Chris Perez blew the game, but it was first bad outing in his last 20 appearances.

It was a long ninth inning for Chris Perez and the Tribe in the 4-2 loss to Detroit Monday.PD File 

For Tribe fans, the 4-2 loss to the Tigers was so frustrating...

Your team played eight terrific innings, perhaps the best defensive showing of the season.

Jason Kipnis made not one, but TWO outstanding belly-flop plays at second base to steal hits.

Kipnis dived to his right.

Kipnis dived to his left.

Kipnis was big time in a big game.

Michael Bourn ran down a line drive that screamed DOUBLE in the gap, the center fielder snaring it at the last possible second.

Michael Brantley threw out a runner at second base -- the 10th assist this season for the Tribe's left fielder. Can't figure out why opponents continue to try and take an extra base on him.

Carlos Santana and Jason Giambi each drove in runs.

And then there was Corey Kluber...

Suddenly, he is turning into Kluber in the Clutch.

This wasn't a game after a loss, but Kluber is 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in eight starts after the Tribe loses this season.

Monday, he held the Tigers scoreless for 7 1/3 innings. Can't ask for more against baseball's best lineup.

Kluber's ERA is down to 3.54. He continues to strike out five batters for every walk he allows.

The problem was the ninth, which has not been a problem lately.

The problem was Chris Perez, who entered the game with a 2-0 lead. And who took the mound with an 0.95 ERA and 11-of-11 in saves since coming off the disabled list on June 26.

The problem was Perez had nothing, and the Tigers delivered four runs in the top of the ninth.

The problem is after the game, you can blame Perez -- and yes, he blew it.

But the problem is, Perez also has been a key reason the Tribe is in position to contend with Detroit.

This was the third game in a row that Perez has pitched. He has been on the mound in six of the last eight games.

And this was the first time he failed.

Since his arrest on marijuana possession, he has kept his mouth shut and pitched extremely well -- until Monday night. Two runs in the previous 19 games.

Perez has been superb lately -- but not Monday.

And that's perhaps the most agonizing thing of all about this game -- the Indians did so much right, but still lost.

And the Tigers are now 10-3 vs. the Tribe, who trail them by four games in the Central Division.

That makes the next three games even important for the team in Wahoo red, white and blue.

Chris Perez blew a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning as Alex Avila hit a three-run homer to give Detroit as 4-2 victoryy and a four-game lead over the Tribe in the AL Central. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Center fielder Michael Bourn called it one of the toughest losses of the season. He was asked how he and the rest of the Indians would recover.

"The only thing you can do is go to sleep, wake up and it's a new day," said Bourn. "But this one was a tough one. I think it's one of the toughest ones of the year. We'll see how we respond and show what kind of team we are."

The Indians were three outs away from beating Detroit on Monday night in the opener of a big big four-game series between the top two teams in the AL Central. They had a 2-0 lead and closer Chris Perez on the mound in the ninth, but the Tigers rallied for four runs, three coming on an Alex Avila homer, for a 4-2 victory in front of 24, 381 at Progressive Field.

The Tigers have won nine straight and dropped the Indians four games off the pace. It's the Tribe's largest deficit since June 23.

Perez, looking for his 12th straight save since coming off the disabled list on June 27, didn't record an out. Prince Fielder opened with a double and scored on Victor Martinez's single. Perez walked Andy Dirks and Avila hammered an 0-1 pitch over the 19-foot wall in left center field.

"Chris got behind on Fielder. Then Victor had the base hit," said manager Terry Francona. "The walk probably hurt him most of all. In Avila's first at-bat of the game, he hit a ball to deep left center field. I turned to Brad Mills (third base coach) and said, "When he hits the ball in that direction, he makes me nervous.' He ended up jumping on a ball and hitting it that way."

Perez (0-4) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk. Memo to the Tribe's closer: he might want to avoid pitching on Aug. 5. For the third straight year, Perez, who is not talking to the media, has blown a save on that day.  

Cody Allen relieved Perez, who was pitching in his third save situation in as many days. The Indians were 51-2 entering the ninth with a lead before Monday.

Francona said he gave no thought of taking out Perez earlier than he did.

"If you're going to start doing that, you're going to get a revolving door going and create a mess," said Francona. "He's shown the ability to wiggle out of those a lot of times."

Corey Kluber was in line for the victory after pitching 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Kluber  entered the game with plenty of bruises this season from the Tigers' big bats. In three starts against them, he was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. The Tigers scored 13 runs on 24 hits in 17 1/3 innings in those three games.

Things were different Monday as Kluber struck out six, walked one and threw 105 pitches, 72 for strikes.

"Hopefully, I learn something from every start I make and use it for the next one," said Kluber. "I thought I was pretty and for the most part Carlos (Santana) and I worked ahead in the county."  

The loss was just the second in the last 12 games for the Indians. The Tigers are 10-3 against the Indians this season.

"There was a playoff atmosphere the whole game," said Bourn. "We knew it from the jump. So did they. Both teams came to play."

Kluber pitched out of some early trouble with assistance from left fielder Michael Brantley. Torii Hunter singled with one out in the first, but Brantley's strong throw to second cut him down. It was Brantley's AL-high 10th assist.

Martinez started the second with a soft single to left. After Dirks walked, Kluber's defense came through for him again. Bourn tracked down a long drive by Avila at the track in left center. Shortstop Jose Iglesias, who replaced suspended Jhonny Peralta, hit into a force play at second and Nick Swisher retired Ramon Santiago on a nice play at first.

Jason Giambi gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a two-out single off Anibal Sanchez in the second. Brantley scored after hitting a one-out single and stealing second. It was Brantley's 12th steal in 14 attempts.

The Indians made it 2-0 in the fourth with another two-out run. After Brantley singled with two down, Santana doubled off the right field wall. It looked like Santana thought the ball was out or perhaps he was deked by Hunter, who put his glove up as if he was going to make the catch.

Sanchez allowed two runs in 7 2/3 innings. Al Alburquerque (20-2) was the winner.  Joaquin Benoit pitched the ninth for his 13th save. 

RAVENNA, Ohio - Ravenna football coach Jim Lunardi and his Ravens players are getting ready to go blue. The Ravens are close to debuting their new electric blue turf at Gilchrist Field, located inside Portage Community Bank Stadium.

The new blue FieldTurf surface at Ravenna's Portage Community Bank Stadium should be ready by Aug. 30, according to administrators. - (Photo courtesy of Dennis Honkala, Ravenna Schools)

RAVENNA, Ohio - Ravenna football coach Jim Lunardi and his Ravens players are getting ready to go blue.

The Ravens are close to debuting their new electric blue turf at Gilchrist Field, located inside Portage Community Bank Stadium.

Installation of the turf should be complete by Aug. 30. It’s part of a $1.1 million stadium renovation project, which includes a new track, tennis courts and scoreboard.

The renovation was spearheaded by Lunardi and superintendent Dennis Honkala, who said school officials saw a chance to once again showcase Ravenna’s facilities.

Fourteen years ago, Ravenna was among the first schools in the area to install FieldTurf, citing myriad advantages over a more traditional natural surface.

Since then, several districts have followed suit.

“We were trendsetters in ’98,” Honkala said. “We saw this as our unique opportunity to be unique.”

The first step in making the switch was to obtain a license waiver from Boise State University, which first made the blue surface popular. The school owns a trademark on the phrase “Blue Turf” and insisted Ravenna not market its new playing surface for profit.

Lunardi led the push for the blue surface, Honkala said, drumming up support among his players, students, families and community members.

“It was important that there was consensus in selecting the color,” Honkala said. “An overwhelming majority of them have responded favorably toward the decision.”

Administrators have already raised more than $720,000 for the renovation project. Pitching sponsorships for the stadium was relatively simple, Honkala said, once he showed investors a few renderings of the brilliant blue surface.

“It was a really soft sell, our supporters were eager to sign on,” he said.

Honkala is only aware of six high school facilities in the U.S. that have purchased blue FieldTurf.  He did some homework and contacted those schools in Texas, Michigan and Alaska to ask about their experiences with the unusual surface.

“They didn’t report any issues with seagulls dive-bombing the field,” Honkala said.

Administrators also checked with officials at the Ohio High School Athletic Association to verify the new turf would not violate any of its bylaws.

The first scheduled event on the new field is a boys soccer match Aug. 30. The Ravens kick off their home football schedule Sept. 13 against Louisville.

The stadium will also host events such as Relay For Life, and pee wee football games.

Officials are planning a ribbon cutting ceremony and a festival atmosphere for the home opener.

"The big thing is the community involvement. This is really something our community can be proud of,” Honkala said.

Join cleveland.com's Glenn Moore as he talks Browns with cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot tonight at 9 p.m.

What should fans look for on Thursday night against the Rams? cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot and Glenn Moore talk Browns at 9 p.m. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer) 

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Children from the School of the Little Ones in Maple Heights and St. Martin De Porres family center were on hand Tuesday for the Cleveland Browns "Back to School Campaign." They punted, passed and kicked as part of the event. See a Lonnie Timmons III photo gallery.

Children from the School of the Little Ones in Maple Heights and St. Martin De Porres family center were on hand Tuesday for the Cleveland Browns "Back to School Campaign." They punted, passed and kicked as part of the event. See a Lonnie Timmons III photo gallery.

Manager Terry Francona says if closer Chris Perez's refusal to talk to reporters after a blown save Monday night causes friction in the clubhouse -- teammates grumbled about Perez's quick departure following a 4-2 loss to the Tigers -- it will be handled internally.

The media and some of his teammates don't view Chris Perez's silence as golden, but manager Terry Francona is OK with it.Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Closer Chris Perez stopped in manager Terry Francona's office Monday night after turning a 2-0 lead into a 4-2 loss to the Tigers in the ninth inning to tell him what he didn't tell reporters.

"CP said, 'I felt great, I just blew the game,'" said Francona.

Perez has not talked to reporters since he came off the disabled list on June 27. He bolted the clubhouse again Monday night, leaving some unhappy teammates behind to explain to reporters what went wrong for the veteran closer.

When approached by reporters Tuesday, Perez said, "I'm not talking the rest of the year. Quit asking."

Francona was asked if he was concerned about Perez making his teammates cover for him after bad outings.

"Guys aren't forced to talk," said Francona. "In a perfect world, guys stand in front of their locker. Sometimes it's not a perfect world."

As for leaving his teammates behind to answer for him, and perhaps damaging the chemistry that has helped carry this year's team, Francona said, "I don't know if I view it that way. I think it's his personal choice.

"I think we try to foster an environment where good, bad and in-between, guys are accountable. Some guys chose not to talk. Sometimes, like I said, it's not a perfect world."

Francona said if there is a problem, it will be handled internally.

"I don't think it's worrisome," he said. "I think those things with a team have a way of working themselves out and it doesn't necessarily have to be in public. That's where teams come together and take care of team things."

Perez had converted 11 straight saves since coming off the DL from a strained right rotator cuff. The streak ended with a thud Monday as he allowed four runs without recording an out. He was pitching in his third save opportunity in as many days. Francona said Perez would not be available for Tuesday night's game.

"Not because he gave up some runs, but because he's gone three days in a row," said Francona.

Perez stopped talking to reporters because he objected to some of the coverage he received after drug agents followed a package mailed to his residence in Rocky River that contained marijuana in June. The package, mailed from California, was addressed to Perez's dog.

Perez and his wife, Melaine, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor drug abuse and their case is pending.

Prince Fielder opened the ninth Monday with a double off Perez. Francona was asked if he thought about having a left-hander, Rich Hill or Marc Rzepczynski, face Fielder before bringing in Perez.

"No, that creates chaos," said Francona. "Before Monday, CP had saved 11 games in a row. CP blew a save. If I end up reinventing (the game) because of Monday night, I would have a hard time answering questions. I was disappointed we lost a game. I wouldn't have done anything different."

He's here: Danny Salazar, starting against the Tigers on Wednesday night, was in the clubhouse Tuesday. The Indians still must make a move to clear a roster spot for him.

This will be Salazar's second big league start this season.

"The big leagues is where every player wants to end up," said Salazar. "This is exciting."

Asked how he would pitch to Tiger third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Salazar smiled and said, "I'll try to keep my fastball low in the zone."

Salazar, who beat the Blue Jays in his big-league debut, is 4-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 14 appearances, including 13 starts, at Class AAA Columbus. In 59 1/3 innings, he has 78 strikeouts.

Testing, testing: Josh Tomlin will start and pitch two innings Wednesday at Class AA Akron as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

The Indians think Tomlin could return in late August or early September to help the Tribe.

"There's a lot of guys pulling for him in that locker room," said Francona.

Finally: Monday's game between the Indians and Tigers drew 12.1 rating on SportsTime Ohio. It was the largest rating in six years and ranked No.1 locally beating The Bacherlorette and Under the Dome.

NFL has not forced players to wear knee and thigh pads since 1994.

BEREA, Ohio – When the Browns open preseason Thursday night at home against the St. Louis Rams, their uniforms are expected to look uniform for the first time in years.

Although some players remain unhappy about the rule change, all the Browns should be wearing knee and thigh pads. Beginning with exhibition games all players, save for kickers and punters, are required to wear the leg pads for the first time since 1994.

Receiver Greg Little told the Plain Dealer in June he was “definitely not wearing the pads” and would be willing to accept fines. Players have cited speed, comfort and even vanity for exposing their thighs and knees to punishment. But Little and others who don’t like the rule donned the pads Saturday at First Energy Stadium during the Family Night practice.

Players who won’t submit will simply not be permitted on the field. Uniform inspectors and game officials will be looking for violators.

NFL referee Ed Hochuli, who visited Browns camp last week, said players caught sans pads will be sent off the field. Those returning without the proper equipment are subject to 5-yard penalty and second-time offenders would get a 15-yard penalty, Hochuli said.

The league estimates just 30 percent of the players had been wearing the padding. Receivers and defensive backs are the ones who most frequently went without them. League owners passed the rule last year.

Browns coach Rob Chudzinski has required players to wear the pads during training camp.

“Guys need to get used to it,” Chudzinski said. “It’s the way things are going to be. We are going to practice that way with them. There is a variety of different pads, size of pads and styles of pads that guys can use. I know they have been testing them out, and it’s been part of the reason why I want to make sure they have them on and along with the safety factors.”

The league hopes its sending a positive message to youth football as well as enacting another measure to make the game safer.

Little is among those who believe the leg-pad rule is linked to the concussion litigation facing the NFL. The league, being sued by 4,000-plus former and current players, is trying to show its doing everything to make the game more safe, Little said.

Michael Bourn tried to bunt on Tiger third baseman Miguel Cabrera on Monday night, touching off a running exchange with Cabrera. Justin Verlander got into the act as well.

Michael Bourn, shown scoring against Houston on Sunday, spent Monday night against the Tigers talking smack with third baseman Miguel Cabrera.Lynne Sladky (Associated Press) 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard at Progressive Field.

Clubhouse confidential: Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander were yelling at Indians' center fielder Michael Bourn on Monday night because he was trying to bunt on Cabrera, who is playing with an abdominal and hip injury. Bourn bunted to start the game, but was thrown out by catcher Alex Avila.

He attempted a couple of bunts in third inning before striking out.

"Miggy and me were just talking noise to each other," said Bourn. "Just two players who like to play the game. We were just having fun with each other. There was no confrontation or nothing like that."

Thou shall not run: Left fielder Michael Brantley recorded his 10th assist Monday, throwing out Torii Hunter in the first inning when he tried to stretch a single to a double.

Brantley is tied with White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo for the AL lead in assists.

"I can't tell you how many rallies he seems to have averted," said manager Terry Francona. "He goes into the corner and makes that throw. If I'm that baserunner, I'm going, too, because it looks like a double. . .Instead of double and nobody out, we get nobody on and one out. It's happened a lot of times."

Stat of the day: Justin Masterson entered Tuesday's start in second place in the AL with 12 hit batsmen.

Watch Cleveland Browns rookie head coach Rob Chudzinski talk about making his debut Thursday night in the exhibition game against the Rams.

BEREA, Ohio --  Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski talks about making his debut Thursday night in the exhibition game against the St. Louis Rams at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Chudzinski said he has been around a lot of good head coaches over the years that he has learned from.

The biggest thing for Chudzinski was hiring Norv Turner and Ray Horton as coordinators.  Men he can trust calling the plays, which will let him concentrate on game management.

While on vacation this summer he studied what he described as a thick book of scenarios to get ready for the different situations that might come up.

Follow on Twitter: @CLEvideos

Coach Rob Chudzinski say Shawn Lauvao suffered an ankle injury on Monday and is till being evaluated.

BEREA, Ohio -- Transcript of coach Rob Chudzinski's press conference on Tuesday following training camp, provided by the Cleveland Browns.

Opening statement:

"An injury report: Shawn Lauvao had suffered an ankle injury yesterday. He is still getting evaluated medically and I will get you updates as I get them tomorrow. Today, we had a chance to shift our focus toward St. Louis, giving our guys some looks, studying the tapes and giving them a chance to work against some of the different things St. Louis may be doing that are different than they are seeing on a day-to-day basis from our offense and from our defense. It will be good to get a chance to get out on the field to see our guys against different competition, against different people. We are looking forward to that opportunity. We have a plan for the game in terms of playing. We are going to play our starters for the most part, for about a quarter. That may vary from individual to individual. We will get our second group in there for the second quarter and third quarter. Some will be done at halftime and some will go forward in the third quarter. Fourth quarter we will get some of our third group in there. I will give you more details tomorrow on specific individuals as we get more medical information. That is our general plan and again, I will get in the specifics of people and different playing about playing them tomorrow when I get more information on that."

On any problem with Jason Pinkston walking off the field (excused to attend a funeral):

"No, there's no problem. No problem at all."

On what he likes about Garrett Gilkey:

"What I like and what we saw was a big guy who can really move his feet well. Where he is coming from, it's a big adjustment. He played tackle, so moving to guard is usually an adjustment for guys. The level of competition of what he is seeing and the offense is a lot more than what he did in college. There are three things that usually young guys coming from smaller schools have adjustments to do. I have been pleased with what he is doing; he is a guy who has improved. He just needs to keep working."

On Gilkey holding his own physically:

"He has. A lot of times it's a matter of technique going against guys who have been in the league for so long who are physically equal or a little bit ahead of him.  It's a matter of learning the techniques and getting better at those. He should be fine."

On Dion Lewis playing well:

"He's had a good camp. He's really showing a lot. He's been a playmaker and shows good vision, running skills, good demonstration of catching the ball. So, I'm looking forward to seeing him in the game. We are working him on special teams as a kick returner, as well. I am excited to see what he does."

On punting competition:

"It's been a good competition. Both of those guys are hitting the ball well. They are neck and neck right now. So, what they do in the games, we'll be alternating those guys back and forth so they get their kicks in. We will see where it goes from there but this will be a big part of the evaluation."

On Tashaun Gipson being back from the shoulder injury:

"He's come along pretty well. We will look at him and talk about him medically to see where he is at. He practiced today and did everything. We will let you know tomorrow on that."

On what Gipson has to offer:

"Good athlete, real solid guy, understands the defense, can make calls; just a good football player."

On Christian Yount's contract extension:

"At that position you have to be perfect. He's proven he has been a valuable part of the team. You never know how valuable those guys are until you don't have one that can get the snap back, and I've been there before. We're happy to have Christian as a part of our organization for a long time and he's earned it."

On being back on the field (not in the box) Thursday, his unofficial debut as a head coach

"Well, I have been there before. Being involved with the coaches I've been involved with, whether I was up in the box or not, I have been able to be a part of those decisions and understanding the different situations in games that come up; it's something I have been real fortunate, to be around really good head coaches that I can learn from along the way. Certainly, Norv (Turner) is a guy I have talked to. I have a book about this thick that's full of different scenarios that over the course of summer, I had a chance to look at them and study the situations that would come up and think through how I would handle them. At the end of the day, it's not easy. There are things that come up that can go either way. You want to have good reasons for what you do. Ultimately, it's decided whether it was a good decision or not by whether it works. You are looking to have the right reasons to make those decisions."

On the logistics of the sideline during games, after some previous coaches tripped over wires:

"Well, I think we have a wireless system, so that won't be a problem.  I think the biggest thing, and one of the things that is important to me, is having two coordinators calling the game that you have faith in. I can focus more on game management, whether that's situational calls, whether that's replay, whether it's timeouts. Those are the big things that come up. Hopefully, guys that I trust and the way I do with our coordinators here, that will be a good help. I won't be tripping over any wires."

On having someone in the press box when it comes to challenging plays:

"Yes. We have a system set up of guys looking from up top. Certainly, Norv and Ray (Horton) will be up in the box and they will have a good look at some of the replays. We will also have a guy specified to do that and then down on the field between myself and some other eyes. Hopefully we have it all covered."

On giving suggestions to Norv Turner on offense:

"No. I'll have things that I'll have in mind as things go on. One of the things I know, as a coordinator and a play-caller, you get in a groove, you get in a thought process, setting things up for later. Interfering too much I do not want to do, but at the same time, there's a right time for suggestions and things like that, that hopefully I'll pick out the right time for those."

On Brandon Weeden:

"Well I'm not sure of how much you see, so I can't answer that part of it. A lot of what you see behind the scenes understands what he's been told or talked to about. What things have been stressed and seeing what has been done on the field and making corrections, coming back. A lot more of it is behind the scenes. For me, not always being in the quarterback meeting, I have to make sure that I know what those things are as well. That is something I learned along the way in the league."

On how Weeden is performing compared to other players:

"I don't know what the assessment of him is. I've seen progress and that is what I want to see and getting into the preseason games. Ultimately, performing and seeing how much he can transfer from the practice field to the game is critical."

On Dion Lewis' size making him a 15-carry player or a special-teams player:

"I don't really classify guys that way. I have been fortunate enough to be around some small guys who were able to carry the load. That is an individual thing. I see Dion being effective, not just as your traditional change-of-pace guy where you are always doing stuff outside, but he can run inside. He has good vision and he is a good runner overall, I think whatever role; he can fill a number of roles."

On whether Trent Richardson will play Thursday:

"Just like everybody else, we are going to sit down with them, get more information and I'll let you guys know tomorrow."

On the plan for Thursday for Richardson:

"We will talk to all the players that are in that situation. Whether they play or don't play, we will assess it and do the smart thing. We will communicate that with him."

On coming in with a script of plays:

cleveland.com's Glenn Moore recapped today's Browns practice with cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

Should Trent Richardson play on Thursday? Mary Kay Cabot talked about this and more during Tuesday night's podcast. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer) 

Justin Verlander dominates the Indians lineup and Don Kelly caps one bad inning for Justin Masterson as Tigers win again.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Picture Justin Masterson as Superman and Don Kelly as a hunk of Kryptonite. Got it?

Well, that pretty much explains how the Tigers beat the Indians, 5-1, Tuesday night to continue their season-long dominance over Terry Francona's ballclub. Detroit is 11-3 against the Indians this year.

Superman, the comic book hero created in Cleveland, is faster than a speeding bullet and can leap tall buildings in a single bound. His one weakness was Kryptonite. 

Masterson obviously knows the storyline because after Kelly hit a three-run homer off him in the fifth inning to put the game away, he said, "If I was Superman, he'd be my Kryptonite. Especially this year with a couple of homers."

Kelly, who has only five homers on the season, has hit two of them against Masterson. He hit a game-winning three-run homer on June 9 to break a 1-1 tie at Comerica Park. Tuesday's three-run shot turned a 2-1 lead into a 5-1 lead.

 In his career, Kelly is hitting .458 (11-for-24) with two homers and nine RBI against Masterson.

"Everybody has a guy," said Masterson. "He salivates when I get up there. Why that is, I don't know."

Masterson (13-8, 3.46) started the fifth with a 1-0 lead. He hit Ramon Santiago and gave up a single to Austin Jackson as Santiago went to third. Torii Hunter sent a grounder to short, but the Indians couldn't turn the double play as Santiago scored to make it 1-1. Miguel Cabrera put them in front for good at 2-1 with a long double to center.

After Prince Fielder grounded out to first, Masterson hit Victor Martinez, his 14th hit batsman of the season. Kelly turned it into a big inning when he hit Masterson's 1-1 pitch into the seats in left field for a 5-1 lead.

• Tigers-Indians boxscore | Scoreboard | Standings

"The thing that disappoints me the most is hitting the two guys with the sliders in that inning," said Masterson. "Especially the leadoff hitter."

Santiago was attempting to bunt when Masterson hit him in the leg. Francona felt he offered at the ball, but plate umpire Phil Cuzzi pointed him to first.

"That's a tough call," said Francona. "Both sides wanted it."

Masterson allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings. He is 0-3 against the Tigers this year and 2-9 in his career.

Justin Verlander (12-8, 3.74) has had problems with the Indians this season, but not Tuesday. He allowed one run on four hits in eight innings. In his three previous starts, he  allowed 11 earned runs on 23 hits in 17 innings.

Verlander struck out seven to improve to 17-14 lifetime against the Tribe.

"He seemed to find another gear tonight," said Francona. "When he starts hitting 100 mph at the knees and snapping a breaking ball that can be tough."

After taking a 1-0 lead in the second, the Indians had only one real scoring chance. Verlander hit Yan Gomes to start the sixth and gave up a leadoff single to Michael Bourn. He retired Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera to end the inning. He threw a 100 mph strike to Kipnis and then struck him out on a breaking ball.

The Indians trail the Tigers by five games in the AL Central. It's their biggest deficit since they were 5 1/2 games out of first on June 17.

The Tigers have won 10 straight and 14 of their last 15 games. They are on a sustained run and the Indians are more than a step behind.

"I don't see it that way," said Francona, when asked if this four-game series represents a turning point in the season. "What we have to do is go out and win tomorrow." 

Said Swisher, "It's too early for that. I've been doing this for a little bit. Normally, in a situation like this, it boils down to the last couple of weeks. . .The Tigers have put it on us pretty good. Right now, we've got to go out do the same to them."

Ryan Raburn's RBI grounder in the second gave the Indians a 1-0 lead. Cabrera opened the inning with a double and Michael Brantley moved him to third with a single. Carlos Santana sent a grounder to first with Cabrera going on contact.

Cabrera stayed in the rundown long enough to allow Brantley to reach third and Santana second. Raburn followed with his grounder to second.

Dion Lewis, acquired in a trade with the Eagles, could get the nod Thursday night against the Rams because of injuries to Trent Richardson and Montario Hardesty. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Running back Dion Lewis has been thrust into the spotlight with injuries to Trent Richardson and Montario Hardesty and is prepared to start Thursday night against the Rams in the preseason opener at FirstEnergy Stadium.

“He’s had a good camp,'' said coach Rob Chudzinski. "He’s really showing a lot. He’s been a playmaker and shows good vision, running skills, good demonstration of catching the ball. So, I’m looking forward to seeing him in the game. We're working him on special teams as a kick returner, as well. I'm excited to see what he does.”

Richardson (shin) sat out team drills Tuesday and will likely rest for the game, and Hardesty (hamstring tendon) won't play.

Lewis, acquired in a trade with the Eagles for linebacker Emmanuel Acho, has been taking the first-team reps in their absence.

“When you go against the first-team defense, they’re revved up a little bit more, so you definitely get a good look against them,'' said Lewis. "That’s a great defense. Going against them is definitely making me a better player.

Lewis is small (5-8, 195) but has been mighty this camp. In fact, he's a strong candidate to become the No. 2 behind Trent Richardson with Hardesty out an extended period of time if he has a good showing in the games.

“It’s real important,'' said Lewis, a fifth-round pick of the Eagles out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. "It's live game action and it’s a lot faster than practice. So these next four games, I’m looking to go out there and work hard and keep trying to get better.”

Lewis is also returning punts and kicks in camp.

"The more you can do, the better chance you have at staying around,'' he said. "So I’m just doing whatever the coach asks me to do, kick return, punt return, whatever they ask me to do, I’m just going out there and giving it my all. The more you can do, the better chance you have of staying on the team, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

 Starters to play a quarter: Coach Rob Chudzinski said the starters will play the first quarter for the most part, but that it will vary by individual. Most of the second-teamers will play the second and third quarters, but some will be done by halftime. The third-teamers will round out the fourth quarter.

Waiting for the injury word: Chudzinski said the medical staff is still evaluating right guard Shawn Lauvao's ankle injury, and that he might have more news on Wednesday. Lauvao was carted off the field on Monday after injuring the ankle in a one-on-one blocking duel with Phil Taylor. Jason Pinkston replaced him Tuesday, but left practice about a half-hour early to attend a funeral. The backup guards are both rookies, Garrett Gilkey and Aaron Adams.

Chudzinski on Yount: Chudzinski praised long-snapper Christian Yount after his contract was extended through 2017.

“At that position you have to be perfect,'' he said. "He’s proven he has been a valuable part of the team. You never know how valuable those guys are until you don’t have one that can get the snap back, and I’ve been there before. We’re happy to have Christian as a part of our organization for a long time and he’s earned it.”

Yount has been nearly perfect on his snaps since he arrived in 2011 to replace a struggling Ryan Pontbriand.

"I haven’t had one over the head or on the ground or anything like that,'' he said. "So hopefully (I'll) keep that going. But it’s one of those things where I hate talking about it. I hate seeing it happen to other guys and even if it’s on film I kind of fast-forward that one just cause I don’t like that mental image going into my brain. So I try to stay away from that stuff.''

Extra points: Safety T.J. Ward (hamstring) sat out team drills Tuesday and was replaced by converted cornerback Johnson Bademosi, who's been breaking up passes and making an impression at his new spot. Ward might also rest against the Rams. ... Rookie defensive end Dave Kruger sat out today with a concussion suffered Monday in practice. But at least he's not alone. His parents are in from Utah and were with big brother Paul after practice.

Division II offensive lineman winning praise for athleticism, but must work on his technique to make the jump.

BEREA, Ohio – Few Browns newcomers arrived at the team’s training facility this spring with a more compelling backstory than offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey.

Bullied to tears as a high-school freshman, Gilkey grew in size and confidence to play Division II college football and become a seventh-round draft choice.

But an NFL practice field is no place for feel-good stories and the 6-6, 318-pounder has had to prove himself against men, not the Lilliputians he dominated at Chadron State in Nebraska. On Sunday, he got into an after-the-whistle dust-up with irascible defensive lineman Brian Sanford, who ripped Gilkey’s helmet from his head and pitched it like a horseshoe in a one-on-one drill.

“When guys are out here grinding those little things are going to happen,” Gilkey said. “They happen on the field and they end right there. That’s what great about it – nothing transitions into the locker room. I couldn’t be happier to compete with Brian Sanford and Phil Taylor. They are great competitors and they’re doing nothing but make me better.”

Gilkey is learning what it takes to play at the NFL level and initial reviews from coaches, teammates and observers are fairly positive. His athleticism, quick feet and high energy are almost as noticeable as his red mane.

The converted tackle is working as a second-string guard, toggling between the right and left sides. He remains an unvarnished talent who needs to improve his technique and, according to a source close to the team, play with more nastiness.

Gilkey makes his NFL preseason debut Thursday night against the St. Louis Rams at FirstEnergy Stadium.

“I think he’s done a nice job,” Browns All Pro left tackle Joe Thomas said. “He comes from a really small school so it’s a huge jump, obviously. There’s a lot for him to learn, but he’s a talented guy and you can seen he’s a good athlete.

“The two things young guys like that must work on is technique and assignment. Technique is not something that comes in one season, either. I’m still working on my technique every day.”

Guard is a position that needs upgrading on a Browns offensive line that ranks as one of the team’s few strengths. The likes of John Greco, Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston supply the requisite power to play the interior line, but don’t possess the nimblest feet.

The Browns opted to take a late-round flier on Gilkey and also signed undrafted free agent Chris Faulk, of LSU, who’s recovering from a serious knee injury. Rookie Aaron Adams, an undrafted free agent from Eastern Kentucky, also is competing to make the squad.

If Lauvao’s ankle injury is serious, Gilkey could be the next man up after Pinkston, who figures to start opposite Greco against the Rams.

“It’s definitely a wake-up call that things happen very quickly up here,” Gilkey said.

He said Pinkston and veteran reserve tackle Rashad Butler have been generous in sharing their wisdom about the position and league. Butler emphasizes the importance of playing with a controlled aggression and the need to trust your technique.

Gilkey isn’t going to overwhelm anyone with his size in the NFL. He’s having to contend with defensive linemen Taylor (6-3, 335) Desmond Bryant (6-6, 310) and Ahtyba Rubin (6-2, 330) every day in practice.

Rubin appreciates Gilkey’s compete level and that he’s willing to play past the whistle even if it means losing his helmet and the occasional battle.

“It shows he’s not intimidated and he won’t back down,” Rubin said. “That’s something we need on this team.”

Gilkey said the taunts, punches and pranks he endured as a 5-foot-7, 170-pound freshman in rural Illinois motivated him to never be “beaten down and defeated and humiliated” on a football field. Gilkey also overcame a rapid heart beat that nearly derailed his career before he reached high school.  

He has spoken to youth groups back home about his experiences and looks forward to doing the same here provided he can establish himself. Right now, however, making the Browns and earning the respect of teammates is his focus.

Coach Rob Chudzinski sees a prospect in transition.

“What I like and what we saw was a big guy who can really move his feet well,” Chudzinski said. “Where he is coming from, it’s a big adjustment. He played tackle, so moving to guard is usually an adjustment for guys. The level of competition of what he is seeing and the offense is a lot more than what he did in college . . . I have been pleased with what he is doing; he is a guy who has improved. He just needs to keep working.”

The Indians are hitting only .220 vs. Detroit this season. They are 1-7 vs. the Tigers at Progressive Field.

Corey Kluber's finger injury is a major setback to the Tribe. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're a Tribe fan, you can always create a sense of doom.

Your team has lost the first two games of the Detroit series, and now trail the Tigers by five games in the Central Division.

Corey Kluber threw 7 1/3 scoreless inning against the Tigers in Monday's 4-2 loss and has a 1.98 ERA in his last six starts.

Kluber is 7-5 with a 3.54 ERA, perhaps the team's second-best starter. Now, he's out 4-to-6 weeks (Maybe more?) with a finger injury. It's the same type injury that took a seven-week bite out of Zach McAllister's season.

In Monday's game, Chris Perez blew his first save in a month. He then refused to talk to the media.

Normally, it's a relief for Perez to keep his mouth shut, because he doesn't always lead the league in wisdom or maturity. But stalking out of the dressing room after allowing four runs in Monday's loss didn't thrill some of his teammates.

Why?

Because they were left to answer questions about why their closer left the door wide open for the Tigers to steal a game.

In baseball, one of the unwritten rules for a closer is you face the media after a bad game. You take the blame, even if it's not all your fault. It's expected, and doing so is a way to be respected.

As Manager Terry Francona said Tuesday (when Perez still refused to talk): "In a perfect world, guys stand in front of their locker. Sometimes it's not a perfect world."

This is not a big deal, especially if Perez returns to pitching like the guy who was 11-of-11 in saves with an 0.95 ERA in 19 games before Monday's blowup.

TIGERS TIME OF YEAR

Making it tougher, Justin Masterson lost 5-1 to Detroit on Tuesday.

Suddenly, the Indians eight-game winning streak became a two-game losing streak.

And the Tigers seem to be roaring again, having won 10 in row.

And 14-of-15.

And 23-of-30.

Detroit seems to own August and September.

In the final two months of the season, the Tigers were 34-24 in 2012

And 38-16 in 2011.

So Kluber is hurt, the Tigers are hot.

HOW ABOUT SOME HITTING?

The Indians are 3-11 against their Central Division rivals.

The Tribe's ace -- Justin Masterson -- is 0-3 with a 6.86 ERA against Detroit this season. For his career, he's 2-9 when facing the Tigers.

So the season is over, right?

It would help if the Tribe hitters began to do just that -- hit.

Here's how they have performed against the Tigers this season:

1. Michael Brantley is batting .313 with two homers and 11 RBI. Yan Gomes is a .300 hitter vs. Detroit.

2. The third best average is Ryan Raburn, .235. He leads the Tribe with three homers against his former team.

3. Some of the other players: Asdrubal Cabrera (.231), Nick Swisher (.227), Carlos Santana (.224), Michael Bourn (.224), Jason Kipnis (.193) and Jason Giambi (.222).

4. The Indians are batting only .220 against the team with the best starting pitching in the American League.

PITCHING ALSO WOULD HELP

The best the Tribe can hope for is to end the Detroit series where they started -- three games behind the Tigers.

At this point, that would be a remarkable accomplishment, requiring superb pitching from rookie Danny Salazar (today) and McAllister on Thursday. They will be facing Doug Fister and Max Scherzer, who are a combined 26-6 this season.

Pitching is the key.

When Masterson gave up five runs in Tuesday's loss, it was the first time in 25 games that a Tribe starter allowed more than four earned runs in a game.

As Kluber is placed on the disabled list, McAllister is finally healthy and has a 3.71 ERA in his last three starts.

Salazar is the team's designated pitching phenom with one big league start.

And the Indians are at home, where their record is 37-21.

But the Tigers are 7-1 at Progressive Field.

You can argue that the Indians reached contention by beating the bad teams:

They are 34-14 vs. teams with losing records.

And they are 28-37 vs. teams with winning records.

If the Indians are going to contend, they have to change that trend starting tonight.

Watch Mary Kay Cabot's and Tom Reed's analysis of Tuesdays Training Camp practice plus a video with Rob Chudzinski on making his debut as an NFL head coach. Watch video

 BEREA, Ohio -- Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed analyze what happened at yesterdays Training Camp practice.

Topics include: Status of offensive guards Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston.  Running back Montario Hardesty hurting his advancement by not being on the field and Dion Lewis continuing to have a good camp.  T.J. Ward is still idle and missing time to build chemistry with free safety Tashaun Gipson.  Garrett Gilkey, a 7th-round draft pick out of Chadron State.

Practice is closed to the public today.  The first pre-season game is Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium against the St. Louis Rams.

Follow on Twitter: @CLEvideos

LeBron James and the Miami Heat come to Cleveland on Nov. 27.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers' schedule for 2013-14 was announced Tuesday, and the opener is against the Brooklyn Nets, featuring Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, at Quicken Loans Arena on Oct. 30.

It will be the fifth straight year they've open the season at home.

From Plain Dealer reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer's story on the schedule release:

That game will be televised by NBA TV as the new look Cavaliers, featuring All-Star Kyrie Irving, No. 1 draft choice Anthony Bennett and newcomer Andrew Bynum, will make nine national television appearances including three games on ESPN, one game on TNT and five games on NBA TV.

LeBron James and the defending champion Miami Heat will visit the Cavs on Nov. 27, which will be televised by ESPN, and March 18.

So, which of these home games are you most excited to see in 2013-14?

Montario Hardesty has missed most of camp with an inflamed hamstring tendon. But if he can get back on the field, he'll still have a decent chance to make the team.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns running back Montario Hardesty's roster spot is in jeopardy, but if he can get healthy, he'll still have a decent chance to make the team, sources close to the situation have told Cleveland.com.

Unfortunately for Hardesty, he's missed most of training camp with an inflamed hamstring tendon, and time is running short.

"It presents a great challenge for us,'' said running backs coach John Settle. "He's a young man that has shown flashes of what he can be -- what he was last year what we would hope he'd be in 2013. But not having him, it does hurt his advancement and it hurts us as a team.''

Settle acknowledged that it'll be a little tougher now for Hardesty given all the competition at the position.

"But is it impossible? No,'' said Settle. "That decision is way above my head, but he's a young man that enjoys playing the game and wants to be out there. For us to be the best we can be, we need to have him out there. We have confidence in the fact that he knows what he's doing and we can trust him. (But) it makes it a little tough to evaluate him with the other guys that are out there and continuing to improve.''

When the new coaches studied Hardesty's 2012 film, they were excited. Finally healthy, Hardesty hit the holes fast and averaged a decent 4.2 yards per carry in his limited chances, rushing 65 times for 271 yards.

"You saw his productivity. He was back to his old ways,'' said Settle. "His acceleration was there, he was fast. You hoped he was past his injuries. We had high hopes coming into camp, then he has a setback. We want him back out there as soon as possible, but we've got to be smart about it.''

Settle said Hardesty was originally slated for the backup role behind Trent Richardson until newcomer Dion Lewis began to impress. The Browns acquired Lewis (5-8, 195) in a trade with the Eagles for linebacker Emmanuel Acho.

"All of a sudden we saw that Dion was hard to tackle and had an opportunity to make big plays for us when we got him out in space. But I think all of those three guys -- Trent, Montario and Dion -- will complement each other in various ways and will really stretch defenses and force them to defend the whole field. When the lights come on and its real, we'll see what we get. Unfortunately for Montario, he won't be able to play this week.''

Hardesty is hoping that he did enough in organized team activities and minicamp.

"Not being able to be out there and play, you wonder, do they remember this or remember that?'' he said.

Hardesty acknowledged that it's hard to sit and watch.

"We have guys that can play, we all know that,'' Hardesty said. "I want to be out there, so it's just frustrating for me. I know what I can do when I'm out there, I just need to get on the field. This is what I do for a living, and I want to be out there doing it.''

He's been impressed with all of the backs in camp, including Chris Ogbonnaya, who's playing both fullback and tailback.

"Obie is showing he can do multiple things and Dion is a hard guy to tackle in the open field and can catch the ball,'' said Hardesty. "(Jackson) has come on strong in the last week. It's a good competition. But there's no doubt I can make this team if I can show them what I can do. I feel like once I get back out there, everything will sort itself out.''

Hardesty's promising 2012 came after missing his entire rookie year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and almost half of 2011 with a torn calf muscle.

"I think last year, people were just starting to see what I could really do,'' he said. "I was just starting to scratch the surface and be the player they drafted. I want to continue to build on that. I know I'm as good as any running back in the league when I'm healthy.''

Hardesty tested the hamstring one day last week, but it flared up.

"I wasn't ready to go yet,'' he said.

"This is the NFL and you want to have a roster full of good players,'' he said. "I played with great running backs in college, including Arian Foster. I proved I'm right up there with him.''

Settle said the best backs will make the team, and that it will play out over the next four weeks.

"If everybody gets healthy and stays healthy from here on out, we could have some very tough decisions to make,'' he said.

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden heads into tomorrow night's preseason opener against the Rams knowing that the offense isn't clicking yet. But he's confident it will be ready by the start of the season.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden agrees with coach Rob Chudzinski that the new offense isn't clicking yet, but he's confident it'll improve, beginning with tomorrow night's preseason opener against the Rams at FirstEnergy Stadium.

"We're making strides, but we've still got a long ways to go,'' said Weeden. "I still feel good about the guys we have and I’m excited about the potential we have offensively. Once you get in the game and you get those live reps, you can get a better understanding, because it’s tough when you go against your defense all the time. But we've got some work to do.''

Weeden, who's got the inside track to the opener Sept. 8 against Miami, will play about a quarter along with the rest of the starters. And he's certainly hoping for a better preseason opener than he had last year as a rookie, when he completed went 3-of-9 attempts for 62 yards with one lost fumble and an interception in three series. The inauspicious beginning earned him a 19.0 rating and foreshadowed his disastrous regular season debut against the Eagles.

"(I want to) string together consecutive good plays, string together a couple good drives, just get the feel of the game,'' Weeden said. "Obviously there’s going to be some emotions and there’s going to be a lot more adrenaline. I just want to manage the game and move the ball up the field.''

Weeden insisted that his mindset will be the same as last year, when there was no doubt the job was his. This season, the coaches will be watching closely to determine if Weeden gives them a better chance to win than second-teamer Jason Campbell.

"I know I have to play well, so I'm not putting any added pressure on myself,'' he said.

Weeden, who often gets too hyped and overthrows the deep ball, is still learning the art of the checkdown -- an issue that plagued him all last season when he threw 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

"I’m an aggressive thrower,'' he said. "That's just my personality. I like to make throws in tight windows. But knowing when to take those shots and be aggressive and knowing when to check it down and use our backs, that's one thing I’ve missed a lot of.''

Weeden's aiming to improve in several key statistical areas, including completion percentage and third-down efficiency. Last season, he completed 57.4% of his attempts for 27th in the NFL. He was also 28th in the league in third-down passing with a 68.6 rating. Overall, the Browns were 30th in the NFL in converting third-downs.

"We've got be good on third down,'' he said. "If we can become a good third-down football team, that's how you string together long drives, it gives your defense a break and allows you to score touchdowns instead of field goals.''

In an effort to solve their third-down woes, the Browns traded for former Dolphins conversion specialist Davone Bess, who's torn up the league on the pivotal down during his five-year career. Since 2008, Bess has accounted for 130 third-down receptions, second-most in the NFL over that span, trailing only Roddy White (146). Over the last four years, 42% of his receptions have come on third down, highest among all NFL players with 100 or more catches. In practice, Bess has become Weeden's best friend on third down and in the red zone.

"It's nice, because like I say all the time, he’s a pro, he communicates well, he’s a guy that’ll talk to you about certain things,'' said Weeden. "He's a great target, a hardworking guy, he runs great routes, he creates a lot of mismatches underneath and he’s going to be huge for us.''

In preseason, Weeden will have to strike a balance between getting Josh Gordon ready to play -- and being without him for the first two games of the season. Travis Benjamin will most likely replace him during the suspension.

"There's some give and take there,'' said Weeden. "Travis or whoever takes his spot for the first two, we're going to have to use him and get familiar with the route combinations and stuff like that. It's a good question. You can't just not throw it to him because he's not going to be there. You still have to give him an opportunity to make plays, and that way when he comes back he's ready to rock-n-roll.''

Despite reports of Gordon loafing in practice, Weeden has seen him step it up.

"He's playing faster and I think the nice thing about Josh this year is he's communicating,'' said Weeden. "He'll come over and talk to (receivers coach) Scott Turner, and he'll say 'I thought I saw bump and run, or bail' or whatever it was. If he plays fast he's got a lot of ability and he's a big target, a guy that creates some mismatches.''

Weeden has also begun to develop some nice chemistry with starting tight end Jordan Cameron.

“If you look at what San Diego did last year, they used (tight end Antonio) Gates a lot, and they’re pretty similar as far as their athletic ability and their ability to run routes,'' said Weeden. "So he’s a big target. He can create mismatches with some ‘backers. He can run. I think it’s really good. I thought we had some pretty good chemistry last year. He caught some big passes down the stretch and I’m excited about Jordan. He’s a good player.”

Norv Turner's biggest question for Weeden is how quickly he'll assimilate the new offense and new terminology when the live action begins. He's had Weeden and the others on fast-forward all camp.

"I don’t know if (the game) will ever be in slow motion,'' said Weeden. "These guys are just too fast for that. But I think the more I’m understanding this offense and knowing where to start in a progression or knowing where to go with the football, that all helps slow it down. But you still have to react to the play fast ‘cause it’s just fast on the other side of the ball. Those guys are paid a lot of money to run fast and to hit hard. So I would say it’s hard to tell till you get into games. Practice can be deceiving sometimes. So we will see.''

Yes, we finally will.

Brandon Weeden can only hit the ground running with significant time spent under center in the preseason

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you think the Browns aren't committed to Brandon Weeden, you're not exactly right.

You're also not exactly alone.

"So many insiders saying Weeden's not the long term guy in CLE = someone in organization is telling them that," tweeted former player and analyst Ross Tucker. "Before 1 preseason game. Sad."

Sad? We know sad, especially sad-sack. This doesn't qualify.

They are committed to giving him a chance. So, it's like dating. They may even be moving in together.

But marriage isn't a discussion topic and it shouldn't be.

For lack of a better alternative, the Browns' front office is deferring to head coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner to see if Weeden's big arm can translate to big plays.

General manager Mike Lombardi's opinion on Weeden is out there, at least the thoughts shared in his role with NFL Network. Joe Banner's thoughts have been voiced more privately.

Let's just say no way he would've drafted a relatively raw quarterback of an already advanced age.

So nobody would believe it now if Lombardi and Banner suddenly claimed a happy-ever-after belief in Weeden. Who would they be trying to kid?

Their opinions on Weeden only matter if he stumbles. This entire season, beginning with tonight's exhibition opener, is a two-minute drill for Weeden.

His future will play itself out in a season in which he turns 30. Beyond saying they are willing to see what he does in an offense better suited to him, why would they commit?

If he were 23, different story.

What matters more than Weeden receiving a complete organizational group hug is coming to an agreement that the most important thing is prepping him for the regular season.

Not having an open competition allows for that.

Last September, he showed up so woefully unprepared to face Philadelphia in the home opener -- and got nearly flagged -- after playing sparingly in the preseason. But that wasn't a competition issue. That was Pat Shurmur's mistake.

He was 12-35 for 118 yards and four interceptions.

Tom Brady doesn't need snaps. Weeden needs to play in the preseason.

First-team, second-team, whatever. Especially in a new offense.

If Banner and Lombardi are impatiently drumming their fingers on the starting quarterback's future, Turner and Chudzinski need to get him ready to produce quickly.

He could use a Derek Anderson kind of start. We remember Anderson's first start -- the 51-45 shootout win over the Bengals in which he threw five TDs. We forget that in four of his first six starts he had passer ratings over 100, including consecutive games of 142.5 and 143.0 against Miami and St. Louis.

Not saying with Chud anything is possible. But the only way Weeden has a chance of similar success is if he goes into the season with a lot of confidence. That can only come from significant work.

The idea of signing Jason Campbell was that he could handle limited snaps and still perform on Sundays.

The Browns are handling their quarterbacks reasonably well. They have given Weeden first crack at it.

The leash can't be too short, but you get the sense he won't get a full season without coming up as big as Anderson did in some games.

A fast start won't happen by accident.

SPINOFFS

• Major League Baseball used an electronic trail to nab Biogenesis cheats that reportedly included texts and Facebook messages.

And I'm guessing testimony of Words With Friends opponents who said players kept insisting "HGH' was a valid word.

•If you don't think baseball needs to toughen its suspension sentences, consider that Pete Rose once got 30 games for this:

• Mark Sanchez says the New York Jets will make the playoffs.

This is the first indication he expects to lose the starting job.

• I've never heard Sanchez described as a slow learner, but clearly he hasn't learned anything about predictions from watching Rex Ryan.

•Back from the disabled list, Chris Perez was 11 for 11 in save opportunities before Monday.

Slacker.

Perez would make a far more deserving media target for his post-game silence Monday if he talked after converting saves and didn't talk after blowing saves.

Actually, that would also make him Jose Mesa.

• Cam Newton says he has talked to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel about life in the limelight.

So that explains it.

• ESPN has reviewed cell phone videos of Manziel signing autographs at a hotel in January and telling a broker, "You never did a signing with me."

In other words, keep this between the two of us and whoever that is with the cell phone camera.

That sounds like an admission of a blatant NCAA violation. But, hey, I guess when a college kid wants money for something as necessary to his subsistence as rims for his car, he'll take risks.

• Memorabilia broker Drew Tieman, who let ESPN view the cell phone video, says he isn't trying to get Manziel in trouble.

And we thought the NCAA had the market cornered on "disengenuous."

• LeBron James posted this on Facebook about living in the spotlight:

"Man it's hard to go out and have a good time these days. It's cool, though. It's part of my life. Wouldn't change anything. (Just sayin.')

You would think a guy who makes millions on lucrative commercial deals for Nike, Samsung and McDonalds would be able to blend into the woodwork a little more.

• Play the Violin, Part II:

"Been in the spotlight since I was 15," wrote James. "Sometimes you just wanna STOP!! But I refuse cause I have a committment to the youth to inspire them!! That will keep me pushing forward and focused alone."

Everybody has their own definition of bravery.

Now, I have mine.

• The NFL is trying to cut down on taunting and may include the practice of players spinning the ball like a top after scoring a touchdown.

Prediction: in five years, to avoid unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, a wide receiver scoring a touchdown will have to offer to pay for counseling for the cornerback he beat.

• The announced list of players facing long suspensions stemming from the Biogenesis investigation prompted former pitcher Dan Meyer to tweet, "Hey, Antonio Bastardo, remember when we competed for a job (in Phillies' camp) in 2011? Thx a lot."

You can't blame Meyer for being upset. He didn't make it back to the big leagues.

But no matter what Meyer might tweet in future fits of anger, the "o" is not silent.

• The next time you think you know a pro athlete based on how they come across in the media, we now have four new words to consider:

Craig Ehlo. Reckless burning.

• Any day that begins with the flattening of Ariel Castro's house of horrors can't go badly.

• Jay Bilas torched the NCAA in a serious of tweets. Bilas went to the ShopNCAAsports.com website and searched for specific player names like "Manziel," "Tajh Boyd," "Teddy Bridgewater."

Each time school team jerseys with that player's number popped up on the screen. Priced handsomely.

The NCAA, of course, contends the jerseys it sells aren't associated with particular players.

And Andy Katzenmoyer was a "student" athlete when he took golf and basket weaving.

HE SAID IT

"He has won by a touchdown more often than the Cleveland Browns" -- The Golf Channel's Rich Lerner talking about Tiger Woods' 79 career wins, some of them -- like the Bridgestone Invitational -- in routs.

Not to mention winning more times in the state of Ohio since 1999.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Midweek Edition)

Bud:

When Mike Holmgren showed up at Browns' training camp, was he surprised that Shurmur was gone? -- Michael Sarro

He showed up to bask in the glory of his most accurate prediction: that Shurmur would be his last coach.

Bud:

At the end of each Browns' practice, does the player who spends the most time on a stationary bike receive a yellow t-shirt? -- Jim Corrigan, Fairview Park

They retired that jersey with Tour de Stationary legend Shaun Rogers.

Bud:

After the editor wrote the headline, "Bud reinvents himself as MLB's drug crusader" for the Aug. 1 sports lead, how many PD readers do you believe thought the headline was about you? -- Tom Geraci, N. Ridgeville

All six Spin readers.

Bud:

I'd really like to meet Jim Brown. At which gate do you think he will be greeting? -- Dick R

I hope you don't mind if I let you ask him.

Bud:

I see you were on vacation last week and glad to have you back. Do your readers who submit questions to "You Said It" let you know when they go on vacation? -- Ed Stagl, Berea

If they ever get jobs I'm sure they will

Bud:

What's Mensa? -- Frank Bruno, Westlake

Perfect.

Bud:

Is 'Bud Shaw is off today' code for Grey Goose? -- Bad Rick

How did you know I was working on a novel titled, "50 Shades of Grey Goose."

Bud:

Do you think the "reckless burning" charge against Craig Ehlo has anything to do with the way he was torched by Michael Jordan? -- Bob, Fairvield, Va.

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection

Bud:

When I read "You Said It" and then realize what I submitted was so much more clever than what you chose to print, is there an appeal process or should I just sue Jimmy Haslam like everyone else? -- Mark A, Bainbridge Township

Repeat winners get a rebate.