on in the first two weeks is letting those guys hone in on a couple positions, whereas in the spring, we were rotating them almost every play and rotating them around quite a bit. We want to give them a day at each position and be able to work that way.”

Injuries: Receiver David Nelson is day-to-day with the aggravation of his repaired anterior cruciate ligament. "He feels better today,'' said Chudzinski. ... Montario Hardesty is still out with a hamstring tendon. ... Tight end Brad Smelley rested with a hamstring and cornerback Trevin Wade was idle with some tightness.

(Plain Dealer reporter Tom Reed contributed to this report.)

Keegan Bradley loves the Firestone Country Club course at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but keeps missing the putts he has to make.

AKRON, Ohio -- When Tiger Woods started birdie-eagle, everyone knew he was capable of something special Friday at the WCG-Bridgestone Invitational. Defending champion Keegan Bradley, who is tied for second at 6-under 134, seven shots behind Woods after Tiger's second-round 61, said: "I played a great round of golf. Those first couple of holes are definitely birdie holes, so I expected him to do that."

Bradley said he hasn't gotten the most out of his 66-68 start at the par-70 Firestone South course. "(Thursday) I didn't make many putts, and (Friday) I made more putts, but I felt today could have been lower as well. This time of year, my game always kind of comes around and I start to play better."

Warning signs: England's Chris Wood, who is tied for second, will play with Woods and Bradley as the field plays in threesomes with the possibility of rain in the forecast.

"Tiger is obviously on his game. I said to my caddie on the range, he was hitting balls next to me this morning, that he looked really impressive, totally in control. It's going to be a real challenge for me (Saturday)."

Tee times: Third round play begins at 11:10 a.m. because of the weather threat, with leaders going off by 1 p.m.

Too monstrous: Is the 16th hole still "The Monster?" Or has one of the most famous par-5s in golf gotten too big for its pitches?

In the old days, before the back tee was back, back, back, the long hitters could go for the green in two shots, if they could clear the pond that guards it like a medieval moat. But even though there is some flexibility to move the tees closer than the 667-yard maximum, even though it plays downhill and, on Friday, downwind, it's still a take-your-par-5 and move on hole for most players.

Charl Schwartzel birdied it after driving into the right rough, hitting his second shot onto the adjoining 17th fairway, then reaching the green in three shots and holing a 37-foot putt. But that was unusual, to say the least.

"It's one of those par-5s where you know you've got to hit three good shots. It's a good par-5," said Steve Stricker, a short hitter who couldn't get home in two on the hole if it were in his backyard. "I like it when they move (the tee) up and give guys a chance (to go for it in two). Now it plays into a shorter hitter's hands if you can hit the fairway, unless they do move it."

When is it time to look ahead? First of all, there is no "garbage time" on the PGA Tour. When the game is gone in the NBA, "garbage time" sometimes comes into force. That means deep substitutes either flood the floor or the selfish among the starters start going for their stats.

The PGA Tour equivalent might be the lack of fire with which Arnold Palmer would play when he could not win. Jack Nicklaus and and Woods were the opposite, always bearing down and squeezing the most possible out of their rounds, even when they were hopelessly out of it. Lanny Wadkins to this day still laughs about some of the "very poor backhanders" he would hit after missed tap-ins when he was not in contention.

But the temptation to lose focus might be greater because the year's last major, the PGA Championship, begins next week in Rochester, N.Y.

Asked if he tended to look ahead, Angel Cabrera, who shot a 2-under 68 to reach even par at the midway point, simply said, "Porque? "

Then he self-translated. "Why?" Cabrera said.,

"I'm playing this week, this tournament," he said.

Said Rickie Fowler: "Coming down (the) last few holes, maybe seven shots back with four to play, obviously you want to finish strong, but there is a point where maybe you want to get into a rhythm, get things going with your swing for next week."

Fowler is at 2-under 138, tied for 11th.Given the way Woods is playing, Fowler might have time for last-round experimentation and swing nuance work Sunday.

Justin Masterson earned his 13th victory Thursday, a single-season career high for the 6-6 right-hander. The stats say Masterson's improved slider has played a big part in his season.

Justin Masterson's slider has become a very effective pitch for him this season.Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer 

MIAMI, Fla. -- Justin Masterson won his 13th game Thursday. It's the most he's won in a single season in the big leagues.

It's also a long way from last season when he went 11-15 with a 4.93 ERA in 34 starts. One of the reasons for Masterson's success has been an improved use of his slider. Two stats to digest:

• Right-handers, according to ESPN, are 1-for-76 with 50 strikeouts in at-bats against Masterson that end with him throwing a slider.

• Overall, hitters, according to Fangraphs.com, are batting .081 (13-for-160) with 91 strikeouts in at-bats where Masterson's slider is the last pitch they see.

All season long Masterson has said the slider has been a big pitch for him simply because he's throwing more strikes with it. Manager Terry Francona wasn't in Cleveland last year to compare how the pitch has improved from one year to the next. Instead of focusing on one pitch, Francona took a look at the whole pitcher.

"Little things jump out," said Francona. "He beat Texas last Saturday night at home. Sunday morning, I'm usually the first one in the clubhouse. I was getting a bite to eat and he was already there at 8:15 a.m.

"The day after a starter pitches is always a big work day. That's an easy day to come in late. We've played a lot of games and some guys can use the rest. But he was there early and ready to get after it.

"That just makes you realize that he gets it. He's not content with what's going on and wants to get better. That's impressive to me and I'm sure that's one of the reasons he's not only been good, but has sustained it."

Masterson is 13-7 with a 3.33 ERA in 33 starts. Here's how he ranks in the American League: tied for second in innings pitched with 156 2/3, fourth in strikeouts with 160, fourth in batting average against at .217 and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.2.

Hot today, sit tomorrow: Ryan Raburn hit two homers and drove in four runs Thursday in the Tribe's 6-1 victory over Chicago. Friday night he was on the bench as the Indians opened a three-game series against the Marlins.

"I like our lineup," said Francona, when asked if he was tempted to use Raburn. "We're facing three righties in this series. We'll see what happens in the next couple of days. Having Raburn on the bench as a pinch hitter is a pretty good option in a National League game."

Marlins Park is dominated by a large outfield. One of the reasons Francona went with the lineup he did -- Michael Brantley in left, Michael Bourn in center and Drew Stubbs in right -- was because they can all run and cover a lot of empty space.

"It's a big outfield," said Francona.

National League rules: This is the Indians' first Interleague series in a NL park since a two-game series in Cincinnati in late May.

Francona says he doesn't mind having to play under NL rules in such a brief series.

"The one good thing about this year's Interleague schedule is that you don't have to play nine and 10 games in a row without your DH," said Francona. "That was hard. In Cleveland, you went through it with Travis Hafner. I had David Ortiz in Boston and I thought it was very unfair.

"Now we're here for only three days and we really aren't tied into a DH. So we're fortunate in a lot of ways. We're having pitchers bat with aren't used to it, but it's for three days and we can live with it. It's not the end of the world."

Finally: Leandro Linares, the 19-year-old Cuban right-hander the Indians reached a verbal agreement with last month, should be in Cleveland next week for a physical. Linares agreed to a $950,000 signing bonus. ... Following a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance at Class A Lake County on Thursday, Josh Tomlin has thrown three scoreless innings on his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Woods needed just two birdies in his last five holes to tie for the lowest round in PGA Tour history, and instead wound up saving par to match his course record 61. Watch video

AKRON, Ohio – In the end, guys with beers were flinching as his ball rattled around in the trees, trash cans were being moved out of the way to accommodate his wayward lie and Tiger Woods was just trying to avoid a bogey at 18.

But for 17 holes Friday, from his birdie-eagle-birdie start, to his make-the-putt fist pump at No. 12, to his drive at 13 that he blocked right but banged off a tree and dropped in the fairway on the way to a fourth straight birdie, Woods was on 59 watch.

The galleries at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational were wrapped up in a rare opportunity, riding the waves of tension that accompany the chance for a legend to do something new.

“I've got to be somewhere at 7 o'clock,” Adam Ours of Kirtland said after No. 13, when Woods made a 14-foot birdie after his approach shot from 218 yards. “But I can't leave if he's on pace for 59.”

Draining putts, catching breaks and stalking history, Woods indulged the crowds with a couple double cap tips, and he even flipped his golf ball to 8-year-old Sophia Carpenter after the 14th hole. He'd met her and her dad at Starbucks on Friday morning when he swung by for breakfast.

They were hoping for history. For a 59, everyone was on alert.

“They were excited. You could hear it more than feel it,” Woods said of the fans. “You definitely could hear it. They were into it. It's nice to be playing in front of people that are excited like that, and especially people that aren't yelling just because your ball gets in the air. You know, we are pros.”

None of the other 72 pros in the field at Firestone County Club were close to Woods on this day. His 61 tied his course record (also shared by Jose Maria Olazabal), was the best round of the day by five shots and was 10 shots ahead of the average for the field. It left him at 13 under after two rounds, seven ahead of the second-place tie between defending champ Keegan Bradley and Chris Wood and in position for his eighth win at Firestone Country Club.

But it fell short of what it could have been. It could have been the best player of his generation shooting the best round in PGA Tour history. Only five other 59s have been recorded, the last by Stuart Appleby in 2010.

“Am I disappointed?” Woods asked. “Absolutely not, nope – 61 is pretty good. I'm not bummed.”

Maybe that's in part because Woods, strangely, acted like his run at 59 was no big deal because he'd done it before.

“I've shot 59 before,” Woods said. “If I hadn't ever shot 59 before, it'd be a different story.”

Well, OK, but Tiger, no one saw that. The 59 in Woods' head is from a 1997 friendly round at his home course in Florida with Mark O'Meara. Woods took some cash off his pal that day and likes to tell the story. But it doesn't really count. At all.

This would have been different. This was galleries three and four deep watching a 38-year-old with 14 career majors and 78 career wins – yet he never even shot 60 in a PGA Tour event.

“When he was going (the tension) was really high,” said 17-year-old Joel Gerberich, who carried the group scoreboard with Woods. “But he was totally professional.”

After making the turn with a 5-under 30, Woods drained birdie putts of seven, nine and 20 feet to get to 8 under after 12 holes. He fist-bumped a teenager turning toward the next tee – maybe breaking his mojo – then hit his drive dead right. Playing partner Hideki Matsuyama hit the same drive and made bogey from the trees. Woods caught his break and made birdie, and then it was really on. Woods needed just two birdies in his last five holes for the 59.

“This is silly,” fan Ben Stocum of Mayfield Heights said at the time. “I think he makes at least two birdies, maybe three. I saw him make a 20-foot putt like it was a 3-foot putt.”

That was the vibe from the crowd. And it's a moment the fans on hand should remember. Woods said it wasn't among the best 10 rounds of his career, but undeniably, an unforgettable player was in position for that magical number.

Then Woods brought it home with a par after a drive in the trees on 14; a missed 10-foot birdie on No. 15, which made at least one fan swear; a 28-footer on No. 16 that never got to the hole; and another miss on an 8-foot birdie on No. 17 when he talked himself out of the break.

And the 59 was gone.

“Would it have been nice to shoot 59? Yeah, it would have been nice. I certainly had the opportunity,” Woods said.

But the round wasn't over.

Needing par for his 61, Woods drove right again. His second shot scattered fans near a greenside pavilion, leaving him an 85-yard punch shot, which he pushed to the back fringe. Kevin Ormond, a 16-year-old from Fairlawn, was explaining how Woods wound up that far right as the fate of the 61 rested on a 26-foot par putt. It seemed like a bogey was inevitable.

“Those are big putts,” Woods said. “I think making big par putts are more important than making birdies. I don't know what it is, but it's that feeling of never dropping a shot. I didn't drop any shots today, and I kept the card clean.”

So as the par putt went down, ending his round of 10 pars, seven birdies and an eagle, Woods raised his arm, then raised his putter, then took off his hat and swept a thank you to the roaring crowd. Back where Woods had been in trouble, Ormond raised his arms and joined the throng.

“I was hoping it would be a 59,” Ormond said. “But that was a crazy putt.”

So it wasn't something new by the golfer who has done nearly everything. But, nope, it wasn't bad.

Fowler followed a double-bogey with an eagle, and Tiger Woods' playing partner thought he might shoot a 56.

AKRON, Ohio - Friday's second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at a glance:

Shot of the day: Tiger Woods said it looked easy, but his 121-yard wedge into No. 10 really wasn't. “It was a pretty sweet little shot, to take the spin off of it and draw it in there and skip it up, land on the crest and make sure it's not going to hop over the back,” Woods said. He knocked it to seven feet to start his string of four straight birdies on the back nine.

Quote of the day: “I hope he doesn't go too low, but I'm in a good spot going into the weekend regardless.” - Keegan Bradley after finishing his round of 68, on  Woods, who had just started his round birdie-eagle. Woods shot 61, and Bradley, the defending champ, is tied for second – but seven shots back.

Quote of the day 2: “I knew that he was looking for a very short stroke, like maybe 57 or 56 possibly, but he was not making much putts on the last stretch.” - Rookie Hideki Matsuyama, through an interpreter, who played with Woods and had impossibly high dreams for his partner's round.

Down-and-up of the day: Rickie Fowler, after shooting 1-under on his first nine, made a double-bogey on his 10th hole followed by an eagle. So they evened out. And they were a little more dramatic than two pars.“I like the double-eagle,” Fowler said. “Kind of gets you going in the right direction.” Fowler made three more bogeys on his way in, though, to shoot 71, and is 2-under overall and tied for 11th.

Making do of the day: Bill Haas isn't hitting it his best but he's scoring. He followed a 67 with a 68 and is tied for fourth, eight behind Woods. “I think if I can strike it a little bit better, I feel like I can shoot a 66 or 65,” Haas said. Even that may not be enough.

Buy of the day: Paul Tesori, the caddie for Webb Simpson, tweeted out a photo of a receipt from Chipotle and reported that Bubba Watson bought dinner there for about 60 people in line. The bill came out to $497.76. Watson must have been feeling good after a 69 Friday left him in a tie for sixth at 4-under.

Rookie right-hander Jose Fernandez was dominating and the Cleveland Indians were flat and error-prone as winning streak ends.

MIAMI, Fla. -- Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera said his error in the first inning Friday night cost the Indians the game. Hard to argue with that, but let us not forget the contribution of rookie right-hander Jose Fernandez in the death of the Tribe's eight-game winning streak.

Fernandez, 21, struck out 14 batters in eight innings in the Marlins' 10-0 victory at Marlins Park. He is the first pitcher to strikeout 13 or more batters in consecutive starts since Randy Johnson in 2004 and the first rookie to do it since Kerry Wood in 1998.

Manager Terry Francona, before the game, gave this scouting report on Fernandez, who had never faced one batter on the Tribe roster, "This kid has got everything. He's got the fastball, breaking ball, velocity. I just hope we don't see him at his best."

If that wasn't Fernandez at his best, it had to be pretty close or every hitter in the big leagues is in trouble.

Tribe-Marlins boxscore | Scoreboard | Standings

After the game, Francona said what he saw on video and read about in the scouting reports was true.

"This is a pretty young kid as far as starts go in the major leagues, but we saw the stuff and tonight he put it together for eight innings," said Francona, "which was unfortunate for us. That's as good a start as we've seen all year.

"Thankfully, he's in the National League. He wasn't just throwing it, he was pitching with no a lot of effort. You hate to say it because you're trying to beat him, but when you look back at it that was an unbelievable start."

Fernandez, the Marlins No.1 pick in 2011, made his big league debut this year. He made the jump from Class A ball Miami.

The Indians were held to three hits and struck out a season-high 16 times. Michael Brantley was the only Indian who didn't strikeout against Fernandez (8-5, 2.54) and Steve Ames, who pitched the ninth.

Fernandez's 14 strikeouts were the most by a starter against the Indians since Zack Greinke had 15 on Aug. 25, 2009.

As Cabrera said, the game was decided in the first when he lost the handle on a double-play ball that would have gotten Ubaldo Jimenez out of the inning with barely a scratch. Jimenez, instead, allowed three unearned runs and faced eight batters.

With one out, Jimenez (8-6, 4.18) walked Ed Lucas. Giancarlo Stanton sent a grounder to Cabrera that he bobbled to put runners on first and second base.

"I've got no excuse," said Cabrera, who made two errors on the night. "I think we lost the game right there in the first inning. The ball didn't do anything. It was a routine ground ball, a double play. I just missed it."

After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Logan Morrison blooped a double just inside the left field line to make it 1-0 and send Stanton to third. Stanton scored on a ground ball by Donovan Solano and Adeiny Hechavarria singled to make it 3-0.

"It ended up being a big play, but as a starting pitcher you want to pick up your teammate, but I couldn't," said Jimenez. "Asdrubal makes the play every time. I just wanted to pick him up."

Jimenez threw 107 pitches in four innings. He allowed five runs, two earned, on nine hits and two walks.

"You hate to give anybody extra opportunities and we did that," said Francona. "But saying that, 100 plus pitches in four innings is just too much. And the way their guy was pitch, we didn't need a reason to take the steam out of us."

The loss dropped the Indians to three games behind Detroit in the AL Central. The Tigers beat Chicago, 2-1.

The Marlins, who own the worst record in the National League at 43-65, stretched the lead to 5-0 with runs in the second and third innings. In the ninth, they added insult to injury by scoring five runs on seven hits against Matt Albers.

Nick Swisher, Cabrera and Ryan Raburn were the only Indians to get hits. Cabrera doubled in the seventh and took third on a ground ball. He was the only indians to get into scoring position in the game.

"We saw the same guy tonight that we saw in the video," said Cabrera, who wrapped three strikeouts around his double. "Fernandez threw everything for a strike."

Little hopes the hand-combat drills with help him create separation against press coverage

BEREA, Ohio – It was a day of unusual sights at Browns training camp Friday.

Former team president Mike Holmgren, who flew from California for the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, made a surprise appearance at the team facility. CBS broadcaster and Mike Lombardi acquaintance Jim Nantz also was in attendance.

Then there was receiver Greg Little joining defensive linemen for drills on two occasions. Little was slapping tackling dummies and using his elbows, hands and shoulders to repel the blocking attempts of assistant coaches. Is the 220-pounder contemplating a position change?

“I kind of mentioned that to their coach earlier about getting in on a third-and-long and seeing where that goes,” Little deadpanned.

In fact, he was practicing his hand-combat technique – drills most often associated with line play – that he’s using against cornerbacks in press coverage. Little wants to prevent defenders from getting their hands into his body and jamming him at the line.

The idea is to create separation by utilize chops and rapid arm motions to redirect a defender's hands.

“Often times linemen deal with that first initial punch from an offensive linemen and it’s just knocking the hands down and doing the different moves they do to get the offensive lineman’s hands off them,” Little said. “I just gravitated toward them and kept it working.”

Nobody recommended the drills to Little. He simply took the initiative during organized team activities in April. On Friday, Little joined the likes of Phil Taylor and Desmond Bryant on an adjoining field while his fellow receivers worked in special teams’ units.

Entering his third season, Little seems focused on maximizing his practice time. He often stays late to catch footballs propelled from the JUGS machine. The receiver said he’s noticed a difference in challenging cornerback Joe Haden since he began the hand-combat exercises.

“Every time he puts his hands up I am able to anticipate that and that’s due a lot to the work I do with the d-line,” he said.

Four Columbus Clippers pitchers came within one out of pitching a combined no-hitter Friday night at Huntington Park in Columbus. But Reliever Clay Rapada surrendered a single with two out in the ninth, in the Clippers 8-0 victory over Buffalo.

Danny Salazar

Class AAA: Columbus 8, Buffalo 0 A Bisons single with two outs in the ninth ruined a bid for a combined no-hitter by four Columbus pitchers. Starter Danny Salazar (4-2) struck out eight in five innings. Preston Guilmet then struck out three in two hitless innings, and Vinnie Pestano pitched a hitless eighth. Clay Rapada, pitching the ninth, retired the first hitter on a fly ball to center and followed with a strikeout. Leadoff hitter Anthony Gose, a .231 hitter, then singled to right. Rapada ended the game, played at Huntington Park in Columbus, on another fly-out to center. 

Class AA: Altoona 4, Akron 0 Three pitchers for the host Curve shut out the Aeros on four hits. Akron starter Will Roberts (7-8) suffered the loss. He gave up four runs, all earned, in 6 1/3 innings. The Aeros were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. 

Class A Advanced: Frederick 4, Carolina 3 The host Mudcats outhit the Keys, 12-7, but still lost the game. Carolina was 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Reliever Rob Nixon (3-4) gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth. Carolina catcher Alex Lavisky, a St. Edward product, slugged his second homer, a solo shot in the second inning. Lavisky was 2-for-4 and is hitting .260 in 73 at-bats. 

Class A: Fort Wayne 7, Lake County 5 The TinCaps scored four runs in the final three innings to defeat the Captains at Classic Park in Eastlake. DH Richard Stock socked his fifth home run for the Captains, a three-run shot in the fifth. Reliever D. J. Brown (1-3) was clobbered for four runs, all earned, and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. 

Class A Short Season: Mahoning Valley 4, Connecticut 3 (13) DH Juan Romero singled home Nellie Rodriguez in the top of the 13th, and the Scrappers won at Connecticut. Romero was 3-for-6, including a double. 

Independent: Lake Erie, Washington suspended The Crushers were leading the Washington, Pa., Wild Things, 2-1 in the top of the third inning, when the game was suspended because of rain. The game will pick up Aug. 13, when the Wild Things return to Avon as part of a doubleheader. 

Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner says camp so far has been 'a lot of mixed results.'

BEREA, Ohio -- Midway through training camp, Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner envisions quarterback Brandon Weeden starting the season, but he's been impressed with second-teamer Jason Campbell.

"We're getting Brandon ready to be the starter,'' Turner told The Plain Dealer this week. "He's getting a big chunk of the work, but we're getting the other two guys (including Brian Hoyer) ready to play. As we know, you better have all three of those guys ready to play in this league.''

But Turner doesn't expect that Weeden will struggle in the preseason games and lose the job.

"I don't envision that happening because of the way he's playing, but we've got to go play,'' said Turner. "That's a question more for (coach Rob Chudzinski) than for me, but I think everyone in that locker room understands that we're committed to playing the guys that give us the best chance to win. Until a guy has started and played at a high level and won, there's always going to be competition.''

Turner acknowledged that the offense has looked a little ragged at times, with more interceptions than any offensive coach wants to see.

"We've had a lot of mixed results and more inconsistencies than I'd like but that doesn't surprise me,'' said Turner. "However, we do need to have that sense of urgency that this thing's going to be on us real fast.''

He said Weeden is operating efficiently from a mechanical standpoint, but is still sometimes thinking a bit too much.

"When he's doing it right and he's got a sense of urgency with his feet and the ball's coming out, he's got all of the athleticism and the foot quickness and the arm quickness to get it out,'' said Turner. "There are sometimes when it may be a new play, it may be a defensive look that he hasn't had a lot of reps on and when you starting thinking too much, you tend to slow down and we're working through that.''

He said Campbell, who had some familiarity with the system, is adapting well.

"I really like what Jason has done,'' said Turner. "People say he's been in the system, but he found out right away it's a lot different than what we're doing. You can tell when he's in there that he's played. He's played a lot of football. So he's very comfortable in the pocket. He's very comfortable in terms of going through the progressions and then like the other guys, he's learning a new offense, so there's ups and downs but to me, he's been very, very consistent.''

Turner said former Chargers quarterbacks coach John Ramsdell, who worked for Turner in San Diego, came to practice and was impressed with Campbell.

"He said, 'I didn't realize Jason was as quick as he is and as quick with the ball,''' said Turner. "That's one of the things we started working on as soon as we got here. Get the ball out of our hand and he's really taken to it and done a good job with it.''

He said Campbell's challenge is that everything is foreign to him here, whereas Weeden has spent a year with his supporting cast.

"When you come into a place like this and you don't know anyone, you're getting used to the style of running game, you're getting used to the new tight end,'' said Turner. "We have a lot of young players and it's a new system.''

He said Weeden's been making good decisions, but that there are extenuating circumstances for some of the rough edges around the offense.

"You've got the combination of getting everyone on the same page and then we're seeing a lot of different looks from the defense,'' Turner said. "Sometimes they'll trick you -- all three of the quarterbacks -- and it's a matter of seeing it over and over and over again. It makes it more difficult now, but it's going to help us in the long run because each week you have to prepare for a different look.''

He said he's also seen progress in third-stringer Hoyer, who spent his first three seasons as Tom Brady's understudy in New England.

"I like Brian,'' said Turner. "He's obviously been exposed to a lot of different things. He's getting zeroed in on what we're doing. He's willing to take a chance with the ball and sometimes that ends up good and sometimes it ends up bad. We're trying to make sure when we take a chance, whether it's a tight throw or a big play, that we understand the consequences. I think he's improving in that area.''

After a poor Wednesday practice, Turner made a highlight reel of six or seven good plays to show to the offense.

"When we're doing things right, we've made a lot of good plays,'' he said. "It's just a matter of everybody getting comfortable and on the same page. I think even when a play isn't successful, they're all seeing what the capabilities are.''

Turner said he's been encouraged by the offensive line and the running game.

"Our offensive line is really coming together and they're seeing a lot of looks that will help us in the future and we're identifying things our guys do best,'' he said. "A big part of helping our quarterbacks play better is making sure we're sound in the running game.''

He said he fancies Trent Richardson as an every down back, one capable of 300 carries and 60 receptions. Richardson is currently sidelined until at least Monday after getting kicked in his previously injured shin on Thursday.

"It's hard for a tailback now to play every down the entire game, but they have to be prepared to play every down," he said. "If we're in a two-minute situation, I don't think any of us want to see Trent standing on the sidelines. But we need the other guys to be able to go in and play. I don't think there's a player in this league that can play 60 plays a game and make it, especially with all of the blitzes you're getting.''

The new offense will be on display Saturday night at 6:30 on Family Night at FirstEnergy Stadium, and Turner is hoping for an efficient practice.

"We have a stretch like (the other day) where we complete three straight balls to Greg Little and it's bang, bang, bang,'' said Turner. "Then we have a stretch where we throw three incompletions. The more times we do it the better we're going to be.''

The Indians didn't pitch well or play well Friday night at Marlins Park, but new reliever Marc Rzepczynski turned in a scoreless inning.

Marc Rzepczynski, shown here pitching for the Cardinals, worked a scoreless seventh inning in his Indians' debut Friday night in a 10-0 loss to Miami. Jeff Roberson, Associated Press 

MIAMI, Fla. -- Friday was a night to forget for Indians pitchers in a 10-0 loss to the Marlins. The fact that Miami is the lowest scoring team in the majors made things hurt a little more.

Ubaldo Jimenez lasted just four innings, threw 107 pitches and allowed five runs, only two of which were earned. Matt Albers gave up five runs on seven hits, including five in a row, in the eighth when the Indians were just trying to slink quietly out of Marlins Park.

Bryan Shaw gave a glimmer of hope with four strikeouts over two scoreless innings, while lefty Marc Rzepczynski made his Indians' debut by retiring the Marlins in order in the seventh.

The Indians acquired Rzepczynski on Tuesday, the day before the July 31 trading deadline, from St. Louis for a minor-league infielder to give them better results from the left side of the bullpen. Naturally, his debut came against three right-handed hitters: Donovan Solano, Adeiny Hechavarria and Jake Marisnick.

"His velocity was good," said manager Terry Francona. "He threw a couple of good breaking balls. When he missed, he missed out of the zone.

"Stuff wise, it was what we expected. There's a lot to like there."

Rich Hill has been decent of late, but for the most part the Tribe's left-handed relievers haven't pitched that well this season. As for Albers, Francona just wanted him to get through the eighth to save the bullpen.

"He got to two outs and then all of a sudden everything he threw wandered over the middle," said Francona. "He was just missing his spots by a lot."

Albers' ERA jumped over a full run, going from 2.75 to 3.79.

Saturday night's lineups:

Indians (60-49): CF Bourn, 1B Swisher, 2B Kipnis, SS Cabrera, LF Brantley, C Santana, RF Raburn, 3B Chisenhall, P McAllister (4-8, 3.48).

Rays (43-65): LF Yelich, 3B Lucas, RF Stanton, 1B Morrison, 2B Solano, SS Hechavarria, CF Marisnick, C Brantly, P Turner (3-3, 2.65).

Umpires: HP Hernandez, 1B Nauert, 2B Eddings, 3B DeMuth. DeMuth, crew chief.

The clutch of players vying for second place at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational ponder the glories that might come their way without the runaway leader.

AKRON, Ohio -- They could have been contenders.

"Well, I won my tournament," said Tom Kite, who finished second to Woods by a dozen shots at the 1997 Masters.

Woods is not the same player now, but the view of his competitors is the same this week.

Who will win the Non-Tiger Flight at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational? Without Tiger, Keegan Bradley, at 5 under, would be three strokes behind the leader and going for a repeat at Firestone.

His mentor, Phil Mickelson, might be listed among the "those also playing golf" this week at even par. But what better way for Mickelson's protege to approach next week's PGA Championship, which Bradley won in 2011, than climbing out of the battle royal below the top rung of the leaderboard at Firestone South and having a serious shot at glory here?

At 7 under, Jason Dufner -- 36 years old now, a Clevelander until he was 11, a Browns fan since Bernie Kosar came along when Dufner was eight, and then The Drive and The Fumble followed before he could avert his eyes -- would have come roaring up the leaderboard, like a hound on a scent, ready to avenge his loss to Bradley in a PGA playoff in 2011.

Dufner was at the Browns' practice on Monday. He's got the distemper for it. Maybe Dawg masks wouldn't be appropriate in the galleries at Firestone South, although animal costumes were sort of validated forevermore by Woods' tiger-striped club covers.

View full sizeCleveland native Jason Dufner admitted this year's Bridgestone Invitational would be "a heck of a tournament" if a certain player wasn't lapping the field entering Sunday's final round.Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer 

"I didn't hear any barks," said Dufner. "But I had a lot of support out there. It's great to be back here in Northeast Ohio and playing well."

There is playing well, playing very well and playing (and saying) farewell. The latter is what Woods, who is 15 under, is about to do to the field.

"It's tough when a guy is at 15 under and he's got a seven-shot lead. This will be a heck of a tournament for the fans and everybody else if he wasn't playing," Dufner said. "He's got a pretty good track record out here. Quite a few (courses) come to mind -- Torrey Pines, Bay Hill, Memorial. He obviously plays very well on those courses. As players, you've got to try and respond with what you can do to try and catch him. It's a tough test."

It's not intimidation. It's grim reality. Said Dufner: "All you can do is tip your hat to him after (Friday's) round. A 61 is a pretty unbelievable round of golf. Tiger's showing the world and us where he's at right now with his game."

Without Woods, Europe would not be in flames. Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Woods' playing partner in Sunday's final round at 8 under, and England's Luke Donald,at 6 under, would be in the scrum for the title.

At 3 under, Adam Scott, the Aussie who won the Masters this year, and his caddie, Steve Williams, who formerly carried Tiger's bag, would be the mice who played while Tiger's away.

"Do you ever scoreboard watch and think what great tournament it would be without Tiger?" I asked Scott.

"I hadn't thought of that," said Scott. "I hadn't thought of anything but just trying to get it in the hole here, although Tiger is kind of running away with it. But every credit to him. The score is out there or anyone who can play good enough, and no one else has this week."

"Yeah, a little bit," said Rory McIlroy of scoreboard watching.

McIlroy was going to be the Next Tiger before experiencing a difficult 2013 season. "He got a very good start, got all the players behind him," added McIlroy. "But Tiger's Tiger. You can't play defense (in golf), and he's playing unbelievably well."

"Rumor-wise it's supposed to be real windy Sunday, so it still could quite be a tournament," said Bubba Watson, who is at 2 over.

Watson's comment came as Woods was in trouble on 18. But he saved par, less spectacularly than on Friday, but just as importantly.

"He does a lot of heroic things out there. I've seen it about 78 times," said Watson.

Without Woods, it would be "It's a Wonderful Life" for the other pros, only in reverse -- a Bedford Falls that would be a boom town without George Bailey.

Chris DeMarco would have won the two majors in which he was runner-up to Tiger. The best tournaments in the lives of Bob May and Rocco Mediate would have given them a PGA Championship and a U.S. Open title, respectively, and no agonizing playoff losses to Woods.

Without Tiger, Ernie Els might have won six majors, the same as Lee Trevino and Nick Faldo, and not four. He would have played off against Thomas Bjorn in the 2000 British Open and Miguel Jimenez in the 2000 U.S. Open, tournaments Tiger won by an aggregate of 23 shots.

"There are a lot of tournaments like that," Els said.

Sunday should conclude another one.

Cleveland native Dufner began his third round with four birdies -- before a double bogey slowed him and led to a 3-under score for the day.

AKRON, Ohio -- Through four holes, Jason Dufner was blazing. He birdied No. 1. The same at No. 2. And again at No. 3 and No. 4.

By the time the Cleveland native teed up at the fifth hole at Firestone Country Club, he’d sliced into Tiger Woods’ sizable lead at the Bridgestone Invitational and appeared poised to make a move -- or at least claim a solid hold on second place. But then came a mis-hit out of the box on the par-3, 211-yard fifth hole, resulting in a double-bogey.

It was just enough to dampen Dufner’s hot start, though he still finished a 3-under 67 for the day, and remains eight back headed into the final day of competition Sunday.

Jason Dufner started hot Saturday at the Bridgestone Invitational with four birdies on the first four holes.Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer 

“It’s a course you feel like you can get at a little bit, so it was nice to get off to that nice start,” Dufner said. “I hit some really great shots there on the first four holes, you know, that 4- to 8-foot range, birdie looks. And you’ve got to make some birdies if you’re going to catch a guy who’s got (an eight) shot lead on you.”

In the front nine Saturday, Dufner had five birdies and three pars – and that pesky double-bogey on No. 5. His second half was less spectacular with two bogeys – including one on the par-4 No. 18 where he missed a 6-foot putt. In all, it was enough for Dufner to be satisfied with his three days at Bridgestone.

“I’m right up there close to the top of the leaderboard – not really close to what Tiger is doing, though,” Dufner said. “Pretty solid golf for me. I’ve been struggling a little bit this year, but it’s nice to get here and put up some good scores and some good rounds.”

Chipotle for everyone: Bubba Watson spoke about his generosity Friday at a local Chipotle restaurant. He handed the cashier $500 and instructed her to use it toward the meals of everyone who came after him, until it ran out.

“It was just something I did. It was fun,” Watson said. “I mess up a lot, but I call myself a Christian. So the Bible tells us to give and help others and love everybody. I do it every once in a while, probably about 4-5 times a year, just for the fun of it.”

It earned Watson fans throughout Akron, as onlookers shouted out thanks and suggestions while Watson shot 2-over Saturday to remain 2-under through three rounds.

“I’ll be at Chipotle at 8 o’clock tonight!” one fan at the seventh green bellowed.

For the record, Watson said he’s not looking for any new sponsorship deals. “I like food too much,” he said. “All the other restaurants would be mad.”

Not impressed: The good news was that Charl Schwartzel had the best round of the day Saturday with a 6-under that featured not a single bogey.

The bad news is that even with the 64, the South African still was plus-2 for the tournament, having begun Saturday at 8 over.

“I’m still 17 shots behind,” Schartzel said. “It’s not that spectacular. At least it’s a better score than I did the first two days. It’s something to build on.”

Wood on Woods: The 25-year-old Chris Wood hasn’t had a lot of experience playing with the leaders, and has never played with the 38-year-old Woods.

So when Wood was placed in a threesome with Woods on Saturday, he knew it would be interesting.

“Totally an experience for me, that,” said Wood, a native of England. “Just the first tee, the noise. He chipped in on 13, I think; I’ve never heard a noise quite so loud on the golf course. But I loved every minute.”

Wood said he chatted with Woods a bit on the course, but learned the most just by watching.

“If he misses the green or he’s out of position, it’s absolute master class in damage limitation,” Wood said. “I mean, he nearly holed out from the back of the green on 14 for a par. ... Any time he was out of position, he’s either going to hole it or get up-and-down.”

Colorful character: Rickie Fowler is known for his colorful attire, and the 24-year-old didn’t disappoint Saturday. He donned grape-purple pants that were loved enough that one female fan shouted, “Marry me, Rickie!”

Tiger Woods has few obstacles in front of him with a seven-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round of the Bridgestone Invitational

AKRON, Ohio -- Tiger Woods drove away from Firestone Country Club in a red Buick with a police escort Saturday -- a preview of what should be more clear sailing in Sunday's final round of the Bridgestone Invitational

When Woods is good he's how-can-he-not-catch Jack Nicklaus good. His 61 in Friday's second round was only the latest suggestion of more dominance in reserve at age 36.

When he's just a little off, as he was in Saturday's third round, he's smart enough to take the cue and play defense. His 2-under 68 moved him to 15-under 195 for the tournament and gave him a seven-shot lead over Henrik Stenson. Only seven players are within 10 shots of Woods, who started birdie, birdie Saturday, made some early par saves and mitigated enough damage to drain the optimism out of his pursuers.

If needing a complete collapse by a player who's already won four times this year can be considered hot pursuit.

"Today was a day I didn't quite have it, but I scored," said Woods, who took a seven-shot lead into Saturday's third round. "A dead push," he called a day that felt to him like heavy lifting.

The mission of his competitors -- should they decide to accept it -- is to make up a ton of shots on a player who happens to be chasing his eighth title at Firestone.

Stenson and Jason Dufner have the best chance, relatively speaking. Stenson shot 32 on the back nine and played his final 10 holes in four under. His 8 under for the tournament leads Dufner by a shot.

"I'm just happy with the way I'm playing," Stenson said. "And if (Tiger) is too far ahead, he's too far ahead. It might be a race for second, but we'll see tomorrow."

Dufner decided early that par wasn't going to be his friend. The Olmsted Falls native opened a spectacular third round with four consecutive birdies. After a double bogey on the par-3 fifth, he birdied No. 6 to shoot 32 on the front. He matched Stenson's 67 for the round with an even-par back nine.

"It's a course you feel like you can get at a little bit," said Dufner. "So it was nice to get off to that start. I hit some really great shots on the first four holes. You've got to make birdies if you're going to catch a guy who's got a nine-shot lead on you."

Woods' 61 Friday pretty much ended the drama early around here. While legitimate questions persist about what happens to him on weekends in majors, that's an issue for next week at the PGA Championship. Nobody would bet on it happening at Firestone where the only difference this time is his lead isn't built on his mastery of the mammoth par-5 16th hole.

Woods has played No. 16 in 2 over through the first three rounds. He bogeyed it again Saturday after finding the fairway bunker off the tee and only advancing it 96 yards on his second shot.

"I've hit three really good drives down there," Woods said. "I tattooed all three of them, and especially today. I hammered that down there and the wind just slapped it out of the air. It's a foot from being over the top of the bunker."

The bogey on 16 was the second in three holes for Woods, who found another fairway bunker off the tee on No. 14. He skulled his third shot from a tree root, then got up and down from the rough for bogey.

"That was even bigger to escape with a bogey there," said Woods, who chipped in for birdie on the previous hole. "It looked like I could make any (number) and it was nice to just salvage a bogey on that hole."

Woods' 68 was seven shots worse than his torrid second round in which he flirted with 59. Not that coming back to earth surprised him.

"Some of the easier venues we play, it's not too unusual to see guys 17 deep at Bob Hope or the old Disney," Woods said. "Here it's not going to happen. It's just not. This golf course is too hard. It was blowing today. I thought anything in the red was going to be a good number."

Charl Schwartzel (64) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (65) had the day's best rounds. But Schwartzel's 74-74 start doomed him. As good as Jimenez was Saturday, he trails Woods by 10 shots.

Chris Wood, who played with Woods for the first time Saturday, was asked if he could imagine Woods being caught Sunday.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "Pretty under control."

Woods is 41-2 when leading a PGA Tour event after 54 holes.

So, yes, pretty much under control.

Said Nick Swisher: "What was most impressive is that (Jose Fernandez) threw that stuff for strikes. I don't really think we were swinging at balls out of the zone."

Rookie Jose Fernandez impressed Nick Swisher and a whole lot of other people with his victory over the Indians on Friday night.Associated Press 

MIAMI, Fla. -- Seen and heard at Marlins Park on Saturday.

Clubhouse confidential: First baseman Nick Swisher on Miami rookie right-hander Jose Fernandez, who struck out 14 in eight innings in Friday's 10-0 victory over the Tribe: "He had good stuff, man. What was most impressive is that he threw that stuff for strikes. I don't really think we were swinging at balls out of the zone. Those balls were strikes."

Fernandez threw 69 percent of his pitches (75 for 108) for strikes.

"I wasn't so much concerned about his fastball, it was more his slider that was putting us down left and right," said Swisher. "He had really good feel for his slider."

Wide open spaces: The outfield at Marlins Park is big and the Indians' fleet trio of Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn and Drew Stubbs had trouble covering it on Friday.

"It's big, which we knew," said Francona. "If our guys aren't able to get to a ball out there, probably nobody will."

Francona said he wouldn't have his outfielders play deeper because of the size of the outfield.

"You play it situationally, just like you do anywhere," he said. "If a double can beat you, you back up."

Stat of the day: Bourn entered Saturday's game 13-for-21 in stolen bases this year. He's been caught stealing an AL-high eight times.

A quick summary of the third round of the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.

AKRON, Ohio -- A quick look at some of the third-round highlights.

Shot of the day: Tiger Woods chipped in from the high rough for birdie on No. 13 to go 16 under. Scrambling was the theme of his day.

"Certainly wasn't a shot I was trying to make," Woods said. "Just trying to get it down there where I could make a par and just get out of Dodge."

Shot of the day (Non-Tiger Woods Edition): Keegan Bradley eagled the par-5 second by sinking a 40-foot putt.

Best start: Jason Dufner birdied the first four holes, doubled No. 5, them birdied No. 6 to shoot 32 on the front.

"I'm right up there close to the top of the leaderboard, not really close to what Tiger is doing, though," said Dufner.

Best finish: Miguel Angel Jimenez quietly shot 65. Jimenez, the second most interesting man in the world, did it with four birdies on his final five holes to shoot 31 on the back.

Best quote: Chris Wood on what he learned playing with Tiger Woods for the first time: "Well, if he misses the green or he's out of position, it's absolute master class in damage limitation."

Best stat package: Woods' rankings for the week: Driving Accuracy (T9), Greens in Regulation (T2), Driving Distance (5), Strokes Gained Putting (2), Par 3 Scoring Average (T6), Par 4 Scoring Average (1).

Kings of consistency: Bill Haas, tied for fourth entering Sunday's final round at 6-under, is tied with Brandt Snedeker for most top 10 finishes in 2013. They have eight each.