Also undrafted, former OSU forward LaQuinton Ross will play for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Aaron Craft did get the chance to make some choices about his future after not getting picked in Thursday night's NBA Draft. He'll take his first shots at the league with one of the worst teams in the NBA and with a young playoff team on the rise.

Craft announced on Thursday that he will play in both NBA Summer Leagues in July, conducted in Orlando and Las Vegas.

In the Orlando league between July 5 and July 11, Craft will play for the Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 19-63 last season, the NBA's second-worst record. The 76ers drafted third Thursday and took injured Kansas center Joel Embiid. After tanking last season, the 76ers will be looking at another year as underdogs with a young roster, as Embiid could miss the whole season and the No. 12 overall pick in Thursday's draft, Dario Saric, will remain overseas for at least another year.

There will be opportunities on that roster.

In the Las Vegas league between July 11 and July 21, Craft will play for the Golden State Warriors, who were the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs last season. Golden State features All-Star Stephen Curry at the point, with veteran Steve Blake and Nemanja Nedovic, the 30th pick in the first round last year, backing him up.

But the Warriors have a new coach in Steve Kerr and reportedly continue to explore a trade for Minnesota big man Kevin Love, so they are a team in a bit of flux. And Craft could have a chance to impress the new people in charge.

Ohio State forward LaQuinton Ross also went undrafted Thursday. He will also get his chance, playing for the Las Vegas league team of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch.

So they weren't among the 60 names called Thursday, leaving Ohio State without a draft pick for the first time since 2006, while seven other Big Ten players were drafted. But Craft and Ross will both get the chance to prove they belong in the NBA. Ohio State coach Thad Matta said Wednesday that going undrafted might be the best road for both his former players, who were never projected as first-round picks.

"Sometimes getting drafted isn't the greatest thing in terms of what is the best thing for them," Matta said. "Ultimately what you want, you set the ego aside, and you say, 'What is best for the kid?'"

Grateful for the opportunity to play in summer league for the 76ers and Golden State! Time to go to work and get after it! #LetsGo

— Aaron Craft (@acraft4) June 27, 2014

The roomies summer tour continues to Orlando and Vegas. We're just hoping that summer league contract includes round trip and hotel for 4

— Craft's Roomies (@CRAFTroomies) June 27, 2014

LaMarr Davis commits to Toledo.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Benedictine’s LaMarr Davis announced his verbal commitment to play college football for Toledo on Friday.

Davis, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle, becomes the 15th member of the Rockets’ 2015 recruiting class, and the fifth player from Northeast Ohio to pledge to Toledo coach Matt Campbell.

Davis joins Hudson quarterback Mitch Guadagni, Nordonia offensive lineman Cameron Bell, Columbia offensive lineman Brandon Heidecker and Akron Firestone lineman Bryce Harris in the Rockets’ 2015 class.

For Davis, the decision came down to being comfortable with the coaching staff, in particular defensive line coach Eli Rasheed.

“I like the coaching staff, and I got a good vibe from Coach Rasheed,” Davis said. “I just felt the most comfortable with the staff and the program.”

I Officially Verbally Committed To The University of Toledo!💯🙌🏆🏈🏁🙏🚀 pic.twitter.com/YT49U2iKdp

— LaMarr Davis Jr. (@Davislam65_) June 27, 2014

Davis’ decision came down to Toledo and Bowling Green, and Benedictine coach Joe Schaefer said the Rockets are getting a relentless athlete.

“He plays defensive line for us because of his ability to move,” Schaefer said. “He plays to the whistle, and he’s going to pursue the football. He’s done a great job for us the last two years creating turnovers.”

A two-time captain for Benedictine, Davis will be entering his third season as a starter for the Bengals. Despite the experience, he said he hopes to improve on technique, while getting in better shape and getting faster before heading off to college.

He’s the first of what should be a handful of Division I football commitments from a talented Benedictine football team, and he’s happy to have the decision out of the way.

“I just took the initiative and got my college choice out of the way to focus on winning a state championship,” Davis said.

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.

The elder Wiggins said his son's selection in the NBA draft provides some closure on his own pro career, that was marred by a drug suspension.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – Mitchell Wiggins gave up playing his son one-on-one about 4-5 years ago. That was when he started to get the feeling that young Andrew Wiggins was becoming pretty good at basketball, that the blossoming 6-foot-8 swingman might actually be able to beat him. 

And Mitchell Wiggins, proud man that he is, didn't want to sully his perfect record against his children. 

"He never lost because he stopped playing when we were older," Andrew Wiggins laughed Friday. 

There's a good chance the youngest son probably could top his old man now, considering Andrew Wiggins was the Cavaliers' No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday. Mitchell Wiggins was a former first-round NBA pick himself, but he sees in his youngest son the potential to be a top two-way player for Cleveland, athletic and fast. 

"I think what you're starting to see us have is a team that's going to have length and versatility," Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said. "Andrew is just the first of what I hope is a monumental off-season."

What Mitchell Wiggins sees most in his 19-year-old son, however, is closure. 

The elder Wiggins was drafted 23^rd overall in 1983, and found himself playing for the Houston Rockets in 1984. After helping the Rockets in the NBA Finals in 1986, he and teammate Lewis Lloyd were suspended for more than two years after testing positive for cocaine. 

He came back in 1989, but was playing in the CBA by 1992. 

"Everybody knows my history, and maybe the way it finished," Mitchell Wiggins said. "Just to have Andrew and I think also my other son Nick, will get in the NBA, just gives me closure. I'm able to take maybe some of the things I was feeling when I left the league. I can sleep better, now. 

"When you play with Hakeem [Olajuwon] and Ralph Sampson you've got to make sacrifices because they're big men who demand the ball. I was a good player, and a good fit there. I just feel like I let them down when I had my issues. I should have played 8-10 years with them." 

Mitchell Wiggins sees that kind of long-term future for his son, who has been highly touted since he was 14 years old. Andrew Wiggins began dunking the ball at age 12, participated in the Jordan Brand Classic game when he was 15 and was spotted by Michael Jordan, himself. 

"Is that your son?" Jordan asked Mitchell Wiggins, upon seeing Andrew play. 

After Mitchell confirmed that it was, Jordan said, "Ooh, he's got a little something." 

"That's when I started looking at him a little differently," Mitchell Wiggins said. "He's always been a player who plays better against the older guys. I didn't judge him against kids his own age. I judged him against the older players, and he stood out. So I knew he had something." 

The biggest knock against Wiggins in his single year at Kansas was that he often lacked aggressiveness and a killer instinct. It was a concern for the Cavaliers, too, general manager David Griffin admitted. 

"When you've got that level of athleticism, you need to make your presence felt more often than he understood how to," Griffin said. "That was something we did have issues with, for sure. We talked very openly and candidly with him about that. Andrew understands there's another level to his game that we're expecting him to find, and he really, really wants to achieve it. He knows he's got more in the tank." 

And both Andrew Wiggins and his father think he can find that level without altering his personality. 

"Some people want him to grow a mustache, look mean, look all this and that," Mitchell Wiggins said Friday. "But he's all about winning. He's a great teammate, and he just wants to win. For me, I think he's a coach's dream. All he wants to do is win. The ball doesn't stick to his hands, he just wants to win." 

Evidence? Although Andrew Wiggins already declared his desire to be All-Defensive team, Rookie of the Year and an All-Star within 24 hours of becoming a Cavalier, his commitment to defense already has stood out most to new coach David Blatt and Griffin. 

"I try to set goals with the person I'm guarding," Wiggins said. "I don't like when my man scores. Even when I'm on the bench and he scores, it makes me mad." 

When he used to play his dad in the driveway, Wiggins would purposely foul his father to stop him from scoring. 

"He knew he could take Dad, but he still can't guard me," Mitchell Wiggins said. "None of the kids can. I'm a dirty old man."

And still undefeated against his children.

Trevor Bauer will make his ninth start of the season Friday night and first ever against the Mariners. It will be his third start against a team from the AL West. He's 1-0 with a 4.85 ERA.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Here are the lineups for Friday night's game between the Indians and Mariners at Safeco Field.

INDIANS

CF Michael Bourn, L.

SS Adrubal Cabrera, S.

LF Michael Brantley, L.

C Carlos Santana, S.

2B Jason Kipnis, L.

3B Lonnie Chisenhall, L.

C Yan Gomes, R.

DH Nick Swisher, S.

RF David Murphy, L.

RHP Trevor Bauer, 2-3, 4.40.

MARINERS

DH Endy Chavez, L.

CF James Jones, L.

2B Robinson Cano, L.

3B Kyle Seager, L.

1B Logan Morrison, L.

C Mike Zunino, R.

RF Michael Saunders, L.

LF Dustin Ackley, L.

SS Brad Miller, L.

RHP Chris Young, 6-4, 3.23.

UMPIRES

H Doug Eddings.

1B Marvin Hudson.

2B Brian O'Nora.

3B Adam Hamari.

Lefty T.J. House, as expected, will start for Justin Masterson on Sunday against Seattle. Masterson, bothered by a sore right knee, is schediuled to start Tuesday at Dodgers Stadium.

SEATTLE, Wash. – Quick hits from manager Terry Francona's pre-game press conference Friday at Safeco Field.

Who will be Sunday's slinger? Francona said left-hander T.J. House will make Justin Masterson's start Sunday against the Mariners. House has yet to be recalled from Class AAA Columbus, but it's probable that he's already in Seattle.

"Seattle is a predominantly left-handed lineup, but it's T.J.'s day to throw," said Francona.

House has made six appearances, including five starts, with the Tribe this year. He's 0-1 with a 4.88. He struck out 17, walked eight and allowed 35 hits in 27 2/3 innings.

He is 1-3 with a 3.20 ERA in nine starts at Columbus.

Masterson, who said Wednesday that the knee has been bothering him since the second start of the season, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday.

One reason the Indians may have decided to skip Masterson against the Mariners is because left-handers are wearing him out. They're hitting .310 (61-for-197) against him.

Backstop: Francona had one word to describe the recent play of catcher Yan Gomes: "Tremendous."

After making nine errors early – Gomes still leads AL catchers in errors – he's played 37 straight games without one.

Defensively, Gomes has thrown out seven of the last nine baserunners he's faced. Overall, he ranks third among AL catchers, throwing out 33 percent (17-for-51) of would-be base stealers.

Offensively, Gomes is hitting .407 (11-for-27) during his current seven-game hitting streak. He is tied for third among AL catcher with eight homers.

Let's talk: Slumping Nick Swisher met with Francona and GM Chris Antonetti, who joined the team in Seattle, before Friday's game.

Swisher, after not starting Tuesday or Wednesday against Arizona, started Friday night at DH against Seattle. He batted eighth, the lowest he's hit in the order all season.

In fact, the last time Swisher started a game in the eighth spot was May 28, 2011.

"I'm still hanging my hat on the fact that Swish has always been able to find away," said Francona. "He's done this before. Not quite to this length, but I just think the trend will reverse.

"It happened to Carlos (Santana) two or three weeks ago. It will happen. He got there last year by having a great September. You don't always do it the most consistent way possible. But I think guys who have done it, and are healthy, will do it again."

Swisher is hitting .196 (44-for-224).

The Cleveland Gladiators improve to 13-1 by holding off Tampa Bay, 48-41, in Arena Football League.

 

MIKE PETICCA

Special to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It wasn't quite as dramatic as a few other wins this season, but the Cleveland Gladiators' 48-41 Arena Football League victory over the Tampa Bay Storm on Friday night certainly was thrilling in its own right.
 
Quarterback Shane Austin threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Collin Taylor and Thyron Lewis as the Gladiators improved to 13-1 before 10,855 fans at Quicken Loans Arena.
 
Four of Cleveland's victories this season have occurred on the game's final play. This one just went down to the final moments, as the Gladiators again delivered on virtually every clutch play.
 
"We started talking about it in training camp," coach Steve Thonn said outside the Cleveland locker room. "We knew we would be in a lot of close games. That's how Arena football is.
 
"I think we got it in the minds of our players that what we'd have to do is finish. They never panic. They just keep trying to make plays."
 
Austin's 46-yard pass to Taylor broke a fourth quarter tie and, with Aaron Pettrey's extra point, gave the Gladiators a 41-34 lead with 9:31 left. Taylor caught Austin's short toss over the middle, made a nifty move to find an open field and then broke a tackle on the way to the score.
 
"I tried to make a move on the safety, and ran off a block by (Lewis)," Taylor said. "I just kind of split it and then found second gear. Once I saw the end zone, I had to get there. Then all my teammates were there to celebrate. That's the best part."
 
Tampa Bay then drove to the Gladiators' 10, but Cleveland lineman Willie McGinnis and defensive back Marrio Norman -- who earlier recorded his 10th interception of the season -- forced a fumble by Storm receiver Amarri Jackson that was recovered by Gladiators defensive back Joe Phinisee.
 
Three plays later, Austin spiraled a 29-yard touchdown pass to an open Lewis in the end zone to boost Cleveland's lead to 48-34 with one minute left. Tampa Bay pulled to within a touchdown as quarterback Randy Hippeard and Joe Hills connected for a 25-yard scoring pass with 37.4 seconds to go, but the Gladiators secured the following onside kick to clinch the win.  
 
Austin completed 29 of 37 passes for 311 yards and five touchdowns. Dominick Goodman caught 16 of Austin's throws for 161 yards and one score.
 
The Gladiators, who have locked up a playoff spot, lead the second-place Pittsburgh Power (11-3) by two games in the American Conference East standings with four games left in regular season play. Cleveland has won two of three games against the Power, including the Gladiators' lone defeat, 48-34, at Pittsburgh on May 31. Cleveland has bounced back from the loss with four straight wins.
 
Cleveland went ahead, 13-0, on Austin touchdown passes of 13 yards to Lewis and three yards to Taylor. A 2-yard scoring toss from Austin to Goodman made the Gladiators' lead 20-7 with 8:47 left in the second quarter.
 
Defensive back LaRoche Jackson gave the Gladiators a 27-14 lead on the final play of the first half, picking off a deflected Hippeard pass and returning the interception 48 yards for a touchdown.
 
"The pass was tipped and once it was in my hands, I just thought about running," Jackson said. "Credit to our defensive line for rushing the quarterback. Then everybody blocked and I found a crease to the end zone."
 
After Tampa rallied to catch the Gladiators at 27-27, Austin ran for a score from two yards for a 34-27 Gladiators' lead late in the third quarter. Tampa Bay caught up again at 34-34 as Hippeard found Hills alone in the end zone from four yards with 11:10 to go in the fourth quarter.
           

When the Indians promote Francisco Lindor to the big leagues, they want to put him in a position where he has every chance to succeed.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Seen and heard Friday at Safeco Field.

Clubhouse confidential: The Indians don't seem to be in a rush to bring shortstop Francisco Lindor to the big leagues. They felt that way before Lindor suffered a broken nose earlier this week when he was hit by a bad-hop grounder at Class AA Akron.

Lindor, who will be sidelined for a week to 10 days, is hitting .283 (70-for-273) with nine doubles, four triples, six homers and 43 RBI. He's 19-for-26 in stolen bases and has scored 47 runs.

The Indians don't want to rush Lindor, 20, and potentially hurt his development. When he does get to the big leagues, they want to make sure he's in the best position possible to be successful.

Hold the fort: In the meantime, they've been pleased with the effort veteran Asdrubal Cabrera has given them at short. Cabrera is only 28, but age seems to have caught up with him quicker than expected in terms of range.

Still, he's been productive offensively, leading AL shortstops in homers and runs and ranking second in OPS. Cabrera has made 14 errors, but after a poor April at the plate, he hit .274 in May and has drive in 16 runs in June.

Stat of the day: Michael Bourn has more triples, seven, than stolen bases, six. From 2008 through 2012, Bourn averaged 51 steals a year in the National League.

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Indians first and only hit with a runner in scoring position Friday night didn't come until there were two out in the ninth inning and closer Fernando Rodney was about to send an imaginary arrow skyward at Safeco Field. Michael Bourn's run-scoring single meant that the Indians lost to Seattle 3-2 instead of 3-1. The...

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Indians first and only hit with a runner in scoring position Friday night didn't come until there were two out in the ninth inning and closer Fernando Rodney was about to send an imaginary arrow skyward at Safeco Field.

Michael Bourn's run-scoring single meant that the Indians lost to Seattle 3-2 instead of 3-1. The fact that the Indians were that close to victory after failing to get a big through the first eight innings says a lot about how well Trevor Bauer and the underside of the Tribe's bullpen pitched against a Seattle team that has won nine of its last 12 games.

The Indians went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They made an art form of wasting one-out doubles in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Just to break up the monotony, they wasted a two-out double in the eighth.

"We just couldn't get that big hit," said Nick Swisher, who batted eighth for the first time this season.

Bauer (2-4, 4.39) allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five, walked three and allowed nine hits in 111 pitches.

The rookie right-hander had thrown over 100 pitches when manager Terry Francona sent him out for the seventh. Bauer, who hates pitch counts and believes he can throw 200 pitches a game, had retired eight of the last nine batters he faced.

He struck out Brad Miller to start the seventh, but leadoff hitter Endy Chavez drove a 1-1 pitch out of the park for a 3-1 lead. Chavez's first homer of the season ended a long-ball drought of 265 plate appearances.

"That's not a guy I'm expecting to do a lot of damage," said Bauer. "Shoot that was his first home run this year. It seems to happen to me a lot."

The Indians had scoring chances in the seventh and eighth innings, but couldn't convert them.

Swisher walked with one out in the seventh. It was his first walk in 12 games since coming off the disabled list with a hyper-extended left knee. Bourn, who had three of the Tribe's seven hits, sent a grounder to first baseman Logan Morrison with Swisher running on the pitch. Morrison swatted the ball out of his glove toward third base.

Bourn was safe at first, but for some reason Swisher didn't stop at second. He tried to reach third, but was easily thrown out to end the inning.

Francona said Swisher should have stayed at second, especially with two out.

"I just assumed that he (Morrison) was going to make that play instead of thinking Bourn beats that out," said Swisher. "He booted it and kicked it right toward third base."

Swisher said in hindsight he should have stayed at second, but added, "I just think that's an aggressive mistake. Today was the first day I really felt I could run."

The Indians have lost five of their last swix games. They are 1-2 on this eight-game trip.

Swisher singled with one out in the ninth against Rodney and went to second on a ground out. Bourn drove him home with a two-out single to right to make it 3-2, but Cabrera ended it with a pop to third. Rodney sent the arrow into the sky to celebrate his 22^nd save.

Seattle built a 2-1 through four innings and each run scored with two out. Bauer did not look happy with himself on both occasions.

The Indians made it 1-1 in the third on Michael Brantley's sacrifice fly off Chris Young (7-4, 3.15). Slumping David Murphy, batting ninth for the sixth time this year, drew a one-out walk. Bourn moved him to second with single and Young hit Cabrera with a pitch to load the bases.

Brantley sent a fly ball to left field for his 52^nd RBI, but that's all the Indians could squeeze out of the inning. It ended when Santana lined out to first.

The Mariners, who have recovered nicely from an 11-14 showing in April, took the lead in the fourth despite some fine defense by Brantley in left field.

After Morrison singled to start the inning, catcher Mike Zunino sent a long drive to the fence in left center. Brantley caught the ball near the top of the fence and fired to Cabrera, the relay man. He sent the ball to first base to double up Morrison.

It was Brantley's ninth assist of the season. He came into the game ranked second in the AL in assists.

"Brantley is good out there," said Bauer. "You almost expect him to make plays like that because he does it so often. It would be easy to overlook how difficult a play that was."

Bauer, however, could not take advantage of Brantley's effort.

Michael Saunders blooped a single into left field and Dustin Ackley walked. Miller, the third straight left-hander to face Bauer, singled to center for a 2-1 lead.

"It's frustrating anytime you give up runs," said Bauer. "At the end of the day, I did a decent job of keeping the team in it."

The Indians had opportunities against Young but not many as he did a five-and-fly. It was just his second start against the Indians and first since 2005.

The Indians travel to Seattle to start a series with the Mariners at Safeco Field.

SEATTLE, Washington -- Get updates and chat with cleveland.com users in the comments section as the Indians take on the Mariners in Seattle.

Game 79: Indians (38-40) at Mariners (42-37)

First pitch: 10:10 p.m. at Safeco Field.

TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7

The Indians are 15-26 on the road.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Seattle Mariners in the first of a three-game series Friday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 79.

Opponent: Mariners.

Location: Safeco Field, Seattle, Wash.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 5 minutes.

Attendance: 28,084.

Result: Mariners 3, Indians 2.

Records: Mariners 43-37, Indians 38-41.

Scoreboard watch: The Indians remained 6.5 games behind first-place Detroit (43-33) in the AL Central. The Tigers' winning streak ended at seven when they lost to the Astros, 4-3, in 11 innings at Houston.

Slumping: The Indians have dropped six of eight.

Bottom line, up front: The Indians were just good enough to lose. The Mariners finished with 11 hits, but it was not as if they mashed. They simply executed, and did little things, better than the Tribe.

Magic number: The Mariners improved to 24-4 with 10-plus hits.

High frustration level: The Indians lost despite:

*Seattle's starting pitcher, Chris Young, working five innings.

*Seattle's best player, Robinson Cano, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout and GIDP.

*Seattle's closer, Fernando Rodney, giving up a run.

*A quality start from Trevor Bauer.

*A Houdini escape by relievers Vinnie Pestano and Nick Hagadone in the eighth.

*Three hits and one RBI from Michael Bourn.

*A hit and walk from Nick Swisher.

*Zero errors.

RISP factor: The Indians were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. The Mariners were 2-for-9 and stranded eight. The difference, though slight, was enough to create a one-run game.

Left wanting: The Tribe's offense scored once in the third and ninth. It had opportunities for more damage each time.

In the third, the Indians loaded the bases with one out when David Murphy walked, Bourn singled and Asdrubal Cabrera was plunked. Michael Brantley, in the midst of a terrific season, hit a sacrifice fly to left (RBI No. 52) to tie the score, 1-1.

Brantley received congratulations in the dugout, which was deserved. He had been down in the count, 1-2 before putting a 2-2 pitch in play far enough to drive in a run. He cannot be expected to notch a hit every time he comes to the plate, or even 33 percent of the time. Regardless, the Indians needed a hit from their hitting machine -- especially against a finesse righty, Young, who was far from dazzling.

Carlos Santana, in the midst of a hot streak, lined to first. Santana hit the ball hard -- but it was an out.

The Indians needed more than one run from Brantley and Santana in that situation.

In the ninth, Swisher hit a one-out single and advanced to second on Murphy's grounder. Bourn drove in Swisher with a single to right. Cabrera fell behind, 0-2, took a ball and popped to short, leaving Brantley on deck.

Grinding the handle to sawdust: Indians manager Terry Francona is extremely loyal to Cabrera -- but his shortstop has failed to reward him.

Cabrera, 0-for-14 in his past three games, owns an overall slash line of .247/.315/.399. A .713 OPS might be acceptable if he were superb defensively or lethal in the clutch. He has been neither.

Cabrera has committed 14 errors. With RISP, he is 14-for-77 (.182). With RISP and two outs, he is 1-for-33 (.030).

Walk this way: Swisher walked with one out in the seventh against Mariners righty Danny Farquhar. That qualifies as news because Swisher had not walked since May 25 at Baltimore.

After a 1-for-3 on May 26, Swisher did not play until June 12 because of knee trouble. He entered Friday having not walked in 11 games since being activated.

Fittingly given how Swisher's season has unfolded, the seventh-inning walk was not celebrated for long. Murphy flied to left, forcing Swisher to hold. Bourn grounded to first. As Logan Morrison fumbled the ball on the infield grass, Swisher kept running -- and was erased at third with room to spare.

From one perspective, Swisher gets props for hustling. But his failure to diagnose what was happening as he prepared to round the bag, instead of after he had rounded and committed to third, proved costly. He was unable to retreat to second once Morrison recovered. 

Swisher, batting eighth, finished 1-for-3. He is 6-for-42 since being activated.

Giving his team a chance: Bauer allowed three runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

As was the case with his team, Bauer was just good enough to lose in large part because several little things caught up to him.

With a runner on second and two outs in the first, Bauer allowed a bloop single to Kyle Seager that gave Seattle a 1-0 lead. No shame there -- except that Bauer had not paid close enough attention to the runner, Endy Chavez, when Chavez was on first. Chavez stole second and scored on the next pitch.

With runners on first and second and two outs in the fourth, Brad Miller dumped a single into center to give Seattle a 2-1 lead. No shame there -- except that a wild pitch had pushed the runner, Michael Saunders, into scoring position. Bauer deserved better from his catcher, Yan Gomes, who was unable to block the ball while going to the backhand.

Saunders had singled with two outs, bringing up light-hitting Dustin Ackley. A pitcher of Bauer's caliber needs to win a matchup with Ackley, but Bauer walked him in seven pitches. Miller stepped in and delivered.

The third run off Bauer came in the seventh when Chavez smacked a one-out homer for a 3-1 lead. Chavez had gone 265 plate appearances without a homer (previous: May 30, 2013).

Chavez, a lefty, hit an off-speed pitch that was down and sent it over the right-field wall. Yes, Chavez ran into one -- but Bauer can't get beat deep by Chavez under any circumstances.

It was Bauer's 111th and last pitch. Lefty Kyle Crockett relieved.

Spotlight on...Cano. Here is a breakdown of his at-bats:

First inning vs. Bauer (runner on first, one out) -- -- fastball inside, ball; fastball inner half, called strike; changeup low and inside, ball; fastball high and away, swinging strike; curveball over plate, liner to center.

The skinny: Bauer challenged with the 2-1 fastball; the pitch was going to be a ball and Cano was too anxious. Cano put a good swing on the curve but sent it directly to Michael Bourn.   

Third inning vs. Bauer (runner on first, none out) -- 94-mph fastball high, ball; 87 changeup, called strike; 86 changeup, foul; 83 cutter, GIDP 1-6-3.

The skinny: Cutter had his slider's speed. It was an excellent pitch, off the plate inside, and it tied up Cano.

Fifth inning vs. Bauer (none on, one out) -- 86 changeup away, ball; 95 fastball, foul; 81 off-speed, foul; 80 in dirt, swinging strikeout.

The skinny: Bauer taught himself the Danny Salazar split-changeup grip, and it paid off in a strikeout here. Bauer's arm action sold fastball. The pitch on which Cano needed to do damage was the 1-0 fastball, but he was a tad late.

Seventh inning vs. Crockett (none on, two outs) -- 89 fastball, called strike;  79 sweeper, foul pop to third.

The skinny: Crockett owns Cano -- for now.

Cano is hitting .320.

"After the (recent) visit, I would still have to say that Tennessee is the leader for me right now," Gibson wrote. "I want to try and visit Ohio State this summer before my season kicks off. I want to visit UCF, too."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State was once considered one of the teams to beat in the recruitment of four-star quarterback Torrance Gibson of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage. 

But Gibson recently dropped the Buckeyes to the last spot in his final seven, telling cleveland.com that his lost contact with Ohio State's coaching staff was the reason for the fall. 

At that point, it seemed as if Ohio State and Gibson were heading in different directions.

And in the time since, Ohio State has seemed content with taking only one quarterback in the 2015 class - three-star quarterback Joey Burrow of Athens, Ohio. The Buckeyes dropped Gibson and didn't offer four-star quarterback Travis Waller of Anaheim (Calif.) Servite. 

They're done at quarterback in 2015, right? 

Well, that is still likely the case, but something Gibson wrote on his blog with USA Today may imply that Ohio State hasn't completely moved on from recruiting the dual-threat quarterback. 

"After the (recent) visit, I would still have to say that Tennessee is the leader for me right now," Gibson wrote. "I want to try and visit Ohio State this summer before my season kicks off. I want to visit UCF, too." 

What? 

Part of the reason it seemed as if Gibson was out of the picture was because a summer visit never seemed like an option. Then he told cleveland.com he wasn't sure  he would even officially visit Ohio State in the fall before making a decision in December or later. 

Now all of a sudden Gibson is potentially interested in visiting Columbus - on his dime - before the season? 

That implies that Gibson still has interest in Ohio State. More importantly, that implies that Ohio State may still has interest in him. 

Has Lonnie Chisenhall removed the help wanted sign at third base for the Indians?

Hey, Hoynsie: The Indians don't have a 3rd baseman in the pipeline. With Chase Headley becoming available in 2015, and the Indians losing the contracts of Asdrubal Cabrera and Justin Masterson after this season, do you think Headley would sign a four-year deal for the kind of money they're paying Nick Swisher? Headley has not been great the last two years, but he has some power and plays good defense. – Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: If Lonnie Chisenhall proves the first three months of this season are not a mirage, I don't think Chase Headley is on the Tribe's radar.

Chisenhall is younger will still be under the Indians control for three more years after this season. Besides, I don't think you're going to see the Indians give Nick-Swisher money to a free agent for a long time.

Hey, Hoynsie: Yes or no: in your opinion is Jim Thome deserving of a public statue located in the city of Cleveland? – Benjamin Nicely, Vero Beach, Fla.

Hey, Benjamin: I feel like I'm getting worked over with bright lights and rubber hoses. My answer last year was yes and it hasn't changed.

Thome's statue, which will be unveiled on Aug. 2, will be at Progressive Field. I think he's deserving of a statue. I hope it starts a series of statues being erected at the ballpark to honor the great players in Indians' history. I'm not sure who would pay for it, but I've seen it done at other ballparks and it's a big attraction for fans and a good way to keep the team's past relevant.

Hey, Hoynsie: How many at-bats does it take to qualify for MLB's offensive stats? I was thinking it was 3.1 at-bats per team game. – Joyce Billock, Austintown.

Hey, Joyce: You're almost right, but it's 3.1 plate appearances, not at-bats. Plate appearances include at-bats, walks, hit by pitches, sacrifice hits, sacrifice flies and interference or obstruction.

In the case of Indians' third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, he is just shy of qualifying. He entered Friday night's game against the Mariners averaging 3.04 plate appearances in the Tribe's first 78 games. If he had enough plate appearances to qualify entering Friday's game, Chisenhall would have led the AL with a .352 batting average and rank third with a .975 OPS.

Hey, Hoynsie: Scenario:  A baseball player just misses out on having on enough at bats to qualify for the batting title, but has the highest batting average.  If one assumes that the missing at bats needed to qualify would have all resulted in outs, the player would still have the highest average. Would this player be awarded the batting title? -- Andrew Morris, Reston, Va.

Hey, Andrew: Yes, he would

In a 162-game big league season, a player needs 502 plate appearances to qualify for a batting title. If he has the highest average in the league, but not enough plate appearances, they can be added as outs to his batting average until he reaches 502. If that player still has the highest average, the batting title is his.

San Diego's Tony Gwynn won the NL batting title in 1996 that way.

San Francisco's Melky Cabrera could have won it in 2012 for the Giants even though he had been suspended for 50 games for using a banned substance. He removed his name from consideration and teammate Buster Posey won the NL batting title.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is Lonnie Chisenhall's great hitting so far this year a product of luck, or has he changed something significant that will allow him to continue hitting well for the foreseeable future? – Jefferson Wolfe, Dumfries, Va.

Hey, Jefferson: I'm not Nostradamus, but so far Chisenhall has been lucky for the better part of three months, which is a lot luckier than he's ever been before in the big leagues. He's worked hard to use the entire field and has shelved his all-or-nothing swing for one where he has more control.

The work has given him back the third base job he seemed to lose every year or so. That's a good thing.

Hey, Hoynsie: The Marlins are always looking to trade players before they become too pricey. How about dealing Carlos Santana, Danny Salazar, and an infield prospect or two for Giancarlo Stanton? He would give us a legitimate power threat through 2016. – Larry Plumly, Parkersburg, W. Va.

Hey, Larry: The Marlins are in the hunt in the NL East and there's no way they'd stay there by making that kind of trade. Besides, offense isn't the Indians' problem. Starting pitching is.

Hey, Hoynsie: After this year is there a chance managers will get more than one instant replay challenge if the first one fails. – Angelo Costanzo, Cleveland.

Hey, Angelo: MLB is looking at its expanded use of replay as a three-year experiment. They will make adjustments as they go and giving a manager more than one option would definitely be worth a discussion.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that the John Axford signing appears to be a bust, can we call Cody Allen the Indians closer? – Larry Caldwell, Bellevue.

Hey, Larry: I'm not ready to call Axford a bust. I think he can still help. At the same time, if you want to call Allen the Tribe's closer go for it. He's earned it

Fishermen around the country are going into crawler shock as the cost of Canadian worms continues to soar.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Fishermen around the country are going into crawler shock as the cost of wriggling Canadian worms continues to soar.

Nightcrawlers are a favorite live bait for fishing, whether you're trolling spinner rigs and nightcrawlers for Lake Erie walleye or dunkin' worms for catfish. They're convenient, and fish seem to love them.

Most nightcrawlers come from Canada, where a bitterly cold winter and an early summer drought have been a double whammy for the nightcrawler industry. The ground was still frozen in March and early April, when worm picking usually begins. Lately, a drought has forced many farmers who lease their land to worm pickers to up the ante. They have to expensively water their fields to keep the big wrigglers coming to the surface after dark.

The 20 percent to 40 percent jump in the cost of a dozen crawlers is bad enough. Much worse is a looming shortage of worms.

"I don't want to raise my prices on nightcrawlers, but I have to pass along some of the cost increase," said Craig Lewis at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake. "My biggest worry is that nightcrawlers won't be available later in the season."

Tony Fessel is president of Wholesale Bait Co. Inc. in Hamilton, Ohio, one of the state's largest bait dealers. His family has been buying worms from Canada for 55 years.

"The last time it was this bad was in 1988, when there was a severe drought in Canada," said Fessel.

Canadian companies literally ship millions and millions of nightcrawlers to the U.S. each year. Because of the weather, Fessel said, "price increases have become almost a weekly thing."

Nightcrawlers, also called dew worms, are a big industry up north. Migrant workers, the majority from Asia, do most of the picking after dark on sheep and dairy farms. Golf courses were once prime ground for pickers, but the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides were a chemical combination that foiled worm production.

Like many of us, Fessel picked nightcrawlers around home as a youngster. We hoped to gather a couple of dozen for the next fishing trip. An experienced Canadian picker, said Fessel, can gather 15,000 nightcrawlers, or more, in a single night.

Unfortunately for the industry, Canada did away with a program to subsidize companies employing that class of migrant workers.

"We can farm-raise waxworms, red worms and some other baits, but not nightcrawlers," Fessel said. "Usually, the Canadian companies gather worms into the fall, and store them in large coolers for sale in March and April. 'Wintered' worms are of very good quality, and a few knowledgeable fishermen prefer them."

Rob Cook at Angler's Edge, a nightcrawler wholesaler in Wadsworth, said he can't keep up with the demand.

"I'm paying 75 percent more for 1,000 worms than I did in April," said Cook. "I know bait dealers are hearing complaints from fishermen. Well, I'm hearing complaints from bait dealers about the price hikes. I've been in the business for 12 years, and have never seen it like this."

Many bait shops and fishing guides buy "flats" of bulk nightcrawlers to save money. A Styrofoam flat contains 480 to 500 nightcrawlers, or about 40 dozen. A fishing guide on Lake Erie can easily go through a flat in less than a week. That won't get a busy Lake Erie bait shop through a sunny Saturday morning.

"Its all weather related," said Fessel. "Worm sales will probably taper off a bit after the Fourth of July. That could take the pressure off the market, and perhaps the high prices will fall a little bit. But if weather conditions and the shortage of pickers continues, Canadian producers will continue to struggle to maintain their inventory."

Fessel remembers the drought of 1988 that caused a massive nightcrawler shortage.

"It was even worse than this year," said Fessel. "The major difference is that prices escalate a lot faster today than in those years."

Anglers can store leftover nightcrawlers in the refrigerator, if you've got an understanding spouse. You can also pick your own worms after dark, if you remember to thoroughly water the lawn before the sun goes down. Fessel knows that probably won't happen very often.

"Pickin' worms is hard work," Fessel said.

After drafting Andrew Wiggins, the Cavs next move will be to see if Kyrie Irving is "all in" with where the franchise is headed. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about the Cavs and Kyrie Irving, Mike Pettine's emphasis on the running game, and the good and bad with the Tribe:

About Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins

At his post-draft press conference, David Griffin mentioned Kyrie Irving before being asked about the Cavs guard.

The Cavs general manager first mentioned how he wants people who are "all the way in or you're all the way out. And Andrew Wiggins is all the way in on Cleveland."

When Griffin took over as the Cavs interim GM in February, he mentioned how he was "all the way in." He talked about it again when asked about joining his close friend Steve Kerr, who was going to be the coach of the Knicks or Warriors.

 In talks with Griffin after he became the interim general manager, it was easy to understand how he desperately wanted a chance to remake the Cavs roster -- taking the best of former GM Chris Grant's work and adding to it.

Which brings us to Irving.

Griffin said this about Wiggins: "I don't know that I've talked to a player that was more joyful with where he's going. I know that he's also already made contact with Kyrie Irving who reached out to him directly. Kyrie is very excited about adding him to the mix and where our family goes from here as well. So that was exciting.

In July, the Cavs will offer Irving the five-year maximum contract in the $90 million range. I've been writing this for a while, despite silly reports to the contrary. They want to know if Irving will be "all in," to use Griffin's phrase.

If not, I expect them to trade him. Griffin hasn't said that, but it's a safe assumption. Irving can't be an restricted free agent until 2015 -- and unrestricted in 2016. But I doubt the Cavs will wait another year to see if Irving is indeed "all in."

Wiggins was drafted for a variety of reasons, and one of them is that his game will fit with Dion Waiters and Irving.

Notice how Griffin also said about Wiggins supposedly being "passive": "Andrew's not a 'me' guy, he's a 'we' guy. And so he was doing what needed to be done (at Kansas) within the system that was there. They weren't running plays for him to go do his thing. He was taking what was there. And that fits us very well."

Griffin wants Irving and Waiters to know that they can join Wiggins and be a part of a young team that now must start playing winning basketball, and acting like a playoff team.

One way to improve your defense is to bring in players who play defense.

That's the 6-foot-8, long-armed Wiggins.

"Coach (David) Blatt very much believes in a system defensively that's predicated on length and athleticism and this certainly gave us a dose of that," said Griffin. "I think it's become really tantamount to winning playoff games to have players that, when they're at their best, are big for their position and can defend multiple positions."

Lazy defense has been an issue with Irving and Waiters. Blatt will be their third coach in three years. The Cavs believe Wiggins can develop as a scorer. But right now, they see him as a big time defender -- and someone who can make life better for Irving and Waiters in the backcourt.

While Griffin talked about Wiggins eventually becoming a shooting guard, they also know he can play small forward right now. That's part of what the general manager meant when talking about his ability "to defend multiple positions."

Andrew Wiggins had been No. 1 on the Cavs draft list several days before the draft. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer 

The big decision for the Cavs was not between Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins.

On the Cavs draft board, Wiggins was usually ahead of Parker -- at least after David Griffin became the general manager.

Griffin really like Joel Embiid. But when the Kansas center broke his foot, there was an internal debate about Wiggins vs. Parker. But think about how Griffin has talked about the need for players to "fit" together. That has been his theme since taking over the team as interim general manager in February.

The real debate was if they should keep the pick or trade it, not picking between Wiggins and Parker.

The Cavs wanted the league to think they were "torn," in case they worked a trade. ESPN was very unhappy that the Cavs refused to leak their plans. That's the source of some of the ridiculous coverage of how right before the draft the Cavs had no idea what they planned to do.

Griffin was an assistant general manager to Steve Kerr in Phoenix from 2007-10, and then had the same job with the Cavs for the last three years. So when he took over the 2014 draft, he probably had an idea of how to set up a draft board. It was not a dart board, as some reports made it sound.

About Joe Harris

 The Cavs second-round pick, the 6-foot-6 Harris, averaged 12 points. He shot 40 percent on 3-pointers. The Cavs love his ability to move without the ball and make outside shots after running around screens.

I received this email from Matt Grossman, a Cavs fan and long-time Virginia basketball season-ticket holder:

"I sit near the floor and Joe is far stronger and a much better athlete than most people realize. ... He can score both inside and outside ... sometimes he underestimated his own ability to finish at the hoop. Folks in the Midwest might not appreciate how he led Virginia to win the ACC regular season and the ACC tournament.

"A testament to his unselfish attitude, Joe did not come back for his senior year trying to score 20 (points) a game. Rather, he continued to fit into Coach Tony Bennett's system on both ends of the court. The pack line defense requires strong on the ball defense and seamless rotations.

"I was able to meet him and his father during the NCAA tourney run, as well as see him interact off the floor. You'd be hard pressed to find another player who was as gracious and humble -- while still having a competitive fire that was unmatched."

About the Browns ground game

A year ago, guess what team led the league in passes attempted?

It's the same team that had the fewest rushing touchdowns in the NFL. That's right, your Cleveland Browns.

Switching between Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer -- the Browns heaved 681 passes in 2013. The next team throwing the ball the most was Denver (675 attempts). That made sense because Peyton Manning was the quarterback.

But the Browns ... the most passes in the NFL?

Part of the reason was the Trent Richardson trade after the second game of the season. They replaced him at running back with an aching, aging, Willis McGahee and his grumpy knees. The 2013 Browns acted as if the running game was totally irrelevant -- and they had Otto Graham at quarterback.

That's why General Manager Ray Farmer deserves credit for signing Ben Tate to start at running back, then drafting Terrance West in the third round.

1. Tate has battled injuries for much of his career. But this is not the return of Montario Hardesty, who never was healthy enough to stay on the field for long. Tate rushed for 771 yards last season, a 4.3-yard average. In 2011, it was 942 yards (5.4 average).

2. Having played only three years and being 25, Tate should have some miles left on his football tires.

3. West had a monster career at Towson State, where he rushed for 2,509 yards and 41 touchdowns. His team lost to North Dakota State in the FCS championship game. That's the division once called 1-AA, where Youngstown State was a national power under Jim Tressel.

4. Key quote from Coach Mike Pettine: "I think in the AFC North, you have to be running back by committee. You'd like to have a guy that can carry most of the load, but also be able to alternate guys ... you've got to be able to get fresh legs out there."

As Browns fans know, running backs get hurt. Last season, Dion Lewis broke his leg. Hardesty had knee issues. Richardson was traded.
    
So much for depth in the backfield.
    
Lewis joins Tate and West in the backfield. Edwin Baker also is in camp, and he had some nice moments near the end of last season with 171 yards in 43 carries, a 4.0 average. Baker had 50 percent of the Browns rushing touchdowns -- two. The other two were scored by McGahee.

Baker has had some very good moments in the spring practices. It seems he is ahead of veteran Chris Ogbonnaya.

Ogbonnaya may be used mostly on special teams. He had a chance to establish himself last season. Not sure if part of the problem was that he had to play some fullback, or that had some minor injuries, but his stats (240 yards in 49 carries for a 4.9 average) seem better than how he actually played.

The backs most worthy of discussion are Tate and West, but an honorable mention to Baker. Lewis also is on the roster, but he doesn't seem to be receiving a lot of attention. Undrafted rookie Isaiah Crowell has had some nice moments.

But really, the story has been West and Tate.

Pettine likes what he's seen of West and Tate: "They're both always looking to work north and south. They have a good feel for the zone (blocking) scheme and are able to put their foot in the ground and get north and south. It's encouraging when you get the feeling you're going to have runners that are going to get yardage after contact and are very rarely going to get knocked back."
    
Pettine means that West and Tate make one quick cut, then run straight ahead. Remember how Richardson fell into the bad habit and stalling and dancing before hitting the hole? The Browns want to avoid that, and believe Tate and West have the right approach for the offense.
    
The 5-foot-9, 230-pound West has impressed.
    
"He's already just flashed some of the things that made him special," said Pettine. "For a big man to move the way that he moves, just some of the cuts that he's made. He's got dancer-type feet, but it's in a 230-pound man."

Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel, giving high fives to a line of youngsters at the 2014 NFL Rookie Symposium PLAY 60 Youth Football Clinic.Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer 

Aren't you tired of all the stories about Johnny Manziel's weekends?

The rookie quarterback believes there is "nothing wrong" with how he spends his time away from the practice facility. It's doubtful any coach would suggest some of the weekends with Johnny -- babbling on the "Money phone" and "riding on a plastic swan," but that's his choice.

Manziel does a job at events for kids, and has displayed a nice touch when he has casual contact with fans. At events where alcohol isn't the main attraction, Manziel makes an excellent impression.  

But the bottom line (assuming he does nothing illegal) is how he performs in practice and the games.

Come training camp, the Browns and Manziel will find out if he did his off-season homework -- or not. He has a new offense to learn, and has to prove that he's ready to start to a coaching staff that prefers to open the season with him on the bench.

He is competing with Brian Hoyer, a veteran who keeps a low profile off the field and rarely makes a mental mistake. Manziel will be challenged to do the same when it comes to knowing the playbook and communicating with his teammates.

How that works out will be a major verdict on his activities this summer.

Michael Brantley should be an All-Star and he's been a player worth celebrating this season.Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer 

Put him on the All-Star team.

It's that simple when it comes to Michael Brantley.

He entered the weekend batting .325 with 12 homers and 51 RBI.

He's third in the American League in batting average (.325). He has a strong .918 OPS.

But there's so much more. The lefty-batting Brantley is hitting .344 vs. righties, .286 vs. lefties. Never do you see a left-hander on the mound and think, "Not a good match for Brantley."

The 27-year-old seems so composed at the plate, and rarely fooled on a pitch.

He's batting .333 with runners in scoring position. A year ago, it was .375. He consistently has hit above .300 in clutch situations during his five-year career.

He is very good in left field. He is 9-of-9 in stolen bases. He never complains. He doesn't make a fuss about where he hits in the batting order.

At the age of 27, he is a tremendous role model in terms of being an unselfish, team-first player.

And yes, it's exciting for the Tribe that he signed a contract extension in spring training keeping him with the team at least until the end of the 2017 season. The Tribe has an $11 million option on Brantley for 2018.

About Carlos Santana

Ever since coming off the disabled list with a concussion, Santana is batting .348 with six homers and 14 RBI in 80 June plate appearances.

This comes after Santana batted .160 with six homers in April and May. He looked hopeless most of the time.

Did a week's rest help? Was the end of the third base experiment the reason for the recent hot streak? Does playing first base with some DH help him relax?

Who really knows?

But Santana has always been a streak hitter.

In 2012, he was batting .220 with only five homers in 270 plate appearances. His June average was .162. The Indians even had some discussion of sending him to the minors. But he started to hit in July, and it lasted for the rest of the season.

After July 1, Santana hit .278 with 13 homers and 47 RBI in 80 games.

He entered this season as a .254 hitter (.814 OPS), averaging 22 homers and 76 RBI in his three seasons as a Tribe regular. He probably will come close to those numbers again.

It's been a long season for Justin Masterson, who has a 5.03 ERA and a sore knee.Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer 

So what are we to think of Justin Masterson saying he's had a problem with his knee since his second start of the season?

Is that the reason for his 4-5 record and 5.03 ERA? Is that why he's walking 4.8 batters per nine innings, the most since he became a full-time starter in 2010? Is that why his velocity is down?

We don't know.

Or is it because he's having just another lousy year?

This has happened before to Masterson. His lack of control has never been so pronounced. But in 2012, he was 11-15 with a 4.93 ERA. He walked 3.8 per nine innings. That was a career-high for him until this season.

In 2010, he was 6-13 with a 4.70 ERA.

So the fact is that in the last five years, Masterson has had two good seasons: 14-10, 3.35 ERA (2013) and 12-10, 3.21 ERA (2011).

How much is the knee? How much is Masterson having another off-year where his mechanics are a mess and he has trouble throwing strikes with his awkward side-armed windup?

The Indians don't think the knee is a major issue. They believe his mechanics and windup are a problem, and that's why his velocity is down. In spring training, he rarely hit 90 mph on the radar gun.

Masterson also has had poor seasons when he can't handle lefty hitters.

In the previous three seasons (2011-13), lefties batted .279 (compared to .210 for righties). This year, it's .310 (.879 OPS). In his three tough seasons (2010, 2012 and 2014), lefties have batted at least .290 against him.

Masterson's inability to put together two good seasons in a row is why the Tribe was guarded about signing him in spring training. Their last offer was $45 million for three years. Masterson's agent wanted $52.5 million for three years.

Masterson's agent wanted a contract with the same $17.5 million per year that Cincinnati gave Homer Bailey. But Bailey received that for six years, a total of $105 million.

Bailey is 7-4 with a 4.80 ERA.

Are Masterson's troubles due to pressure of his free agent season? No one knows that, either.

Corey Kluber has an 11-5 record since the 2013 All-Star break. Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer 

1. Yan Gomes made nine errors in his first 27 games. He was throwing the ball all over the place. But it's none in his last 37. He ranks fourth in American League in throwing out base runners (33 percent). Heading into the weekend, Gomes has thrown out of 7-of-9.

2. No one is sure why Gomes had problems throwing early in the season. It's possible he put added pressure on himself after signing a five-year extension in April. He was rushing his throws. But since May, he has been an outstanding defensive catcher -- the same guy who led the league in throwing out runners (38 percent) in 2013. He had only three errors last season.

3. Gomes also has been decent as a hitter, batting .272 (.735 OPS) with eight homers and 27 RBI heading into the weekend. Gomes only caught 178 games in the minors, as Toronto wasn't sure if his best position was first, third or behind the plate. While he will be 27 on July 19, the native of Brazil still has plenty of room to improve.

4. Since the 2013 All-Star break, Corey Kluber is 11-5 with a 3.41 ERA. In 164 innings, it's 164 strikeouts and only 39 walks. Kluber has been very effective for a year. And for the Tribe, the good news is he can't be a free agent for four more years. The Indians are expected to talk to him about a contract extension after the season.

5. Asdrubal Cabrera is on his way to making 28 errors. He has 14, tied with Washington's Ian Desmond for the most among all Major League shortstops. He had only nine errors last season. His worst year with the glove was 2012 (19 errors). But he has never been this bad.

6. Cabrera's range is well below average, making the errors more damaging. He has three errors on balls where he caught throws to turn a double-play and dropped it. The Tribe is perplexed on how his fielding has degenerated. He is in his free-agent season, and in his best physical condition in a few years. But in the field, he has been so frustrating to watch.

Mary Schmitt Boyer answers questions about LeBron and Savannah James, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Bennett in this week's edition of Hey, Mary!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer Mary Schmitt Boyer answers reader questions about the Cavaliers.

Hey, Mary: Do you think Savannah James wrote about her countdown to Akron by herself or could she have been encouraged by LeBron and his team to post it in order ramp up speculation on his next big move? -- J.C. Weiss

Hey, Mary:  Why do you think that LeBron might consider a return to the Cavs because his family lives here?  On his way out the door he made it very clear that he's always hated Cleveland as he's not from Cleveland, he's from Akron. -- Harry Gensler, Las Vegas

Hey, J.C. and Harry: Like most reporters, I think Savannah's tweet had more to do with her family's short-term plans to return to Akron for the summer, but I'm sure they're all enjoying the speculation it generated. Ohio definitely is home, and since there's no NBA team in Akron, if James ever wants to move home while he's playing, it will have to be for the Cavaliers. As an adult, I don't think he ever stated that he hated Cleveland, though I know in the books done about him he said he didn't like the city as a kid growing up in Akron.

Hey, Mary: I'm sure you have seen this question once or twice, but what are the terms for the second first-round pick we acquired from Miami in the LeBron sign-and-trade deal? If it is for the 2015 draft and it is unprotected, we could be in a very interesting spot if the big three breaks up. -- Rick, Mentor

Hey, Rick: Good thought, but the first-round pick from Miami next year is protected 1-10.  
 
Hey, Mary: Has Coach Blatt talked about hiring any other staff besides Tyronn Lue? -- Yanni S., Beachwood

Hey, Mary: Any rumors on Cavs assistants? Any chance they go after Anthony Parker or maybe Mike Woodson, Lawrence Frank or Vinnie Del Negro as assistants with head-coaching experience to help ease Blatt's transition to NBA? -- John Hart, Grant, Alabama

Hey, Yanni and John: The Cavs are expected to be bringing back longtime NBA assistant Jim Boylan, who has been an interim head coach in Milwaukee and Chicago. He should be a tremendous help to ease Blatt's transitions. No other decisions have been made on the staff yet, but I don't see the Cavs adding another former head coach. I specifically asked Anthony Parker if he'd be interested in returning, but he seems happy as a scout with the Orlando Magic.

Hey, Mary: I read in the PD last week that LeBron has played more minutes than any other NBA player in the last four years (which coincides with his time in Miami). Sounds impressive until one remembers the Heat have played more games than anyone else during this time frame, since they got to the Finals each year.  So its doubtful anyone has played more games than him (perhaps Bosh), if you include the playoffs. So does LBJ have the most minutes of anyone during the regular season during those four years?  Was his average minutes per game the highest? -- Brad Glazer, University Heights

Hey, Brad: Thanks to a giant assist from our friends at nba.com/stats, I can report that James finished third in both regular-season minutes and average minutes combined the past four seasons. He played 11,168 minutes, behind Kevin Durant's 11,824 and Monta Ellis' 11,445. Durant averaged 38.6 minutes for the past four seasons, Luol Deng 38.1 and James 38.0. If you add in playoff minutes the past four minutes, James played 14,797 minutes in 381 games to Durant's 14,643 in 373 games, but Durant's average was higher -- 39.25 to 38.83.

Hey, Mary: If Rudy Gay were to opt out of his contract to become a free agent, do you think the Cavs would be interested in signing him? -- Mike Jones, Sacramento

Hey, Mike: I don't think the Cavs have any interest in Gay.

Hey, Mary: With LeBron more concerned with championships and his pursuit of Michael Jordan, do the Cavs currently have the cap space to bring him back along with Carmelo? I always thought he was going to leave and I don't blame him, but the way he did it was atrocious. I feel like he will be back later in his career as a feel good story, but what a better story it would be for him to come back now, with his championships and in his prime and to be paired up with Kyrie, Carmelo AND Andrew Wiggins. This could open the door to endless possibilities. I mean, who could offer him a better deal? He can right the wrong that many feel he did to Cleveland, and they would compete from day one. -- David Patterson, Hudson

Hey, Mary: Do you think it's possible for Bosh and LeBron to come to Cleveland? If so, what kind of players would we have to let go or cut? -- Ian Chiodo, Warren

Hey, David and Ian: It's unlikely the Cavs can clear enough cap space to pursue two max free agents. But I think general manager David Griffin will be resourceful trying to acquire another significant piece to make the Cavs as attractive as possible before James makes up his mind.
 
Hey, Mary: Why don't the Cavs just build the team around Kyrie Irving? If you guys sign a big free agent like LeBron, he will sign his contract extension. -- Jon Jones, Kansas City

Hey, Mary: Kyrie Irving showed clearly in the last 40 games of last season that he does not want to be in Cleveland. Game tape clearly shows he gave up on his teammates and he gave up on the fans. Who deserves a max contract after that effort that is clearly on game film? Also, if LBJ King James comes back to Cleveland, I will turn off the TV set. King James did the same thing -- quitting the last game he played in a Cleveland uniform. Game film proves that also. -- Paul, Columbus

Hey, Jon and Paul (George and Ringo?): I think the Cavs are going to offer Kyrie Irving a max contract. I don't think it's accurate to say game tape clearly shows he gave up on the Cavs last year. If that was  true, he wouldn't have pushed so hard to return from his biceps injury. He could have just finished the season on the injured list. Right now, it's a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma. If Irving signs the max contract, will LeBron come back? Or if LeBron comes back, will Irving sign the max contract? The second, obviously, is more likely, but we're just going to have to wait and see how this all plays out. It's too early to tell.

Hey, Mary: Do you have any inkling as to how intensely the Cavs are managing Anthony Bennett's off-season workouts and progress? I have not given up on this extremely young kid, but his efforts over the next three to four months will tell the tale for next season.  What are the Cavs doing day-to-day to keep him from eating extra large pepperoni pizzas every night? -- Tim Corbett, Ladera Ranch, Calif.

Hey, Tim: I'm told Bennett has been spending a lot of time at the Cavs facility and working hard. He and the Cavs will be heading to the summer league in Las Vegas shortly, so we'll get our first look at what kind of shape he's in this summer as opposed to last.

The round of 16 begins Saturday with a pair of games in Brazil.

Following the first rest day of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the round of 16 begins Saturday with a pair of games in Brazil. The host nation kicks off a four-day sprint to the quarterfinals with a South American showdown against Chile at noon ET.

Here are complete broadcast details for the knockout round's opening-day doubleheader so you can catch all the action on your television, radio, computer or mobile device: 

Brazil vs. Chile, 12 p.m.
At Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Colombia vs. Uruguay, 4 p.m.
At Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

Television

ABC

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

Announcers

Brazil vs. Chile: Ian Darke, Steve McManaman

Colombia vs. Uruguay: 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

Brazil vs. Chile: Ross Dyer, Shep Messing

Colombia vs. Uruguay: Mark Donaldson, Tommy Smyth

===

Futbol de Primera (Spanish-language broadcast)

*Click here to find your local affiliate.

===

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.

Mike Aviles, Indians jack-of-all-trades, talks about his bat waggle, his Handsome Mike nickname and how he got his killer calves.

SEATTLE, Wash. – It's been business as usual this season for utility man Mike Aviles. He's played 22 games at second base, 16 at third, four at shortstop, six in left field and one in center.

When All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis went on the disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle in late April, Aviles stepped in and played well. The Indians acquired the man nicknamed "Handsome Mike' and Yan Gomes from Toronto for right-hander Esmil Rogers on Nov. 3, 2012.

Q. Why do you hold the bat above your head and wag it back and forth in the batter's box?

A. "I was struggling for the first time in pro ball. I was at Triple-A for the Royals and I couldn't stay back on the ball and hit it to right field. Nothing I tried would work. So I just said, "I'm going to try this because I can't do any worse.' Then I started to get some hits. Now I've been doing it for so long, I can't get in the box without doing it."

Q. Your uncle, Ramon Aviles, played in the big leagues from 1977-1981 with Boston and Philadelphia. Did he help you as a player?

A. "We didn't grow up around him. I didn't know much about him until I got into pro ball. I played three years of winter ball in Puerto Rico and he was one of my coaches. The funny story is early in my career I used to throw sidearm a lot. He kept telling me don't do that because you'll hurt your elbow. I told him I'm fine. Two years later I had Tommy John surgery. When I saw him, I told him, "Yeah, you were right.'"

Q. In the Indians' media guide you list your favorite occupation away from baseball as working out your calves. They're impressive, but is that true?

A. "My calves come from Mom and Dad. They're all genetics. It's not like I go in the gym and pound on my calves. I kind of have to pound out my upper body to match my calves."

Q. Where did the "Handsome Mike' nickname come from.

A. "It came from Swish (Nick Swisher). Last year in the middle of spring training we're taking ground balls and Swish goes, "I've got it. ' I said, "What have you got?" He said, "I got your nickname.' He said "Handsome Mike.' I said, "All right. No problem."

I told myself that's not going to stick, but hey it works. Everybody says it. I'll take it.

Q. With your personality, it seems like you could walk into a room of strangers and in 20 minutes know everyone. Is that true?

A. "My Mom always told me, "I never worry about you. If I left you alone, you'd end up talking to the wall.' That's just a fact. I feel comfortable wherever I'm at. My biggest thing is meeting people . . . I could be a hermit, stay in my locker, but we travel across the United States playing baseball and by meeting new people you learn about their upbringing. It's cool."

Nedeljkovic was selected by Carolina 37th overall, and Magyar was picked 93rd overall by the Colorado Avalanche.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Two Northeast Ohio hockey players have been selected in the National Hockey League draft.

Parma's Alex Nedeljkovic was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes as the 37th overall pick of the NHL draft on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Mentor's Nick Magyar was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fourth round of the National Hockey League Draft, 93rd overall.

Greater Cleveland hadn't seen a local player drafted since 2007 – John Albert, who made a dramatic NHL debut in December – and the area hasn't produced two draft picks since 2005 (see chart).

Nedeljkovic, 18, has a chance to become the first goalie from Northeast Ohio to play in the NHL, according to hockey-reference.com. The NHL's Central Scouting bureau ranked Nedeljkovic as the fourth-best goalie from North America available in the draft, and he is coming off a season in which he was named the high-powered Ontario Hockey League's Goaltender of the Year.

No goalies were selected in Friday's first round, but four came off the board in the first nine picks of the second round, including Nedeljkovic, who was the seventh selection and third goalie in the second round.

"Just to get that weight lifted off my shoulders and to know that I'm part of an organization now is incredible," Nedeljkovic said on the team's website. "I really can't describe it much more than that."

"Alex is an athletic goaltender. He's very quick. He's very smart, and he understands the game very well," said Tony MacDonald, the scouting director for the Hurricanes. "We're pretty pleased that we've added another quality goaltender to our [group]."

Magyar, 18, was ranked No. 32 among North American skaters, and is the fifth-ranked right wing. He was No. 52 in January and his stock rose sharply as went on to lead the OHL's Kitchener Rangers in scoring this season.

Because the Lake Erie Monsters are a farm team of the Avalanche, Magyar has a chance to play locally.

Nedeljkovic and Magyar are former Cleveland Barons youth hockey teammates for almost five years who remained in contact even while playing Junior hockey for different OHL teams.

In April, Nedeljkovic became a world champion. He led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2014 IIHF Men's Under-18 World Championship in Lappeenranta, Finland, allowing 11 goals in seven games (1.84 goals against average) with a .902 save percentage.

Nedeljkovic said he patterns his reactionary style of play after St. Louis Blues goalie Ryan Miller, challenging shooters at the top of the crease but not being overly aggressive.

Magyar, meanwhile, is a right winger.

"Nick has good anticipation and a quick release. He seems to be fairly accurate with his shot,'' said Kitchener General Manager Murray Hiebert. "He has the potential to be a goal scorer in the National Hockey League. It's a long road, but I do see him as a scorer. Has a certain knack.''

SCOUTING NICK MAGYAR AND ALEX NEDELJKOVIC

Name: Nick Magyar

Hometown: Mentor.

Current residence: Mentor.

Age: 18

Height: 6-2

Weight: 192

Position: Right wing

Current team: Kitchener (Ont.) Rangers (OHL)

Scouting report: Great vision and anticipation, high hockey IQ, good hands, shoots well, needs to work on first step, leads by example, strong work ethic, skilled athlete, capable of physical play.

Career stats: OHL: 66 games, 20 goals, 26 assists. U.S. Development Team: 4 games, 0 points.

Awards: Kitchener Rangers 2014 Rookie of the Year, OHL Second-Team All-Rookie.

Name: Alex Nedeljkovic 

Hometown: Parma

Current residence: Canton, Mich.

Age: 18

Height: 6-0

Weight: 183

Position: Goalie

Current team: Plymouth (Mich.) Whalers (OHL)

Scouting report: Solid fundamentals, stays square to puck, very athletic, plays near top of crease with confidence, excellent read and reaction and rebound control, strong work ethic, vocal leader. Not as tall as some teams prefer.

Career stats: 2013-14, 61 games, 2.88 goals-against, .925 save percentage (OHL); 2012-13, 26 games, 2.28 GAA, .923 save percentage (OHL); 2014 World Junior Championships, 6 games, 1.84 GAA, .902 save percentage.

Awards: 2013 OHL All-Rookie First Team, Best Rookie Goalie; 2014 OHL All-Star, Goaltender of the Year.

They told the Miami Heat on Saturday that they are opting out of the final two years on their contracts, which means they are free to talk to any team starting Tuesday.

MIAMI - Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are joining LeBron James in free agency.

They told the Miami Heat on Saturday that they are opting out of the final two years on their contracts, which means they are free to talk to any team starting Tuesday. It's the same option James exercised earlier in the week.

The moves come three days after Bosh, Wade and James met at a posh Miami Beach hotel to discuss their futures.

Bosh was owed $42.7 million and Wade was owed $41.8 million on the final two years of their contracts. Their moves provide the Heat financial flexibility to sign additional players while quite possibly being able to convince Bosh, Wade and James into staying.

Players cannot sign new contracts until July 10.

How do you say, "Whew!!!" in Portuguese? Or maybe it's a rolling of the eyes and another caipirinha to ease the tension.

How do you say, "Whew!!!" in Portuguese? Or maybe it's a rolling of the eyes and another caipirinha to ease the tension.

An entire nation breathed a huge sigh of relief as Brazil avoided upset on its home turf Saturday in the first match of the Round of 16. The host team needed penalty kicks to knock out a very game Chile side and advance to the World Cup quarterfinals. 

The match was tied at 1 after regulation time and two 15-minute overtimes. In the dramatic penalty shootout, Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar stopped two shots and watched the last Chile attempt hit the post and bounce away. Brazil converted three penalty kicks, Chile two in the shootout. 

The final penalty. Just watch » http://t.co/wRGjQpe2lL

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2014

Much has been made of the pressure placed on Brazil by its fans to win the World Cup on its own soil. The stress sure looked like it got to the Brazilians on Saturday in Belo Horizonte.

Losing at home is unthinkable for Brazil. 

Not to discount the talent of Chile, who for a good deal of the match was the better team, but the first elimination match of the World Cup was littered with Brazil's mistakes and carelessness in possession of the ball. 

Brazil also had a number of excellent scoring chances nullified by a handball or an inability to settle the ball and take a quality shot, though it did attack with regularity in the second half and overtime.

The entire country is going to go into cardiac arrest if such is the way the hosts are going to play these knockout games. Just in case you weren't sure how much this means to Brazilians, take a look at the tens of thousands on the beach in Rio: 

Half time in #brazilvschile at big screen in copacabana - the crowd seems to have doubled in size! #bbcworldcup pic.twitter.com/hRxqSKeVWm

-- Ben Brown (@BenBrownBBC) June 28, 2014

Tough way to go out for Chile, an exciting team that came within an eyelash of a huge victory when Mauricio Pinilla hit the crossbar with a shot in the last few moments of overtime. 

SATURDAY'S SCORES

Brazil 1, Chile 1 (Brazil advances 3-2 on penalties)

Colombia 2, Uruguay 0

Player of the Day

With respect to Julio Cesar the Stopper, James (not like Bond, but HA-mess) Rodriguez came up with the flashiest goal of the day. And Los Cafeteros advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in that nation's history with the win over Uruguay. 

James Rodriguez's wonderstrike -- watch and be amazed » http://t.co/dQnOw9minQ

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2014

Rodriguez has five goals in four matches in the World Cup. He's emerging as the breakout star of the World Cup at only 21 years old, and he's leading Colombia to new heights.

Shoot, even LeBron digs the kid.

Man watching this Colombian game I think I have my fav player in the world cup! Obviously his name help that out #Biased #10 #James #WC2014

-- LeBron James (@KingJames) June 28, 2014

Colombia looked incredibly sharp once again, as it did during the group stage. Uruguay was without forward Luis Suarez for the game, and his knack for scoring was missed. Speaking of Suarez...

Suarez issues statement, or something like it

Here's hoping this story finally goes away after Saturday, although if so it will end on a bizarre note as Suarez began serving his four-month ban from competition. 

First, Suarez issued a statement to FIFA, soccer's governing body, that basically says he slipped and his mouth landed on Italy player Giorgio Chiellini. Read for yourself and be amused.

BREAKING: Suarez's (comically ridiculous) statement: pic.twitter.com/C9FqZ8cxq2

-- Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 28, 2014

And here is how Suarez's Uruguay teammates paid tribute to the Liverpool star leading up to Saturday's quarterfinal. Suarez isn't even allowed in a stadium to watch during his ban. 

Solidarity. Uruguay still have Suarez's jersey up in the locker room for today's game. Let the siege mentality begin. pic.twitter.com/xl9X8jbdHF

-- Cristian Nyari (@Cnyari) June 28, 2014

Photo of the day

Yes, this means EVERYTHING to Neymar, Brazil's star striker. 

Brazil's Neymar reacts after the penalty shoot-out during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Chile at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Saturday, June 28, 2014. Brazil won 3-2 on penalties. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) 

You have to see...

The Netherlands vs. Mexico is Sunday's marquee match. The Dutch have been efficient and mechanical in dismantling opponents so far and scored 10 goals in the group stage. Mexico is on form after barely qualifying for the World Cup and has perhaps the most clutch goalkeeper in the competition at present in Memo Ochoa. Greece v. Costa Rica is the other game, a pairing of two Cinderellas not expected to be in the Round of 16.