Three games, three fascinating results: A world champ demolished, a plucky Australian underdog nearly pulling off an upset, and Mexico coming up big.

Oh, what a day.

Three games, three fascinating results: A world champ demolished, a plucky Australian underdog nearly pulling off an upset, and Mexico coming up big.

Thursday may have been the World Cup's opener, but Friday was when the action really kicked into high gear.

The emperor has no clothes

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas surrendered five goals in perhaps the worst performance of his otherwise stellar career. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Bernat Armangue 

So this is vengeance.

The Netherlands' 5-1 demolition of reigning world champs Spain on Friday in Salvador flipped the script of four years ago, when Spain defeated the Dutch in the World Cup final.

The Dutch repeatedly exposed Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas and center back Sergio Ramos. Four years ago, Casillas was the world's best at his position. On Friday, he spent two of the goals hopelessly crawling and flailing on the ground to stop a shot. Meanwhile, Spanish defender Gerard Pique spent so much time trying to clean up messes left by Ramos that he might have thought his girlfriend, the singer Shakira, would make a better center back partner.

Early on, it looked like the story of the game might be a different kind of vengeance after Spain's Xabi Alonso scored the game's first goal. After all, this is what the Dutch did to Alonso in that 2010 final:

This time, the Dutch kung-fu kicked the whole Spanish team right out of Salvador.

Refs rule

Soccer's typically poor officiating has been on display through the first two days.

In Thursday's opener, Brazilian forward Fred tricked the refs when he theatrically fell to the ground as though he had lost a knife fight. He earned a penalty kick that led to the game-winning goal. 

Mexico's Giovani dos Santos celebrated just before his goal was disallowed against Cameroon in Natal, Brazil. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Hassan Ammar 

On Friday, Mexico's Giovanni dos Santos was robbed of not one, but two goals when officials wrongly ruled him offside on two separate plays. Fortunately for him, Mexico still defeated Cameroon 1-0.

In a sport troubled by match-fixing, including by referees, it's easy to wonder whether that's part of it.

But more significant is the fact that soccer referees are just outgunned. You have one referee running the full field and making nearly every call with 22 players. That referee has two line judges assisting him along each sideline, but that's it.

Look at how that compares with other major team sports:

So get used to the bad officiating. Some say it's part of soccer's charm.

Yes, they really say that. 

Brazilians are still mad at their politicians

The soccer may be flowing nicely on the field, but Brazilians haven't forgotten their anger toward politicians and FIFA just because they got to watch their team play. 

You still have protests against FIFA and the Brazilian government going on, including in Salvador on Friday. 

Then you have incidents like this lovely fan chant from Brazil's win over Croatia, which translated from Portuguese says to Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, "Hey, Dilma, take it up the (bleep)." That's the literal translation. The connotation with which Brazilians say it is actually worse. 

In case you were wondering, Rousseff is up for reelection this year. 

The Netherlands' Robin van Persie heads in a goal vs. Spain in his team's 5-1 win in Salvador. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)Christophe Ena 

Player of the day: Robin Van Persie. The Dutch striker scored twice and knocked Casillas out of a play that led to another Netherlands goal in the win over Spain. 

Play of the day: Australian defender Alex Wilkinson's goal line save against Chile could have earned this, but his team's 3-1 loss makes it feel a little hollow. We have to go with Van Persie's spectacular goal against Spain in which he connected with a high pass sent in from the midfield stripe and sprawled out to loft a perfect header over Casillas and into the net.

Symbolic or irrelevant history note of the day: In 1624, the Dutch conquered Salvador, then the Portuguese capital of Brazil. They lost it a year later, but that began their short-lived New Holland colony in northern Brazil. Might that bit of history repeat (figuratively) with the Dutch pushing on through to their first world championship? 

Best game to watch Saturday: England vs. Italy at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Two huge soccer countries. Two very different styles. Italy will cheat. England will tackle really, really hard. And there will be some great soccer in between. This promises to be one of the group stage's best matches. 

In two trips to the big leagues with the Indians it hasn't taken rookie Kyle Crockett long to get to the mound.

BOSTON, Mass. – Rookie lefty Kyle Crockett has been to the big leagues twice this year and each time he hasn't had to wait long to reach the mound.

He made his big league debut May 16, the same day he was promoted from Class AA Akron when Zach McAllister couldn't get out of the second inning against Oakland. Crockett, who had allowed just two earned runs in his pro career to that point, gave up one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Crockett rejoined the Tribe on Friday from Class AAA Columbus. By the third inning he was on the mound facing David Ortiz with two on and no outs in relief of Justin Masterson. Crockett retired Ortiz, but Mike Napoli hit a two-run double to right to give Boston a 5-3 lead.

Scott Atchison relieved Crockett in the fourth inning. He allowed two hits and no runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Indians recalled Crockett after optioning another left-hander, Nick Hagadone, to Columbus on Friday morning.

"He was a little nervous his first outing," said manager Terry Francona. "That was completely human of him and I'm glad he owned up to it.

"I think he's beyond his years in maturity level because he's kind of a polished pitcher. He is what he is and he can do it at Double-A, Triple-A and the big leagues."

Crockett, the first player in MLB's 2013 draft to make it to the big leagues, made three appearances with the Indians in his first tour. He was the team's fourth-round pick last year out of the University of Virginia.

Regarding Hagadone, Francona said, "There's a good pitcher in there, a guy with special stuff, and we desperately want to tap into that."

Where will Carlos play? The only positions Carlos Santana has played since coming off the disabled list on June 6 have been first base and DH. Santana, who won the third base job in spring training, has yet to make a start at the hot corner since being activated.

Francona said the reason for that was that first baseman Nick Swisher was on the DL and Santana had played much more first than Lonnie Chisenhall, a third baseman by trade. Chisenhall, by the way, has started six of the last eight games at third.

Now, with Swisher off the DL, it will be interesting to see who plays where. Will Santana return to third or will hot-hitting Chisenhall stay at third with Santana moving more to a full-time DH role?

Swisher didn't play Friday because of a scheduled day off. Francona believes that when a player just comes off the DL, he shouldn't play every day until his body gets used to the grind of the schedule again.

All three players were healthy Thursday, but Chisenhall didn't play against lefty Jon Lester. Saturday should be the first test to see where Santana, Swisher and Chisenhall play. Just to add a bit of intrigue to the situation, Francona told reporters, "I just thought playing Carlos at first was an easier way for him to come back (after being on the DL). I think we're better defensive team that way. I think Carlos is probably a better first baseman than he is a third baseman."

Santana, of course, spend the winter converting from catcher to third base.

Outside the box: Francona said the Indians will have to creative with their pitching plans because of the off days on June 23 and June 26.

"It may cost somebody a start," he said. "That's what we were talking to Zach (McAllister) about on Friday. But we'll see how that works out."

McAllister will start Saturday for Class AAA Columbus. It will be his third rehab start since going on the disabled list with a lower back strain.

League leader: Asdrubal Cabrera leads AL shortstop with 12 errors.

"He's made some errors where you can see he's mad at himself," said Francona. "Stating the obvious, the less errors we make the better team we are.

"On Thursday he threw the ball in the dirt (second inning). It's not like he nonchalanted it. He just threw it in the dirt."

Francona said he thinks Cabrera is moving better this season than he did last season. Last year Cabrera made nine errors all season.

"There was about a 10-day period when he got hit in the knee and took the foul ball off his toe when he didn't move great," said Francona. "But last night he moved without the limp as well as he has in quite a while."

Nyjer Morgan update: Morgan (right knee) has started playing catch at the Indians' spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz. He's also been running in the pool.

Morgan strained the PCL ligament in his right knee on May 14. He's currently on the 60-day disabled list.

East team wins its third straight Cuyahoga County East-West All-Star Game.

BEREA, Ohio — It took three quarters for the East to get a break, but when it happened, the team never looked back.

The East scored touchdowns on two straight plays in the fourth quarter — a 44-yard reception by Julio Stevens, and a 22-yard interception return by Craig Sloan on the next drive — then held on to defeat the West, 14-7, in the 42nd GCFCA Cuyahoga County East-West All-Star Game on Friday at Finnie Stadium in Berea.

The win is the third straight for the East, which improved its record to 22-19-1 in the game.

Here are some more notes on the East team:

Sloan, defense provide a much-needed lift

The East offense struggled all night before Steven’s touchdown with 9:57 left in the fourth quarter. After the ensuing two-point conversion failed, it was clear the defense had to make a play to give the East a shot at the win.

Enter Sloan, a 5-foot-8 defensive back from Garfield Heights.

Sloan watched as a pair of West receivers ran out into the flat, read the eyes of East quarterback Jordan Martin and picked the ball out of the air, walking into the end zone from 22 yards out for the decisive touchdown.

“I thought that would be the final touchdown,” said Sloan, who was named MVP of the East team. “I had faith in my team. I knew they weren’t just gonna give up. I knew the were gonna keep going. I had faith in them the whole time.”

Sloan led all players with 76 rushing yards on six carries.

Stevens comes up big twice

Beachwood’s Julio Stevens had an argument for the East MVP as well. In addition to finally getting his team on the board with his 44-yard score, Stevens also broke up a pass in the corner of the end zone to turn the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter.

It marked the last big stand for the East defense, but Stevens still felt his touchdown was the bigger play.

“We had a long drought,” Stevens said. “I got us on the board and we got going from there.”

East goes no-huddle

East coast Jason Bednar, an assistant from Gilmour Academy, elected to install a no-huddle offense during the two weeks of practice leading up to Friday’s game.

It wasn’t necessarily fast-paced, but it was a different look for an all-star game.

“The nice thing is we started right off the bat from Day 1,” Bednar said. “We went no-huddle and it’s something that we as an offensive staff have been doing at Gilmour. We thought that if we could put it together it would work in our favor.”

Though Bednar admitted it was a little difficult to install with a group of players who have never played together before. That showed early on as penalties slowed down the East offense.

Glenville’s Ivory gets shot at quarterback

Glenville’s Aaron Ivory got back behind center during Friday’s game, taking snaps at quarterback for the East. Though he played some as a receiver for the Tarblooders, Ivory was a quarterback at St. Peter Chanel before the school closed.

Ivory showed a lot of tenacity running the ball and moved the offense well for the East, though it was Brush quarterback Stephen Shorts who threw the team’s only touchdown pass.

Ivory finished with 36 yards on four carries and completed one pass for 16 yards. Shorts was 3-for-7 for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Other standouts

Gilmour’s Frank Grk had two receptions for 28 yards to lead the East, including a big 16-yard reception that helped the East ice the game on its final possession.

Brush defensive lineman Devon Hood had a game-high nine tackles, including one sack. Solon’s Antwain Hamilton had seven tackles and a forced fumble.

Box Score

2014 GCFCA East-West All-Star Game

East 0 0 0 14 — 14

West 7 0 0 0 — 7

First quarter

W - Jack Alpert 9 pass from Brad Novak (Don Stepic kick), 0:41

Fourth quarter

E - Julio Stevens 44 pass from Stephen Shorts (pass failed), 9:57

E - Craig Sloan 22 yard interception return (Odell Spencer pass from Aaron Ivory), 9:46

Contact high school sports reporter Bill Landis by email (blandis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@blandis25). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

North Olmsted quarterback Brad Novak was named West MVP.

BEREA, Ohio - The East came back to beat the West, 14-7, on the strength of two fourth-quarter touchdowns Friday in the 42nd Cuyahoga County East-West All-Star Football Game at Baldwin-Wallace's George Finnie Stadium.

The East's third consecutive win gave it a 22-19-1 advantage in the series.

Here's a closer look at the West squad's performance:

Novak has an MVP performance

North Olmsted quarterback Brad Novak's final pass fell incomplete in the end zone, but his play throughout the game earned him the West MVP honor.

Novak finished 9-of-18 for 93 yards passing and rushed 18 times for a team-high 71 yards. He threw a first-quarter touchdown pass to Cuyahoga Heights receiver Jack Alpert, giving the West the early lead.

Novak and Alpert just missed connecting on the previous play, but Novak couldn't miss the wide-open Alpert the second time around.

"The first one was a boot, but the second one, me and Jack talked before the play and he said he kept finding the seam out there," said Novak. "I said to hit it and I'll look for him and he got open like he does, he's a great receiver, and I hit him in the back of the end zone."

After the East scored twice in the fourth quarter, the West got the ball back at its own 16 with 9:37 to play. Novak threw or ran on nine of the 12 plays in the drive. From the East 23, his pass into the end zone on fourth-and-6 fell incomplete. 

The East then ran out the final 4:28.

Not that the outcome mattered so much to Novak or any of his teammates.

"When you finish that last game, you think you're never going to play under the lights again," said Novak. "But now I get to come out here and it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was nervous all week, thinking about it all week. I barely slept last night."

Early West defense was the key

The West made its 7-0 lead stand up until the fourth quarter due to its defense. The East did not complete a pass in the first half (0-for-5). And although it had 120 yards rushing at the half, the West defense kept it out of the end zone.

The West's best defensive stand came at the end of the first half. The East faced first-and-goal at the West 9-yard line but didn't get in.

On third-and-goal from the 9, East quarterback Aaron Ivory of Glenville was met by Malik Duncan (Cleveland Central Catholic) and Cortez Harris (Fairview) at the 2. On the next play, Duncan and Sam Shick (Lutheran West) stopped Shaw's Anthony Shumpert at the goal line.

"I just tried to play smart, play the inside," said Duncan, who almost had pick-six in the first half. "I just tried to make a play."

Duncan tied Maleke Norton (Lakewood) for a team-high seven tackles. C.J. Yonek (Padua) and Mason Muldoon (Berea-Midpark) each had six. 

Not the way they planned it

Normandy coach James Jackson, who led the West squad, expected more trips to the end zone for both teams.

"We were going into this figuring it would be an offensive game because that's how the rules are set up," said Jackson. "But you've got to hand it to our John Shirilla, our defensive coordinator. He called a great game."

Although his team lost, you couldn't tell by the players and their families, who filtered onto the field after the game.

"There are a lot of happy faces right now," said Jackson. "This is like a rite of passage to get to the next level."

Stats breakdown

Cuyahoga Heights quarterback Jordan Martin split time with Novak on Friday. He was 2-for-9 passing and suffered the interception that led to the winning score in the fourth quarter. He also rushed eight times for 33 yards and almost hooked up with Mike Hunsinger (Olmsted Falls) for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Hunsinger led the West with four catches for 46 yards. Kenny Squires (Brooklyn) rushed six times for 21 yards.

Box Score

2014 GCFCA East-West All-Star Game

East 0 0 0 14 — 14

West 7 0 0 0 — 7

First quarter

W - Jack Alpert 9 pass from Brad Novak (Don Stepic kick), 0:41

Fourth quarter

E - Julio Stevens 44 pass from Stephen Shorts (pass failed), 9:57

E - Craig Sloan 22 yard interception return (Odell Spencer pass from Aaron Ivory), 9:46

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Justin Masterson didn't register an out in the third inning Friday against Boston in his shortest start of the season. The Indians have lost four straight.

BOSTON, Mass. – Justin Masterson's uneven season dragged on Friday night at Fenway Park.

After winning his last two starts, Masterson didn't register an out in the third inning as Boston handed the Indians their fourth straight loss, 10-3.

The Indians are 3-5 on this 10-game trip against Texas, Kansas City and Boston.

Masterson walked Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia to start the third with the scored tied, 3-3. Rookie lefty Kyle Crockett, just recalled from Class AAA Columbus, relieved and retired dangerous David Ortiz on a fly ball to left. Mike Napoli, however, slammed a two-run double to right to put Boston ahead to stay.

Before the Indians hit the road on this 10-game trip, they swept a three-game series from the Red Sox at Progressive Field. The Indians, looking weary in mind and body, could be facing the same consequence at Fenway, but this would be a four-game whitewash.

Masterson (4-5, 5.05) spearheaded that sweep on June 2 by throwing seven scoreless innings and striking out 10 against his former team. He did not look like the same pitcher Friday as he allowed five runs on three hits in two innings. Masterson, who felt he was making progress with some recent adjustments in his delivery, threw only 47 percent (28-58) of his pitches for strikes.

The Red Sox went down in order in the first, and the Indians took a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer by Carlos Santana in the second, but it was clear all was not right as he walked Ortiz and Napoli to start the second. Daniel Nava singled to center, but Michael Bourn's throw cut down the lumbering Ortiz at the plate.

Things were about to get much worse.

A.J. Pierzynski doubled into the triangle in right center to score Napoli and Nava to tie the score, 2-2. Jackie Bradley's two-out triple gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

The victory went to John Lackey (8-4, 3.24), who lost to Masterson in Cleveland. Lackey allowed only three runs in 6 2/3 innings, but the Indians pressured him in the early innings.

Santana reached him for a two-out homer in the second for the early lead. It was Santana's eighth homer and second on this trip.

The Indians took another run at Lackey in the third. Trailing 3-2, Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley opened the inning with consecutive doubles to tie the score. The Indians had a chance to reclaim the lead, but Lackey struck out Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall and retired David Murphy on a ground ball to second.

Lackey, 8-8 in his career against the Indians, didn't allow another hit until Cabrera doubled with two out in the seventh. Andrew Miller relieved and ended the inning.

The Red Sox put the game away with four runs in the seventh. Pedroia's two-run double off Bryan Shaw was the big hit of the inning. Marc Rzepczynski opened the inning by allowing singles to Bradley and Brock Holt.

Bogaerts wrapped the game in a bow for the Red Sox in the eighth with a long homer off the light tower high above The Green Monster against Cody Allen.

Kipnis went 0-for-4 to end his 14-game hitting streak.

The first weekend of the 2014 World Cup arrives with a smorgasbord of soccer.

The first weekend of the 2014 World Cup arrives with a smorgasbord of soccer as four matches -- two each from Groups C and D -- fill Saturday's docket, beginning with Colombia vs. Greece at noon ET.

Here are the broadcast details for Day 3's quadruple-header so you can catch all the action on your television, radio, computer or mobile device: 

Group C match: Colombia vs. Greece, 12 p.m.
At Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Group D match: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, 3 p.m.
At Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil 

Television

ABC

**Pregame show begins 30 minutes before kickoff of each match

Announcers

Colombia vs. Greece: Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman

Uruguay vs. Costa Rica: Jon Champion, Stewart Robson

===

Univision (Spanish-language broadcast)

**simulcast on Univision Deportes

Where to tune in

Verizon Fios: Channel 1524 (SD) and 1539 (HD)

On DirecTV: Channel 402 on SD and HD

On Dish Network: Channel 270 on SD and HD

On AT&T U-Verse: Channel 3002

On Comcast/Xfinity: Check local listings for channel number

On Optimum: Check local listings for channel number

On Time Warner: Check local listings for channel number

===

Radio

ESPN Radio 

*Click here to find your local affiliate.

Announcers

Colombia vs. Greece: JP Dellacamera, Janusz Michallik

Uruguay vs. Costa Rica: Ross Dyer, Paul Mariner

===

Online

ESPN3.com

Stream the broadcast on your mobile device by downloading the WatchESPN app or the WatchABC app.

Listen to ESPN Radio online here or on your mobile device by downloading the app here.

===

Univision.com (Spanish-language broadcast)

Stream the Univision broadcast on your mobile device by downloading the Univision Deportes app here.

Group D match: England vs. Italy, 6 p.m.
At Arena Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil

Group C match: Ivory Coast vs. Japan, 9 p.m.
At Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil

Television

ESPN

**Pregame show begins 30 minutes before kickoff of each match

Announcers

England vs. Italy: Ian Darke, Steve McManaman

Ivory Coast vs. Japan: Derek Rae, Efan Ekoku

Where to tune in

Verizon Fios: Channel 70 on SD and 570 on HD

On DirecTV: Channel 206 on SD and HD

On Dish Network: Channel 140 on SD and HD

On AT&T U-Verse: Channel 602 (SD) and 1602 (HD)

On Comcast/Xfinity: Check local listings for channel number

On Optimum: Check local listings for channel number

On Time Warner: Check local listings for channel number

===

Univision (Spanish-language broadcast)

**simulcast on Univision Deportes

Where to tune in

Verizon Fios: Channel 1524 (SD) and 1539 (HD)

On DirecTV: Channel 402 on SD and HD

On Dish Network: Channel 270 on SD and HD

On AT&T U-Verse: Channel 3002

On Comcast/Xfinity: Check local listings for channel number

On Optimum: Check local listings for channel number

On Time Warner: Check local listings for channel number

===

Radio

ESPN Radio 

*Click here to find your local affiliate.

Announcers

England vs. Italy: JP Dellacamera, Tommy Smyth

Ivory Coast vs. Japan: Ross Dyer, Paul Mariner

===

Online

ESPN3.com

Stream the broadcast on your mobile device by downloading the WatchESPN app.

Listen to ESPN Radio online here or on your mobile device by downloading the app here.

===

Univision.com (Spanish-language broadcast)

Stream the Univision broadcast on your mobile device by downloading the Univision Deportes app here.

Chuck Noll was a great coach who wasn't a slave to football. But even working regular hours, he left a legacy that will last forever.

CLEVELAND, Ohio –- Chuck Noll, the Cleveland Benedictine graduate and former Browns "messenger" guard, built the Pittsburgh Steelers into the Browns' archrivals and then their conquerors.

Yet Noll did not live and breathe X's and O's. He was a man as comfortable with opera glasses as a headset, who was also an amateur pilot and experienced sailor on the Florida Intracostal Waterway.

Noll, who died at age 82 on Friday the 13^th in Pittsburgh, knew his way around a wine list. The assumption is that part of his familiarity with fine vintages came from the champagne he drank after each of four Super Bowl victories with the 1970s Steelers.

"He was unique in not being the typical football coach. He had a more balanced life. He wasn't a slave to football. He kept regular hours, and his interests were so widespread," said Joe Gordon, the Steelers' PR man and a team vice president during the reign of the "Emperor Chaz," as sportswriter and Steeler broadcaster Myron Cope termed him.

Gordon was interviewed by phone in Pittsburgh as he was preparing to visit Noll's widow Saturday morning.

"He was an extremely joyous, extremely bright man," said Gordon, who had dinner with Noll in late March in Florida when the coach was in the final stages of a long fight against Alzheimer's Disease.

This view was not often shared by reporters, who found Noll's quotes to be less than electrifying. But Noll did have a waspish tongue that could sting.

After Dallas linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson made fun of quarterback Terry Bradshaw's intelligence before a Super Bowl which the Steelers won behind Bradshaw's MVP play, Noll said of Henderson, "Empty barrels make the most noise."

The Steelers were the least successful team in the NFL when Noll, who learned many lessons as a guard used by Cleveland's Paul Brown to shuttle in play calls, took over as Pittsburgh's coach in 1969. A week later, Noll drafted defensive lineman "Mean Joe" Greene of unheralded North Texas State (now North Texas University), the most important single draft pick in Pittsburgh's history.

"No question, Chuck was Joe Greene's advocate," Gordon said. "He had scouted Greene when Chuck was with the Baltimore Colts. At the time, the clamor in Pittsburgh was to draft (quarterback) Terry Hanratty, who was a local guy (from the Pittsburgh suburb of Butler, Pa.) and went to Notre Dame."

"No way," said Noll. "(Greene) is the guy we're going to draft. We're going to build on the defense."

Noll had the patience to wait on young players' development, but also had the acumen and luck to select an amazing string of great players, from Bradshaw, Jack Ham, Greene and Franco Harris to the spectacular 1974 draft of Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster -- four Pro Football Hall of Famers, all from the same draft class.

"The Steelers had all kinds of fantastic offers for the No. 1 choice (that became Bradshaw), but Chuck turned them down," said Gordon.

"All those offers are going to do (for us) is we would achieve mediocrity. But we're building for a championship," Gordon recalls Noll saying.

"Time after time, he insisted we take the best player, all the way down the line," Gordon said.

The Steelers won their first two Super Bowls in the '70s with defense and a ball-control ground game. Then, Noll reinvented the franchise as a passing team when rules aimed at increasing offensive production placed restrictions on contact by defensive backs with receivers and eliminated the head slap that was one of the most effective weapons of defensive linemen.

Noll was almost a visionary, the first man to see the possibilities inherent in the changes. "He turned Bradshaw loose with Swann and Stallworth," said Gordon.

The championships ran out when the Steelers lost their draft magic. By the 1980s, Pittsburgh native Marty Schottenheimer had built the Browns into a position of division mastery over the Steelers.

The success never reached as far as a conference championship, however, in part because of Schottenheimer's own draft foibles, most notably in the Mike Junkin selection in 1987, when the Browns were coming off the first of two near-misses in the AFC Championship Game under the coach.

Perhaps it simply came down to the fact that, good as Marty was, Noll was better because he had had a better teacher in Brown.

"I never had to tell Noll what play to take in," Brown said of Noll's "messenger guard" days in the 1950s. "He was so smart, he knew the plays before I called them."

"It was really nice working with (Larry Johnson)," Barrow said. "I had a lot of fun and learned a lot of important things. ... I am blown away that (Ohio State) is interested in me because they're a great school that is going to compete for national titles."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Malik Barrow is still relatively new to the recruiting process, but not new enough where meeting head coaches blows him away every time. 

But while in Columbus last weekend for Ohio State's one-day instructional camp, Barrow, a product of Tamp (Fla.) Catholic, found himself a little starstruck when he was invited into Urban Meyer's office. 

"Meeting Urban Meyer, meeting a legend is mind-blowing," Barrow told cleveland.com after the camp. "He is a legend, a great coach. He was won multiple national championships -- it was just crazy to me." 

Though Barrow hasn't been rated by Rivals.com, the defensive end is shaping up to be a heavily recruited 2016 prospect.

Barrow came to Columbus already having an Ohio State offer along with ones from Boston College, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Rutgers, Central Florida, South Florida and others. He is also drawing interest from in-state programs Miami (Fla.), which he'll visit this summer, and Florida State. 

While enjoying the camp, Ohio State left a lasting impression on the defensive end, particularly while Barrow worked with Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson. 

"It was really nice working with (Johnson)," Barrow said. "I had a lot of fun and learned a lot of important things. ... I am blown away that (Ohio State) is interested in me because they're a great school that is going to compete for national titles." 

Barrow isn't yet ready to separate schools that are standing out, but it's going to be a while before he makes his decision. Barrow plans to take all five official visits during his senior season, and in his perfect world he would announce at the Under Armour All-American Bowl, if invited. 

"I am just enjoying the process right now," Barrow said. "I am still going over my options and seeing where everything takes me." 

BOSTON, Mass. -- Here are the lineups for the Indians and Red Sox game for Thursday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. at Fenway Park. INDIANS CF Michael Bourn, L. SS Asdrubal Cabrera, S. LF Michael Brantley, L. 2B Jason Kipnis, L. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, L. DH Nick Swisher, S. RF David Murphy, L. 1B Carlos Santana, S. C Yan Gomes,...

BOSTON, Mass. -- Here are the lineups for the Indians and Red Sox game for Thursday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. at Fenway Park.

INDIANS

CF Michael Bourn, L.

SS Asdrubal Cabrera, S.

LF Michael Brantley, L.

2B Jason Kipnis, L.

3B Lonnie Chisenhall, L.

DH Nick Swisher, S.

RF David Murphy, L.

1B Carlos Santana, S.

C Yan Gomes, R.

LHP T.J. House, 0-1, 5.24

RED SOX

RF Brock Holt, L.

3B Xander Bogaerts, R.

2B Dustin Pedroia, R.

DH David Ortiz, L.

1B Mike Napoli, R.

LF Gomes, R.

C A.J. Pierzynski, L.

SS Jonathan Herra, S.

CF Jackie Bradley Jr., L.

RHP Jake Peavy, 1-4, 4.76.

UMPIRES

H Sean Barber.

1B Chris Guccione.

2B Eric Cooper.

3B Tom Hallion, crew chief.

Running back George Hill of Hubbard, Ohio became Ohio State's first oral commitment of the 2016 recruiting class Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State is still working diligently to put together its 2015 recruiting class, but the Buckeyes already have a head start on 2016. 

First reported by Scout.com's Bill Greene, Urban Meyer secured an oral commitment from 2016 running back George Hill of Hubbard, Ohio on Saturday afternoon. 

Hill hasn't yet been rated by Rivals, but he had early scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State and West Virginia. 

Hill rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and scored 15 touchdowns as a sophomore while splitting time in Hubbard's backfield with Larry Scott, a four-star prospect in the 2015 who also has a scholarship offer from Ohio State.  

Check back with cleveland.com later for more on Hill's commitment. 

Chuck Noll played on Benedictine first great high school team for the legendary Joe Rufus.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was the morning of a Browns/Steelers game at the old Cleveland Stadium. Joe Rufus was in the hospital, expecting a visit from his family. That's when Chuck Noll walked into the room of his former high school coach.

"What are you doing here?' asked Rufus. "Don't you have a game?"

"Joe, you taught me well," said the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. "My team had better be ready to play. They don't need me right now."

Then Noll and Rufus talked a little football -- Benedictine High School football. It is Greg Rufus -- the son of the former Benedictine football coach and athletic director -- who loves to tell this story. It came up again after it was announced that the 82-year-old Noll had died.

Noll coached the Steelers from 1969-91, winning four Super Bowl titles. He is a Hall of Fame coach, a former guard for the Browns under coach Paul Brown.

But Greg Rufus remembers something else. He was a lineman on the 1973 state title winning Benedictine football team. Before the championship game, Bengals coach Augie Bossu had a letter in his hand. It was from Noll to be read to the team.

"It was only three paragraphs," said Rufus. "It was mostly about what it meant to be a Man of Benedictine. I still have the letter in my office."

East Side roots

 

When Noll was growing up at 7215 Montgomery Avenue, he longed to go to Benedictine. He was born into the jaws of the Depression in 1932. The home near East 74th Street belonged to Noll's grandparents. A remarkable 1980 Sports Illustrated profile of Noll by Paul Zimmerman discusses how Noll's father had Parkinson's Disease, how education was the family dream. His father graduated from the eighth grade, his mother only went to school for five years.

"He went to Holy Trinity (grade school)," said Bishop Roger Gries, a former star Benedictine athlete and later a teacher, coach and principal at the school.

Like most Catholic boys in that neighborhood, Noll wanted to attend Benedictine. When he was 12, he began saving money to pay for the $150 yearly tuition. Noll told SI's Zimmerman that when he was in the seventh grade, he worked at Fisher Brothers Meat Market on Cedar Avenue after school. He cleaned up the store, helped with customers, and pocketed 55 cents an hour.

He enrolled at Benedictine in 1945 and paid his way through school. He didn't complain about the job at the meat market, or the other places where he worked. He grew up when life was hard, and you should expect it to be hard. That's the world when the Depression leads into World War II.

Rufus also arrived in 1945, and he transformed the school into an athletic power -- coaching several sports. Rufus was a bull of a man, weighing about 240. He stormed, he screamed, he demanded excellence.

He first played Noll at fullback. But after a few fumbles, the 175-pound Noll was placed on the line. He was a nose guard on defense, a right guard on offense.

The 1948 Bengals beat South High in the Senate Championship game played in front of 45,117 fans. Noll credited Rufus with teaching him the proper technique of blocking and tackling, that so much more was involved than just trying to knock off the opponent's head.

The Pope

Most of Noll's biographies say he was an "All-State" player at Benedictine. Noll rejected that, insisting he was "All Universe Bulletin." He was referring to the weekly paper for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. And that's close to the truth, as Noll was third-team All-City. He made "All-Catholic," a team drawn from four Cleveland area Catholic high schools.

Records at Benedictine show that Noll was smart, graduating 28th out of 252 in his class of 1949. His average was 90.8, what would be an A-minus. Among the grades listed, Noll had a 98 in sociology, 92 in woodworking and 85 in English. He went to Dayton on a football scholarship.

Jeff Darcy sent me this email:"My Dad was a teammate of Chuck Noll's at Dayton when he was first dubbed "The Pope" at a cafeteria table by another lineman.

"My Dad said one day that he, Noll and other teammate were having a meal and Noll started to weigh in on some topic, correcting  someone.  At that point this other teammate said something like 'You're all knowing, just like the Pope, that's what we're going to call you now.'

"People also assume he was nicknamed 'The Pope' because he was a practicing Catholic. Turns out it was because he was a 'Mr. Know it all.' And my Dad said he really did seem to know everything about anything."

What really matters

"Chuck was closer to Dayton than he was to us at Benedictine," said Gries, now an auxiliary bishop. "I had lunch with him a few times. I got him to donate some money to the school."

One day, Gries was invited to have lunch with Noll in Pittsburgh.

"He was looking at drafting a player who had once been at Benedictine," said Gries. "I had coached the kid, and thought maybe he wanted a little scouting report."

Wrong.

"He asked two questions," said Gries. "He wanted to know about the young man's family, and he wanted to know what kind of attendance record he had in school. That was it. He also asked about the player's character."

A few years ago, Gries saw Noll again.

"He was walking on two canes," said Gries. "He was in good humor about it. He called them 'Cane and Abel.' He was never a guy to make fuss or ask for sympathy."

The Indians look to snap a four-game losing skid this afternoon in Boston. Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Red Sox, plus chat with cleveland.com's Joey Morona in the comments section starting at 4:05 p.m.

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- The Indians broke a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Get complete coverage at cleveland.com/tribe.

Top of 7:
Indians seventh. Breslow pitching. A.Cabrera infield single to short. Brantley singled to right, A.Cabrera to third. Kipnis safe at first on fielding error by catcher Pierzynski, A.Cabrera scored, Brantley to second, Kipnis to first. Chisenhall flied out to left fielder J.Gomes. Swisher lined out to center fielder Bradley Jr.. Dav.Murphy walked on four pitches, Brantley to third, Kipnis to second. Tazawa pitching. C.Santana walked, Brantley scored, Kipnis to third, Dav.Murphy to second. Indians 3, Red Sox 2

Bottom of 6:
Red Sox sixth. Pedroia doubled to center. Ortiz grounded out, shortstop A.Cabrera to first baseman C.Santana, Pedroia to third. Axford pitching. Napoli walked on a full count. J.Gomes grounded into fielder's choice, shortstop A.Cabrera to second baseman Kipnis, Pedroia scored, J.Gomes to first, Napoli out. Pierzynski struck out. Red Sox 2, Indians 1

Indians third:
Y.Gomes flied out to center fielder Bradley Jr.. Bourn singled to center. A.Cabrera doubled to right, Bourn scored. Cabrera thrown out at third. Brantley lined out to first. Red Sox 1, Indians 1

Bottom of 1:
Red Sox first. Holt grounded out, third baseman Chisenhall to first baseman C.Santana. Bogaerts singled to left. Pedroia flied out to center fielder Bourn. Ortiz doubled to right, Bogaerts scored. Napoli grounded out, third baseman Chisenhall to first baseman C.Santana. Red Sox 1, Indians 0

Senior all-stars from Ohio and Michigan met in the inaugural Ohio-Michigan Border Classic All-Star football game on Saturday in Findlay. Glenville's Marshon Lattimore won Offensive MVP for the Ohio team.

FINDLAY, Ohio -- The picture-perfect weather and finely groomed field contrasted greatly with the play on the field in the inaugural Ohio-Michigan Border Classic All-Star football game on Saturday. 

At least in the first half, which looked pretty ugly from both sidelines. 

Michigan came away with the win, 27-14, after the team's offense found its groove in the second half. 

Players on both teams struggled to get in sync with each other as they tried to execute plays they'd only begun practicing together three days prior to game-day. 

Despite a rough start, there were still plenty of notable moments for local players. Read some of the highlights from the game that were posted in real-time. 

The following are some notes on local players who participated or were scheduled to but did not: 

Marshon Lattimore earns Offensive MVP honors 

With a series of crucial plays, including a key 25-yard reception from Kenton's Grant Sherman for a first-down on fourth and two in the fourth quarter, Glenville's Marshon Lattimore Offensive MVP for the Ohio all-stars. 

The Ohio State commit said he is "never satisfied" with his on-the-field play but graciously accepted the award. 

He also had a fumble on a hook and ladder in the fourth. After the game, he said he felt he should have held on to the ball rather than trying to make something happen.

Lattimore was one of multiple Ohio players at the center of some heated exchanges with Michigan players during the course of the game, which he described as a result of just being competitive. 

Midview's Cody Callaway skips all-star game

Cody Callaway did not participate in Saturday's game. Ohio coach Mike Fell said his being drafted in the 34th round by the Cleveland Indians had something to do with the decision but he did not elaborate. 

Callaway is scheduled to report to Bowling Green on June 28 to start his college career. He plans to play both football and baseball at BG. 

At Midview, Callaway threw for 2,496 yards, 24 touchdowns and three interceptions last season. He earned Division II First Team All-District and Second Team All-Ohio. He recorded 69 career touchdown passes. 

This spring, he hit .280 with four home runs, 25 RBI, 14 runs, four stolen bases and eight doubles for the Middies.

Callaway is a contender to be the cleveland.com baseball player of the year.

Davon Anderson scores one of Ohio's two touchdowns

After a relatively uneventful first half, Glenville's Davon Anderson got his shining moment of the game when he broke away for a 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. 

Anderson will report to camp at Ohio State next week, along with Glenville teammates Lattimore and Erick Smith. 

Thoughts on why Ohio is no longer part of the Big 33 Classic

This year's event was a replacement for the long-running Big 33 game. 

For 25 years, Ohio's senior all-stars took part in the Big 33 Classic against those from Pennsylvania. In 2012, organizers of the game decided instead to play Maryland for the event. 

This decision left many to speculate as the motives of the organizers of the Big 33. 

Some, like Evergreen High School Coach Paul Yunker, speculate it had something to do with Ohio's dominance against Pennsylvania in the year's leading up to the decision.

"We beat (Pennsylvania) for four straight years and then, all of the sudden, they just dropped us," Yunker said. "They didn't tell us. We read in the paper that they were now playing Maryland. I don't know if they were just getting tired of getting beat or if they just wanted to go in a new direction or if it was a money situation." 

Other locals who participated: Darius Bradford, OL, Elyria (Toledo); Michael Knoll, K, Walsh Jesuit (Boston College); Jake Hanzel, DL, Akron Manchester (not listed); Dakota Tallman, OL, Elyria Catholic (Eastern Michigan. 

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), Twitter (@rrozboril) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Matt Kata is the Cleveland Indians' manager of youth baseball development and initiatives. He oversees the organization's youth baseball camps, clinics and instructional programs. He is a native of Mentor and a graduate of St. Ignatius High School.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt Kata is the Cleveland Indians' manager of youth baseball development and initiatives. He oversees the organization's youth baseball camps, clinics and instructional programs. He is a native of Mentor and a graduate of St. Ignatius High School.

He attended Vanderbilt and was a ninth-round selection in the 1999 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played parts of five big-league seasons and retired from professional baseball in 2012.

Q. How did you connect with the Indians' front office?

A. [Team president] Mark [Shapiro] kind of threw out a little feeler of if, or better yet, when you want to come back home to work. I had to read that about three or four times, like, "Did he kind of just throw that out there?" I was fresh off of playing. I was happy doing what I was doing in that town. But I said I'd welcome a conversation and we talked about youth baseball and shared some visions and now I'm here.

Q. Is this something you envisioned yourself doing after baseball?

A. I retired a year ago and I lived in Round Rock, Texas, for about 10 years and I ended up playing my last three years for their Triple-A team. Living there and having retired last year, I transitioned into the front office there, doing baseball outreach. The best part about it is being able to give back.

Q. Why outreach instead of coaching?

A. I knew right away that I didn't want to just jump into coaching professionally at this point. When you look at the lifestyle of playing -- I have 5-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. Being able to be around and be a part of their lives in that early stage is really important for me. I'm very passionate about youth development in general and growing the game of baseball. My position here is connecting kids to the Indians.

Q. How rewarding is it to work with kids who are passionate about baseball?

A. It's why I do what I do. It's challenging in a lot of ways. You're dealing with kids of all different ages. The challenge of a coach is, "How do you connect with that kid?" When you spend time doing something you're passionate about, it's really rewarding. I had coaches and mentors who spent time and did the exact same thing for me. The main thing is, whether baseball or life, when you genuinely care, you see kids respond.

Q. What is your main message during one of the youth camp sessions?

A. When we get all the kids together in camp, you ask them, "Who wants to be a Major League Baseball player when they grow up?" Everyone raises their hand. I was that same kid. I wanted to be a Major League Baseball player. The next question is, "Who thinks I was born that way?" You get a couple kids who raise their hand, but that's when we set the mentality of what we want for those five days of camp. When I talk to the parents after that first day, I'm not going to tell a kid not to dream, but when you do the numbers of the odds of getting to the big leagues or even getting a college scholarship -- they aren't very high. They're very slim.

So when you look at playing youth baseball, my message to the parents is, "What do you really want your kids to get from this experience?" Let's set the foundation. The tendency is to always look at the result. We're really focused on keeping the focus on the process and the things you can control: attitude, concentration and effort.

After making only one bogey the first two days, Martin Kaymer had five bogeys on his card in the third round Saturday.

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Not even Martin Kaymer was immune from a Pinehurst No. 2 course that restored the reputation of a U.S. Open.

He threw enough counterpunches Saturday to leave him on the cusp of his second major.

On a broiling day with some wicked pin positions that yielded only two rounds under par, Kaymer rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to salvage a 2-over 72 and take a five-shot lead into the final round.

Only one player in U.S. Open history has lost a five-shot lead in the final round, and that was 95 years go.

"I didn't play as well as the first two days, but I kept it together," Kaymer said.

That was all that was required on a day when the U.S. Open finally looked like the toughest test in golf. Kaymer hit a 7-iron from the sandy area left of the fairway on the par-5 fifth hole to set up a 5-foot eagle putt, and his birdie on the final hole put him at 8-under 202.

Only the names of challengers changed, but they were sure to stir up the crowd -- and the emotions.

Erik Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient and perhaps the most remarkable story on the PGA Tour, rolled in a 40-foot putt on the 11th hole for one of his six birdies in a round of 67. He was tied at 3-under 207 with Rickie Fowler, a fan favorite of young American golf fans, who also had a 67.

Fowler will play in the final group of a major for the first time.

Only six players remained under par, and considering no one has come from more than seven shots behind in the final round to win a U.S. Open, they might be the only ones left with a realistic chance to catch the 29-year-old German.

Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson each shot 70 and were at 2-under 208. Brandt Snedeker had a 72 and was another shot behind.

Asked how much that birdie mattered on the 18th hole, Kaymer said, "One shot."

"If you're four shots, five shots, six shots, if you play a golf course like this, it can be gone very quickly," he said. "You could see it today. So the challenge tomorrow is to keep going and not try to defend anything. So we'll see how it will react tomorrow, how the body feels and how I handle the situation."

Kaymer had his way with a softer, more gentle Pinehurst No. 2 by becoming the first player to open with 65s to set the 36-hole record at 10-under 130. Some players wondered what tournament he was playing.

There was no doubt what it was on Saturday.

"They've set it up so that no one can go low," Retief Goosen said after a 71. "Some of the pins look like they're about to fall off the greens."

Toru Taniguchi shot an 88. Brendon Todd, playing in the final group with Kaymer, had a 79.

Phil Mickelson had a 73 and was 13 shots out of the lead. He'll have to wait until next year to pursue the only major keeping him from the career Grand Slam. Adam Scott, the world No. 1, made bogey on all but one of the par 3s and was 11 shots behind.

Kaymer nearly joined the parade of players going the wrong direction.

He ended an amazing streak of 29 holes without a bogey by failing to get up-and-down from short of the second green. Trouble really was brewing on the fourth hole, when he pulled his tee shot into the trees and couldn't play his next shot.

The ball settled in a washed-out section of sand, next to a 6-inch pile of pine straw. He took a one-shot penalty only after learning he could move the pine straw as loose impediments before he took his drop.

"It's all loose. How should I know what's not loose," he asked USGA President Tom O'Toole.

He punched out to the fairway and holed a 15-foot putt to escape with bogey. In the sandy area again on the next hole, Kaymer ripped a 7-iron from 202 yards that caught the front portion of the green and stopped pin-high for his eagle.

His long birdie putt on the par-3 sixth rolled off the back of the green for another bogey, and Kaymer dropped two more shots with three-putt bogeys, one of them from just off the green at No. 15. He also saved par with two putts from off the green, and the birdie was big.

Mike Brady is the only other player to lose a five-shot lead. That was in 1919 at Brae Burn Country Club in Massachusetts. He shot 80 in the last round, and Walter Hagen beat him the next day in a playoff.

Compton has never won on the PGA Tour, though just playing is a victory for a guy on his third heart. Compton had a heart attack and drove himself to the hospital before his most recent transplant seven years ago.

"I think that my attitude suits a U.S. Open-style course because I don't ever give up," Compton said.

Compton, Brendon de Jonge and Kevin Na were the only players to reach 4-under par in their pursuit of Kaymer. Only Compton managed to stay close. De Jonge bogeyed four of his last seven holes, while Na took two double bogeys in the last five holes.

The Indians snapped a four-game losing streak despite going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position Saturday at Boston.

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

Game: 69.

Opponent: Red Sox.

Location: Fenway Park.

Time of day: Afternoon.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 24 minutes.

Attendance: 37,181.

Result: Indians 3, Red Sox 2.

Records: Indians 34-35, Red Sox 31-37.

Back on the board: The Indians snapped a four-game road losing streak.

Making Fenway a friend: The Tribe won for just the third time in 11 games at Fenway Park.

Baked beans: The Red Sox had won seven straight at home, including the first two of the series.

Locking it down: The Indians clinched the season series against a club that handled them last year. They are 4-2 with one to play.

Three for the money: The Tribe improved to 7-27 when scoring three runs or fewer.

Finding a way: The Indians won, on the road, despite going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding 13. According to Jordan Bastian, esteemed Indians beat reporter for mlb.com, the Tribe had not won a game with three or fewer runs and at least 0-for-11 with RISP and 13 LOB since Aug. 19, 1984.

Bullish: Four Indians relievers -- John Axford, Kyle Crockett, Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen -- combined to give up two hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Play of the game: With the Red Sox trailing, 3-2, in the eighth, former A.L. MVP Dustin Pedroia led off with a four-pitch walk against Shaw. David Ortiz, one of the best clutch hitters of his generation, stepped in. Shaw fell behind, 2-0 and 3-1.

Shaw gave Ortiz a hittable pitch, and Ortiz smoked it hard and low to the right side. Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis stayed with a nasty hop and snared it with the backhand, triggering a 4-5-3 double play. (Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, on the second-base side because of the shift, ducked as Kipnis fed Lonnie Chisenhall.)

Instead of first and third, none out, the Red Sox had none on, two outs. The play took on more importance when Mike Napoli singled. Shaw bowed his neck and got Jonny Gomes to pop to Kipnis.

Kipnis's denial of Ortiz looked slick in real time, and it was even better upon DVR review. Super-slo-mo enabled the viewer to appreciate how dicey the hop was.

Kipnis, on balance, has been so-so defensively this season -- but he has made an assortment of difficult plays in big spots that have helped secure victories.

Pierzynski delivers: Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, as he had when the Indians swept Boston in a three-game series in Cleveland in early June, gave the Tribe a boost. He went 0-for-4 with a GIDP and two strikeouts; failed to catch two runners attempting to steal; and, for good measure, dropped the ball on a play at the plate in the seventh.

Pierzynski's error led to two runs.       

House party: Tribe lefty T.J. House gave up two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three. He threw 59 of 95 pitches for strikes.

House received a no-decision -- but he made the victory possible for his club. Here are some of the reasons House can feel good about his performance:

*Helped end his team's losing streak.

*Appeared for the first time at Fenway Park -- a difficult place for any pitcher, let alone an inexperienced lefty.   

*Faced a club that had won seven in a row at home, scoring 37 runs in the process.

*Faced a club that is equipped to deal with lefties.

*Rebounded from a rough start in Texas (3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER).

*Posted second solid outing against defending World Series champions (June 3 @ Cle: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R; ND).

*Pitched well the day after a miserable night for the Tribe's No. 1 starter entering the season, Justin Masterson (2 IP, 5 R; L, 10-3).

*Improved as the game unfolded.

In-game adjustments: House allowed four hits the first time through the order. The Red Sox were getting good swings at his fastball, and his pitches, in general, didn't have much tilt.

The second and third times, House got on top of the ball better, thereby creating more downward action. His slider had its sweep back. And he used the changeup, a pitch that largely had been missing in his previous start, to keep hitters off-balance.

Feel the draft: Five Cleveland draft picks played on Saturday. All five contributed.

*LHP House (16th round, 2008) had the solid start.

*LHP Crockett (fourth round, 2013) gave up one hit and struck out one.

*RHP Allen (23rd round, 2011) worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save.

*2B Kipnis (second round, 2009) went 3-for-5 and sparkled defensively.

*3B Chisenhall (first round, 2008) was 0-for-3 with two walks and saw a game-high 33 pitches.    

Opportunities squandered: The Indians, in the tweeted words of WEWS/Ch. 5 weather guru Jason Nicholas, left a "small suburb'' on the bases. The first nine came in the six innings worked by Boston righty Jake Peavy.

Here is a breakdown of the major fizzles:

Second inning: Runners on second and third, one out.

Kipnis led off by staying on a full-count fastball and punching it over shortstop for a single. Chisenhall struck out swinging. Nick Swisher doubled into the right-field corner, where Brock Holt received a favorable carom and forced Tribe third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh was forced to hold Kipnis.

David Murphy, who entered Saturday at .370 (20-for-54) with RISP, fell behind, 1-2. He made a bad swing at an outside pitch and popped to left. Carlos Santana, aggressive on the first pitch, sent a liner down the first-base line that Napoli grabbed with the glove in foul territory. The opposite of Murphy, Santana hit into bad luck.

Fourth inning: Runners on second and third, one out. Bases loaded, two outs.

Kipnis led off with a single to short. Chisenhall walked. Swisher, to the surprise of many, bunted the first pitch to Peavy for a sacrifice.

Murphy struck out swinging in three pitches. Santana was hit by a 1-1 pitch. Yan Gomes, ahead in the count, 2-1, flied to right.

Fifth inning: Bases loaded, two outs.

With two outs, Michael Brantley was hit by a 1-2 pitch. Kipnis singled to right, Brantley stopping at second. On the third pitch of Chisenhall's at-bat, Brantley stole third. On the fifth pitch, Kipnis stole second. Chisenhall fouled four times before drawing a walk.

Swisher fell behind, 0-2, took a ball and grounded weakly to second.

Sixth inning: Runner on second, one out.

With one out, Santana doubled to right. Gomes struck out swinging and Michael Bourn grounded to second.

Seventh inning: Bases loaded, two outs (two runs in).

Cabrera led off against lefty Craig Breslow with an infield single to short. Brantley singled to right, Cabrera hustling to third. Kipnis grounded to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who threw home in time to erase Cabrera -- except Pierzynski dropped the ball at the beginning of the swipe tag. The Indians tied the score, 2-2. 

Chisenhall flied to left and Swisher flied to center. Breslow worked Murphy as if he were Miguel Cabrera, walking him. Junichi Tazawa relieved Breslow and walked Santana in five pitches to give the Tribe a 3-2 lead. Credit Santana with spitting on the 3-1 pitch that was outside by several inches, and credit umpire Sean Barber for not giving the home team the call. 

Gomes struck out swinging in three pitches, but the "damage'' had been done.

Life is very good when your team pulls off the stunner of the World Cup.

Uruguay was one of the best stories of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, its run to the semifinals capturing many an imagination. 

In Brazil four years later, La Celeste's fortunes suddenly look much dimmer. This following an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Costa Rica Saturday in Fortaleza after Uruguay led 1-0 at halftime. 

Goals by Joel Campbell and Oscar Duarte three minutes apart, plus the hustle of Marco Ureña on the counterattack for the third goal in the 84th minute, had the fans of Los Ticos chanting "Pura Vida!" or "Pure Life!," a phrase used commonly in the Central American nation. And life is very good when your team pulls off the stunner of the World Cup, at least after three days of action.

See, Group D is a killer. There is Italy, England, Uruguay and the team pretty much nobody thought could survive the group stage, Costa Rica. This was the match Uruguay saw as three points toward winning the group, three vital points at that, with two other top-10 teams in the Azzurri and Three Lions in competition. 

But Costa Rica shocked everyone, and its first two scores produced the best goal of the day and the best individual celebration of a goal of the day. Who doesn't like the whole tribute-to-expecting-a-child thing?

First, the goal of the day from Costa Rica's Duarte:

And Campbell, who is under contract with Arsenal in the English Premier League but hasn't gotten a chance to prove his worth at 21 years old, takes best celebration with goal and baby time:

It only got worse for Uruguay. Starting defender Maxi Pereira was sent off with a red card for a hard takedown with less than a minute remaining, and therefore will miss his team's next match. And Luis Suarez, the leading goal-scorer in England this past season, was active but didn't play as he continues to work his way back from May 22 knee surgery. His return for the England match next week is now crucial. 

Italy beats the heat (and England) in the Amazon

Pause. Deep breath. While Uruguay-Costa Rica was the most shocking result of the day, the best-played game was the other Group D match -- England vs. Italy. 

Both teams made numerous runs into each other's final third, so scoring chances were plentiful. When you have a large number of Europe's best players from Serie A and the EPL going head-to-head, it's bound to be more of an offensive match, and that was the case in muggy Manaus. 

Frank Lampard, left, walks past as an English staff member grimaces in pain during the group D World Cup soccer match between England and Italy at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) 

Mario Balotelli put his mark on the 2014 World Cup early, scoring the game-winner in the 50th minute to lift Italy to the 2-1 victory. The cross was so pretty, and with Balotelli's size it's tough to defend. 

England isn't out of the competition for the group given the close loss, as Uruguay is now at the bottom in the all-important goal differential.

There was also an injury in this match. A physio (trainer) for England was taken off on a stretcher after he apparently dislocated his ankle celebrating the team's goal.

Colombia cruises, does the happy dance

Saturday's quadruple-header began with Colombia blowing out Greece 3-0, even though Los Cafeteros were missing world-class striker Radamel Falcao plus midfielder Edwin Valencia and defender Luis Perea.

The loss of Falcao to an ACL injury was supposed to be a death blow to the Colombians' chances at this World Cup. But they looked fast, far too quick on the attack and constantly in the offensive zone against the plodding Greeks, who generated scant few chances.

Playing in front of a crowd of mostly Colombia fans, the yellow-clad South Americans were led by midfielder James Rodriguez, who helped orchestrate the first two goals before scoring the last one in the 93rd minute. Watch the video below to see what happened after Pablo Armero scored, then try it with your friends! 

Elephants storm back in win over Japan

The Japan-Ivory Coast match rounded out the day, kicking off at 10 p.m. local time in Recife. 

The Samurai Blues' Keisuke Honda got himself a very nice belated birthday gift, sending in a rocket in the 16th minute a day after turning 28 years old. The AC Milan midfielder was left with plenty of space in close range and took advantage of it. But just when it seemed Japan was in control, Ivory Coast scored twice in less than two minutes and came up with a satisfying 2-1 win. 

Serge Aurier delivered two perfect services into the box that resulted in goals for Wilfried Bony in the 64th minute and Gervinho in the 66th. This after the entrance of legend Didier Drogba, who at 36 seeks a positive ending to his international career with his native land. Drogba had two quality shots on goal but missed both. 

Japan has to feel somewhat at home playing in Brazil, given the large ethnic Japanese population the country.

Group C, with Ivory Coast, Japan, Colombia and Greece, was up for grabs going into the World Cup. But now Japan and Greece will be in must-win territory when they face each other Thursday. 

Referee watch

Not much in the way of officiating controversies on Day 3, although it's worth noting that American Mark Geiger, a former math teacher from New Jersey who works for Major League Soccer full-time, refereed the Colombia-Greece match without incident, meaning he'll probably get at least one more match to oversee. 

The VooDoo scored three touchdowns in the final 6:10, but the Gladiators improved to 11-1.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Until now, the Gladiators have relied upon a strong defense and a little bit of moxie to help them win all but one game this season. 

But then a week ago, they scored a team-high in points, and Saturday they saw the offense click, again, in a 62-46 victory over the New Orleans VooDoo at The Q. 

The Gladiators improved to 11-1 while the VooDoo dropped to 3-10. 

Cleveland set a team record 86 points in a victory over Iowa a week ago, and built upon that offensive explosion to record its third-highest points total of the season.

All of it comes after being limited to a season-low 34 points in a loss to Pittsburgh two weeks ago. 

"We challenged them after the Pittsburgh game just because we felt we didn't hold our own, and had some turnovers," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. "So we challenged the offense after that game, and said, 'Hey, we've got to start picking it up.' And the last two games, they've done that." 

Quarterback Shane Austin threw eight touchdowns, connecting on 17-of-25 passes. Four touchdown passes went to Thyron Lewis, who hauled in seven passes, in all, for 121 yards. 

"I think he [Austin] was very accurate tonight," Thonn said. "On the deep balls, they were right there. Some of the times they had pretty close coverage, and he put it right in on them. I thought he did a good job of getting rid of the ball tonight and being very accurate." 

Austin has not thrown an interception in the last two games, and the Gladiators have only lost one possession in that span, a fumble against New Orleans. 

While the offense has found new life, the Gladiators' defense has been the stalwart, giving them early leads. 

Against the VooDoo, defensive back Marrio Norman broke up a pass that led to a New Orleans turnover on downs on the VooDoo's first possession, and then snagged an interception that was headed for the end zone late in the first quarter. By the end of the half, Cleveland led 34-6. 

"Those were two big plays for us in the first half," Thonn said. "Whenever you have a team that's been losing, you don't want to give them any life. Marrio getting the pass breakup, then getting the interception, that really helped us get that big lead in the first half." 

Only the ending – when New Orleans scored three touchdowns in the final 6:10 – spoiled what would have been a blowout victory. 

The VooDoo's Larry Beavers returned back-to-back kickoffs for touchdowns, and the VooDoo then recovered an onside kick with just over two minutes remaining, and Beavers hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass to keep the score close. 

Thonn said on both kick return coverages, he had two offensive lineman and backup quarterback Chris Dieker in to try to protect injured players.

"Obviously we don't want him to return them for touchdowns, but we're just trying to keep guys healthy," Thonn said."

When is a double play, a sure-fire double play? When it involves David Ortiz.

BOSTON, Mass.– Seen and heard Saturday at Fenway Park.

Clubhouse confidential: Once Jason Kipnis knew the ball was in his glove, he knew the Indians had a chance to turn a critical double play Saturday in the eighth inning of a 3-2 win over Boston.

He knew because the man who hit it, David Ortiz, doesn't run fast. So Kipnis threw to second to force Dustin Pedroia and watched third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, who had moved over to play shortstop as part of the Tribe's shift, throw to first to get Ortiz.

"He hit it pretty hard," said Kipnis. "But you guys know as well as I do that you've got some time with him going down the line. Usually that's because all he has to do is jog for most of his hit.

"He's just one of those guys who hits the ball so hard that you have a lot of time (to make a play)."

As for jogging, Kipnis wasn't kidding. Ortiz, nicknamed Bib Papi, has hit 446 homers in his career. There's no need to sprint on those.

Who's on third? The dynamic among Carlos Santana, Lonnie Chisenhall and Nick Swisher continues to unfold.

Swisher, who opened the season at first base, has played two games since coming off the DL, both at DH. Santana, who opened the year at third base, has not been on the hot corner since coming off the DL on June 4. Chisenhall, who started the season as a utility man, has taken up residence at third.

When asked if third base was in Santana's future, manager Terry Francona said, "Who knows? Right now it just seems to make some sense with Swish coming back (off the DL), he can take ground balls, get his at-bats (at DH) so he doesn't get overwhelmed right away. "

Stat of the day: Michael Brantley went 2-for-4 on Saturday and is hitting .371 (43-for-116) over his last 29 games.

North Carolina Highway Patrol spokeswoman Pam Walker said Tommy Lineberry was taken to the Moore County jail and charged.

PINEHURST, N.C. -- The man driving NBC Sports analyst Roger Maltbie's golf cart at the U.S. Open was taken into custody Saturday after a state trooper said the driver ignored instructions to stay put, then hit the officer with the cart.

NBC Sports golf analyst Roger Maltbie.NBC Sports 

North Carolina Highway Patrol spokeswoman Pam Walker said Tommy Lineberry was taken to the Moore County jail and charged.

Walker said the charge was not immediately available but adds that paperwork will be available Sunday.

An official at the jail said Lineberry was not in custody Saturday night and had no further details.

NBC Sports is aware of the incident but declined further comment.

Maltbie was walking with the final group of Martin Kaymer and Brendon Todd. Lineberry's job is to drive Maltbie to get in position for the next shots.

An Associated Press reporter who witnessed the incident heard Lineberry tell the trooper, "I'm supposed to get the cart to Roger."

"When a state trooper tells you to stop, THAT'S what you're supposed to do," the trooper responded, inches from Lineberry's face.

The trooper was holding traffic behind a walkway as the players teed off on the 11th hole. He told Lineberry that the cart struck his leg. The trooper asked for any the names of witnesses, and three people in the gallery immediately handed him their business cards.

The trooper ran after and then collared Lineberry, quickly placing him in handcuffs.