Relief pitcher Vinnie Pestano is back in Columbus, showing all the consistency he needs for a return to the Cleveland Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The chore is simple, and the challenge clear. But finding that last elusive element that will keep reliever Vinnie Pestano out of Columbus and a regular with the Cleveland Indians is clearly an elusive thing.

After two solid seasons in the bullpen with the Indians in 2011 and 2012, the 6-0, 200-pound Pestano has spent the last two seasons bouncing between Cleveland and Columbus trying to lock in what makes him be the best he can be on the mound.

He started this season with the Indians, but after three games allowing eight hits and building a 13.50 ERA, Pestano was sent back to Columbus. The question is, can he lock everything back in to become a full-time piece of the Indians bullpen?

"That's a great question,'' said Ross Atkins, the Indians Director of Player Development.

"With Vinnie, I'd start by saying sustaining success at the major leagues is particularly difficult. Especially at the rate Vinnie sustained success two years ago.

"I think for us, we are trying to help Vinnie find what consistently helps him command his fastball, on the outer half (of the plate) mostly.

Then get back to finding the consistency and shape of his slider from two years ago. And he is so close."

In 2012 Pestano, 29, had a 2.57 ERA with the Indians pitching in 70 games, notching 76 strikeouts and only 24 walks.

"But the difference can be very small, yet significant,'' Atkins said. "I still have to say, he is so close from finding that consistent feel. From our standpoint, we are trying to help him find it.

"I wish we had the answers for him, because when you look at his delivery you do not see anything different that we can attest to which offers any rationale for why he should be less consistent than what he was.''

So far Pestano seems to be getting back on track. Through Thursday he had pitched in three games with the Clippers recording four strikeouts, allowing one hit and one walk with a save and a 0.00 ERA in three innings.

For updated stats on the Clippers, click here.

Iconic sideline reporter Craig Sager, known for his colorful suits and charismatic personality, is set to begin treatment for acute leukemia, according to a tweet from his son, Craig Sager Jr.

Iconic sideline reporter Craig Sager, known for his colorful suits and charismatic personality, is set to begin treatment for acute leukemia, according to a tweet from his son, Craig Sager Jr.

My Dad's 3-4-week acute leukemia treatment starts tmrw.Be thinking of him & let's get him back on the sidelines soon pic.twitter.com/5CNI55p2Gx

— Craig Sager II (@CraigSagerJr) April 17, 2014

@MikeSolarte Thanks.We'll be watching lots of basketball together these playoffs. And it's more time for him to brainstorm some new outfits.

— Craig Sager II (@CraigSagerJr) April 17, 2014

Get your questions ready and join Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

Talk Cleveland sports with Dennis Manoloff during his weekly podcast today at 12:30 p.m.Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Get your questions ready and join Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

DMan will talk with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about the Tribe's start to the season, and the Cavaliers' season. Also, NFL Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure will join the show to talk about the Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan Fest, which will be in Cleveland on May 3 and 4.

You can jump in the comments section below and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to DMan's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in MP3 format.

cleveland.com's Dan Labbe and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff talk about the Indians' 3-2 loss to Toronto.

The Toronto Blue Jays came from behind on Friday night to beat the Indians, 3-2, at Progressive Field in the first game of a seven-game homestand. The Indians had taken a 2-1 lead on a home run by Carlos Santana.

• Justin Masterson on his performance
• Yan Gomes on his throwing error

Miles Boykin is one of the top-rated wide receivers in the 2015 recruiting class, but he just got an offer from Ohio State as a tight end. He's a 6-foot-3, 215-pound prospect who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – To most colleges who have offered New Lenox (Ill.) Providence Catholic prospect Miles Boykin, he's one of the top rated wide receivers in the country.

To Ohio State, who just offered him Thursday, Boykin could be one of the most dynamic-pass catching tight ends in the country.

A 6-foot-3, 215-pound prospect whom Rivals.com rates as the No. 10 wide receiver in the 2015 class, Boykin can go to Ohio State if he wants. He'll just be a tight end when he gets there.

"I think it's great and I don't care at all," Boykin told Cleveland.com in a recent phone interview. "If you're good enough to get the ball, you'll get it no matter what you're doing. It makes me feel good that Ohio State has that confidence in me."

Boykin has scholarship offers from more than 20 programs, including Florida, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, and others, but the Buckeyes have become a main fixture in his recruitment.

But Ohio State, who first got involved with Boykin last year with Mike Vrabel leading the way, still has work to do. Boykin admitted the Buckeyes lost some traction when Vrabel left to be an assistant for the Houston Texans.

Now it's up to co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash to get the Buckeyes back into the game.

"It was definitely tough when Coach Vrabel left, and my interest kind of went down at first and everything like that," Boykin said. "But now I am just trying to get it back up to where it was. It will take time, but I am sure it will."

Boykin admits that he has been waiting for an Ohio State offer for a while. He took part in the Friday Night Lights camp in Ohio Stadium last July, then returned to Columbus for the Buckeyes' 63-14 win over Penn State on Oct. 26.

During those two visits, he saw a lot of the elements he wants out of his future program.

"One of the things that really stood out to me was the fan base," Boykin said. "It is a great fanbase, they are crazy and I love them. Just everyone at the game, they were just going crazy for every little thing. That, and just the tradition they have. All they do is win there.”

Boykin said he plans to make another trip to Ohio State this summer, but doesn't have one schedule yet. He'll be at Mississippi on April 24, then Michigan State two days later.

In his perfect world, he'll release a top 10 later in the spring, narrow it down to five during the summer and make a commitment in August before his senior season.

"I have a big summer ahead of me," he said. 

The memory bank always has a little more room for wonderful walleye fishing memories.

CATAWBA ISLAND, Ohio – Walleye have been an integral part of my life for more than four decades, avidly chasing the fish that have made Lake Erie famous.

After all of those years of walleye fishing, the cold-weather season has lost some of its luster. But the weather was somewhat balmy last week, the big lake waters were calm and Marc Hudson of Fremont had room in his boat for someone willing to crank away when a walleye gobbled a long lure shaped like a finny snack.

It was still Lake Erie, which in April means very cold water. I'd pulled on a Stearns float suit before climbing aboard. We all had our cell phones, and the marine radio gave us weather reports. You can't be too careful.

Helping with the fishing chores was Virgil Tent, a guy noted for guiding after-dark anglers off Cleveland Harbor and running the FishCrazy Walleye Derby, which runs from May 4 to June 28 this year.

The real appeal was to hang out with Hudson, another old-timer, and listen to his  stories. Veterans of the walleye wars, we both know what it takes to corral a few fish. Catching fish wasn't a slam-dunk over the morning, but pretty darned close.

We both still shake our heads when we fish with the latest minnow-style plugs, and get an edge by using high-tech braided line. Or on-line planer boards that take those lures away from the sight and sound of the boat, as well as space-age marine electronics to tell us if we are in the right neighborhood for success.

"It isn't rocket science," said Hudson, with a laugh.

We both knew, though, that today's style of fishing is a far cry from how we caught our walleye so many years ago. Back then, trolling wasn't considered a possibility in waters so chilly. Planer boards were in their infancy. Few installed the bow-mounted electric motors and small outboards allowing us to troll at a snail's pace.

Hudson and I had learned our lessons from the pioneers of walleye fishing, such as Minnesotans Gary Roach and Al Lindner and the Wisconsin boys, Gary Parson and Keith Kavajecz. Today's touring pro fishermen are even more tuned to the latest tackle and tactics.

In the early 1980s, a Lake Erie fishing guide wouldn't launch a charter boat until Memorial Day was clearly in sight. The Pro-Am Walleye Tournament back then was held in the middle of May just to prove Lake Erie walleye could be caught at that time of year. Weight-forward spinners baited with a night crawler were the lures of choice. The few who trolled relied on the wide-wobbling Hot-N-Tot from Storm Lures.

These days, the April calendar is filled with tournaments. Lake Erie is still the Walleye Capital of the World, but the population slump worries us old-timers. We're hoping the recent bitterly cold winter and heavy ice cover on Lake Erie will somehow be a prime ingredient for a spawning season that could somehow match the magic of 2003.

Hudson took it easy, letting Tent and I put out lures and reel in fish. The morning's fishing was good. If you hailed from some other part of the country, fishing waters where they hung 7- and 8-pound walleye on the wall, you'd most likely rate the Lake Erie fishing as simply sensational.

What made it a great trip, though, was sharing memories of walleye fishing over the decades with another angler who'd been there and done that. I enjoyed putting a few more tales in the memory bank. You can't deposit too many of those in a lifetime.

A walleye stretching two-and-a-half-feet long will make a fisherman say "Wow!" Seeing all of the eggs it carries during the spawning season makes some anglers say "Whoa."

CATAWBA ISLAND, Ohio – A walleye stretching 2.5 feet long will make a fisherman say "Wow!"

Those big walleye were commonly caught through the ice much of the winter, and while trolling or casting open water over the last couple of weeks. There are no other waters in the country boasting such prized walleye.

Tournament fishermen and everyday sport anglers from around Ohio and other states make a pilgrimage here to notch their personal best. Anglers invade the Maumee and Sandusky rivers in the spring, catching many of those impressive fish.

After a morning of fishing, and saying "Wow!" a few times, a bag of ice was poured over a trio of walleye in the cooler. With a fillet knife in hand back home, the epithet wasn't "Wow."

It was "Whoa!"

The huge walleye I was converting into a fish fry were carrying two long, fat egg sacks. Each of them held thousands of small eggs, all ripe and ready to be sprayed over Lake Erie's rocky spawning reefs. Males hovering around the big females would quickly add milt to fertilize those eggs.

For many spring seasons I'd campaigned against keeping those egg-laden walleye. I wasn't in favor of allowing spawning walleye to be caught on the reefs or in the rivers, but it was a losing battle.

Trophy walleye are an economic bonanza for guides and translate into tourism dollars along the Lake Erie shoreline. Perhaps the Ohio Division of Wildlife's fisheries managers are right, and keeping some doesn't matter much in the whole scheme of walleye reproduction. And the elderly females – these big girls were probably from the bonanza class of 2003 – are not considered the prime spawners.

Catch them in the fall, or through a hole in the ice, and you're still removing a female walleye filled with eggs. So should we do more than just lower the limit from six to four walleye during the spawning season?

Yes, we should.

I enjoy a tasty walleye fillet, but I don't want to cut into a fish again and see all of the eggs that are lost. I'll still fish for them, simply because I enjoy it. But keeping the big girls won't be an option. Catch-and-release fishing and keeping a few small walleye for dinner is profoundly more satisfying.

The Indians went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 in a 3-2 loss to Toronto on Friday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Progressive Field. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 16.

Opponent: Blue Jays.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Night.

Result: Blue Jays 3, Indians 2.

Records: Blue Jays 9-8, Indians 7-9.

Another missed opportunity: The Indians and their diehards can wrap themselves in a blanket with the words "It's Early'' stitched on it. But the fabric has begun to stretch.

The Indians aren't just 7-9, they are 7-9 against a perceived soft schedule. Seven of their losses have come against the Twins (two), Padres (one), White Sox (three) and Blue Jays (one) -- teams that no one is mistaking for MLB's elite.

Slow go at home: The Tribe has lost four of its first seven at Progressive Field. No biggie -- except the losses have come against the Twins (two), Padres (one) and Blue Jays (one).

The Indians have plenty of time to rectify, no question, but this is the type of stretch that can haunt if/when a team is scratching for a playoff berth in late September.

Masty rebounds: Tribe right-hander Justin Masterson allowed the two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out nine. With the notable exception of Melky Cabrera (3-for-3), Masterson continued his strong career work against Toronto.

Cabrera improved to 15-for-27 against Masterson and forced him out of the game. With a runner on first, one out and Cabrera due up in the seventh, Tribe manager Terry Francona hooked Masterson for lefty Marc Rzepczynski. Cabrera shifted to the other batter's box and singled. The Blue Jays eventually scored twice to take the 3-2 lead.

Masterson, though he didn't get deep into the game, pitched more like a No. 1 than someone who had given up a combined 10 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings of his previous two starts. For the season, he has pitched well enough to win twice and lose twice. Instead, he owns four no-decisions and 4.98 ERA.

Masterson's two-seamer worked well for him Friday, particularly under the hands of the right-handed batters. He complemented it with a nasty slider that periodically featured the coveted Frisbee effect.

All did not necessarily go swimmingly in Masterson's pool, however. His velocity, again, was noticeably down. According to the Progressive Field readings, many of his fastballs were 90-92 mph. He didn't have a four-start stretch with the average velocity hovering around 90 mph in the previous two years.

When the sinker moves as Masterson's did, velocity can be overrated. Sinkerballers can over-throw and lose the late action. Still, Masterson is going to need more juice from the four-seamer and even the two-seamer.

No excuse: On balance, Masterson did his job. But he cost himself dearly by walking the No. 9 batter, Ryan Goins, on five pitches ahead of Cabrera in the seventh. Goins finished 1-for-3 and is hitting .143.

Percolating: The Nos. 2-4 hitters in Cleveland's lineup -- first baseman Nick Swisher, second baseman Jason Kipnis and third baseman Carlos Santana -- entered Friday a combined 29-for-164 (.177) with four homers. All three contributed.

Swisher, who was hitting .164 (10-for-61) with two homers, singled in his first two at-bats that comprised three pitches. It went downhill from there for Swisher, however. In the fifth, he struck out swinging at a breaking pitch from righty Drew Hutchison that hit his back leg. In the seventh, he walked. With one out and the tying run on second in the ninth, he struck out looking against Toronto closer Sergio Santos.

Kipnis, who was hitting .212 (11-for-52) with two homers, went 3-for-4 with a walk. His first hit, a single in the third, was significant in this respect: He pulled in the hands and ripped a fastball into right field. When Kipnis has struggled, pitchers have pounded him inside with hard stuff.

Santana, who was hitting .157 (8-for-51) with one RBI, went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and walk. At the time of the sixth-inning homer to right off Hutchison, Santana was in a 1-for-30 swoon.

Santana also had several good swings that resulted in fouls. He clearly pressed in the previous seven games; maybe he will resume relaxing and doing what El Oso does: Work counts and punish mistakes.

Nothing to see here: Indians leadoff batter Michael Bourn, playing his first home game of the season, was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. He has opened 1-for-13 since being activated from the disabled list earlier this week in Detroit.

Bourn's final at-bat was a mess. After Lonnie Chisenhall led off with a double, Bourn failed to move him to third with a bunt. Bourn struck out and was booed.

Shaking them off: Chisenhall was coming off a 4-for-4 performance against three pitchers Thursday in Detroit. Two of the hits were against Justin Verlander.

The Blue Jays were unimpressed, striking him out in each of his first three trips. But Chisenhall got to Santos for the double in the ninth.

Chisenhall is batting .481 (13-for-27). He has at least one hit in all eight of his games this season.

Smooth denied: It is difficult to imagine too many batters have amassed more loud outs than Brantley in the past year-plus. Brantley extended his hitting streak against Toronto with a single in the fourth but finished 1-for-5. That's a slump for him against the Blue Jays.

With the bases loaded in the ninth, Brantley put the wood to a 1-0 fastball from Santos. The ball zipped to first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who channeled Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower, using his body for the save before recording the final out.

Brantley's .279 average is deceiving; he is swinging considerably better.

More sloppy defense: Catcher Yan Gomes' throwing error helped the Blue Jays rally in the seventh. Gomes has five of the Tribe's 16 errors.

Finally: The Indians went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12.

Indians righty Corey Kluber, who faces Toronto lefty Mark Buehrle on Saturday at Progressive Field, has posted back-to-back quality starts.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians play the Blue Jays in the second of a three-game series Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Game: 17.

Opponent: Blue Jays.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Scheduled first pitch: 1:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM/AM 1100, WMMS/FM 100.7.

Pitching matchup: Indians RHP Corey Kluber (1-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LHP Mark Buehrle (3-0, 0.86).

Season series: Blue Jays lead, 1-0. (Indians won, 4-2, last season.)

Indians update: They are 7-9 overall, 3-4 at home. … Split a two-game series in Detroit on Wednesday and Thursday. Lost to Blue Jays, 3-2, in series opener Friday. ... Kluber has allowed a combined five earned runs in 13 1/3 innings of back-to-back quality starts (vs. San Diego, at White Sox). ... DH Jason Giambi, on the disabled list because of a right-rib injury, will be activated Monday.

Blue Jays update: They are 9-8 overall, 6-5 on road. ... Buehrle has defeated Tampa Bay, Houston and Baltimore (combined 21 IP, 2 ER). In his career, he has thrown a no-hitter (with White Sox vs. Texas in 2007) and perfect game (with White Sox vs. Tampa Bay in 2009). ... SS Jose Reyes, on the disabled list because of a hamstring injury, is expected to be activated Saturday.

Injuries: Indians – DH Jason Giambi (right rib) is on disabled list. Blue Jays – 1B-DH Adam Lind (back) is day to day. SS Jose Reyes, INF Maicer Izturis and RHP Casey Janssen are on DL.

Next for Indians: Series concludes Sunday afternoon.

Danny Salazar, whose innings were limited in spring training, still isn't making the radar gun pop like he did last year.

Hey, Hoynsie: I've noticed in Danny Salazar's starts this season, he has been hitting 93 mph to 96 mph regularly with his fastball. While I'm not complaining, I remember seeing him light up the gun last year with fastballs from 96-100 mph almost exclusively. Is this by design for better control/stamina, or has he lost some velocity? – Gavin Potter, Shaker Heights.

Hey, Gavin: I don’t think Salazar is at full strength yet. His innings were restricted so much in spring training that I still think he’s working on his endurance and arm strength.

I think he’s also realizing that he doesn’t have to challenge the sound barrier on every pitch to get people out. In the first four innings against the Tigers on Thursday, he was changing speeds with his fastball and pitching well. I think that’s the kind of pitcher you’ll see him evolve into, but I also think he’ll be able to reach the high 90s when needed.

In Salazar's start on Thursday against the Tigers, he was throwing between 92 mph and 95 mph through the first four innings. After he gave up a three-run, game-changing homer to Ian Kinsler in the fifth, Salazar started throwing 96 mph to 97 mph, but it was too little, too late. 

Hey Hoynsie: Where do the Indians rank in batting average with runners in scoring position compared to their team batting average? It can't be good, especially with the first four hitters in the lineup hitting around .200. – Jim Fisher, Boston.

Hey, Jim: Surprisingly, the two numbers are close. Through their first 15 games, the Indians ranked eighth in the AL in batting average with RISP at .229 (32-for-140) and ninth in batting average at .242 (121-for-500).

Certainly not great numbers with Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana starting slowly, but the most encouraging thing to me is that they ranked fourth in runs scored. That’s promising considering their uneven overall offensive showing in the early going this season.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any chance switch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera could just try batting right-handed against a right-handed pitcher since he's now hitting below .100 as a lefty? I know it's not conventional wisdom, but he could hardly do worse. -- John Barns, Canton.

In his career, Cabrera is hitting .265 (574-for-2168) with 121 doubles, 55 homers and 272 RBI from the left side of the plate. As a right-handed hitter, he’s hitting .287 (278-for-969) with 73 doubles, 19 homers and 123 RBI.

Last year, admittedly a down one for Cabrera, he hit .247 with 11 of his 14 homers from the left side of the plate.

It would be difficult for an established switch-hitter to face a right-hander from the right side of the plate, especially when his career stats show he does most of his damage against right-handers, while hitting left-handed.

Hey, Hoynsie: It seems that the Indians have been scoring a bunch of runs in the ninth inning. Am I correct on this, and if so is this a sign of a good, clutch offense, or is it just a coincidence? – Matthew Decker, Winston Salem, N.C.

Hey, Matthew: Through 15 games, the Indians have outscored the opposition, 15-9, in the ninth inning and 25-15 from the seventh inning on. Last year when the Indians had 11 walk-off victories and went 10-2 in extra innings, they were outscored, 217-199, from the seventh inning on.

So in light of last year’s numbers, I’m going to say this season’s run totals are mostly a coincidence.

Hey, Hoynsie: With the continued development of first base prospect Jesus Aguilar and Nick Swisher now hitting in the No.2 spot as the Tribe’s first baseman, do you see much of a future in Cleveland for Swisher? – Mike Weston, Cleveland Heights.

Hey, Mike: Swisher’s future will last at least three more years with the Indians if for no other reason than his $56 million contract. Mike, I’m advising you to exhale just a little regarding Swisher. The season has just started and I believe he’ll get his act together.

Aguilar is doing well, but he could also DH or possibly play third base. The Indians plan on playing Aguilar at third about once a week at Class AAA Columbus to see if he can handle the hot corner. This winter he played some third base for Caracas in Venezuela.

Intangibles like attitude can be derided when a player slumps, but Nick Swisher brings moire than numbers to the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The sky was dim and gray when Nick Swisher stepped into the cage for early batting practice Friday afternoon. He was wearing sunglasses, though, because you never know what's in store.

Swisher always expects the sun to come out, not tomorrow, but in a minute or two. And so it did by game-time against Toronto, making spring no longer an inside joke on the calendar.

The early BP session had begun at 3 p.m., thanks to the efforts of the grounds crew in getting the soggy field prepared sooner than usual. Swisher and Carlos Santana, another participant, needed the work.

"Thanks for the early BP," Swisher said to the grounds crew workers standing near the dugout, as he jogged off the field. It was a small thing, but many players would not think to say it.

No matter how hard you listen for a false note with Swisher, what you get instead is something no more exciting -- and no less important -- than respect for the game and the clubbies, grounds crew members, bullpen catchers and others making an honest living in it.

It's been a tough early season for hitters in the Midwest. With the Indians, if it's Tuesday, it's a rainout (two of them on that day) or a freeze-out.

"In general, playing in a cold-weather city, it's to be expected, especially in the Central (Division)," said Swisher, standing on the steps that led from the Indians' dugout to the clubhouse.

But even for Swisher, the most undiscouraged optimist in Progressive Field, it was a bit much to be upbeat about the cold that canceled Tuesday night's game in Detroit, or the swirling flakes that made Cleveland a snow globe once again Tuesday morning.

"I'd take it hot. It could be smokin' out there," Swisher said.

There are fans out there in growing numbers who would be happier if Swisher's bat was warmer, too. A .185 average going into the weekend isn't what was expected after last year's injury-troubled season, in which, as the face of the rebuilding program, Swisher posted numbers that were down slightly from his career averages.

"I'm not a numbers guy, but it's crazy what two or three hits will do for your average right now," Swisher said. "I'm not worried about that. I'm hitting home runs (two in his first 16 games) driving in runs (seven), scoring some runs (seven) walking a bunch (nine)."

It is hard to determine how much Swisher's willingness to look on the sunny side or his ability to facilitate team unity means. Sabermetrics can't quantify chemistry. But it certainly is exactly what manager Terry Francona expects from a leader.

"I just think Swish wants so bad for us to be good. He had pretty tough day at the plate Thursday," Francona said of an 0-for-4 effort with two strikeouts and a walk in a 7-5 loss to Detroit.

"We were showing signs of getting the tying run on or getting the tying run to the plate, and he was about as loud as anybody," Francona added. "He wants to win. I've never seen Swish on a personal bad day not be excited when we win, and that's about as complimentary as you can get."

But how valuable is teamwork in baseball? Opinions differ. Albert Belle had negative numbers in camaraderie, but was in the middle of possibly the most fearsome Indians lineup ever.

In the city of the 50-Year Wait, of the woe-is-us attitude, when the only time some fans gave their hearts to baseball in this generation was when the football team was gone, Swisher is more important than his numbers might indicate.

Attitude might not be able to change the score of the game, but it can change the reaction to it.

"Sometimes in this game, you're going to get your (butt) kicked. That's just the nature of the beast," said Swisher. "You have to keep grinding, give it everything you've got for the 24 other guys you're fighting for."

"As much as (Swisher and Santana) have been struggling, when they get hot, they'll get really hot," Francona said.

Swisher on Friday banged out two hits, showing signs of shaking off the slump, and Santana homered, but the Tribe lost, 3-2. Afterward, Swisher refused to probe how un-hot the hitters have been. "I'm not a negative guy, bro," said Swisher.

Afternoon game Saturday. Swisher will be dressed for a day in the sun.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2014 NBA playoffs are set to get underway on Saturday as 15 teams look to end the Miami Heat’s reign as the NBA champions. The Western Conference has been by far the best conference this season, with the Phoenix Suns (48-34) not making the playoffs. That same record would have tied for the third seed...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2014 NBA playoffs are set to get underway on Saturday as 15 teams look to end the Miami Heat’s reign as the NBA champions.

The Western Conference has been by far the best conference this season, with the Phoenix Suns (48-34) not making the playoffs. That same record would have tied for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. With so many talented teams, the winner of this conference will have earned it and be ready for the East champ.

Here is a look at the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs:

No. 1 San Antonio Spurs (62-20) vs. No. 8 Dallas Mavericks (49-33)

Every year, the question arises: Is this the season that the Spurs' run finally ends? Just like the past few seasons, the team answered that with an emphatic no. 

The biggest thing that makes San Antonio so tough to beat is how effective the team is on offense. The Spurs lead the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (39.7 percent from three), point differential (7.8 ppg) and assists (25.8 apg). You can count on Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker giving the team big minutes in the playoffs. 

However, the wildcard on this team is Kawhi Leonard. The third-year forward can get points in many different ways, but is also responsible for guarding the other team’s best perimeter player. If Leonard is able to improve off last season’s impressive playoff run, the Spurs are going to be difficult to beat.

San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard steals the ball against the Dallas Mavericks in a regula season game. Leonard is looked at as the future of the team.
(AP Photo/LM Otero)

The Mavericks made one of the riskiest moves last offseason by signing Monta Ellis. Known through his career as a guy who needs to put up a lot of shots, Ellis has played a good brand of team basketball this season. He is the type of player who can erupt for 40 points on any given night, but has learned to play with his Mavericks teammates extremely well. Nowitzki became the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 20 points in his 16th season or later, joining Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to accomplish that. One of the biggest reasons guys like Dirk and Ellis have been so effective this season is because of the freedom coach Rick Carlisle allows his players to have. The Mavericks do a great job of spacing the floor, and always seem to find the mismatch on the court.

Prediction: The Mavericks have enough firepower to compete in every game, but in the end, the Spurs are playing too well for Dallas to win the series. Spurs in five.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks early in the season. Lillard must have a big series for Portland to have a chance against the Houston Rockets.
(Tom Fox/ Dallas Morning News/ MCT)

 Dwight Howard had a solid season this year for the Rockets, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds. However, he was not given $88 million for solid regular seasons. The Rockets' backcourt play is as good as there is the conference, but they need the most talented center in the NBA to play like that. 

James Harden is continuing to show he is capable of being the star of a team, ranking fifth in the NBA in scoring (25.4 ppg). With role players such as Chandler Parsons, Terrence Jones and Patrick Beverly, the Rockets have the firepower to play with anybody in the NBA. However, the defense will have to play better if they are going to compete. They ranked 23rd in the NBA in points allowed (103.1 ppg), which is the worst for any NBA playoff team. That defense will be put to the test against a Trail Blazers team that can flat out score.

Despite being in only his second NBA season, Damian Lillard is proving to be as good a point guard as there is in the NBA. The former Weber State star averages 20.4 points for the Trail Blazers, and has shown the ability to finish at the rim despite being only 6-foot-3. While he is dominating the backcourt for Portland, the team also has a star in the post in LaMarcus Aldridge. The power forward averaged a double-double this year with 23.2 ppg and 11.1 rpg, and was one of only four players in the NBA to average at least 20 and 10. Lillard and Aldridge may be the best duo in the NBA when it comes to running the pick-and-roll, and that allows guys like Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews to spot up at the 3-point line. Like the Rockets, the team struggles to stop opponents as it ranks 22nd in the NBA in points allowed. The key in this series will be which team is able to get the stops in crunch time.

Prediction: This has the makings of being one of the most exciting series in the playoffs, as both teams are capable of scoring in bunches. Trail Blazers in six.

This series was going to be fun to watch because of the style both of these teams play. However, add the fact there is legitimate animosity between the teams, and you have the most intriguing series of any first-round matchup. The Clippers have been terrific under first-year coach Doc Rivers, who has helped his frontcourt to evolve into dominating players. Both DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin were known as dunkers, but they have become more complete players. Jordan led the league in rebounds with 13.7, and has a great chance of winning the defensive player of the year. Griffin has developed a legitimate 15-18 foot jump shot, making him nearly impossible to slow down.

With Chris Paul running the show, there are still plenty of highlight plays in Los Angeles, but this team is more prepared for the playoffs than in past seasons. With guys like J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes spacing the floor, teams can ill afford to double team the post. When the Clippers are on top of their game, they have the ability to play with anybody in the West.  The Clippers must control their emotions, as Griffin was ejected in a game earlier this season against the Warriors, and guard Klay Thompson sparked the fire with some trash talk about Griffin flopping on Wednesday.

The Warriors are brash and are not intimidated by anybody, and have taken on the personality of their coach, Marc Jackson. With the “Splash Brothers,” Golden State has the best shooting backcourt in guard Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. However, Curry has proven to be more than just a scorer, as he averages 8.5 assists. With Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes playing the small forward, the Warriors have terrific athletes who can just get out and run with any team in the NBA. However, it is the inside play that is a question mark. David Lee and Andrew Bogut are both terrific players when healthy, but have both had major problems with injuries this season. Lee should be ready to go for Game 1, and Golden State will need his 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds to compete, as it will most likely be without Bogut throughout the playoffs. The Warriors showed in the playoffs last season that they can cause some havoc, as they had the Spurs on the ropes before falling in six games in a Western Conference semifinal.

Prediction: This will be the most competitive series in the first round, but in the end, home court will be the difference. Clippers in seven.

No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder (59-23) vs. No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies (50-32)

Last season these teams met in the postseason, with the Grizzlies winning in five games. However, the Thunder was not at full strength, and that is because all-star guard Russell Westbrook was out with an injury. While Kevin Durant just won his fourth scoring title in five years by averaging 32 points, Westbrook is the heart and soul of the team. He is relentless when attacking the rim, and is an underrated defender who has the ability to take the opposing point guard out of the game. While he can be out of control at times, the Thunder is a completely different team when he is on the floor. However, another improvement on this season’s team is the play of the bench. Reggie Jackson played well when he filled in for Westbrook last season, while proven veterans like Derek Fisher and Caron Butler give the Thunder leadership and the ability to hit big shots. The frontcourt of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka will be tested by the Grizzlies'  terrific post duo, but has the strength and athleticism to give the Memphis duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph problems.

The Grizzlies were in big trouble early in the season, going just 13-19 in their first 32 games. Gasol was injured for much of that run, and once he came back, the Grizzlies started to resemble the team that made it to the Western Conference finals. Memphis does a great job of passing the ball,  and it starts with the center Gasol. Outside of Chicago's Joakim Noah, no post player passes the ball better than Gasol. With the ability of Randolph to dominate on the block, it allows Gasol to stay at the high post where he can dominate. Point guard and former Ohio State Buckeye Mike Conley has been tremendous this season, averaging a career-high 17.2 points. The Grizzlies do a great job of taking care of the ball, turning it over only 12.9 times per game. That is a huge key in this series, as no team in the NBA is as effective in transition as the Thunder. For Memphis to win, it will have to slow the tempo down and make it a half-court game.

Prediction: The Thunder are a different team with a healthy Russell Westbrook, and that will be the difference. Thunder in five.

Toronto vs. Brooklyn is one of the more intriguing first-round matchups in the East.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – It has not been a strong year in the Eastern conference outside of the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.

While the East has had a tough year, one thing the conference has going for it is some fresh faces. Teams like the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats and the Toronto Raptors are in the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons. While it seemed like a foregone conclusion at the beginning of the season that it would be a Heat and Pacers Eastern Conference finals, that is not the case anymore.

Here is a look at the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs:

No. 1 Indiana Pacers (56-26) vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (38-44)

Paul George drives in for a layup during a regular season game versus the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Pacers are going to make a deep postseason run, George must get back to playing like he did early in the season.
(AJ Mast, AP Photo)

These two teams faced off in the second round last season, with the Pacers winning the series in six games. While Indiana has struggled as of late, this is still a team that has the talent to compete for a championship.

When Paul George is on, you can make an argument he is the third-best player in the NBA. At 6-foot-10, he is a difficult matchup with his athleticism and the ability to hit the outside shot, but he is also one of the best defenders in the NBA. Center Roy Hibbert has struggled for most of the season, and needs to get back to playing the way he was last season when he was dominating games on the defensive end.

The wildcard on this team is Lance Stephenson. Some nights, Stephenson looks like an all-star, as he led the league in triple-doubles with five this season. However, he has his moments when he tries to make the big play, and can really hurt his team. The Pacers need him to play at his best, because they are a team that really struggles to score. They should play well enough on the defensive end of the court to stay in games, but guys like Stephenson as well as George Hill and C.J. Watson will determine how far this team goes.

While the Hawks enter this matchup six games under .500, they will come into this game confident that they can beat the Pacers. It was less than a month ago when the Hawks went to Indianapolis and held a 55-23 lead in the second quarter as they cruised to a victory.

If the Hawks had Al Horford, this could be a nightmare series for the Pacers. With Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, the Hawks have two guys that can have huge scoring nights in different ways. Teague is one of the most underrated guards in the league, but he does a great job of finishing at the rim. When Teague is getting inside the paint, that opens it up from the 3-point line for Korver, who just had his NBA record of 107 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer come to an end. Paul Milsap should do a good job of offsetting David West, but the Hawks are missing that center to dominate the game.

Prediction: The Pacers have not played as well of late, while the Hawks have a lot of playoff experience on their team. Look for the Hawks to compete very well in this series, but for Indiana to resemble the team we saw in the first three months of the season. Pacers in five.

No. 4 Chicago Bulls (48-34) vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards (44-38)

For the second straight season, the Bulls will try to make a run in the NBA playoffs without former MVP Derrick Rose. Center Joakim Noah has taken his game to the next level. While he has always been a terrific defender, he has become the best passing big man in the NBA.

D.J. Augustin was a midseason signing, and he has played extremely well by leading the team at 14.9 points ppg. While they struggle at times to score, guys like Jimmy Butler and Carlos Boozer have the ability to score 20 points on any given night. However, the biggest reason why the Bulls are competitive is because of the defensive game plan of Tom Thibodeau. Chicago enters the playoffs allowing only 91.8 points per game, which ranks No. 1 in the NBA. With frontcourt players such as Noah and Gibson, the Bulls have the ability to switch on the picks and guard multiple positions. The Bulls will have a big advantage in this series when it comes to experience, as the Wizards' starting backcourt will be playing in its first playoff series.

John Wall and Bradley Beal form one of the youngest backcourts in the NBA, but also one of the most talented as well. Wall is an absolute blur with the ball, and he took his game to another level this year by averaging 18.8 points and 8.8 assists. With his ability to beat defenders off the dribble, that helps open things up for Beal, who averages 17.1 points and 40 percent shooting from the 3-point line. These guys are both capable of having a big series, but they will have to adjust to playoff basketball. The Wizards do have the inside game to compete with the Bulls, as Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario are two savvy veterans who are crafty and know how to play. Washington has shown the ability to play good defense, ranking 8^th in the NBA in points allowed (99.4 PPG).

Prediction: This has the makings of being a defensive battle, as both teams make it very difficult to score at the rim. Bulls in six.

Toronto appeared to be on its way to another lottery pick when it traded Rudy Gay, but the Raptors took off after that trade to earn the No. 3 seed. The backcourt of the Raptors is capable of going off on any night, as DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross are all explosive athletes. DeRozan has improved every season of his career, and has averaged a career-high 22.7 points. Known for his dunks, DeRozan has improved on the offensive end of the court and has forced opponents to respect his jump shot.

With Lowry doing a great job of running the show, it allows both DeRozan and Ross to get out and run, where their explosive athleticism can be put on full display. Jonas Valanciunas averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds and has emerged as a reliable power forward. While the Raptors are known as an athletic team, they also do a great job of shutting their opponents down, ranking 7^th in the NBA in points allowed (98.0 ppg).

The Nets got off to such a bad start that an assistant coach was demoted and many people were wondering if Jason Kidd was a bad hire. However, the team turned it around at the start of the new year, posting the best record in the East since January at 34-17. This is a team that has only been together for a season, but this team has a lot of guys who have played in meaningful playoff games. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were teammates when they won a championship in Boston.

While Pierce has lost a step, he scored 1,000 points for a 15^th consecutive season. With Deron Williams and Joe Johnson also in the starting five, this is an extremely talented team that creates a lot of mismatches on the offensive end. They showed their potential by sweeping the Miami Heat in the regular season, becoming the only team that has ever swept the Heat in the "Big Three" era. The bench of the Nets could play a big role, as guys like Marcus Thornton and Mason Plumlee can provide the team with quality minutes off the bench.

Prediction: Many people think this is the series the Nets wanted, as the Raptors are an inexperienced team when it comes to the playoffs. While they do not have the experience, Toronto is tough-minded team that is hungry. Raptors in seven.

The two-time defending champions have rested starters for the past couple of weeks, but make no mistake, they are ready for this run. This is the fourth season of the Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and they have been through it all.

The No. 1 concern for this team was making sure it was rested and healthy entering the playoffs, and the Heat appears to be just that. While Kevin Durant has gotten a lot of the MVP talk, James has continued to become more efficient on the offensive end. In a game against Charlotte earlier in the season, James erupted for a career-high 61 points. The Heat defense ranks fifth in the NBA by allowing only 97.4 ppg, and they do a great job of helping each other. When they are communicating and moving on the defensive end, it usually leads to a lot of opportunities in the transition game. With players like Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers and Chris Anderson, the Heat has the type of guys that know their role and do what is needed to get the win. Another thing to look at in this series is the fact that the Heat have defeated the Bobcats 16 consecutive times.

Just two seasons ago, the Bobcats were setting an NBA record with the worst winning percentage of all time, going 7-59. While the East has not been great this season, for the Bobcats to finish the regular season with 43 wins is quite an achievement.

The biggest reason why Charlotte is playing meaningful basketball in April is Al Jefferson. He is one of the most skilled centers in the NBA, as he can score in many different ways. Jefferson has also provided the Bobcats with a guy that can dominate the glass. Third-year point guard Kemba Walker is emerging as a talented point guard, finishing the regular season with 17.7 points and 6.1 assists per game. It was thought that he was only a scoring guard, but he has shown he can play the point guard position in the NBA. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist does not put up monster numbers, but he is a big-time athlete who is a terrific on-ball defender. Gerald Henderson and Gary Neal are two proven veterans who can score the ball, and they will have to against the Heat. The 97.1 points allowed has the Bobcats ranked fourth in the NBA.

Prediction: The Heat are on a mission for the 3-peat while the season is already a success for the Bobcats. Charlotte will end the dreaded losing streak to the Heat, but that will be it. Heat in five.

This season, the Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer are responding to the voracious appetite of baseball fans by dramatically ramping up the baseball coverage you'll find on cleveland.com and in the newspaper.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “The sheer quantity of brain power that hurled itself voluntarily and quixotically into the search for new baseball knowledge was either exhilarating or depressing, depending on how you felt about baseball. The same intellectual resources might have cured the common cold, or put a man on Pluto.”

Thus wrote Michael Lewis in “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” – a book read mainly by baseball purists before Brad Pitt helped shorten its title and widen its popularity on the movie screen.

In other words, people who love baseball can’t get enough of it.

Putting it another way, Plain Dealer baseball writer Paul Hoynes once spoke of the hold the sport has on him: "All the great writers write about baseball. If you're a stat guy, if you're into personalities, if you're into strategy ... it's all right there for you. There's a reason that 15 times more books have been written about baseball than about any other sport."

This season, the Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer are responding to the voracious appetite of baseball fans by dramatically ramping up the baseball coverage you’ll find on cleveland.com and in the newspaper.

If you have even a passing interest in the National Pastime, you have already noticed that NEOMG has added a second full-time reporter to the Indians beat in Zack Meisel, and increased the coverage to the point that, if you sign on to cleveland.com a dozen times on a game day, it’s a good bet you’ll find something new every time. There has been a corresponding increase in the amount of space devoted to the Indians in the newspaper – about an extra page a day, says Managing Editor Thom Fladung.

Not everyone will be happy about this. I hear regularly from readers who complain about what they see as this news organization’s obsession with sports. Keep the focus off the playground and on the news, they say.

We’re not about to stop covering the serious stuff, but to the critics I recount one of my favorite memories from my time as sports editor here, as told to me by former state bureau chief Jim Underwood.

It seems that Underwood, who doesn’t work here anymore, customarily strolled downstairs from his Columbus office at a certain time every day to have a smoke, something he also doesn’t do anymore. Often enough, he would watch the same man walk up to the newspaper box in front of the office, deposit his quarters, lift out a Plain Dealer, pull out the sports section and toss the rest of the paper in the handy trash container nearby.

Finally one day Underwood had had enough. “Hey!” he yelled, startling the man. “Can’t you at least wait ‘til you get around the corner to do that? That’s my work you’re throwing away!” The fellow recovered, smiled unapologetically and walked away.

Those of us in sports used to suspect that he was not the only one; that we were the engine that drove the reading (and buying) public. Of course, prior to the Internet age we had only anecdotal stories like that to argue the point.

But today we can track online page views, and we know which stories draw the most interest. And, hour in and hour out, day in and day out, week in and week out – the answer comes back: Sports.

The Browns get the most readership, but sports in general are the big draw.

So, in the interest of giving the people what they want, when the Northeast Ohio Media Group was formed last August, one of the first decisions made was to beef up the already strong Browns coverage. At the same time, two reporters were added to the Ohio State football coverage, and special game day sections were added to the newspaper.

The results were dramatic. Between Aug. 1 and Jan. 31, the Browns coverage attracted an increase of almost 5 million page views compared with 2012. The total was a staggering 23 million views.

The Ohio State readership wasn’t as massive, but the increase was even more striking. The extra coverage drew almost four times as much readership: about 8.2 million views, up from about 2.1 million over the same time period the year before.

I can’t prove how many eyes lingered over the football coverage in the newspaper last year, but it seems logical that readership increased there as well.

So now it’s the Indians' turn.

For the first time in his 32 years on the beat, Hoynes has a regular partner, at home and on selected road trips, and the result has been an outpouring of information for baseball fans. Hoynes has long been one of the best beat writers in the country, and at age 24 Meisel already has three years of experience covering baseball for mlb.com under his belt. He was one of the OSU beat writers after being hired in August, then switched to baseball with the start of spring training.

Hoynes handles the daily game stories, notes and chatter columns, while Meisel puts together a daily “observations” column, writes a daily feature or analysis story and does an in-game chat with fans. They combine for daily video and/or audio commentary about the previous game and what to look for in the game coming up, other live chats, video interviews with Indians manager Terry Francona, and plenty of smaller interactive features and statistics.

In addition, The Plain Dealer’s Dennis Manoloff -- “D-Man” to his readers and friends -- posts a regular “on deck” preview and for every game writes a fan's-eye column highlighting his own unique perspective on the sport.

The fans have noticed – online readership is up 24 percent thus far in the young season. That’s good news for those of us who love the game and hope the increased coverage continues and grows.

That’s not to say there haven’t been a few bumps along the way. For Hoynes, who started his career using a typewriter, coping with all the electronics can sometimes seem otherworldly.

“It’s supposed to be impossible to take a video upside down,” he said. “I’ve done it twice now.”

Didn’t surprise me. I’ve always thought the guy could produce good stuff standing on his head.

Cavaliers fans are calling for Mike Brown's firing, but no one knows where owner Dan Gilbert stands.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Got a question about the Cavs? Submit your question at cleveland.com/heymary and Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer Mary Schmitt Boyer will choose at least one to answer each week.

Hey, Mary: What has Mike Brown done to earn his job next year? Other than coaching the best player in the world (LeBron James) to multiple best records and one Finals appearance, which I think anyone could have done with LeBron, he has not shown any signs of being a good coach. He was fired after five games with the Lakers and had players like Kobe shake his head at him during games. He led the Cavs to one of the worst records in the league. Numerous times, as you've stated, the players won't listen to him during games, plus he allowed players like Dion Waiters to blow up the locker room. What justifies him coaching again? -- Omar Tucker, Cleveland

Hey, Mary: I can't believe that Dan Gilbert is even considering keeping Mike Brown as coach. I realize he has money invested in Brown, but he is useless as he was hired for defensive training and they seem to have lost any respect for him. Do you see a new coach in the near future and who? -- Ric McElroy, Travelers Rest, S.C.

Hey, Omar and Ric: Brown has some shortcomings, but teaching defense is not one of them. The Cavs went from 30th last season in opponent field-goal percentage to 12th. That is significant improvement, especially since it took most of the season for the players to buy in. This definitely was not the most cohesive group on or off the court, but he was not responsible for putting it together.

A team intent on getting better cannot keep changing coaches every year. I think the team improved as the season went on and that's why I would be in favor of Brown's return. Obviously, many fans disagree, but I can't believe you all want to start all over again with one of the usual suspects -- George Karl, Jeff or Stan Van Gundy or the always popular college candidates like John Calipari or Tom Izzo.

All that being said, I don't know if Brown will be back. I don't think anyone does. Owner Dan Gilbert has a lot of big decisions to make and he is not tipping his hand. He is expected to address the media at some point, and only then are we likely to have any clarity on the future of Brown and acting general manager David Griffin. I would not be surprised if Gilbert brought in someone as president, similar to what the Knicks did with Phil Jackson. Would he allow that person to make the decisions on Brown and Griffin? The only other thing I'm reasonably certain about is that money will not figure into his decision. If Gilbert decides Brown is not his guy -- again -- I don't think the fact that he will owe him $15 million would prevent his firing.

Hey, Mary: Trade Kyrie now while his value is high? I'd really like to get another pick in this year's lottery. It's hard to contend in today's NBA if your best player is a 6-3 point guard. The league is about size and length. Both Waiters and Irving need the ball. It's a bad fit even if they like each other. Meanwhile, we are mediocre at the 3, 4 and 5. Like it or not, the Cavs are in a rebuild until they get out of the lottery. Trade Kyrie now? -- Joe

Hey, Joe: I am glad I do not have to make this decision. It's clearly something the Cavs have at least considered. David Griffin made that clear in his first media session when he announced no player was untouchable. Gilbert has indicated he'd trade any player who doesn't sign a max extension if it's offered. The debate is whether it will be offered. There are pros (two-time All-Star and reigning All-Star MVP) and cons (injures) on each side. Absolutely nothing will surprise me on this front. I don't know what's going to happen. I do know -- and so should you -- that tying hopes to lottery picks is a risky proposition.

Hey, Mary: How do you think the Cavs will sort out their backcourt conundrum this off-season? It seems apparent that Waiters and Irving are similar players and probably for each to be as effective as possible, they need the ball in their hands. In addition, they’re both poor defenders and in the end, it looks like they bring out the worst in each other. I can’t imagine the Cavs would still subscribe to some maturation process resolving these issues. They’re ball-heavy point guards, not certificates of deposit. What do you think they’ll do? -- Leslie Gorta, Walton Hills

Hey, Leslie: Love the CD reference! At least with CDs, you have some idea of what kind of return you'll get on your investment. That's not the case here. Are the Cavs willing to wait to see whether their relationship develops like, say, that of Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who got off to a rocky start? Their greatest fear is cutting ties too soon and watching them succeed elsewhere while trying to develop their replacements here. My gut says keep them both but quit trying to play them together. We'll just have to see what shakes out with Irving this summer.

Hey, Mary: With Loul Deng possibly leaving in free agency, what other free agent small forwards are on the market that look attractive this off-season? -- Kevin Cooper, Cleveland

Hey, Mary: What trades do you think the Cavs will be involved in? Do you think any free agent will join Cavs? -- Daniel Alloza, Zaragoza, Spain

Hey, Mary: Who are some "big name" free agents, other than LeBron, that the Cavs could possibly pursue? -- Chris Doski, Winner, S.D.

Hey, Kevin, Daniel and Chris: I wish I could give you some reasonable answers here, but there are just too many unknowns regarding the Cavs hierarchy to reply with any degree of certainty. Gilbert likes to be active in free agency, and the team has been pointing toward this summer when everybody from James to Carmelo Anthony can be free agents, though none have formally announced their intentions. We're going to have to hold off on this for now, but I will predict with 100 percent certainty that Anthony will not be joining the Cavs.

Hey, Mary: Compare the Cavs team to the Pistons' heyday -- Joe Dumars/Isiah Thomas and Dion Waiters/Kyrie Irving, Bill Laimbeer and Spencer Hawes. Am I dreaming? -- Doug Brown, Enon, Ohio

Hey, Doug: Wake up!! Did you watch the Bad Boys documentary on ESPN on Thursday? That was a talented and cohesive group. Every piece fit together perfectly, and the ones that didn't fit were discarded and changed. Most people outside of Detroit had no use for them because of their physical -- some would say dirty -- nature, but it worked for them. I did wonder while I was watching if Hawes admired Laimbeer as a player. The two do share a bit of a chippy nature and an outside shooting touch. Other than that, though, I really see no similarities between the teams, although Gilbert probably wishes there were!

Hey, Mary: Do me a favor this summer. Don't let management get away with what they have done. No matter how the organization might try to spin it, the Cavs are a bad team. They have been the NBA's worst team since LeBron's departure. The pieces don't match. Kyrie and Dion can't play with one another. Tristan's double-doubles are overrated especially in crunch time. Coaching has been horrible in the locker room as well as on the court. Drafting I won't even mention. The fact of the matter is things need to change now. -- Chris Taylor, Columbus

Hey, Chris: Sounds as if you are looking for a total overhaul, and you might get it. We clearly disagree on Brown. I just don't know yet what Gilbert thinks -- and he's the only one who matters. I would expect significant roster changes, but the Cavs are going to have to make decisions about the structure at the top of the organization first.

On Saturday, the Indians will attempt to snap out of a funk in which they have lost six of eight games. Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Saturday, the Indians will attempt to snap out of a funk in which they have lost six of eight games. Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup.

The idea of 6-foot-5 Mike Evans as one receiver combining with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron may be intriguing to the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about Mike Evans, Derek Carr, the Browns draft, the Tribe's David Murphy, and the Cavs offense:

About the draft ...

We have been waiting far too long for the May 8th draft, so this idea may be the product of having far too much time to think about it.

But here it goes.

Suppose the Browns had a chance to draft Mike Evans, the 6-foot-5 receiver from Texas A&M.

But it makes no sense to take him at No. 4.

Suppose the Browns could drop down a few spots and grab Evans -- rather than sitting at No. 4 for a receiver such as Sammy Watkins.

And suppose the Browns could find a team to give up a second-rounder for Evans, or even multiple picks a bit lower in the draft.

Does that make sense?

Consider that Evans is a huge target. The more I watch the NFL, the more I like big receivers. That's part of Josh Gordon's appeal. He's 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and his jumping ability makes him seem even larger.

Evans does not have the speed of Gordon, but he has excellent hands. And he averaged 20.2 yards per catch at Texas A&M.

Yes, he had Johnny Manziel as the quarterback. And yes, Manziel threw the ball -- a lot.

Did Manziel make Evans better?

Of course.

But it also worked the other way -- having a large receiver was a huge boost for Manziel as he scrambled while looking for a target.

Why should the Browns be intrigued by Evans? Here are some reasons:

1. He had 279 yards receiving against Alabama. That's 279 yards in ONE game! Against Alabama. He caught seven balls for a 39-yard average. Just as Nick Saban couldn't handle Manziel, the Alabama coach couldn't stop Evans.

2. He had 11 catches for 287 yards and four touchdowns against No. 1 ranked Auburn this year.

3. So Evans was at his best when facing two of his toughest opponents.

4. His two bad games were against LSU and Missouri, a combined eight catches for a lame 59 yards. Both were losses. That's not coincidence. Texas A&M needed Evans, just as it needed Manziel to win big games.

5. We all know the Browns problems in the red zone. Consider Jordan Cameron, Gordon and Evans near the goal line -- all leapers and large targets. Brian Hoyer could end up looking like Brian Sipe throwing to those guys.

6. Then consider the idea of adding another second-round pick, or at least a third-rounder and something else in the draft.

7. Sammy Watkins is a terrific player. If the Browns grab the receiver from Clemson, I'm happy with that. Watkins is much quicker than Evans, but he's only 6-foot. He is surprisingly strong at 211 pounds. But it is tempting for the Browns to pass on Watkins, grabbing Evans and some extra picks.

Fresno State's Derek Carr completed only 30 percent of his passes "under pressure" in 2013.AP

About Derek Carr ...

Veteran sportswriter Mike Freeman wrote this for the Bleacher Report about Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr:

"They (the Browns) love him. They really love him. The feeling with many in football is that Cleveland will take Carr with its 26th pick. Other quarterbacks are rising quickly, but he might be rising the fastest. He has charmed almost every team he's met with and his arm and accuracy are underrated. And no one seems to be scared of the fact he's related to epic draft bust David Carr, a notion that was definitely in play just a few months ago."

No clue if Freeman is right, other than the Browns certainly have checked out Carr.

It's so hard to evaluate Carr because he played in a passing-crazed system.

Carr threw 50 passes a game … that's right, 50 passes!!!

And he threw for 50 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions.

Carr struggles when facing a serious pass rush. ESPN has a category called passing "under pressure."

Carr completed only 30 percent in that category.

Also, 33 percent of Carr's passes were screen-types behind the line of scrimmage, another 27 percent were in the 1-to-5 yard range. So 60 percent of his passes were very short.

The other top quarterbacks in the draft (Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and Manziel) are above 50 percent when passing under pressure.

So care must be taken when looking at Carr's numbers because of all the quick and short throws in the Fresno offense.

Jadeveon Clowney may be the most physically gifted player in the draft.AP

About Jadeveon Clowney ...

So many NFL draft experts love Clowney, the pass rusher from South Carolina.

And some believe he will be the top pick in the draft. A few even compared him to Lawrence Taylor.

OK, let's pause for a reality check.

Clowney is a very physically gifted athlete. He may be the best raw athlete in the draft.

But another Taylor?

Guess how many sacks Lawrence Taylor had in his final year at North Carolina?

Try 16!

That's sacks, not just tackles for losses.

Clowney had 3.0 sacks in 2013, with 11.5 tackles for a loss.

As a sophomore in 2012, Clowney had 13.0 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. That's when the pros fell in love with him.

No matter if he was double-teamed (and he was) or teams ran plays in the other direction from his side of the line, the decline is disturbing.

But maybe that won't scare off the Browns.

In his book about the 2011 New York Jets (Collision Low Crossovers), author Nicholas Dawidoff wrote this: "(Mike) Pettine's theory of scouting held that you determine a player's peak level of skill, and then it was up to his coaches to get the player to play up to it consistently."

Now the Browns head coach, Pettine was the Jets defensive coordinator at the time.

The Cavs offense ranked low under Coach Mike Brown.Lynn Ischay / The Plain Dealer

About Mike Brown ...

If the Cavs bring back Mike Brown as coach, they need show him the following:

In 2011-12, there were three teams that averaged at least 100 points.

In 2012-13, there were 11 teams scoring at least 100 points.

In 2013-14, there were 17 teams scoring at least 100 points.

Question: Which way is the league heading?

The answer is offense.

Obviously, defense matters.

No one wants a return to the Cavs ranking dead last in defensive field goal percentage (.476) as they did in 2012-13 under Byron Scott.

They rose to 12th under Brown (.462).

But consider that the Cavs actually allowed more points per game (101.5) this year than last season (101.2). That's because more teams are playing at a quicker pace, and that means putting up more shots.

So what's the point?

Consider:

1. Teams are running more and scoring more. And the Cavs must do the same.

2. Brown can talk about having a running team, but he needs to coach it. Maybe he does. Or maybe he needs to coach it in a different way. But the Cavs ranked 22nd (98.2) in points scored. Even more discouraging, they ranked 27th (.437) in shooting from the field.

3. The offense is not much better than in Scott's final season, when they averaged 96.5 points (ranking 18th) and shot .434 (No. 29). Yet, the talent improved with the likes of Luol Deng, Jarrett Jack and Spencer Hawes, along with Anderson Varejao being healthy for 39 more games than a year ago.

4. The Cavs ranked 23rd in scoring off the fast break, 21st in a category called fast-break efficiency. It needs work.

5. So the question for Brown is this: Exactly what do you plan to do about the offense?

The Cavaliers were 4-4 when Dion Waiters started in place of Kyrie Irving this season.Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer

About Dion Waiters ...

This is not about running Kyrie Irving out of town, but the Cavs must look at how the team played when Irving was hurt.

That's because no one is sure if Irving will sign an extension. But if Irving refuses, the Cavs will be in a position where they probably have to trade their point guard.

And that means, Dion Waiters will have to run the offense.

While Irving missed 11 games, eight of them were started by Waiters.

In those eight games started by Waiters, the Cavs were 4-4.

They beat Indiana, Detroit, Toronto and New York.

They lost to Brooklyn, Houston, Oklahoma City and Miami.

So they were 2-4 vs. playoff teams, and 2-0 vs. teams missing the playoffs.

How did Waiters perform in those games where he led the team without Irving?

The second-year guard averaged 22.1 points, 5.2 assists and shot 43 percent from the field.

David Murphy usually is a slow starter in April, but he is playing well early this season.Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer

About David Murphy ...

I spent some time talking to David Murphy before Thursday's game in Detroit.

He's an impressive guy, and this comment really struck me: "As a man, after you have a bad season, you want to prove to everyone that you can still play at a high level."

Murphy is 32, coming off a season where he batted .220 with Texas. He spent six years with Rangers, batting .275 (.778 OPS). In 2012, he batted .304 (.859 OPS).

While Murphy didn't say so, it had to bother him that the Rangers had little interest in keeping him after his career-worst 2013 season.

"Let's just say that sometimes, you need a fresh start," he said. "I love it here. When you are a kid, you just want to get to the big leagues. When you get there and play for a few years -- you realize how important it is to be with the right team. This is a great situation for me."

Murphy was batting .283 (.868 OPS) with two homers and 12 RBI heading into the weekend.

He's relieved to get off to a good start with a new team.

In spring training, Murphy batted only .204. He also told me that he "never hits in April."

His career average is .233 in the season's first month.

In fact, Murphy's career shows he is much better after the All-Star break (.292) than in the first half of the season (.261).

What does stay the same is his defense, which is very good in right field. He has had a few diving catches already, and has thrown out a runner at second base.

The Indians surprised many people by giving Murphy a two-year, $12 million deal.

"I want to show that they (the Indians) made the right decision," he said.

About Lonnie Chisenhall ...

A year ago, Lonnie Chisenhall was handed the third base job and seemed to fold under the pressure of being expected to start.

By May 12, he was batting .213 and sent back to Class AAA. He hit .390 in 27 games for Clippers, but never really found his swing in Cleveland (.225 for the season).

This year, he barely made the team and his job is as a part-time player.

He went into the weekend hitting 13-of-27. That outrageous pace won't continue, but the fact is Chisenhall suddenly seems relaxed. Maybe at the age of 25 and in his fourth season attempting to stick with the Tribe … he has figured it out.

As Manager Terry Francona said Thursday, "There is some thunder in his bat."

The Tribe kept Chisenhall on the roster because they saw little reason to send him back to Columbus -- again.

In the last two years, he has hit a combined .352 in 223 at bats for the Clippers. He has passed the Class AAA test.

Now, it seems the Tribe's top pick in the 2008 draft is ready to help the big league team.

Carlos Santana used this swing to hit his first homer of the year in Friday's 3-2 loss to Toronto.Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer

About the Tribe ...

1. Carlos Santana has the same big, pull-happy swing that hurt him in 2012. That season, he was batting only .221 with five homers and 30 RBI at the All-Star break. He finally cut down on his high leg kick and just tried to hit the ball hard -- not out of the park. He batted .281 with 13 homers in the second half of the season.

2. Santana went into the weekend batting .164 with a homer and 3 RBI. He isn't always a slow starter. In 2013, he batted .389 with five homers in April. With Santana, it's about disciplining his swing so that it's not so long.

3. Santana's claim that switching positions may be part of his struggle at the plate makes little sense because he has caught only three games this season. It just comes down to his swing. He was 0-of-30 before he homered Friday night. It also was Santana's desire to play third because he doesn't like to DH.

4. Zach McAllister used his changeup and curveball just enough to keep the Tigers off-balance in the Tribe's 3-2 victory at Detroit. McAllister allowed one run in six innings. McAllister is developing confidence and at the age of 26, he may be emerging as a solid starter. Remember that Corey Kluber didn't emerge as a starter for the Tribe until last season, when he was 27.

5. Former Indian Drew Pomeranz is finally having some success. Now with Oakland, the lefty is in the bullpen and has a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 innings. He had a horrible time as a starter (4-14, 5.20 ERA) with the Rockies. He was part of the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. That's why I'm for Carlos Carrasco in the bullpen. Take a guy with a good arm and put him somewhere that he can help the team and have some success.

6. It's been a strange season for Yan Gomes, who has five errors. The entire Baltimore team entered the weekend with only three errors. And Gomes (a good defensive catcher) had only three errors last season. He appears to be rushing some of his throws.

7. The Tribe leads the American League with 16 errors. Santana has only one at third base. Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher have two each. The Tribe ranks 13th out of 15 AL teams in defensive efficiency, which also takes into consideration range and other factors. None of this is good for a team that needs to play what Manager Terry Francona calls "clean games."

8. Anthony Gallas is off to a good start at Class A Carolina, hitting .308 (.929 OPS) with three homers and six RBI for Class A Carolina. The product of Strongsville and Kent State is 26. He played only 14 games last season and then had hip surgery, so this is an important year for his career.

Former St. Vincent-St. Mary girls basketball Joe Jakubick to become boys coach at St. Peter's.

MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Former St. Vincent-St. Mary girls basketball coach Joe Jakubick will be the new high school boys basketball coach at St. Peters, according to the Mansfield News Journal.

On Thursday, Jakubck resigned from St. Vincent-St. Mary after 10 successful seasons at the school. He went 156-78 during his time as the St. Vincent-St. Mary coach, including a 25-3 record with a state semifinal appearance this season.

Jakubick comes back to the school where his terrific career playing began. As a sophomore at St. Peter's, he was the leading scorer on the junior varsity team. He transferred to Madison for his junior and senior seasons before going to play at Akron.

In an interview with the Mansfield News Journal, Jakubick talked about the excitement of trying to get St. Peter's back to Columbus.

When I grew up it was all about St. Peter’s and their (winning tradition),” said Jakubick,  “I just got to Columbus. Yeah, I want to get back there, and nowhere would it be better for me than at St.Peter’s.”

St. Peter's athletic director Tim Failor told the Mansfield News Journal that Jakubick's success and experience has the program excited about the future.

“Joe’s success with the (SVSM) girls program, his experience working within a parochial system, his basketball background and familiarity with St. Peter’s make him the ideal candidate to take the reins,” athletic director Tim Failor said. “He takes over a well-run program left by coach Durham. We’re fortunate to welcome Joe back home.”

St. Peter's went 13-11 last season, but have key players returning in David Hall and Richard Shaw.

Contact high school sports reporter Mark Kern by email mkern@cleveland.com or Twitter (@Markkern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Corey Kluber has never faced Toronto or anyone on its roster, but the right-hander has won three straight starts at Progressive Field with a 6-0 record and 2.51 ERA in 11 starts there since May 31. Today's first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Corey Kluber has never faced Toronto or anyone on its roster, but the right-hander has won three straight starts at Progressive Field with a 6-0 record and 2.51 ERA in 11 starts there since May 31. Today's first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

A series of first-inning miscues cost the Indians on Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Without a calendar, anyone watching the Indians this season might be lost.

The weather has felt like January. The sloppy play has resembled the start of spring training in February. The dormant bats have been reminiscent of a lethargic September spell, when the rigors of a 162-game slate set in.

A blend of defensive miscues and cold bats fueled the Indians' 5-0 loss to the Blue Jays on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Cleveland has dropped seven of its last nine, a rut that triggered a postgame discussion between manager Terry Francona and his cast of scuffling players.

It is, however, still April.

"I think we're just kind of playing a little sloppy right now," said right-hander Corey Kluber (1-2, 5.40 ERA), who suffered the loss on Saturday. "I don't think we're really playing the game we need to play. We're walking too many guys as a staff. When the offense goes out and scores, we're not really doing a good job picking them up and going back out and having a shutdown inning. Our defense hasn't been great. We're not really moving runners over, or doing the little things that we need to do to be a good team.

"I think Tito says it a lot: We're not the kind of team that can just roll out of bed and win games. We need to play the game the right way. We're just not quite doing enough of that consistently right now, and it's costing us some games."

A series of first-inning close calls with the gloves provided Toronto with an advantage it never relinquished. Melky Cabrera, who collected four hits in the Blue Jays' series-opening win on Friday, belted a triple to right field that landed just beyond the reach of David Murphy. The Tribe outfielder stumbled toward the wall on his route to the baseball and fell as the ball bounced near the warning track.

One batter later, Jose Bautista lofted a bloop that landed in a Bermuda Triangle of sorts in short right. Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis and Murphy all chased, but Swisher overran the ball as it sailed in the gusting wind. Cabrera scored on the single.

"It would have been a good play," Francona said, "and when you’re not scoring a bunch of runs you probably need them to be made. The next ball almost tore his head off. It would have helped us win but those are difficult plays."

Bautista advanced to second during the next at-bat when catcher Yan Gomes was charged with a pass ball. After a groundout advanced Bautista to third, Dioner Navarro sent a sharp grounder off Swisher's glove at first base. The ball caromed into right field and permitted Bautista to score.

The Indians never recovered, as their bats remained quiet.

"Collectively we don't have some of our bigger bats that are hot right now," Francona said. "That will help. Until that happens, you have to fight and claw and do the best you can. Every day is a little different but if you just battle, keep playing and working -- the guys are good hitters and are going to hit.

"You can't fall into the frustration and let that affect you because it is easy in this game. We're going to have to fight through that."

Blue Jays southpaw Mark Buehrle blanked the Tribe over seven innings to earn his big league-leading fourth victory. He lowered his ERA to 0.64.

"He gets the lead and he kind of puts you in a rocking chair," Francona said. "You hit a ball hard to someone, you get a guy on and he’ll get you to roll over. He’s really good at that. He’s obviously feeling pretty good about himself. He’s throwing the ball real well right now.”

The Indians never pushed a runner past second on Saturday, as they tallied only four singles. In the first two tilts against Toronto, the Tribe is 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position. This season, the team is batting just .208 in that scenario.

"We haven't exactly been hitting great with runners in scoring position," Swisher said. "Sometimes you have rough starts to the year. We have to pull together as a squad and as a unit and figure this thing out."

Swisher denied the notion that the Indians are pressing and submitting to an overwhelming sense of frustration. Francona, though, didn't sugarcoat.

"There’s a lot of it," Francona said. "The good part from where I sit is that I know they will fight through it. We really believe in this group a lot. It’s not always easy and fun but we believe in them. That’s what I hang my hat on every day. We will figure it out.”

The Indians also started last season with 10 losses in their first 17 affairs. That team claimed 92 victories by year's end, though it required a 10-game winning streak to cap the regular season to reach that mark.

This year's club remains in search of answers in all three phases of the game.

"We can't win seven in a row," Swisher said. "We have to start off by winning one."

Fortunately for the Indians, as they learned after recovering from last year's sluggish start, the calendar is on their side.

"It hasn't been the start that we wanted as a group, but then again, last year we started off the season 5-10," Swisher said. "It's not time to jump off the bridge just yet."