The 38-year-old Armour finished tied for fourth after shooting a 1-under 70 on Sunday.

WESTLAKE, Ohio – Even though Ryan Armour is from Silver Lake and he went to college at Ohio State, that doesn't mean the 38-year-old is any better suited to playing rainy, chilly conditions like what Web.com Tour players faced at the Cleveland Open on Sunday.

"I mean, I like 75 and sunny just like everyone else," Armour said. "Weather's a factor every day you play. It's whether you let it become your factor. It's a factor for everyone. You just can't let it bother you."

Armour wouldn't cite rainy, wet conditions at Lakewood Country Club, or the 1 hour, 19 minute rain delay, for his 1-under 70 on Sunday. In all, Armour finished 11-under at the Cleveland Open, tying for fourth with three others and catapulting him to 33^rd on the Web.com Tour money list with $65,158 earned this season. 

"I didn't hit it very well today, but I hung in there," Armour said. "Posting 1-under isn't the worst score in the world. It's kind of frustrating. I didn't give myself enough looks to make some birdies to try to chase [champion Steven] Alker down. 

"I'm happy. Once you get in contention, you want to win, though." 

Armour found himself playing with the lead group Sunday after shooting a 5-under 66 one day earlier. 

He was hopeful for the opportunity to snag a victory in front of friends and family who watched him play all week. Instead, he was thankful that the Cleveland Open is back after a seven-year hiatus. 

"I love playing in Ohio," he said. "It's great that the Cleveland Open's back here. Ben Cooke and Kevin Lynch and [club pro] Tom Waitrovich did a great job, and they should be commended for it." 

More than 10,000 people attended the Cleveland Open during the week, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission said. 

Alker putter: Cleveland Open champion Steven Alker said a small change in his putting routine in the last week might have made a big difference. The 42-year-old New Zealander said he stopped taking a practice stroke behind the ball and began putting next to the ball to "get a feel for my putts." 

"I've never been a guy to have a practice stroke," he said. "It was just something different and I felt like I got more of a feel for my putt. That was a huge difference. Kind of a turning point for me. I just kind of stuck with it, trusted it and went with it." 

Alker said his improved putting is what kept him calm during his 11-hole playoff with Dawie van der Walt, and earlier in the week in U.S. Open qualifying.

Lessons learned: Van der Walt said the main thing he learned in his playoff with Alker is that he needs to improve his ability to perform under pressure. 

"I kind of hit a bunch of loose shots. In regulation I hit [16] greens. I hit the ball great," he said. "Then we get in the playoff and I look like a 20-handicapper. I was lucky to play that many holes."

The Indians have won two in a row on the road for the first time this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Texas Rangers in the third of a four-game series Sunday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 63.

Opponent: Rangers.

Location: Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas.

Time of day: Afternoon.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 9 minutes.

Attendance: 34,613.

Result: Indians 3, Rangers 2.

Records: Indians 32-31, Rangers 31-32.

Staying hot: The Tribe has won eight of nine.

Major breakthrough: The Indians have won back-to-back road games for the first time this season. They defeated the Rangers, 8-3, Saturday.

The Indians are 11-20 on the road.

Rare air: The Tribe is above .500 for the first time since April 9 (5-4).

Three and in: The Indians improved to 6-24 when scoring three or fewer runs.

Scofflaws: The Indians are 7-2 against the Rangers since the beginning of last season (2-1 this year.)

Aesthetics don't matter: Some victories are less impressive than others -- but they still count. The Indians have every right to feel good about sneaking out of Globe Life Park with a victory despite:

*Playing an injury-riddled opponent.

*Scoring three runs.

*Scoring three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings against a starter, lefty Joe Saunders, who is not to be confused with Clayton Kershaw or Chris Sale.

*Scoring three runs (two earned) against a starter, Saunders, who allowed seven hits, walked four and struck out none.

*Managing one extra-base hit -- a bloop double by David Murphy in the eighth.

*Leaving 10 on base.

*An 0-for-5 from their best hitter, Michael Brantley.

*No quality start from their pitcher, Justin Masterson (5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R).

Recalibrated compass: Masterson won on the road for the first time this season.

Strange game: Masterson's performance is difficult to assess. He possessed nasty stuff early but didn't last long enough to qualify for a quality start. He threw 65 of 103 pitches for strikes and earned a Bill James Game Score of 55.

He allowed just two runs, one of which resulted from a wild pitch. Two of the hits against him were not struck well. At the same time, he faced a watered-down lineup that fell off dramatically after No. 5 Alex Rios.  

Masterson, relying on his sinker, retired the side in order in the first and second. He hit one batter and walked one in the third but stranded them by getting Indians nemesis Elvis Andrus to ground into a fielder's choice.

With one out in the fourth, the Rangers put runners on first and second. Former Indian Chris Gimenez walked to load the bases. After a force at home, Masterson got ahead of Donnie Murphy, 0-2. Masterson uncorked a slider that landed in the other batter's box and enabled the Rangers to take a 1-0 lead. Masterson recovered to  whiff Murphy.

With one out in the Texas sixth and the Tribe ahead, 3-1, Adrian Beltre doubled to right on the 10th pitch of his at-bat. Several of the pitches would have finished off bad hitters, and the double came from a sinker down and away. Beltre gets the credit more than Masterson the blame.

Rios followed by hitting a bad pitch -- a flat sinker -- off the center-field wall for an RBI triple to pull Texas within 3-2. Rios has hit seven triples.

Hindsight is 20-20, but it didn't make much sense at the time that Masterson would give Rios anything to drive knowing the lack of punch behind him. Indeed, Masterson got Gimenez to ground weakly to first, Rios holding. Tribe manager Terry Francona signaled for lefty Marc Rzepczynski, who jammed lefty Leonys Martin into a grounder to second. Credit charging Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis with a good defensive play.

Bottom line: Even though the path periodically was bumpy, Masterson can draw confidence from a second straight victory. (In his previous start, June 2 against Boston, he allowed three hits and struck out 10 in seven innings. The Tribe won, 3-2.

Masterson (4-4, 4.61 ERA) has given up three earned runs in his last 15 2/3 innings.

Bullish: The Tribe bullpen gets a Texas-sized assist in securing the victory for  Masterson and its club.

Rzepczynski retired the only batter he faced. Bryan Shaw worked the seventh and eighth, allowing one hit and walking one. Cody Allen struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn his sixth save.

Locked in: De facto closer Allen has bagged saves in each of his past five appearances -- all hitless. He has struck out six in 5 1/3 innings.

Help from below: The bottom third in the Tribe order -- Lonnie Chisenhall, Ryan Raburn and Murphy -- combined to go 5-for-10 with two RBI, two runs and one walk.

Gettin' Chizzy Wid It: Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall went 2-for-4 with two runs. He owns a slash line of .365/.413/.538.

At the conclusion of the game, Chisenhall had the highest average in the majors among those with 150-plus plate appearances. He is closing in on becoming eligible to be listed among the batting leaders.

Rockin' Raburn (Tweet, Tweet): Designated hitter Raburn has struggled, on balance, this season -- but he delivered a clutch hit Sunday.

With one out in the sixth against Saunders, Yan Gomes walked and moved to second on Chisenhall's single. Texas manager Ron Washington hooked Saunders for righty Shawn Tolleson.

Tolleson suspected Raburn would be looking for a first-pitch fastball, so he opted for a cutter away. But Tolleson provided swing room on a relatively flat plane, and Raburn pounced, singling up the middle to drive in Gomes for a 2-1 lead. As a bonus, Chisenhall advanced to third and Raburn to second on a wild throw attempting to erase Gomes. Murphy's sacrifice fly made it 3-1.

Murph's turf: Right fielder Murphy, a former Ranger, was 2-for-3 with the RBI. He is hitting .291 with 36 RBI.

Streak busted: Andrus went 0-for-4 (in nine pitches), ending his hitting streak against Cleveland at 39 games.

Not smooth: Brantley was denied two potential infield singles because of Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor's hands and feet. And Brantley lined to left in the ninth. Regardless, Brantley did not swing particularly well.

Brantley is 2-for-14 in the series, the latest installments in a season-long mediocre performance on the road. Brantley is 44-for-127 (.346) at Progressive Field but just 27-for-111 (.243) on the road.      

Zone issues: Plate umpire Gary Cederstrom's wide zone hurt the Indians in the top of the seventh and eighth.

Asdrubal Cabrera led off the seventh with a walk. Brantley took a 1-2 fastball from  Tolleson that appeared to be outside. Cederstrom rang up a player who normally has a good eye. K-box supported Brantley; the pitch was well outside of the border for acceptable strike calls.

Washington hooked Tolleson for lefty Neal Cotts. Switch-hitter Carlos Santana spoiled the strategy by blooping a single to center. Gomes took an 0-1 fastball that was far inside, but Cederstrom called it a strike. Gomes, now in jail, swung and missed at a high fastball.

With one out in the eighth, Raburn took a 2-2 fastball that was far inside. Cederstrom rang him up.

Rangers players -- specifically, Shin-Soo Choo -- would submit that Cederstrom missed a handful when they batted, as well.

Umpires aren't expected to be perfect, but those calling strikes and balls need to be better than Cederstrom was on Sunday. And plate umpires never should be let off the hook with the "If he's calling them off the plate, the hitter needs to adjust'' nonsense. Hitters have a tough enough job; they shouldn't be forced to umpire, too.

If manager Terry Francona needs a pinch-runner for Jason Giambi, he knows he can turn to Trevor Bauer or Josh Tomlin.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Seen and heard Sunday at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

Clubhouse confidential: When Jason Giambi goes to the plate, and Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer aren't on the mound, the two starting pitchers always have their baseball spikes nearby.

"If Big G gets on base and I don't want to use a position player to pinch run, I can use Bauer or Tomlin," said manager Terry Francona. "Tomlin is a very athletic and Trevor is a better athlete than people think."

Bauer showed that ability Friday night in his start against the Rangers. In the fifth inning, with Shin-Soo Choo on third, Bauer threw a wild pitch past catcher Yan Gomes. He charged the plate, took Gomes' throw and tagged out Choo for the third out.

"That's a tough play for a pitcher," said Francona. "There's a lot of moving parts to it, but Trevor did a nice job."

Whiter shade of pail: The silver milk pail sat in George Kottaras' locker Sunday morning. He received it for beating Texas lefty Robby Ross for the second straight year in a cow-milking contest before Saturday's game.

Kottaras said he'll put the pail in his office next to last year's pail.

Ross' bid to beat Kottaras was short-circuited when his cow kicked over his milk pail. Kottaras had the same problem, but showed better hands.

"My cow kicked the pail, too, but I grabbed it before it spilled," said Kottaras. "I had to hold the pail with one hand and milk with the other. The cow was not happy about being there."

Stat of the day: The Indians, with victories Saturday and Sunday over Texas, have won two straight road games for the first time this season.

Lonnie Chisenhall gets two hits, both against a lefty, to help Indians beat Texas on Sunday.

ARLINGTON, Texas. – Lonnie Chisenhall continues to hit and to hit lefties.

In the Tribe's 3-2 victory over the Rangers on Sunday, Chisenhall went 2-for-3 against left-hander Joe Saunders, who started and lost. Chisenhall is hitting .356 (57-for-156) overall and .542 (13-for-24) against lefties.

"He's been a big part of just about everything we've done this year," said manager Terry Francona. "He's played first. He's played third. He's DH'd.

"He's hitting lefties. He's been in the middle, it seems like, of all our rallies. He's running the bases. He's been a big shot in the arm for us."

Last year Chisenhall hit .225 overall and .111 (4-for-36) against lefties as he struggled to stay in the big leagues.

On Sunday, he singled and scored the Tribe's first run in the fifth. In the sixth, he singled to knock Saunders out of the game and scored what proved to be the winning run on David Murphy's sacrifice fly.

The win gave the Indians a 32-31 record, the first time they've been above .500 since April 9.

"We're playing better defense," said Chisenhall. "Our pitching is better. Our situational hitting is way better than it was. And our bullpen has been continuing to do what they've done all year – shut the other team down over the last three or four innings."

Chisenhall still doesn't have enough plate appearance to qualify for the batting title. If he did, he'd have the highest average in the big leagues.

Shut the door: Francona says his goal is to get John Axford back in the closer's job that he lost in May. If Cody Allen keeps pitching like he has been, that's going to be a hard goal to reach.

Allen converted his fifth consecutive save and sixth overall Sunday by retiring the Rangers in order in the ninth inning. In his last five games, Allen has six strikeouts, one walk and has not allowed a hit in 5 1/3 innings.

Opposing hitters are 0-for-15 against him.

When Francona took Axford out of the closer's job, he said he'd use Allen, Bryan Shaw, Marc Rzepczynski and Scott Atchison in the closer's role. Allen, however, has seen most of the work in the ninth inning.

"We'll just see how this plays out," said Allen, when asked if he was getting used to closing.

Letter perfect: When Francona made the change at closer, he said he'd use his four hand-picked new closers whenever he thought a game needed to be saved, regardless of the inning. Sunday was a perfect example.

Rzepczynski relieved starter Justin Masterson with a 3-2 lead, two-out and the tying run on third in the sixth inning. Rzepczynski retired Leonys Martin to protect the lead.

Shaw, with two days rest, pitched scoreless ball in the seventh and eighth and Allen finished it in the ninth.

"Zep came in and did exactly what he's supposed to do," said Francona. "With Shaw having some rest, we could allow him to come in, in the seventh, and if he had a quick inning, go back out for the eighth. And Cody came in and did a great job."

Show them the good stuff: Zach McAllister, recovering from a strained lower back, will make a rehab start for Class AAA Columbus against Charlotte on Tuesday. If all goes well McAllister will fly to Boston to join the Indians when they open a four-game series against the Red Sox on Thursday.

This will be McAllister's second rehab start. In his first start, he allowed three runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings for Class A Lake County.

Francona said they want McAllister to treat the start for Columbus like a big league game to prove he's ready to rejoin the rotation.

They come and they go: Rookie lefty T.J. House will start Monday against the Rangers. If McAllister shows he's healthy Tuesday, look for McAllister to take House's spot in the rotation with House being optioned to Columbus.

No matter what happens, Francona said House has made a good impression.

"He's pitched himself into our plans," said Francona.

House, who will face right-hander Nick Martinez on Monday, is 0-1 with a 3.79.

Francona has been impressed with House's poise.

"It seems like the more that happens in the game, the more he attacks the zone," said Francona. "And he's not just throwing it down the middle, he has some movement on it."

Quack, quack: Francona on Nick Swisher's comeback plans: "He'll play five innings for Akron at first base on Tuesday and hopefully the whole game Wednesday and then join us Thursday in Boston."

When told he was going to play for the Akron Rubberducks, Swisher said, "Quack, quack."

Justin Masterson turned in 5 2/3 shaky innings, but came away with the victory on Sunday against the Rangers.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Justin Masterson played the in-synch-out-of-synch game Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Park.

Or as Masterson put it, "It was like 'N Synch with Justin Timberlake or 'N Synch without Justin Timberlake."

Make of that what you will, but Masterson was good for the first three innings of the Indians' 3-2 victory over Texas and not so good over the next 2 2/3 innings. Still it was enough, along with just a bit of offense and 3 1/3 scoreless innings from the bullpen, to give the Indians their first winning record (32-31) since April 9^th when they were 5-4.

The Indians were 10½ games out of first place in the AL Central on May 18^th. By winning 13 of their last 18 games, they've moved into second place in the division and trail Detroit by 3 ½ games.

Masterson (4-4, 4.61) took a no-hitter into the fourth inning, but lost it to Adrian Beltre, who sent a slow roller to Asdrubal Cabrera at short. He lost the shutout in the same inning on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch with Donnie Murphy at the plate that scored Alex Rios from third.

It was the wildest of Masterson eight wild pitches this season.

"It really went wild," said Masterson. "It really, really got out there."

The Indians tied the score against lefty Joe Saunders (0-2, 3.60) in the fifth on Cabrera's RBI single. Then they took a 3-1 lead with two more runs in the fifth as Ryan Raburn singled in the first run and David Murphy, who spent the last 6 ½ season playing for the Rangers, drove in what proved to be the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

"It's always nice to beat your friends," said Murphy with a smile. "The infield was in and I was just trying to get the ball in the air. I would have been nice to get more than one run in there, but you've got to get one."

Masterson, with a 3-1 lead, needed a shutdown inning in the sixth, but didn't get it.

He opened with a strikeout of Shin-Soo Choo, but Beltre won a 10-pitch at-bat with a double to right. Rios followed with a long triple off the center field fence to make it 3-2. Masterson, with the infield pulled inning, retired Chris Gimenez on a ground out to first as Rios held third.

That was it for Masterson as lefty Marc Rzepczynski relieved to face left-handed hitting Leonys Martin. Rzepczynski retired Martin on a grounder to first to protect the lead. Lefties are hitting .095 (4-for-42) against Rzepczynski. 

Bryan Shaw replaced Rzepczynski and pitched two scoreless innings before handing the ball to Cody Allen, who worked a perfect ninth for his fifth straight save and sixth overall.

In his last start, Masterson threw seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 in a win over Boston.

"We built off of what we did last start," said Masterson. "I'd say probably when I got a little later into the game, I started dropping on the back side (of his delivery) and getting underneath a few more pitches than I had before.

"I got more rotational instead of driving down through the ball. There were a number of reasons for that."

Masterson didn't realize that the Indians finally owned a winning record, but he knew they've been playing better baseball.

"We haven't been making too many errors," he said. "We're pitching better. Guys are competing at the plate.

"We've actually won two games on the road . . .two out of three in this series. That in itself is showing us we're doing great things."

The Indians at 11-20 have the fewest road wins of any team in the AL.

Manager Terry Francona liked the way Masterson pitched out of the windup, but said he struggled when he had to work out of the stretch.

"I thought he lost his command a little bit, especially with the slider, when he had to pitch out of the stretch," said Francona. "But when there was some traffic on the bases, he made pitches."

Masterson allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.

The MLB replay gods favored the Indians in the eighth for what could have been a critical play. Rios, with Shaw on the mound, attempted a steal of second with two out. Second base umpire Lance Barksdale called Rios safe, saying he beat the tag of Jason Kipnis.

Francona challenged the call. It took 2 minutes and 35 minutes for MLB's replay gurus in New York to dissect the play and overturn Barksdale's call to end the inning.

"It's gone against us probably more than it's gone for us," said Francona. "We knew it was close."

Francona is 5-for-13 in challenges.

Cleveland Browns and former Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson is really excited to face his former team on Aug. 9.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Detroit Lions and current Cleveland Browns wide receiver Nate Burleson is excited to face his former team on Aug. 9.

Former Lions receiver Nate Burleson, left, greets Calvin Johnson on Saturday during a charity softball game in Dearborn.Kyle Meinke | MLive.com

American Lauren Davis wins a tough three-setter over an Austrian qualifier. She'll face American qualifier Victoria Duval in the second round.

Lauren Davis on Wimbledon's famed grass courts last year. She won her first-round match Monday at Birmingham's Aegon Classic,a tune-up for her return this year. AP file 

Ohio State picked up its second oral commitment in as many days when four-star offensive tackle Grant Schmidt pledged to the Buckeyes on Monday afternoon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State picked up its second oral commitment in as many days when offensive tackle Grant Schmidt pledged to the Buckeyes on Monday afternoon, the four-star prospect confirmed with cleveland.com.

A product offensive tackle of Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt, Schmidt attended Ohio State's one-day instructional camp on Sunday and toured the campus Monday before making his decision. 

Schmidt will be the first player from South Dakota to play for the Buckeyes, something he said was appealing about the Buckeyes. He also said that this could could be his final visit. 

"It appeals to me that there's never been anyone from South Dakota to ever go (to Ohio State) for football," Schmidt said. "It would be great to be the first one to do that. it would be a big thing for our state and for the football there. It is a great place, too. There is a 110,000-person stadium and everyone wants to play in that." 

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 22 offensive tackle in the 2015 recruiting class, Schmidt chose the Buckeyes over offers from Minnesota, Iowa State, North Carolina, Rutgers, Utah and others. His top three was Ohio State, Iowa State and Minnesota. 

Ohio State picked up an oral commitment from Tyler Green of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic on Sunday after he earn an offer at the camp. 

Schmidt became Ohio State's fifth oral commitment in the 2015 recruiting class, joining Green, Canton McKinley's Eric Glover-Williams, Florida defensive back Jamel Dean and Athens, Ohio, quarterback Joe Burrow.

Other important recruiting links: 

• Vonn Bell says he's 100 percent, Joey Burrow has busy day: Five things to know from Ohio State's one-day instructional camp

• 'This is the one I was waiting for - I am a Buckeye': Maryland safety Tyler Green earns his spot at Ohio State

• Five-star RB Damien Harris, once a Michigan commit, releases his top eight, Ohio State makes cut

See social media reaction from the athletes and teams that claimed OHSAA state track championships in 2014.

T.J. House, in what could be his last start with the Tribe as Zach McAllister prepares to come off the disabled list, will take the mound Monday night against Texas looking for his first big-league win.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Here are the Indians and Rangers' lineups for Monday night's game at Globe Life Park.

INDIANS

CF Michael Bourn, L.

SS Asdrubal Cabrera, S.

LF Michael Brantley, L.

3B Lonnie Chisenhall, L.

1B Carlos Santana, S.

RF David Murphy, L.

DH Jason Giambi, L.

C George Kottaras, L.

LHP T.J. House, 0-1, 3.79.

RANGERS

CF Dan Robertson, R.

SS Elvis Andrus, R.

LF Shin-Soo Choo, L.

3B Adrian Beltre, R.

RF Alex Rios, R.

1B Donnie Murphy, R.

DH Michael Choice, R.

C Robinson Chirinos, R.

2B Luis Sardinas, S.

RHP Nick Martinez, 1-2, 3.22.

UMPIRES

H Jim Wolf.

1B Lance Barksdale.

2B Mark Rippenger.

3B Gary Cederstrom, crew chief.

If you look at the teams that came from the bottom in the Eastern Conference to make the playoffs, all were led by veteran NBA types who are not big names.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I don't know exactly how much money the Cavaliers offered John Calipari.

Nor do I know when the offer was made to the Kentucky basketball coach.

But I am relieved that Calipari decided to stay at Kentucky, rather than take over as coach and president of the Cavaliers.

Maybe it would have worked. The grand plan seems to be that Calipari would have had complete control of the Cavs, and then he'd lure LeBron James home. "Coach Cal" and James have a close relationship.

As for the James to Cleveland talk, suppose Miami wins a third title.

If James has a streak of three in a row, he matches Chicago's Michael Jordan (who did it twice) and Kobe Bryant.

For four titles in a row, you have to go back to the Bill Russell Boston Celtics, who won eight between 1959-66. James is after titles and a legacy. It seems hard to believe he'd pass up a chance to go for a fourth straight title.

Remember, his contract with Miami now has three years of player options. In other words, James can make a decision each summer about where he'll play.

Obviously, the Cavs must be open to any chance of James returning. But it's ridiculous to hire a coach on the chance that he'd bring James to town.

Calipari is a great college coach. He's always been a superb recruiter, the heart of his success at UMass, Memphis State and Kentucky. He also has been able to turn programs around by adding five blue-chippers in a recruiting class.

That doesn't happen in the NBA, where there is a salary cap and a draft.

OK, there is  no salary cap for coaches. Yahoo sports reported the Cavs made a 7-year, $60 million offer. ESPN said it may be $80 million.
None of that changes the fact that virtually all the recent successful NBA coaches are NBA lifers. They aren't guys whose main experience is college.

Yes, Calipari coached in the NBA. That was from 1996-98. He also had the title of president of the New Jersey Nets. His records were 26-56, 43-39 and 3-17.

Since 1999, he has been a college coach.

Owner Dan Gilbert is not afraid to pay off people after a firing -- as he has now done twice with Mike Brown. Thomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer 

Is it possible Calipari could be a success in the NBA? Yes.

Is it wise for the Cavs to make a reported $60 million bet on Calipari? Hey, it's Dan Gilbert's money. He's never been afraid to spend it, nor fire people and pay them millions for not working.

He just did that with Mike Brown, who was dumped one year into his five-year deal. I heard not all the $20 million contract was guaranteed, but Brown walked away with millions and millions of dollars.

This is the second time they have paid Brown not to coach the Cavs. He had a year left on his contract when fired after the 2010 playoffs.

The Cavs also paid Byron Scott about $4 million this past season for not coaching the team.

I wonder how much of this was Calipari really interested in the Cavs, and how much was helping Calipari secure a new deal from Kentucky. He signed a seven-year, $52 million deal with the Big Blue. He can recruit almost any high school player that he desires, because he has delivered so many to the NBA after only one season.

It's hard to imagine Calipari walking away from being the King of Kentucky to try to build the Cavaliers.

But it's easy to believe Gilbert chased Calipari, much as he did Michigan State's Tom Izzo in 2010.

Izzo turned him down, just as Calipari did.

NOW WHAT?

In the Eastern Conference, the three big turnarounds this season were Toronto, Washington and Charlotte.

Let's consider the men who made it happen.

Michael Jordan is the man on top with Charlotte. But he has executive Rod Higgins and they added former Oklahoma City executive Rich Cho to help with drafts and trades. All are veteran NBA executives.

The Bobcats coach is Steve Clifford, an NBA assistant since 2000 before getting a chance to be a head coach last season.

No big names in the Clifford/Higgins/Cho group.

Washington's general manager is Ernie Grunfeld, who seems to have been around the NBA since the days of George Mikan. His coach is Randy Wittman, fired in Minnesota and Cleveland.

Not much sizzle in that combination, but the two NBA veterans convinced John Wall to sign a full five-year extension last summer and then led the Wizards to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

In Toronto, the General Manager is Masai Ujiri, assisted by Jeff (son of Harry) Weltman. These also are NBA veterans. The coach is Dwayne Casey, another long-time NBA assistant/head coach for the last 20 years.

The point?

Wittman and Casey had both been fired before. Clifford was barely known outside of the NBA inner circle when hired by Charlotte. None elicited much excitement when hired.

But they all took their teams where the Cavs want to go -- the playoffs.

A veteran coach such as Alvin Gentry may be what the Cavs need to get back to the playoffs.AP 

I know Gilbert is frustrated by four years of losing. I sense that he may be trying to shortcut the process, which is why he romanced Calipari.

Now, the Cavs can get serious.

I'm intrigued by General Manager David Griffin, who plans to bring a more uptempo approach to the game. He knows that 17 teams averaged at least 100 points this season (but not the Cavs). Three seasons ago, only three were over 100 points.

Even the defense-first San Antonio Spurs have lit the flame under the offense. Their scoring has risen nearly every season since 2008-09 (97.4 points) to 105.4 this season. Gregg Popovich figured out that even his aging team still needs to run and create easy baskets.

Suppose Griffin hires someone such as Alvin Gentry or Lionel Hollins to coach the Cavs. That probably won't win the press conference, unlike the charismatic Calipari.

But maybe, that combination will begin to win some games -- as has happened in Toronto, Charlotte and Washington.

The Cavs job is a tough one, despite some intriguing young talent and the top pick in this year's draft. That's probably part of the reason that Calipari turned it down.

And in the end, that may be best for the Cavs.

As the victories keep piling up for the Cleveland Indians, the injuries continue to mount for the Texas Rangers.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- As the victories keep piling up for the Cleveland Indians, the injuries continue to mount for the Texas Rangers.

After moving above .500 for the first time in two months, the hot-hitting Indians seek their ninth win in 10 games Monday night against the Rangers in Arlington.

The game between the Indians and Rangers will be played at 8:05 p.m. It can be seen on SportsTime Ohio. It can also be heard on WTAM 1100 and 100.7 WMMS.

Lonnie Chisenhall and David Murphy finished with two hits apiece as Cleveland (32-31) reached a double-digit hit total for a season-high fifth straight game in Sunday's 3-2 victory.

The Indians, who started the series with baseball's worst road record at 9-19, won consecutive games away from home for the first time this season.

They've averaged 5.3 runs and batted .293 with nine home runs during an 8-1 stretch that has them above .500 for the first time since they were 5-4 on April 9. Cleveland has also hit .303 with 10 homers while winning seven of eight versus Texas (31-32) dating to last season.

Chisenhall has played a major role in that surge, batting .394 with 13 RBIs over his last nine contests. His .365 average overall is the highest in the majors among players with at least 150 plate appearances.

"He's been a big part of about everything we've done," manager Terry Francona said. "He's been in the middle of it seems like all our rallies."

Murphy has gone 5 for 7 in the last two games against his former club and is hitting .395 in his last 11 overall. Carlos Santana is 4 for 8 with a homer in three since missing nine with concussion-like symptoms.

Texas suffered another big blow to its lineup Sunday, losing its second first baseman in less than a month. The Rangers learned Mitch Moreland would miss about three months for surgery on an ankle that's been bothering him all season.

Moreland was filling in at first base for Prince Fielder, who is out for the season following neck surgery late last month.

The Rangers, who lead the majors in both disabled list uses and current players on the DL, also lost rookie second baseman Rougned Odor to a shoulder injury Sunday, leaving his status uncertain.

"It is tough," said outfielder Alex Rios, who is doing his part by going 10 for 19 in his last five games. "'But the only way you can see it is to keep going. If you quit, it's going to be a long season."

Short-handed Texas is hitting .181 with runners in scoring position while dropping six of nine. Elvis Andrus was 0 for 4 Sunday to snap a 39-game hitting streak versus Cleveland that was the second-longest against one team dating back to 1914.

The Rangers hope to salvage a split of the set in the finale against left-hander T.J. House (0-1, 3.79 ERA), who gave up two runs over 5 2-3 innings in Tuesday's 5-3 home win over Boston.

Since getting hit hard in an 8-4 loss in his first career start May 23, House hasn't received a decision while allowing three runs with 12 strikeouts over 12 innings in last two.

Texas counters with rookie Nick Martinez (1-2, 3.22), who is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA since moving into the rotation on May 18.

The right-hander has given up 10 runs and 18 hits over 11 innings in his last two starts after surrendering six runs - four earned - and nine hits over 5 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 6-5 home loss to Baltimore.

The Browns waived safety Jamoris Slaughter and signed two players, offensive lineman Alex Parsons, and kicker/punter Jake Rogers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns' previous regime took a chance on safety Jamoris Slaughter in last year's draft, and the new crew gave up on him Monday.

The Browns released Slaughter, the club's sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame who spent all of last season on the practice squad.

Slaughter, who tore his Achilles tendon in the third game of his senior year, wasn't fully healthy in training camp and was never able to make it off the practice squad.

The Browns drafted only five players last year and now they're down to four: First-round linebacker Barkevious Mingo, third-round cornerback Leon McFadden, seventh-round defensive lineman Armonty Bryant and seventh-round offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey.

Of the four, only Mingo is slated for a starting role this year, and he'll most likely be part of a rotation that includes Paul Kruger and Jabaal Sheard. McFadden never lived up to his third-round status last season, and hasn't been in the conversation for a starting job this year.

At this time last year, Slaughter was determined to land the starting job opposite T.J. Ward.

"It's one thing I think about everyday is getting that starting position," Slaughter said at a Brown youth football camp. "I know it's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. As long I keep taking the right steps and staying positive, I think it will happen.

"I'm just going to bring everything I've got. They tell me they drafted me for a reason, so I'm going to go out there and prove to them that I'm worth what they think I am."

He was determined to make it back from the torn Achilles, one of the tougher injuries from which to recover.

"I'm steaming to get out there on the field," Slaughter said. "Just having to watch OTAs, and minicamp, I've been getting a lot of mental reps. On that side, it's helped me out a lot, mentally, just learning the playbook and watching the guys and seeing the things they do good and bad and learn from that. I know when I step on the field and get the rust off I'll be right back.

"I've been out for almost a year, so it's going to be a process. But it's something that you've just got to take one day at a time and learn to get better each day and not make the same mistakes.''

BROWNS SIGN TWO:  On the eve of mandatory minicamp, the Browns on Monday signed offensive lineman Alex Parsons and kicker/punter Jake Rogers.

Parsons  (6-4, 301) originally signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent in 2010 out of USC. After spending two seasons (2010-11) on the Raiders' practice squad, Parsons appeared in all 16 games in 2012 and started the season opener at center. He was waived during final cuts last year.

At USC, Parsons started 21 consecutive games at right guard as a junior and senior. Parson could provide some insurance against third-round pick Joel Bitonio, who suffered a sprained ankle in organized team activities and is expected to sit out the mandatory minicamp this week.

Rogers (6-2, 220) was originally signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2011 out of Cincinnati. Rogers has spent time with the Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants and Redskins, but has not appeared in a game.

He appeared in four preseason games with Tampa Bay in 2011 and converted all three field-goal attempts and five PATs. He also booted six punts for 250 yards for a 41.7-yard average.

Rogers finished as Cincinnati's all-time leader in scoring with 339 points. He connected on 51 of 75 field-goal attempts and set a school record with 63 extra points in 2009. A native of Warsaw, Ind., Rogers attended Warsaw Community High School, where he was a standout soccer player who also set school records in PATs, field goals and longest field goal during his only season playing football.

Terry Francona has no concerns about second baseman Jason Kipnis since he came off the disabled list in late May.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Quick hits from manager Terry Francona's pre-game press conference Monday at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

No worries: Jason Kipnis is hitting .243 (9-for-37) with no extra base hits since returning from the disabled list on May 28.

"He's not in midseason form at the plate, but he's made every play at second base," said Francona. "He's always a threat at the plate and there's no doubt that he'll get hot and you'll see the numbers change.

"The fact that we're hitting him fourth shows you how we feel about him. He just needs some more at-bats."

Kipnis has been in the cleanup spot since he rejoined the lineup on May 28 after missing almost a month a strained right oblique muscle.

Big Masty: Francona talked about the adjustments Justin Masterson is making in his delivery.

"When he pitched out of the windup on Sunday, I think that's as good as he's looked," said Francona. "When he got into the stretch, he lost a little bit of his command. But he still was able to make pitches when he had to. I think he's headed in the right direction."

Left on left: What has allowed Lonnie Chisenhall to hit lefties so well this year?

"He's staying on the ball and he's fought off a lot of pitches," said Francona. "Fortunately, some of them have been hits. He hasn't scalded the ball, but to his credit because he's stayed on the ball, you'll see him shoot a ball over the third baseman's head or line one to right.

"A lot of it is because he's staying through the ball. When you pull off the ball, you get those little grounders to second base. You don't see him doing that a whole lot."

Chisenhall went into Monday's game hitting .520 (13-for-25) against lefties.

Patience: Jesus Aguilar in his first game since being optioned to Class AAA Columbus, on Friday, hit a two-run homer against Charlotte on Sunday.

Francona says the big first baseman has had difficulty relaxing in his first two tours with the Tribe this year.

"I think he was pressing, trying to show the big league staff what he can do," said Francona. "He went to winter ball and raked. He started to hit at Triple-A, but he didn't have a very good spring.

"So you try to talk to a guy about relaxing, but that might take a while. I don't think a handful of games can define his career. He's a big strong right-handed hitter who has power and can play first base pretty well. If it takes patience with him, we're willing to be patience because the payoff could be huge."

Justin Masterson, after his win against the Rangers on Sunday, showed support for teammate Michael Brantley's bid to make the All-Star game.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Seen and heard Monday at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

Clubhouse confidential: Justin Masterson, when he talked to reporters following Sunday's victory over Texas, wore a blue Dr. Smooth T-shirt with Michael Brantley's image on it.

"I was just showing my support for the man, the myth, the legend," said Masterson on Monday.

Brantley has moved into seventh place in the All-Star voting among AL outfielders, which was released Sunday. In the first balloting, Brantley did not crack to first 15 vote getters among AL outfielders.

On the move: The last time Chris Gimenez, a 19^th round pick by the Indians in 2004, was on their radar was when he made Tampa Bay's postseason roster for the Oct. 2 wild card game last year at Progressive Field. He's been a man on the move since.

On Dec. 20, Oakland claimed Gimenez on waivers from the Rays. He went to spring training with the A's, but was claimed on waivers by the Rangers on March 28. The Rangers brought him to the big leagues on May 21 and he's hitting .385 (15-for-39)

"It's been interesting," said Gimenez.

Gimenez, on the injury-ravaged Rangers, is their most experienced first baseman, but he's seen all his playing time at catcher.

Stat of the day: The Indians have the busiest bullpen in the big leagues with 219 appearances in their first 63 games of the season.

Much-loved Cavaliers star Mark Price will interview for the team's vacant head coaching position on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Beloved former Cavaliers star Mark Price, now an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets, will interview for the Cavs head coaching position on Tuesday, three NBA sources told The Plain Dealer.

With the team's coaching search entering its fourth week since Mike Brown was fired on May 12, Price is believed to be the sixth candidate to formally interview with Cavs general manager David Griffin, joining Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin, Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue and former NBA head coaches Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins and Vinny Del Negro.

None of the candidates has met with owner Dan Gilbert, and none has a second interview scheduled as of Monday evening, a source said, though Yahoo reported that Gentry and Lue would be interviewed again. The Associated Press also reported Gentry would have a second interview.

Price, 50, is one of the most popular players to ever play for the Cavs. Acquired from the Dallas Mavericks on draft day in 1986 for a second-round pick and other considerations, Price teamed with center Brad Daugherty during the most successful era in Cavs history until LeBron James arrived.

A four-time All-Star and back-to-back winner of the Long Distance Shootout during the 1993 and 1994 All-Star Games, Price is the Cavs all-time leader in assists (4,206), free-throw percentage (90.6) and 3-point field goals made (802). He had his No. 25 retired in 1999.

A native of Enid, Oklahoma, who played for his father, Denny, Price went on to star at Georgia Tech, where he became known for his shooting ability and his pioneering method of splitting a double team.

Price has an extensive and varied coaching career, ranging from high school to Australia to the NBA, where he has been a shooting coach in Memphis and Atlanta and an assistant coach in Orlando and Golden State before joining Charlotte this season.

Earlier Monday, Yahoo Sports reported that Gilbert had offered Kentucky coach John Calipari a seven-year, $60 million deal to serve as president and coach of the team. ESPN put the numbers at $80 million for 10 years. Calipari turned the offer down and signed a seven-year, $52 million deal with Kentucky.

Gilbert declined to address the report saying, "It does the franchise no benefit by commenting on coaching search rumors.''

Attorney Maxwell Blecher says Monday that Donald Sterling "instructed (us) to prosecute the lawsuit" and the deal's off.

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has pulled his support from a deal to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and will pursue his $1 billion federal lawsuit against the NBA, his attorney said Monday.

"We have been instructed to prosecute the lawsuit," said attorney Maxwell Blecher. He said co-owner Donald Sterling would not be signing off on the deal to sell.

The $2 billion sale was negotiated by his wife Shelly Sterling after Donald Sterling's racist remarks to a girlfriend were publicized and the NBA moved to oust him as owner.

The lawsuit alleges the league violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an "illegal" recording that publicized racist remarks he made to a girlfriend. It also said the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling $2.5 million and that it violated antitrust laws by trying to force a sale.

Donald Sterling agreed to ink the deal and drop the suit last week assuming "all their differences had been resolved," his attorneys said. But he decided to not sign the papers after learning the NBA won't revoke its lifetime ban and fine.

Shelly Sterling utilized her authority as sole trustee of The Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers, to take bids for the team and ultimately negotiate a deal with Ballmer. The deal would have record-breaking if approved by the NBA's owners.

An individual familiar with the negotiations who wasn't authorized to speak publicly said Monday that there were two options for Donald Sterling -- to either sign or go to court. But even if he wins in court, he's ultimately going to be paying himself the damages the individual said because his wife Shelly Sterling has agreed to indemnify the NBA against all lawsuits, including by her husband.

Donald Sterling's comments to V. Stiviano included telling her to not bring black people to Clippers games, specifically mentioning Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. They resulted in a storm of outrage from the public and players and even prompted President Barack Obama to comment on what he called Sterling's "incredibly offensive racist statements."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ultimately decided to ban Donald Sterling for life, fine him millions, and began efforts to force Sterling to sell the team. Those efforts ended with Shelly Sterling's deal with Ballmer.

If this deal ultimately goes through, its terms allow Shelly Sterling to remain close to the organization by allowing for up to 10 percent of the team -- or $200 million -- to be spun off into a charitable foundation that she would essentially run.

Shelly Sterling and Ballmer would be co-chairs of the foundation, which would target underprivileged families, battered women, minorities and inner city youths.

Under the deal Shelly Sterling would also get the title of "owner emeritus" and be entitled to continuing perks such as floor seats, additional seats at games and parking.

One of the individuals said the deal also includes conditions that allow Ballmer to buy back the 10 percent portion of the team for a pre-designated price upon Shelly Sterling's death.

Broadway Joe Namath thinks people need to give Johnny Manziel a little space and that the rookie quarterback needs to block out the criticism.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Broadway Joe, the original party-boy quarterback, says folks should back off Johnny Football and that the rookie quarterback should hunker down and tune out the noise.

In an interview Monday on NFL Network's "Total Access,'' Joe Namath was about the criticism of Manziel's partying.

"What difference does it make, really?" Namath said. "And it is an example of the different eras and time. I do know this about Johnny Manziel: I haven't seen anyone perform any better than Johnny the last two seasons on that football field.

"And I do know that we love entertainment. Football is a sport, but it is show biz. It is entertainment. And Johnny -- he's gotta live his life, man. You know, give him some room. I've been to Vegas, you guys have probably been to Vegas. Give the man a little bit of room. But, you see, in his position, he's not entitled to be a regular guy, 22 years old or 21 years old. Everything's blown out of whack.

"I'd love him on my team, let me just say that."

The Hall of Famer and former Super Bowl MVP for the Jets, who was legendary for his nonstop partying back in the day, would advise the Browns quarterback not to read his press-clippings -- or his twitter mentions.

"I don't want to get on the wrong side of the media,'' Namath said. "Never get in a fight with a guy that buys his ink by the barrel. But I would tell Johnny, 'don't read about yourself. Don't watch things that have to do with you and the Cleveland Browns.

"'Johnny, you know what you're doing, you know what your team is doing; trust in that.' Other people have a tendency to paint us as individuals the way they see us, or our team and teammates. I'd tell Johnny, just go ahead and live his life and make sure he does what's right with his team and society and he'll be cool. Anything else, watching yourself on t.v., that can be tough, or reading about yourself, that is a focus breaker.''

Unfazed by Manziel's lifestyle, Namath loves what he's seen of him on the field.

"What sticks initially is the second, third, fourth effort,'' Namath said. "The play is never over with this guy. He doesn't give up on a play. Also, he has this innate, feeling sense that when people are around him in crowd, how to move without even looking at them. He insists on trying to continue the play.

"He's got pretty good quickness. I don't want to say very good, because he's not Chris Johnson, but my man can get out of there. He can change directions, and he's a good passer. Already he's  good passer and he's only going to get better.''

Namath, who got sober in 2004 for the second time about a month after he asked ESPN's Suzy Kolber to kiss him during a live sideline interview, admitted that he couldn't have been the same hard-living Broadway Joe in the '60s and '70s had there been social media and camera phones.

"I would have had to adjust,'' he said. "No doubt, I wouldn't have been the same guy. I would've probably practiced what I was trying to tell Johnny, you know, kind of stay in his shell to some extent. It would've been different. What can I say? It wouldn't have been the same.''

At the height of his playing career, Namath once said, "I only drink in two situations: when I'm with others and when I'm by myself.''

He got sober in 1990 after the birth of his daughter, but started drinking again after his divorce in 1999, and hit bottom again in the aftermath of the Kolber interview in December of 2003. About a year later, on ESPNews, he said his sobriety was a matter of life and death.

"It'd kill me," Namath said. "I know it was just a matter of time.  

He acknowledged in an interview on 60 Minutes in 2006 that it was a constant battle and that he had to steer clear of his imaginary drinking buddy.

"Slick is there,'' Namath said. "Slick's whispering to you....You start getting flashes in your head and then, fortunately, I know it's no contest. Lifestyle without [alcohol] is far healthier, more fun, more beneficial.''

Over the past three weekends, Manziel has partied in Vegas with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, in Los Angeles with hip-hop star Drake, and in Austin, Texas on an inflatable swan.

But to Broadway Joe, it probably looks like child's play.

The Indians entered Monday's against Texas with an 8-2 record over the last 10 games. The starting rotation was 4-0 with a 3.08 ERA in that stretch.

ARLINGTON, Texas. – It's not like the energy created by a line of dominos toppling over. Nor is it simply about pure competition, about one pitcher trying to better the teammate that pitched the day before.

Not in Justin Masterson's mind at least.

To Masterson the roll that the Indians' starting rotation is on has to do with the sharing of confidence from one starter to the next.

"Everyone wants to do well and because we've been doing well, the confidence level is higher for each guy than it would be if we were on a seven-game losing streak," said Masterson. "In a seven-game losing streak, a guy is saying, "I really want to go out and win so there's more pressure on him.'"

The Indians entered Monday's night having won eight of their last 10 games. The starters are 4-0 with a 3.08 ERA (22 earned runs in 64 1/3 innings) in that stretch.

"When other guys are doing well, it builds your confidence," said Masterson. "For one, you don't have that pressure if it doesn't go well for you it's like – OK, we're still in a good spot.

"It's also like, "Hey, he's been doing well now I can do it, too,' rather than the reverse situation of putting the pressure on yourself to do well. "

Masterson has two of the four wins by the starters over the last 10 games.

Overall the rotation is 18-23 with a 4.47 ERA. Since opening day, Danny Salazar has been optioned to Class AAA Columbus, Zach McAllister is on the disabled list and Carlos Carrasco is in the bullpen. Josh Tomlin, Trevor Bauer and Monday night's starter, T.J. House, have replaced them.

"When Josh and Trevor got sent down in spring training, it was like, 'Hey, we'll see you again,'" said Masterson. "It turns out that the guys who opened the season were searching for things like all of us and the guys who came up have asserted themselves.

"That's how you get this nice comfortable coming together and encouraging each other."

Home sweet home: David Murphy, in the first three games of this series, is hitting .500 (5-10) with two RBI against his old team.

"It's fun to play against your friends," said Murphy, who spent 6½ seasons with the Rangers. "You always want to win regardless of who you're playing, but you always want to beat your friends. You're playing for bragging rights.

"It's nice to come in here and win two of the first three because we haven't been playing great on the road. It's a tough place for a visiting team to play."

No worries: Jason Kipnis went into Monday night hitting .243 (9-for-37) with no extra base hits since returning from the disabled list on May 28.

He's not in midseason form at the plate, but he's made every play at second base," said manager Terry Francona. "He's always a threat at the plate and there's no doubt that he'll get hot and you'll see the numbers change.

"The fact that we're hitting him fourth shows you how we feel about him."

Kipnis has been in the cleanup spot since he rejoined the lineup on May 28 after missing almost a month a strained right oblique muscle.

Left on left: What has allowed Lonnie Chisenhall to hit lefties so well this year?

"He's staying on the ball and he's fought off a lot of pitches," said Francona. "Fortunately, some of them have been hits. He hasn't scalded the ball, but to his credit because he's stayed on the ball, you'll see him shoot a ball over the third baseman's head or line one to right.

"A lot of it is because he's staying through the ball. When you pull off the ball, you get those little grounders to second base. You don't see him doing that a whole lot."

Chisenhall went into Monday's game hitting .520 (13-for-25) against lefties.

Patience: Jesus Aguilar, in his first game since being optioned to Class AAA Columbus, on Friday, hit a two-run homer against Charlotte on Sunday.

Francona says the big first baseman has had difficulty relaxing in his first two tours with the Tribe this year.

"I think he was pressing, trying to show the big league staff what he can do," said Francona. "He went to winter ball and raked. He started to hit at Triple-A, but he didn't have a very good spring.

"So you try to talk to a guy about relaxing, but that might take a while. I don't think a handful of games can define his career. He's a big strong right-handed hitter who has power and can play first base pretty well. If it takes patience with him, we're willing to be patience because the payoff could be huge."

Finally: Elvis Andrus' 39-game hitting streak against the Indians ended Saturday when he went hitless in four at-bats. The streak started on April 6, 2009 when the 20-year-old Andrus made his big-league debut against the Indians. It ended five years later Sunday when Andrus was 25. By the way, in the third inning Monday night, Andrus doubled against House.

Four-star quarterback Travis Waller of Anaheim (Calif.) Servite narrowed his list down to four schools Monday, and Ohio State made the cut with Alabama, Northwestern and Notre Dame.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Travis Waller doesn't have an offer from Ohio State yet, but the four-star quarterback of Anaheim (Calif.) Servite hasn't hid his admiration for the Buckeyes. 

It was evident again when Waller announced his final four on his public Twitter account Monday evening. Ohio State made the cut with Alabama, Northwestern and Notre Dame. 

He is expected to make his decision July 1. 

Though Waller doesn't have an offer from the Buckeyes, he recently told cleveland.com that he speaks almost daily with offensive coordinator Tom Herman.

"Our relationship is probably one of the best out there right now," Waller said. "I talk to Coach Tom Herman every day and Urban Meyer once a week, so it's pretty good. 

"They told me that they have a quarterback commitment already and explained all of that, but they said there's a good chance that I could probably still go there."

Whether Waller receives a committable offer from Ohio State is still in question, particularly because the Buckeyes may hold out for four-star quarterback Torrance Gibson of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage to potentially be the second quarterback in its 2015 class. 

Ohio State accepted a commitment from three-star quarterback Joe Burrow of Athens, Ohio two weeks ago. 

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the class, Waller narrowed his list down despite having other offers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Penn State, Tennessee and others. 

Truly Blessed!My top 4 schools(No order) Stay tuned for @TrendsettersWW July 1st when I will announce my next home! pic.twitter.com/XicXba4Bbn

— ⚡ Travis Waller ⚡ (@traviswaller11) June 10, 2014