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Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving feels like a kid again at Progressive Field: Cleveland Indians chatter

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Irving chatted with Tribe players in the clubhouse, switched into Indians gear as he sat at a vacant locker between those of David Murphy and Jason Giambi, took batting practice and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

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


Clubhouse confidential: Kyrie Irving placed an Indians jersey over his shoulders, shook his body until it fit comfortably and came to a realization.

"I feel like a little kid," he said, draped in a batting practice uniform that proved to be larger and more cumbersome than he imagined.

One day after the San Antonio Spurs disposed of the Miami Heat to capture their fifth league title since 1999, the Cavaliers' point guard spent the afternoon at Progressive Field. He chatted with Tribe players in the clubhouse, switched into Indians gear as he sat at a vacant locker between those of David Murphy and Jason Giambi, took batting practice and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Irving donned a No. 2 jersey, white baseball pants and high blue socks. He borrowed a mitt from Mike Aviles and a bat and batting gloves from Michael Bourn.

kyrie-zmeis.jpgView full sizeKyrie Irving in the Indians' clubhouse prior to Monday night's game. 

Trevor Bauer, Monday's starting pitcher and a big Duke basketball fan, brought a white No. 1 jersey -- the same uniform Irving wore during his lone season as a Blue Devil -- to the 22-year-old, who autographed it.

Irving saw 14 pitches during two rounds of batting practice. He sent a soft liner down the right-field line on his first hack. In all, he socked three solid line drives and three sharp grounders. He made contact on every pitch.

Cooled off: Lonnie Chisenhall went 0-for-10 during the Indians' four-game series against the Red Sox. His batting average dipped to .371 from .393. It's his longest hitless streak of the season.

In the previous six games on the Tribe's road trip, Chisenhall amassed 14 hits in 24 at-bats (.583 average) with four home runs and 13 RBIs.

"There were pitches that [the Red Sox] threw that he didn't hit that he's hit before," Francona said. "I don't think guys, except for Ted Williams and possibly George Brett, most guys don't go through the year and hit .400. That's just the way the game is."

Stat of the day: The Indians entered Monday's action hitless in their last 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

State of the day, II: Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who died on Monday, struck out 434 times during his 20-year career. Former Indians first baseman Mark Reynolds struck out a total of 434 times during the 2009-10 seasons alone.


Kyrie Irving takes batting practice: Video, slideshow

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Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving took batting practice prior to Monday's game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving was in attendance on Monday prior to the Indians' opening game against the Angels. Irving hung out in the Indians locker room, fielded balls and then took batting practice.

Irving spent time hanging around the cage prior to and after BP and talked to members of the Indians. Read more about his appearance from Zack Meisel here.

Gallery preview 

Live updates and chat: Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Angels, Game 71

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Join our live chat for updates and more during tonight's Indians-Angels game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians come home Monday night winners of two games in a row and set to open a seven-game homestand. They take on the Angels in a four-game set to open.

Join cleveland.com's Dan Labbe for a live chat and get game updates in the comments below. Then stay tuned after the game for postgame video from the clubhouse and a postgame show featuring The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff.

Also, watch video of Kyrie Irving taking batting practice prior to tonight's game here.

1st inning: for the Indians - Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run home run scoring Michael Bourn. Indians 2, Angels 0.

2nd inning: for the Angels - Howie Kendrick and David Freese scored an an RBI double by Chris Iannetta. Indians 2, Angels 2.

3rd inning: for the Indians - Bourn scored on an RBI single by Michael Brantley. Indians 3, Angels 2.

4th inning: for the Angels - Raul Ibanez scored on a sacrifice fly by John McDonald. for the Indians - Carlos Santana hit a solo home run. Indians 4, Angels 3.

Justin Masterson: Tony Gwynn "taught me how to be a professional" (Video)

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Justin Masterson talks about Tony Gwynn.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tony Gwynn passed away, it was reported on Monday. Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, who played under Gwynn for a season at San Diego State, met with reporters prior to the game to talk about Gwynn and what he meant to Masterson's career.

In the video above, Masterson remembers Gwynn for his accomplishments on the field, but mostly for the way he carried himself off the field. 

Gwynn batted .338 during his 20-year career, all with the San Diego Padres. He totaled 3,141 hits and won eight batting titles.

Zach McAllister in line to rejoin the rotation on Thursday: Cleveland Indians notes

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Zach McAllister has re-claimed his spot in the Indians' starting rotation. The right-hander will pitch on Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Zach McAllister has re-claimed his spot in the Indians' starting rotation. The right-hander will pitch on Thursday.

That decision resulted from the club optioning southpaw T.J. House to Triple-A Columbus on Monday. In correspondence, the Indians recalled reliever Mark Lowe.

The team now boast a nine-man bullpen, at least until Thursday, when they will need to make another roster move to create a spot for McAllister.

The bullpen is spent. Entering Monday's action, no Tribe starter had lasted six innings since June 7. Cody Allen tossed the final two innings on Sunday, his third consecutive day with an appearance.

"With the extra innings yesterday," said manager Terry Francona, "we didn't feel like it was safe to not do something to our bullpen."

House fashioned an 0-1 record and 5.06 ERA in five starts with Cleveland. He allowed 35 hits in 26 2/3 innings as he filled in for McAllister, who landed on the disabled list with a lower back strain. 

"There were a lot of positives to take from what he did," Francona said. "I just wanted to make sure that he understood that this is what happens when you play extra innings or close games. It was not an indictment with how he was pitching. We were very pleased with how he pitched."

In 10 starts with the Tribe this season, McAllister has compiled a 3-4 mark and 5.89 ERA. He made one rehab start with Class A Lake County and two more with Columbus.

This marks Lowe's second stint with Cleveland this season. He posted a 2.08 ERA in four appearances spanning 4 1/3 innings last month. 

Award tour: Left fielder Michael Brantley was named American League Player of the Week, his first career weekly honor. Brantley batted .538 (14-for-26) with three doubles, two homers, three walks, three RBIs and nine runs in seven games. He led all major leaguers in batting average, runs scored and on-base percentage. The last Indians player to earn the weekly distinction was Jason Kipnis on July 1, 2013.

Brantley remains seventh in All-Star balloting among AL outfielders. As of Monday's update from Major League Baseball, he stands about 500,000 votes shy of a starting spot.

Back at it: Danny Salazar returned from the minor league disabled list and pitched five innings for Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. The right-hander, who was dealing with inflammation in his elbow, allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out four and tossed 69 pitches.

"He did well," Francona said. "All reports were very, very positive."

Finally: The Indians signed five more of their draft picks on Monday: pitcher Justus Sheffield (first round), pitcher Jordan Dunatov (12th round), pitcher Argenis Angulo (19th round), outfielder Bobby Ison (21st round) and outfielder David Armendariz (23rd round). Sheffield was the 31st overall player selected. The Indians received the pick as compensation for losing free-agent hurler Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians have now signed 19 of their draft choices. ... Double-A Akron outfielder Tyler Naquin, the Indians' first-round selection in 2012, is riding a 17-game hitting streak, during which he is batting .431 (31-for-72).

World Cup 2014 results: US fends off Ghana 2-1 on goals by Clint Dempsey, John Brooks

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The US is now tied with Germany atop of Group G.

NATAL, Brazil -- Clint Dempsey scored in the first minute and rookie substitute John Brooks scored a late game winner as the U.S. defeated Ghana 2-1 Monday in the World Cup opener for both.

The victory gave the Americans some revenge against the tiny West African county that knocked them out of the last two World Cups and put the U.S. and Germany on top of the Group G, with Ghana and Portugal at the bottom.

Dempsey's goal came on a low shot just a half-minute into the match. Ghana dominated much the rest of the game, and Andre Ayew leveled in the 82nd minute.

Just four minutes later, Brooks -- a 21-year-old defender who came on at halftime because Matt Besler was injured -- scored off a corner from Graham Zusi. It was the first time an American sub had ever scored in theWorld Cup.

"I said it to the bench minutes before, 'We're going to get some chances still,'" U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "So we are still in the game after the equalizer, we just need to kind of push and push and grind it out. That's what they did. Here comes a set piece we trained over and over and over that stuff. And he puts it in, so well deserved."

Dempsey's goal made him the first U.S. player to score in three different World Cups and was the fastest ever scored by an American in the tournament.

Both goals were surprising. Dempsey's showed the kind of technical flair seldom seen from a squad that typically scores through set pieces. Brooks' game winner came after a long stretch in which the Americans were desperately trying to survive waves of attacks from Ghana.

DaMarcus Beasley, who became the first American to play in four World Cups, started the buildup to Dempsey's goal with a pass to Jermaine Jones, who fed it to Dempsey inside the penalty area.

With a nifty move to split defenders John Boye and Sulley Muntari, Dempsey sent the left-footed shot past goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, where the ball bounced off the post and in.

Already ahead after the game had barely started, the Americans looked well on their way to erasing eight years of frustration caused by Ghana.

The Black Stars regrouped at halftime, and the U.S. looked punchless on the attack after losing striker Jozy Altidore to an apparent hamstring injury in the 21st minute.

Ghana applied relentless pressure on U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard and finally drew even when captain Asamoah Gyan flicked a backheel pass to Ayew, who used the outside of his left foot for a powerful shot.

Ghana was still pressing when Brooks, 6-foot-3, soared over defenders to get his head on the ball. Brooks, who plays for Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, appeared shocked to have scored, raising his hands to his head before falling to the ground to be mobbed by his teammates.

"What I can say is it was a very tough game," Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said. "Playing at this level any little mistake can cost you dearly. We didn't deserve to get the first goal against us."

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley exits Monday's game after blow to the head/neck

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Michael Brantley departed Monday's game against the Angels after he received a blow to the head while sliding into second base.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Michael Brantley departed Monday's game against the Angels for precautionary reasons after he received a blow to the head while sliding into second base.

Mike Aviles replaced the reigning American League Player of the Week in left field in the top of the fifth inning. 

Brantley slid into the bag in an attempt to break up a double play in the third inning. He collided with Angels shortstop John McDonald and appeared to have dinged his head.

Manager Terry Francona said after the game that Brantley passed all initial concussion tests and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday.

"His neck is a little stiff," Francona said. "I think the hope is he'll wake up and feel good and clear-headed and then we'll see how his neck feels."

Brantley had reached base with an RBI single. He is batting .323 with a .391 on-base percentage, 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. He ranks seventh among AL outfielders in balloting for the All-Star Game.

World Cup 2014 roundup: A new American hero rises; Ronaldo surrenders as Portugal implodes

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The curse of Ghana is broken, as the U.S. got its revenge against the team that eliminated it from the past two World Cups.

America, meet your newest sports hero: John Anthony Brooks Jr. 

Brooks is a 21-year-old native of Germany who, by virtue of having a father who is American, is eligible to play for the U.S. men's national soccer team. His goal in the 86th minute Monday in Natal sent the Americans to a 2-1 win over Ghana in the World Cup. 

In case you missed the goal of a lifetime for this young man, you can watch it below. He's absolutely incredulous about it, like he can hardly believe it happened: 

The curse of Ghana is broken, as the U.S. got its revenge against the team that eliminated it from the past two World Cups. It sure didn't seem it would happen after Ghana tied the score at 1-1, as hard as the Black Stars were attacking, but a new legend was born in Brooks.

The U.S. also got a goal from Clint Dempsey just 30 seconds into the match -- the earliest goal scored so far in this World Cup. The end result is no less than one of the signature wins in U.S. soccer history.

Even though Ghana kept coming and generated many chances to tie, the Americans overcame some rough play and an early hamstring injury to forward Jozy Altidore, who will be further examined by Tuesday to determine his future playing status.

This kick to Dempsey's face later in the first half drew a nosebleed, and maybe worse, but Dempsey stayed in the game and his team weathered the storm in its World Cup 2014 opener: 

Here's hoping you were able to watch, because they were watching almost everywhere across the United States. If you still don't think soccer is big in this country, check out the scene at Chicago's Grant Park

Monday's World Cup scores:

Germany 4, Portugal 0

Iran 0, Nigeria 0

United States 2, Ghana 1

Rough day for Ronaldo and Portugal

Portugal melted down Monday as Germany cruised to victory in Salvador.

The match was over by halftime. Things began to unravel for Portugal when Joao Pereira dragged Mario Gotze of Germany down in the box in the 11th minute, resulting in the penalty kick that the Germans' Tomas Muller converted.  

It's been a tough World Cup for guys named Pereira. On Saturday, Uruguay's Maxi Pereira was issued the first red card of the tournament and won't play in his team's next match. 

APTOPIX Brazil Soccer WCup Germany PortugalPortugal's Pepe , left, puts his head on Germany's Thomas Mueller during the group G World Cup soccer match between Germany and Portugal at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, Monday, June 16, 2014. Pepe was red carded after this. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) 

With Germany up 2-0 on a goal by Mats Hummels, Pepe inexplicably head-butted Muller away from the ball and was issued a red card. In all fairness, Muller flopped after the first contact and Pepe's love tap with his forehead probably didn't hurt; nevertheless, it wasn't fair play and the referee ejected him. 

Certainly the officiating could have been more lenient, but so it goes. Perhaps FIFA should consider adding another official or two just to be in position to see such play-acting. 

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was never much of a factor, but he did get some sympathy from pop star Rihanna. 

Ronaldo, it was reported, was apparently so certain of doom that he switched jerseys with Sami Khedira of Germany at halftime. That's something done at the end of matches, not in the middle of them.

The U.S. lies in wait, and after injuries to goalkeeper Rui Patricio and defender Fabio Coentrao, Portugal could be severely shorthanded against the Americans in Manaus on Sunday. 

Nigeria, Iran play to first draw

Aside from a couple of quality chances, mainly in the first half, nothing much materialized between Iran and Nigeria in the Group F opener for both teams in Curitiba. The match ended in a scoreless draw, the first draw of the 2014 World Cup and first scoreless match of the tournament.

Nigeria's Vincent Enyeama made one of the great saves of the World Cup to date in the 34th minute:

Ibrahimovic takes a shot at Team USA

Zlatan Ibrahimovic might be feeling kind of bad about his little jab at the U.S. team after today's win. Ibrahimovic, vacationing in Los Angeles, was captured on video by TMZ apparently referring to the U.S. squad "a big joke." The Swedish international star, who plays in Paris, should know that soccer DOES matter in the States, and he can't go anywhere without someone being knowledgeable of the sport.

Brazil Soccer WCup Ghana USUS Vice President Joe Biden at the group G World Cup soccer match between Ghana and the United States. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) 

Fan photo of the day

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made the trip to Brazil to watch his boys kick some Ghanaian butt in Natal. There was some buzz that Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio was also in the house but, alas, no photos.


Carlos Carrasco talks about his first career save: Video

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Indians reliever Carlos Carrasco talks about his unconventional save against the Angels.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With a short-handed bullpen and a starter that threw a career-high 119 pitches, Terry Francona turned to Carlos Carrasco with two outs in the seventh inning and the Indians leading the Angels, 4-3. Carrasco rewarded him by picking up a run-of-the-mill 2 1/3-inning save.

The Indians won their third game in a row on Monday night, beating the Angels, 4-3. Carrasco collected his first career save and continued in his transformation from starter to bullpen pitcher.

Get complete coverage of the Indians' win at cleveland.com/tribe.

More video:

Indians postgame show

Terry Francona postgame

Trevor Bauer postgame

Terry Francona talks about the Indians' 4-3 win over the Angels: Video

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Indians manager Terry Francona talks about his team's win over the Angels.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Indians manager Terry Francona turned to a player who wasn't in the rotation at the start of the season and a player who got yanked out of the rotation earlier in the season to come away with a 4-3 win over the Angels.

Trevor Bauer worked 6 2/3 innings and Carlos Carrasco 2 1/3 innings in the Indians' 4-3 win over the Angels on Monday night. It was Carrasco's first career save.

Watch what Francona had to say about the win in the video above and get complete coverage of the game at cleveland.com/tribe.

More video:

Indians postgame show

Carlos Carrasco postgame

Trevor Bauer postgame

Breaking down the Indians' 4-3 win over the Angels: Postgame show

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Watch our postgame show breaking down the Indians' win over the Angels.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians beat the Angels, 4-3, on Monday night at Progressive Field. It was the team's third win in a row and their tenth in a row at home.

After the game, The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff joined cleveland.com's Dan Labbe to break down the win. They discussed the performances of Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco. They also talked about the offense and the top of the lineup's production.

Get complete coverage of the win at cleveland.com/tribe.

More video:

Terry Francona postgame

Trevor Bauer postgame

Carlos Carrasco postgame

Trevor Bauer talks about beating the Angels: Video

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Trevor Bauer talks about getting a win over the Angels.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trevor Bauer threw a career-high 119 pitches on Monday night against the Angels. Bauer picked up the win in the Indians' 4-3 victory.

Following the game, the Indians pitcher talked about his performance. He talked about his pitch count as well as getting sent out to pitch the seventh inning. Bauer retired two batters in the seventh before giving way to Carlos Carrasco.

Get complete coverage of the Tribe's win at cleveland.com/tribe.

More video:

Indians postgame show

Terry Francona postgame

Carlos Carrasco postgame

Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco save the bullpen, lift the Cleveland Indians to a 4-3 victory over the Angels

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Bauer helped a burnt-out bullpen by submitting 6 2/3 gutsy innings to guide the Indians to a 4-3 victory against the Angels.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trevor Bauer sauntered toward the dugout with his head down. He reached the top step, looked up and slapped hands with Mickey Callaway.

The Indians asked a lot of Bauer on Monday. He raised his right arm again and again in order to heave a career-high 119 pitches, more than any Tribe starter has tossed in a game all season. That final lift of the arm, the one that resulted in a high-five with his pitching coach, symbolized what Bauer accomplished before 14,716 fans at Progressive Field.

Bauer saved a burnt-out bullpen by submitting 6 2/3 gutsy innings to guide the Indians to a 4-3 victory against the Angels. He wasn't his sharpest or his most efficient, but Bauer kept Cleveland in front and spared a relief corps that was without Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw and Marc Rzepczynski.

"That's what you look for in a major league pitcher," Callaway said. "It's almost like, 'OK, you're a major leaguer now.' You can go out there when your stuff might not be the best and you can battle and give us six or seven good innings. ... It gives you the confidence that you can pitch at this level no matter how good your stuff is that day."

Given the widespread bullpen fatigue, Carlos Carrasco served as Cleveland's clean-up man. He completed the final 2 1/3 innings to capture his first career save.

Carlos Santana's ninth home run of the season proved to be the scoring difference. He rocketed a 76-mph changeup into the right-field seats in the fourth to provide the Indians with the one-run advantage.

Asdrubal Cabrera socked a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers in the first -- a ruling that stood after an umpire review -- but the Angels roared back with a pair of runs in the second. Bauer yielded another response run in the fourth. Michael Brantley, who exited the game after getting dinged in the head on a slide, delivered an RBI single in the third. John McDonald, however, tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Bauer settled in after that. He froze Albert Pujols with a knee-buckling curveball on his 110th offering of the night to end the fifth. On his final pitch, David Freese lined out to short.

That set Bauer's pitch count at 119. Big deal.

"I can go 130, 140, 150, 200, whatever," Bauer said. "I train myself to be able to do that. I throw a lot."

Bauer said he wasn't aware of just how desperate the Indians were for a lengthy start. He became the first Tribe hurler since Josh Tomlin on June 7 to last six or more innings.

"Hopefully as time goes along, I'll be able to throw more pitches and go deeper into games, especially on nights where I'm not as efficient as I'd like to be," Bauer said. "It felt good to go out there and prove that I can still handle going deeper into the game."

Carrasco replaced Bauer and fanned Howie Kendrick to end the seventh. He tossed a scoreless eighth and Callaway informed him he would remain in the game to pitch the ninth. Manager Terry Francona had Josh Outman and Scott Atchison warming, but the skipper said "there was no reason to take him out of the game." Carrasco became the first Indians pitcher since Rod Nichols in 1991 to register a save in a one-run game and record at least seven outs. He dispensed of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton in order in the ninth.

"It's a great opportunity," Carrasco said. "They gave me the opportunity to do my job and that's what I did."

The triumph -- Cleveland's 10th in a row at home -- inched the Tribe to within 2 1/2 games of division-leading Detroit. The Indians own baseball's best home record, at 22-11. And they earned the latest victory without having to tap into a depleted 'pen.

"That's a huge lift for us," Francona said, "when we can stay away from everybody in the bullpen and win a one-run game going through that lineup."

Live updates: Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Angels, Game 72

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Join our live chat for updates and more during tonight's Indians-Angels game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians winning streak at Progressive Field came to an end at 10 games on Tuesday night. The Angels slugged their way to a 9-3 win over the Tribe.

Los Angeles hit four home runs off Indians pitching; two of them came off the bat of Mike Trout, who drove in four runs on the evening.

Josh Tomlin took the loss. Tomlin gave up 11 hits and five earned runs in just over five innings of work. He is now 4-4 on the year. Matt Shoemaker, who improved his record to 4-1 on the season, quieted the Tribe bats. 

Scoring Summary:

1st inning: Albert Pujols grounds out to third base, scoring Kole Calhoun, who led off the game with a single. Angels 1, Tribe 0. 

2nd inning: David Murphy with an RBI groundout to second base. Carlos Santana, who led off the inning with a walk, scores. Tribe 1, Angels 1. 

4th inning: Lonnie Chisenhall with a solo home run that traveled 434 feet. Tribe 2, Angels 1. 

5th inning: Kole Calhoun with an RBI single to right field, scoring David Freese. Mike Trout followed with a three-run home run to right field. Angels 5, Tribe 2. 

6th inning: Howie Kendrick launches a solo home run to dead center. Angels 6, Tribe 2. 

7th inning: Trout homers for the second time in the game. His 16th of the year. Angels 7, Tribe 2. 

9th inning: Calhoun belted a solo home run to right field. Kendrick followed with another RBI, a double, which scored Albert Pujols. Angels 9, Tribe 2. 

Santana with an RBI single for the Indians, scoring Jason Kipnis, who led off the inning with a double. Angels 9, Tribe 3. 

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

Bedford defensive end Marquise Copeland verbally commits to Cincinnati

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Bedford's Marquise Copeland gives verbal pledge to Cincinnati.

BEDFORD, Ohio — Bedford defensive end Marquise Copeland had a long list of suitors when it came to his college recruitment, but he wanted to play close enough for his family to attend games.

Copeland announced his verbal commitment to play college football at Cincinnati on Tuesday, picking the Bearcats from a list of 14 scholarship offers.

“I love the people there,” Copeland said. “They’re good people. It’s a tight team, and my mom will be able to come see me play football.”

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound end rated a 3-star prospect by Rivals.com had offers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Louisville and Kentucky, among others.

Copeland is the 10th member of Cincinnati’s 2015 recruiting class, according to Rivals. Cincinnati went 9-4 last year, losing to North Carolina in the Belk Bowl.

No matter where he ended up, Copeland’s high school coach thinks he will be an impact player at the next level.

“His upside is huge,” Bedford coach Sean Williams said. “He’s fast off the ball. This is a great move for him and his family. I couldn’t be happier for this young man. He’s come so far academically and athletically.”

Copeland, who’s played defensive end and outside linebacker during his time at Bedford, had 92 tackles and six sacks during his junior season.

He expects to be stand-up rush end for Cincinnati.

“It’s a lot of pressure off of me,” Copeland said. “I know I have to focus on getting stronger, bigger and getting more knowledgeable about the game. I know where I’m going now.”

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.


Three-star Maryland safety Tyler Green, an Ohio State commit, flashes the 'Block O' at Michigan: Buckeyes recruiting

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Three-star safety Tyler Green was camping at Michigan with a few teammates Tuesday and he posed on the Wolverines' practice field sporting Ohio State's "Block O" while wearing a Buckeyes T-Shirt.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three-star safety Tyler Green of  Hyattsville (Md.) DaMatha Catholic recently committed to Ohio State after earning a camp offer while in Columbus. 

Tuesday, Green was camping at Michigan with a few teammates and he posed on the Wolverines' practice field sporting Ohio State's "Block O" while wearing a Buckeyes T-Shirt.

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 18 safety in the 2015 recruiting class, Green chose the Buckeyes over scholarships from Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, N.C. State and Virginia. He was also drawing interest from Penn State and Michigan. 

Shortly after his commitment, I wrote a story detailing the 48 hours he spent attending Ohio State's camp with a timeline of the weekend's events

Could Trevor Bauer actually throw 150-200 pitches in an outing? Terry Francona believes so: Cleveland Indians chatter

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"I bet he could," Francona said. "He's worked his whole life to be able to stay out there. He does not want to hear pitch counts."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard around Progressive Field on Tuesday.

Clubhouse confidential: Trevor Bauer claimed after Monday's 119-pitch outing that he can throw "130, 140, 150, 200, whatever."

Indians manager Terry Francona doesn't doubt it.

"I bet he could," Francona said. "He's worked his whole life to be able to stay out there. He does not want to hear pitch counts."

Upon Bauer's promotion to the big league squad last month, general manager Chris Antonetti told Francona that, 'If there's one guy you want to give a little leash to, Trevor's the one who can handle it.'

"He's not the biggest guy in the world," Francona said. "Before you know him, that would send up an immediate red flag. But after you've been around him and seen how much he's thrown, he's thrown more than most guys do getting to this point. His arm is conditioned to do that. That's not the norm anymore."

Francona remembered former Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield saying he had thrown 165 pitches in a game. Wakefield did throw 172 pitches in a win on April 27, 1993. Four years later, he tossed 169 pitches in a game.

Francona also recalled two instances in which he let Curt Schilling's pitch count mount. On May 23, 1999, Schilling threw 136 pitches, but he allowed five runs in the ninth and his Phillies lost to the Mets, 5-4. Francona opted not to pull Schilling because he wasn't overly fond of Philadelphia's bullpen at the time.

"I looked like an idiot," Francona said.

Francona also mentioned an affair in Cleveland on April 25, 2006, when Schilling heaved 133 pitches over 6 2/3 innings for Boston. Schilling threw 130 or more pitches in his career 29 times.

Ready to go: Zach McAllister will start Thursday's matinee against the Angels. He made three rehab starts while recovering from a lower back strain.

"I feel great," McAllister said. "I made a couple starts and everything feels good, so I'm excited to get back out there."

Stat of the day: In Monday's win, Carlos Carrasco became the third big league pitcher over the last 10 years to record a save of seven or more outs during a game in which they entered with and preserved a lead of exactly one run.

Cleveland Indians sign their top draft picks, and now they wait and wait and wait -- Terry Pluto

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No matter how rich the bonus, most players need four years to reach the big leagues and play well enough to stay there.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was a day to smile and take pictures, a day when Progressive Field was a bit more than a dream.

The Tribe introduced four of their top draft picks to the media before Tuesday's game with Angels. Many brought their parents along.

It's a day they'll never forget. It's also a day that at some point in their careers will seem so far away.

That's because this is baseball, where the Tribe's top pick (Bradley Zimmer) signed for $1.9 million. In a few days, he'll be playing for Mahoning Valley in the New York-Penn Rookie League.

But after this day when the top picks tour Progressive Field and shake hands with the likes of Nick Swisher, it's on to a minor league bus.

At Mahoning Valley, Zimmer's teammate will be Julian Merryweather, a fifth-rounder who signed for $20,000. Another teammate is Steven Patterson, who signed for $10,000. He was a 10th-round pick.

The reason their bonuses are so low is they are college seniors -- no leverage about returning to school for another year. It's sign or stay home.

Some players on the Scrappers roster will have received bonuses in the $5,000 range. Odds are no more than five players in Mahoning Valley this summer will eventually play in the Majors.

Yes, top picks such as Justus Sheffield (31st overall pick) will receive extra attention from the coaches and more time to prove themselves. The lefty signed by the Tribe for $1.6 million was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He allowed three earned runs in 61 innings, striking out 131 thanks to a 95 mph fastball and a wipe-out slider.

But Sheffield is headed to the Arizona Rookie League.

"He'll play during the day, mostly in front of moms, dads, family and friends," said Tribe Scouting Director Brad Grant. "We usually send our high school kids to Arizona, our college players to Mahoning Valley."

And then, they wait.

The average college player needs 3-to-4 years to make the Majors, the typical high school player needs five years.

The Cleveland Indians sign their No.1 draft pick Clint FrazierA year ago, it was Clint Frazier's turn to take batting practice before a Tribe after turning pro. The 2013 first-rounder is now hitting .248 at Class A Lake County. 
PATIENCE REQUIRED

A year ago, it was Clint Frazier at Progressive Field. He met the media, took pictures in a Tribe cap. He even took pregame batting practice.

For one day, he felt like a first-round draft choice of a Major League team.

Then he was sent to Goodyear, to play in the Arizona Rookie League, despite being the 2013 Gatorade High School Player of the Year.

This season, the 19-year-old outfielder is at Class A Lake County. It doesn't matter that he was the No. 5 pick in the 2013 draft. Or as Grant said, "He hit a lot of 420-foot homers in high school."

At Lake County, Frazier is batting .248 (.691 OPS) with four homers and 19 RBI in 222 at bats in the Class A Midwest League.

The baseball draft followed by the minor league system humbles most players. Consider how Johnny Manziel or any NFL first-rounder is treated. Or the entitlement that goes along with being one of the top picks in the NBA.

You won't find any recent Major League draft pick talking about "my brand," as Manziel, Kyrie Irving and others in football and basketball do not long after turning pro.

They're just trying to get to the big leagues, and it takes climbing, clawing and keeping calm.

It's Arizona to Mahoning Valley to Lake County to Carolina to Akron to Columbus.

That's six steps covering four levels of minor league baseball -- from rookie ball to Class AAA.

COLLEGE PLAYERS

Cleveland Indians pre-game activities, June 17, 2014Top Tribe pick Bradley Zimmer signed for $1.9 million bonus. His next stop if Mahoning Valley in the New York-Penn League. 
Top pick Bradley Zimmer is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound outfielder who batted .368 with seven homers and 31 RBI for the University of San Francisco.

He seems a bit like Tyler Naquin (Texas A&M) , the Tribe's first rounder in 2012 (No. 15 pick overall). Both were considered excellent college hitters, neither had impressive power.

In his first two pro seasons (Class A and Class AA), Naquin was a .269 hitter (.749 OPS) with 10 homers in 665 at bats.

"But this season, it has really come together for him," said Grant. "This is the player we scouted."
   
At Class AA Akron, Naquin is hitting .325 (.864 OPS) with four homers, 26 RBI and 14 steals while playing center and batting leadoff for the RubberDucks. In the last 17 games, he's batting .431.

Naquin is figuring it out at the age of 23. Keep in mind that he's four years older than Frazier, last season's top Tribe pick.

"Sometimes, a guy does move fast," said Grant. "Look at Kyle Crockett."

At this point a year ago, Crockett was trying on his Tribe cap as he was the team's fourth-round pick from the University of Virginia. Now, he's in the Tribe's bullpen. That's almost an immediate return on the $463,000 bonus.

Grant said the two players he drafted closest to big league ready were Jason Kipnis (2nd round, 2009) and Francisco Lindor (1st round, 2011). Kipnis is with the Tribe, Lindor is hitting .275 (.808 OPS) with four homers and 36 RBI at Akron. He is expected to be at short for the Tribe next season.

"But those guys are the exception," he said.

For most players, it's "here's your bonus, hope to see you in Cleveland in four years."

GOOD REVIEWS

ESPN's baseball draft expert Keith Law loves what the Tribe did in this draft:

"I'm not sure any team did better than Cleveland did over the draft's first 72 hours. The Indians were fortunate that Zimmer fell into their laps with the 21st overall pick, and they now have the advanced outfield prospect their system needed. Justus Sheffield's feel for pitching and low-90s fastball should see him move relatively quickly for a prep arm.
   
"Mike Papi was one of the best pure bats in the entire class. Add in talented preps like Grant Hockin and Bobby Bradley -- plus one of the best defensive outfielders in the draft in Greg Allen, and Cleveland has added tremendous depth to its system. None of these names are locks to be named to a top-100 prospect ranking next winter, but if they perform well over the summer, the Indians will have picked up a handful of players who will rank in their top 10."

But really, who knows?

The 61st pick in the draft, Hockin met the media Tuesday. The right-hander was 9-3 with a 1.49 ERA and 99 strikeouts compared to 17 walks in 80 innings for Damien (Ca.) High. He was headed for UCLA before the Tribe enticed him to turn pro with a $1.1 million bonus. 

Consider that the top two pitching prospects drafted -- Sheffield and Hockin -- also were exceptional high school hitters. Sheffield batted .405, Hockin (the grandson of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew) was a .379 hitter.

Hockin said he "was born ready" for this day, when he turned pro.

Now, he and all the rest will find out how hard and long the road to Cleveland is for virtually every prospect.

Tribe locks up four of its top five MLB draft selections: Cleveland Indians notes

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The Indians have now come to terms with 23 of their 42 draft picks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three teenagers and a 21-year-old lived out part of their dreams on Tuesday.

The Indians' four newly signed draft picks toured Progressive Field. Outfielder Bradley Zimmer, the 21st overall selection in the draft, signed for $1.9 million. Left-handed pitcher Justus Sheffield, the 31st overall selection, signed for $1.6 million. Right-hander Grant Hockin, a second-round choice, signed for $1.1 million. First baseman Bobby Bradley, a third-round selection, signed for $912,500.

The Indians have now come to terms with 23 of their 42 draft picks.

Zimmer will begin his professional career at Class A Mahoning Valley on Wednesday. The other three will head to Arizona.

"It's going to be great to get them out and playing right away," said Brad Grant, the organization's director of amateur scouting. "To be able to begin their professional careers this early is an advantage to all of us."

Hockin is the grandson of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. Sheffield is the nephew of former slugger Gary Sheffield. Zimmer's brother, Kyle, was the fifth overall pick by the Royals in 2012.

The Doctor is in: The Indians were hopeful that Michael Brantley would not miss any time after he dinged his head and neck while sliding into second base on Monday.

Manager Terry Francona scripted two lineups for Tuesday's game. When Brantley reported that he didn't feel 100 percent while engaging in his daily pre-game routine, Francona opted for the order that did not include the left fielder's name.

Brantley headed to the Cleveland Clinic late Tuesday afternoon for further testing. Brantley is suffering from a stiff neck and pressure in his head. He passed all initial concussion tests on Monday night after he exited the game before the fifth inning.

"You have a head injury and you play and something happens, you're talking about something very serious," Francona said. "If we're going to err, we're going to err on the side of caution."

One tough Cookie: Carlos Carrasco has earned Francona's trust. But his ability to eat innings means his role might not change much.

"Of all the guys down there," Francona said, "he's the one that can give you length."

Carrasco pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to protect Cleveland's one-run lead as he closed out the Tribe's 4-3 win on Monday. He has fashioned a 1.70 ERA in 23 relief innings this season since the club relegated him to the bullpen.

"For whatever reason, he has taken to it," Francona said. "His stuff is the same. I think his confidence is probably rising rapidly in this role, which we had hoped."

Heating up: Entering Tuesday's action, Carlos Santana had collected 13 hits in his previous 39 at-bats (.333 average) since returning from the seven-day concussion disabled list.

"He's starting to swing it," Francona said. "I think it was inevitable. He's too good of a hitter. The nice thing -- I've always believed this -- is guys get to their level and for him to do that, he's going to get hot."

Finally: Lonnie Chisenhall snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a second-inning single on Tuesday. ... The Indians' 67-37 record in one-run games since the start of the 2012 season is best in the majors.

Four-star quarterback Deondre Francois cancels his unofficial visit to Ohio State: Buckeyes recruiting

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Four-star quarterback Deondre Francois of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy cancelled his unofficial visit to Ohio State, which was set to begin Wednesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – On Tuesday morning, four-star quarterback Deondre Francois of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy was set to take an unofficial visit to Ohio State on Wednesday. By the evening, Francois' visit was cancelled. 

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the 2015 class, Francois was on a visit to Auburn Tuesday morning when he announced his trip to Tennessee had been cancelled. 

Reasons for why Francois cancelled his trip to Columbus have yet to be confirmed, but Rivals' recruiting analyst Marc Givler insinuated on his public Twitter profile that the Buckeyes' coaching staff was unaware of his visit. 

Francois had an offer from Ohio State for months, but it's unclear whether the Buckeyes would accept him into the class if he decides to commit. If they didn't know about his visit, they probably wouldn't have. 

That's no longer relevant. 

But what's still unclear is whether Ohio State will take two quarterbacks in the 2015 recruiting class. Ohio State recently stopped communicating with four-star quarterback Torrance Gibson of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage - once one of its top targets – and it has yet to offer four-star quarterback Travis Waller of Anaheim (Calif.) Servite despite expressing consistent interest. 

With three-star quarterback Joe Burrow of Athens, Ohio, already in the class, Ohio State has options for how it wants to approach recruiting the position. It certainly seems as if the Buckeyes are content with only Burrow in the class. 

Francois would have certainly been a great option if Meyer opted to add two quarterbacks considering he racked up more than 20 offers. His list is now down to Auburn, Florida State and Notre Dame. 

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