Jason Kipnis said he learned how to run hard to first base every time he put a ball in play from reading a quote from Derek Jeter. Yet Kipnis said the veteran Yankee shortstop did not deke him on a double play in the eighth inning Monday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard Tuesday at Progressive Field.

Clubhouse confidential: Don't get Jason Kipnis wrong. He's as big a Derek Jeter fan as anyone else, but he said Jeter did not deke him into a baserunning mistake in the eighth inning Monday night at Progressive Field.

Kipnis, with one out and the Tribe trailing, 5-3, reached first on an error. He bolted for second on a straight steal attempt as Asdrubal Cabrera hit a foul pop behind third base. As Kipnis approached second with his head down, Jeter moved over from shortstop to act like he was going to turn a double play. Kipnis slid into the bag, popped up and continued around second.

"If I was trying to break up a double play, I don't think I'd be rounding and going toward third base," said Kipnis. "I just didn't pick up the ball. I just put my head down and run hard on straight steals.

"I slid into the bag and heard Sarbie (third base coach Mike Sarbaugh) yelling. I heard him say "go.' I was looking to see if the ball was in the gap or somewhere down the line so I took a step toward third. Then I heard the other half of his sentence as in "go back.'"

Kipnis was an easy double play victim on his way back to first.

"There was no deke at all," said Kipnis. "I get it. I'm as big a Jeter fan as there is out there. But let's not make up news."

Stat of the day: Carlos Carrasco, who opened the season in the starting rotation before being moved to the bullpen, has allowed one earned run in his last 15 1/3 relief innings.

Asked by The Associated Press how free agency was going, LeBron James said "no complaints." The entire exchange lasted about eight seconds. James, who has been relatively quiet while weighing his options, never broke stride. Watch video

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - LeBron James worked out and had a meeting agenda Tuesday.

In another summer of NBA Free Agent Frenziness, if James knows where he will be playing next season, he still isn't saying.

Asked by The Associated Press how free agency was going when his afternoon meeting agenda was apparently complete, the four-time MVP said "no complaints." He offered a quick greeting, and provided no hints of anything - including when his next "Decision" will be known - before leaving with a wave.

The entire exchange lasted about eight seconds. James, who has been relatively quiet while weighing his options, never broke stride.

He was upstairs in an exclusive part of a Las Vegas hotel Tuesday, holding court for a little more than three hours before emerging in the lobby, walking toward his assembled brain trust - including longtime manager Maverick Carter and Nike representatives, a sponsor of the LeBron James Skills Academy he'll be hosting in Las Vegas starting Wednesday - and got whisked away.

James is expected to meet with Miami Heat President Pat Riley before making a final decision on his NBA future, and a person close to the situation said that meeting had not happened as of Tuesday afternoon. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no one has publicly announced the date of the meeting.

Both Yahoo and ESPN reported the meeting will take place Wednesday.

Some of James' representatives have met with several teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After filming a TV commercial in Coral Gables, Fla., on Monday, James flew to Las Vegas, which was planned because of his academy. Later this week, he's expected to travel to Brazil to the World Cup final.

He took time to Tuesday morning to work out with Dwyane Wade in Las Vegas before his meetings, another person close to the situation told the AP. Like James, Wade has also not announced his plans for next season and beyond, though it is still largely expected that the 2006 NBA Finals MVP and three-time champion will remain in Miami.

James' future remains anyone's guess.

And it appears the buildup to his second foray into free-agent craziness will last longer than the one that culminated in him going to Miami in 2010. He made that announcement on July 8, 2010 - exactly four years ago Tuesday.

Unlike 2010, James has kept a much lower profile during his courtship. While he was on a family vacation, his agent, Rich Paul, met in Cleveland with the Cavs as well as the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns, all of whom pitched plans as to why the 29-year-old superstar should sign with them.

James wanted to contain the madness that surrounded his first foray into free agency four years ago, but the growth of social media has turned the past week into an endless storm of rumors, speculation and baseless media reports.

While James may be nearing an announcement, that won't come until he's met with Riley. And the Heat have been making moves as well, announcing Monday that they intend to sign forwards Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts, two free agents, to bolster their roster.

-- By Tim Reynolds/Associated Press

Germany's 7-1 demolition of Brazil in the World Cup semifinals set all sorts of records.

They will talk about this game in Brazil for generations.

The national shame will last that long.

Germany scored five goals in the first 29 minutes Tuesday in Belo Horizonte to absolutely demolish Brazil 7-1 and advance to the World Cup final.

It was a game for the ages, as Germany and Brazil tore up the World Cup record book and tossed it out the window. Among the records set:

• Worst loss ever in a World Cup semifinal.
• Worst loss ever by a nation hosting the World Cup.
• Brazil's worst loss ever.
• Most goals scored by one team in a World Cup semifinal.
• No team had scored five goals in a game as quickly as Germany did.
• No team had surrendered five goals in a single half in the World Cup since 1974.
• Brazil's record home winning streak of 62 straight competitive home matches without a loss is over. Their last previous loss had been in 1975.

A Brazil fan covers his face after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. Germany beat Brazil 7-1 and advanced to the final. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)Frank Augstein 

As if that wasn't enough, German striker Miroslav Klose scored a goal to become the all-time leading goal scorer in the World Cup. He surpassed a Brazilian, Ronaldo, to do it.

Commentator Ian Darke called the first half, in which Germany took a 5-0 lead, "one of the most astonishing halves ever played at a World Cup." He was right.

In a country where they still talk about losing the 1950 World Cup final hosted on Brazilian soil, this game will never be forgotten. It will linger as powerfully in memory as the record five World Cups the Brazilians have won.

The scope of Brazil's complete destruction is hard to convey. They came into the tournament as the favorites. While they hadn't impressed since then, they fought their way to the semifinals, beating two very good teams in Chile and Colombia. Yes, they were playing Germany without perhaps their two best players, injured attacker Neymar and suspended center back Thiago Silva. But Brazil is a team full of stars.

Then again, so is Germany. And their stars were much better than Brazil's.

Here are the highlights of what they did to Brazil in the first half:

#GER passed #BRA for the most goals in World Cup history (221) during the first half. Here are all 5 goals » http://t.co/fRXhKZ1ZxI

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 8, 2014

Is Germany this good, or was Brazil that bad?

Germany can be this good, but nobody is this good all the time. Every break went their way Tuesday. Every shot was accurately directed, every run timed well, every pass on target.

And Brazil's defense was that bad. Thiago Silva's replacement, Dante, plays professionally with many of the German players at Bayern Munich in Germany, and it looked like he came into the game wanting them to win. His coordination with fellow center back David Luiz, who had been having an excellent tournament, seemed nonexistent. Dante was a step slow to every ball.

Brazil's David Luiz, left, is consoled by a team member after Germany defeated Brazil 7-1 in Tuesday's World Cup semifinal in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. After the game, Luiz apologized to Brazilian fans for the loss. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)Natacha Pisarenko 

But he was just one of 11. Oscar failed to adequately replace the injured Neymar, and the weaknesses in the rest of Brazil's attack were exposed. Overall, the team just failed to play defense.

There was a point around the 70th minute when the Germans were on a counterattack at full speed. Half the Brazilian team was jogging back around midfield while the Germans continued to go for the kill. The Brazilians had given up.

Late in the game, Brazilian fans began cheering the German team's good plays. There were a lot of them.

Germany will now play in its eighth World Cup final, the most of any nation. They have won three. Argentina and the Netherlands play Wednesday in the second semifinal.

Meanwhile, the Brazilians must somehow summon the reserve to play one more match: The third-place match on Saturday. After this humiliation, that seems a daunting task.

Player of the day: Miroslav Klose. It's hard to pick just one German from so complete a win, so let's go with the man who is now the all-time leading scorer at the World Cup.

Play of the day: Andre Schurrle's fantastic goal late in the game. Watch below:

Seventh Heaven! Schurrle nets his 2nd, Germany's 7th, with this incredible strike. No chance for Cesar. WATCH » http://t.co/KbwmzM6J4K

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 8, 2014

Finals are set for the Nike SPARQ championship.

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Wide receiver Kirk Merritt (Destrehan, La./Destrehan) leads the list of 10 finalists in the Nike SPARQ championship.

The finals begin at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPNU.

Merritt had a score of 147.6 in the prelims Tuesday morning.

Others in the top 10 include linebacker Malik Jefferson (145.65), linebacker Chad Smith (140.7), safety Tyler Phillips (140.34), defensive end Josh Sweat (140.01), wide receiver C.J. Sanders (139.26), running back Taj Griffin (136.56), wide receiver K.J. Hill (133.95), athlete Porter Gustin (130.44) and cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick (130.41).

Justin Masterson went on the disabled list Tuesday for the first time in his career. The Indians will need a starter on Saturday and the choices are Zach McAllister and Danny Salazar.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Justin Masterson tried to convince the powers that be to let him keep pitching. They sympathized, but said no.

With Masterson on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right knee, Corey Kluber is the only member of the opening day rotation still in the rotation. Carlos Carrasco is in the bullpen and Zach McAllister and Danny Salazar are at Class AAA Columbus, but there will be a reunion of sorts soon.

The Indians need a fifth starter Saturday against the White Sox and for a day-night doubleheader on July 19 against Detroit at Comerica Park. McAllister and Salazar are the two candidates.

McAllister, whose last big league start was May 21 against Detroit, is 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA in six starts at Columbus. He has 34 strikeouts, seven walks and 35 hits in 36 1/3 innings.

Salazar, whose last start for the Tribe was May 15 against Toronto, is 3-5 with a 4.93 ERA in eight starts for the Clippers. He's struck out 53, walked 17 and allowed 48 hits in 42 innings.

"John Mirabelli watched Danny's last start and said he looked like he did for us last year," said manager Terry Francona. "Zach is pitching well, too."

Masterson met with GM Chris Antonetti, Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway on Monday night after he lasted just two innings in a 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

"I think Masty's first inclination was wanting to pitch through it," said Francona. "We respect that, but the way it was going, and in talking to Masty, Chris Antonetti and Mickey Callaway, we thought we'd DL him and get him some treatment for the first couple of days.

"Then, when he feels good, we'll almost treat it like spring training. He'll go every other day off the mound. That's our best way to get him back on track."

Masterson's right knee has been barking since his second start of the season. In his last five starts, Masterson reached the fifth inning just once. Francona still isn't sure how much the knee affected Masterson's inability to throw quality strikes and neutralize left-handed batters, who are hitting .330 (70-for-212) against him.

"But it's hard to imagine it helped," said Francona.

This is Masterson's first trip to the disabled list in his big-league career. He strained his left oblique muscle in September during the Tribe's run to the postseason last year, but didn't go on the DL because of the expanded roster.

Masterson, who could be activated on July 23, came back to pitch out of the pen for the stretch run and said earlier this season that he may have developed some bad habits that carried into this season.

This is Masterson's walk year. He and the Indians spent most of spring training negotiating a multiyear deal, but the talks ended late in camp.

Roster moves: After putting Masterson on the DL, the Indians recalled lefty Nick Hagadone and purchased the contract of catcher Roberto Perez from Columbus. Outfielder Tyler Holt was optioned to Columbus and Mark Lowe was designated for assignment to make room for Perez on the 40-man roster.

Perez, in his first trip to the big leagues, was hitting .305 (53-for-174) with 11 doubles, one triple, eight homers and 43 RBI in 53 games at Columbus. He ranked 11th in the International League in RBI despite missing two weeks with a strained left hamstring.

Last season Perez suffered from Bell's palsy at Class AA Akron and Columbus. Bell's Palsy is a form of facial paralysis and it affected the left side of Perez's face. He couldn't blink or close his eye, which made playing and sleeping difficult.

"Last year was a tough year for me," said Perez. "My face wasn't right. I couldn't blink so I had some trouble seeing the ball. I'm just happy it go better."

Perez said he didn't really start to feel normal until well into the off-season.

The Indians were going to try and get by with Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana handling the catching until the All-Star break on Sunday. When Santana, who hasn't caught since suffering a concussion on May 25, jammed his shoulder playing first base Monday, they decided to promote Perez.

Vote this way: Francona said he started voting for right-hander Corey Kluber on indians.com as part of the "Final Vote' promotion for the All-Star game at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and kept voting, despite interruptions, until meeting with reporters at 4:05 p.m.

"I voted my butt off," said Francona.

Indians fans can vote for Kluber until 4 p.m. Thursday on Indians.com or mlb.com.

Progress: Francona isn't ready to use Vinnie Pestano in late-inning situations just yet, but he has been impressed with the way he's pitched since being recalled on June 20.

Pestano has not allowed a run in in seven appearances since his recall. Francona has used him specifically against right-handers.

Righties are hitting .227 (5-for-22) against Pestano.

Four-star running back Jordan Scarlett decommitted from Florida Atlantic in June, but his recruitment came to an end again Tuesday when he committed to Miami (Fla.).

COLUMBUS, Ohio – One of Ohio State's top targets at running back in the 2015 recruiting class was Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas running back Jordan Scarlett, but the Buckeyes moved on after he committed to Florida Atlantic in December. 

But Ohio State gained some life in the four-star running back's recruitment when he decommitted from FAU in June, a time during which he named the Buckeyes one of his main schools of interest. 

But less than a month later, Scarlett is off the board again after committing to Miami (Fla.) during his participation at The Opening camp in Oregon. 

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 13 running back in his class, Scarlett's initial commitment to Florida Atlantic came as a surprise given he had one of the most impressive scholarship offers lists in the country. 

A 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back, Scarlett has more than 20 offers, including ones from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others. 

He narrowed his list down this time between four schools – Ohio State, Florida State, Miami and South Carolina - and he opted to stay close to home with the Hurricanes. 

It's unclear whether Ohio State truly pursued Scarlett while he was on the market the past few weeks, particularly because the Buckeyes are in the thick of recruiting two other top running backs – Damien Harris of Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern and four-star prospect Larry "LJ" Scott of Hubbard, Ohio. 

The RubberDucks now trail the Flying Squirrels by three games in the Western Division.

Akron was held to five hits and starter Duke von Schamann struggled, allowing the Flying Squirrels to jump to an 8-1 lead before eventually beating the RubberDucks, 9-4, in a Class AA Eastern League game Tuesday in Richmond, Va.

View full sizePitcher Duke von SchamannRubberDucks 

Von Schamann (3-4, 4.44 ERA) gave up eight runs, seven earned, and eight hits in just four innings. No RubberDucks batter had more than one hit.

Akron never really challenged Richmond. The Squirrels led, 4-0, after three innings and built it to 8-1 after five. The RubberDucks' lone run came on an RBI double by Eastern League All-Star infielder Francisco Lindor.

The RubberDucks did cut the lead to 8-4 in the sixth, scoring three runs with a two-run single by infielder Jake Lowery. Lowery also managed to score on a throwing error by Squirrels first baseman Ricky Oropesa.

Akron could muster no more runs against three Squirrels relievers, and Richmond added an insurance run in the seventh on a solo homer by outfielder Jarrett Parker.

Infielder Mario Lisson had five RBI for Richmond, going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a two-run double.

Akron pitcher Jordan Cooper was solid, going three innings in relief of von Schamann and giving up one run on two hits and striking out five. Adam Miller pitched one scoreless inning for the RubberDucks.

The loss puts Akron (51-40) three games back of Richmond (54-37) for first place in the Western Division. They have split the first two games of a four-game series.

Indians CF Michael Brantley was 3-for-4 with one homer and two doubles in a 5-3 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Yankees in the second of a four-game series Tuesday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 89.

Opponent: Yankees.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 55 minutes.

Attendance: 23,384.

Result: Indians 5, Yankees 3.

Records: Indians 44-45, Yankees 45-44.

Scoreboard watch: The Indians remained 6.5 games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central. The Tigers rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the Dodgers, 14-5, in Detroit.

Bottom line, up front: The Indians authored one of their most impressive victories of the season. Here are some of the reasons:

*Defeated the Yankees. Any victory over the Yankees, no matter their record or spot  in the standings, is a beautiful thing.

*Defeated a team that has owned them. The Yankees entered Tuesday at 12-2 in the series since the beginning of 2012.

*Rebounded from a rough loss. The Indians not only fell to the Yankees, 5-3, Monday -- they received another bad performance from starter Justin Masterson (2 IP, 6 H, 5 R). Masterson, the staff ace to begin the season, is 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA. He was placed on the disabled list Tuesday because of right-knee inflammation.

If the Indians had dropped the first two games of the series, they would have been hard-pressed just to salvage a split in their house. Now they still have a chance to win the series.

*Knocked around one of MLB's best pitchers. Yankees All-Star right-hander Masahiro Tanaka allowed the five runs on 10 hits -- two of which were homers -- in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Japanese native and MLB rookie Tanaka entered Tuesday at 12-3 with a 2.27 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He had given up 101 hits, walked 18 and struck out 130 in 122 2/3 innings.

Tanaka had not allowed more than four earned runs or nine hits in any of his previous 17 starts. He opened the season with 16 straight quality starts before giving up four runs on nine hits in seven innings of a 7-4 victory at the Twins last Thursday.

Against teams he had seen for the first time, Tanaka was 10-0 with a 1.85 ERA.

*Rallied from early deficits against Tanaka. The Indians trailed, 2-0, after one-half inning and 3-1 after 1 1/2 innings. Given Tanaka's season stats, it was shaping up to be a long night for the hosts. Instead, their starter, Trevor Bauer, pitched like Tanaka on most other nights and the offense kept grinding.

Bauer power: Bauer delivered his best start as an Indian, all factors considered. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Bauer (3-4, 4.23 ERA) again struggled with command early, but once he settled in, he was nasty. He held the Yankees hitless, and walk-less, after Brian McCann's one-out single in the third.

McCann's bloop to left-center pushed Jacoby Ellsbury to third. Ellsbury had reached on an error by third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and stolen second ahead of Mark Teixeira's strikeout.

Bauer stranded the runners by getting Brian Roberts to pop out and Ichiro Suzuki to ground out.

The only New York runner from the fourth through the seventh was Ellsbury, who was safe on first baseman Nick Swisher's fielding error with one out in the fifth. Teixeira's grounder pushed Ellsbury to second, then -- in what looked and smelled like an effort to stat-pad -- Ellsbury attempted to steal third. Catcher Yan Gomes erased him, leaving the bat on McCann's shoulder.

Bauer rode primarily a fastball/cutter/splitter/curveball combination to the quality start. The curve was especially good in big spots. His split is becoming a weapon.

Locking it down: Bryan Shaw relieved Bauer and worked a perfect eighth. Closer Cody Allen worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.

Dr. Smooth chronicles: Indians All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley put on a show, going 3-for-4 with one homer, two doubles, three RBI and one run. Oh, by the way: He made a terrific over-the-head catch in deep center to deny Derek Jeter an RBI extra-base hit in the first.

All of Brantley's at-bats came against Tanaka. Here is the breakdown:

First inning (runner on first, one out) -- 90-mph splitter, foul; 88 cutter down and in, ball (Jason Kipnis steal); 91 fastball inside, ball; 88 splitter inside corner, RBI double.

The skinny: The book on Tanaka is to get him early in counts, before he starts unleashing his cartoonish off-speed stuff. Tanaka, figuring Brantley would be looking for a first-pitch fastball, threw a hard split and Brantley fouled it. Tanaka thought he put the 1-1 fastball on the corner, but plate umpire Manny Gonzalez called a ball a ball. When Tanaka followed with a hanging split, Brantley hammered it into the right-field corner to drive in Kipnis and pull Cleveland within 2-1.

Third inning (none on, none out) -- sinker, called strike; 92 fastball inside, ball; 83 off-speed, grounder to first.

The skinny: Tanaka won round two with a good pitch featuring late action.

Fifth inning (runner on third, two outs) -- 95 fastball high and away, ball; 86 splitter,  called strike; 94 fastball inside, ball; 88 splitter in dirt, swinging strike; 89 cutter inside, foul; 88 splitter outside at knees, RBI double to left.

The skinny: The count should have been 2-0 but Gonzalez missed the call on the splitter away. Brantley did a good job to spoil on the cutter and an even better job to slash the split past third. Tanaka made a quality pitch; Brantley simply beat him with a superb approach and barrel awareness. Brantley hustled his way to the double as  Chris Dickerson scored to cut New York's lead to 3-2.

Seventh inning (none on, two outs) -- 82 off-speed outside corner, called strike; 92 fastball, homer.

The skinny: Tanaka attempted to sneak a fastball past Brantley on the outer half, but it stayed over the plate and was relatively straight. Brantley pounced and drove it to  right-center to give the Tribe a 5-3 lead.

More from Smooth: Brantley's season slash line is a tidy .328/.391/.529. He has 14 homers, 22 doubles, 60 RBI, 59 runs, 10 steals and 10 assists.

Brantley is the only MLB player with at least a .310 average and 10+ HR, 20+ 2B, 60+ RBI, 50+ R and 10+ SB.

Brantley has finished with multiple hits in five straight games, during which he is a combined 12-for-21. It his second such streak of five-plus. He is the first Indian with two multi-hit streaks of at least five games since Omar Vizquel in 1999.

Brantley has gone 59 plate appearances without a strikeout, the franchise's longest such run since Matt Lawton had 61 in 2004.

Don't forget about Swishalicious: Swisher went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer. Swisher's blast in the sixth gave the Tribe a 4-3 lead.

After Chisenhall led off with a single, Swisher deposited a 1-2 hanging split over the wall in right-center for his second homer in two nights and seventh this season.

Entering Tuesday, batters in a 1-2 count against Tanaka were 14-for-85 (.165) with one homer and 48 strikeouts.

Five of Swisher's homers have given the Indians the lead.

Defensive issues: The Indians won despite three errors, pushing their season's total to a major-league-worst 75.

Trevor Bauer pitched seven innings and Nick Swisher and Michael Brantley homered as the Indians beat the Yankees.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Team Clank snuck back into Progressive Field on Tuesday night, but the Indians were able to run it and All-Star Masahiro Tanaka out of the ballpark.

The Indians overcame three errors behind home runs by Nick Swisher and Michael Brantley and seven strong innings by Trevor Bauer in a 5-3 victory over the Yankees.

Yan Gomes, Swisher and Lonnie Chisenhall made errors before the Indians made a move on the Yankees and Tanaka (12-4, 2.51 ERA). The Indians lead the AL with 75 errors, but they've been better of late until Tuesday's slip.

Gomes' throwing error in the first inning was the only miscue tied directly to a run as the Yankees built a 3-1 lead through four innings. The way Tanaka was pitching, however, it looked like that would be more than enough to make him baseball's first 13-game winner.

Then the Indians started to close in.

"We don't care who's out there on the mound," said Swisher. "That's the difference between us and some other squads. We battle and we fight.

"It may not be pretty for the first six or seven innings, but we always seem to find ourselves getting back into the game. Don't get me wrong, Tanaka is a tremendous pitcher. His numbers speak for themselves, but for us if you put Cy Young out there we're going to fight."

Brantley, the Indians All-Star, made it 3-2 with a two-out double in the fifth. Chris Dickerson opened the inning with a single and worked his way to third on consecutive ground out to first by Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera. Kipnis, by the way, celebrated his bobble head night with two singles, two steals and a run.

Brantley worked the count to 2-2 against Tanaka before doubling past third.

Asked what kind of pitch he hit, Brantley smiled and said,   "One of the six pitches he throws. He throws so many pitches . . .I believe it was a split finger away. I kind of slapped at it and was able to find some space."

Swisher put the Indians ahead to stay in the sixth. After Lonnie Chisenhall hit a leadoff single, Swisher drove a 1-2 pitch into the seats in center field a 4-3 lead. It was his second homer in as many games against his former team and seventh of the season.

"I know I've still got to clean up my game defensively," said Swisher, who has nine errors. "But I feel like I'm starting to turn the corner offensively."

Manager Terry Francona is hoping that's true.

"That would be so welcomed," said Francona. "We need him for us to get where we want to go. His home run, obviously, came at an important time in the game. It changed the game."

Brantley added a homer, his 14^th, with two out in the seventh to make it 5-2. Brantley hit 10 homers all last year.

"The home run was a mistake," said Brantley. "I think it was a fastball up. It was a great team effort tonight. We wanted to make him get the ball up in the strike zone. We had a lot of quality at-bats."

Tanaka gave up season highs in hits (10) and runs (five) to the Indians.

Brantley, headed to his first All-Star game, is hitting .328 (108-for-329) with 59 runs 22 doubles and 60 RBI. He had 73 RBI in 151 games last year.

"Dr. Smooth is doing it," said Swisher. "He's just a pro hitter. That's all there is to it. I could not be more proud of the guys we have going to the All-Star game. I'm banking on my boy Klubes (Corey Kluber) getting in there."

The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Bauer faced six batters. Brett Gardner opened with a walk, but Brantley gave him some room to work by tracking down Derek Jeter's long drive to center field.

Singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira scored Gardner. Bauer (3-4, 4.23) struck out Brian McCann, but the Yankees worked a double steal with Ellsbury going to third and Teixeira to second. Ellsbury scored when Gomes' throw to second landed in center field.

The Indians made it 2-1 in the first when Kipnis singled, stole second and scored on Brantley's double. The Yankees came right back in the second to make it 3-1 as Ichiro Suzuki scored from third on Gardner's ground out.

Bauer, who struck out six and allowed two earned runs in seven innings, gathered himself after the second.

"I've always been that way," said Bauer, referring to his early-inning struggles. "The longer I go, the more I tend to relax into the game."

After McCann's bloop single in the third, Bauer faced just 14 hitters through the seventh. Teixeira was the only Yankee to reach base on Swisher's two-out error in the fifth. He was erased on an attempted steal of second base.

"Bauer's best inning was the seventh," said Francona. "You see that with a lot of good pitchers. The longer they go, the stronger they get."

Said Brantley, "Bauer is the reason we won that game tonight. He's got big-league stuff."

Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

If the Cavs don't sign James, they will use the salary cap room to pursue free agents such as Trevor Ariza and Chandler Parsons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cavs notebook after the big three-way, salary-cap-clearing trade:

1. Let's begin with what this deal is not: It's NOT a guarantee that LeBron James will sign. It gives the Cavs the salary cap room to sign James the moment he is eligible to do so, which is Thursday. But the Cavs have absolutely no promises from James. I hear that James has sent word he's interested in the Cavs, but also has not eliminated Miami.

2. In other words, James is still thinking. And so many people who claim to know what James is indeed thinking are kidding themselves.

3. The Cavs are thinking: "Let's be ready to roll." This trade means they can offer James the maximum contract that begins with a $20.7 million salary in the first season.

4. The Cavs also are thinking, "If we can't get James, we have the salary cap room to go after someone else." Gordon Hayward was once a target, but the restricted free agent forward has said he'll sign an offer sheet with Charlotte. The only question will be if Utah will match it. Hayward is out for the Cavs.

5. But they also like Trevor Ariza, the 6-foot-8 small forward. He's 29 years old, averaged 14.4 points and shot .456 (.407 on the 3-pointers) for the Wizards last year. He is unrestricted, meaning the Cavs would not have to worry about Washington matching the offer.

6. They also liked Chandler Parsons, Houston's sharp-shooting small forward and a restricted free agent. But Parsons has a deal pending now with Dallas.

7. But this is about setting the table for James. It's about owner Dan Gilbert basically saying, "Let's go all in for LeBron." The reward is great, the risk is worth it -- because the deal still allows them to pursue other talented small forwards if James rejects them.

8. In the trade, the Cavs cleared $9.5 million in salary-cap space. Those are the contracts of Jarrett Jack ($6.3 million), Tyler Zeller ($1.7 million) and Sergey Karasev ($1.5) million. Jack and Karasev went to Brooklyn. Zeller went to Boston. The Cavs also sent a first-round pick to Boston, and that pick is protected 1-to-10 from 2016-18 and unprotected in 2019. That means if the pick is in the top 10 between 2016-18, the Cavs keep it. If not, it goes to Boston. In 2019, Boston receives it with no protection.

9. The Cavs received the draft rights to three European players, none considered top prospects. Perhaps the most interesting is Ilkan Karaman, a 6-9 forward from Turkey. He was the 57th pick in the 2012 draft by the Nets, but remained in Europe. He is 24, and considered a good athlete. A problem is he had arthroscopic surgery on both knees last season and didn't play in 2013-14. New Cavs coach David Blatt has coached in Europe (including Turkey), and it's possible that Karaman has intrigued him.

10. None of the players received really matter, at least in terms of the franchise's goal -- which was to create salary cap room.

11. General Manager David Griffin liked Karasev, who sat on the bench in 2012 for Blatt's Russian Olympic team. In my interview with Blatt last week, I asked him about Karasev, and the coach described him as "talented but still very young." The Cavs coach didn't seem to think Karasev was ready to make a significant impact this season.

12. I like Zeller as backup big man. Karasev interested me because he supposedly can shoot. But the goal was to create salary cap room and they were willing to pay the price in young players (Zeller and Karasev) and a draft pick to make that happen.

13. Ever since he became interim general manager in February, Griffin has been trying to trade Jack. The 30-year-old guard had two years at $6.3 million annually left on his contract. The Cavs considered him too expensive and his career was declining.

14. Rather than do all this, the Cavs could have cut Anderson Varejao and taken $9 million off their salary cap. But James likes Varejao. Every coach likes Varejao. The Cavs know Varejao (even if just in 60 healthy games) helps them become a playoff team. Rather than pay Varejao the $4 million guaranteed on the contract, they decided to keep him. And yes, it is partly to attract James -- who loves Varejao's hustling style and enjoys being on the court with the 6-10 big man.

15. It's not yet been reported, but I hear the trade also has "trade exceptions" of $8.6 million and $1.7 million coming to the Cavs. These are salary bookkeeping moves. The problem is once the Cavs make all their other moves to get under the cap and go for James (or someone else), the trade exceptions disappear. In other words, this may sound like a big deal -- but it probably won't amount to much.

16. If the Cavs sign James and are close to the salary cap, they still may have room to make another move. It's an arcane clause called the "room exception."  I'm not going to get into the endless details, but it's worth $2.7 million and allows the Cavs to sign a player -- even if they are over the cap.

17. The "room exception" is why you hear rumors about the Cavs being interested in Ray Allen or Mike Miller, two shooters who played with James in Miami. But if James turns the Cavs down, it's doubtful they'll sign either veteran.

18. As for the Kevin Love/Andrew Wiggins rumors -- not gonna happen. Cavs have no interest in trading Wiggins for a possible one-year rental in Love. I was told they'd take Love on a "Luol Deng" type deal -- second picks or a distant possible first-rounder that is protected. But that's it.

19. The Cavs will stress that they'd make this deal even if it doesn't turn into James. They can produce about $22 million in salary cap space, and that allows them not only to chase free agents -- but take back big contracts in a deal.

20. But in the end, the deal starts with James as Plan A -- and they hope they don't have to go to Plan B.

The NBA star addressed off-field issues surrounding Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel.

BEREA, Ohio – Outspoken NBA analyst Charles Barkley might not seem like the best source to discuss the off-field sagas of Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel.

While Barkley never played in the NFL, he lost a brother to addiction five years ago and knows the perils of celebrity.

The former basketball star said Wednesday the Browns must help Gordon -- facing a potential one-year drug ban -- with his substance-abuse issues during an interview on the Bull & Fox Show on 92.3 The Fan. Barkley added that Manziel has demonstrated a lack of maturity with party photos and videos his friends are releasing.

He addressed their headline-making behavior after speaking extensively about the possibility of LeBron James retuning to the Cavaliers.

"I don't know Josh Gordon but I'm wishing him the best," Barkley said. "I have a brother who died a few years ago and, let me tell you something, man, drugs and alcohol are undefeated ...

"When you get involved with drugs and alcohol it's matter of when it's going to get you."

Gordon, arrested for impaired driving Saturday in North Carolina, has come under heavy criticism for his repeated missteps. He's failed multiple drug tests in college and the NFL.

Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter told cleveland.com on Monday the Browns should cut the All Pro receiver. Barkley disagrees.

"I hope the Browns just don't throw him away," he said. "Anyone who has an addiction problem you don't kick him out of the family. You try to help him. At some point you might have to kick him out, but he's still a young kid . . . Give him one more chance."

Barkely believes Gordon needs to attend a drug rehab program.

As for Manziel, Barkley said the rookie quarterback must make better decisions in the age of social media. Images of Manziel partying on weekends have been a constant since the Browns drafted him two months ago.

It's not that Barkely begrudges Manziel having a good time and occasionally being photographed in clubs by people with cellphones.

"Somebody might get me, but it won't be one of my friends," he said. "Most of his pictures are selfies and that tells me he's too immature handle his fame right now."

Terry Francona, who managed Michael Jordan in the minors, would make a lot more off-season trips to Cleveland if LeBron James returned to the Cavs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Quick hits from manager Terry Francona's pre-game press conference on Wednesday at Progressive Field.

Tito wants LeBron back: Asked about the possible return of LeBron James to Cleveland, Francona said, "That would be really cool. I am enjoying being entrenched here. I would love it.

"I don't know how much I'm supposed to say, but I know I would plan my trips back here (during the off-season) a little more frequently when the Cavs were home."

Francona is a big hoops fan. He played in high school and is a big supporter of the University of Arizona Wildcats basketball team. Of course, he also managed Michael Jordan in the minors.

"I was in Miami a couple of years ago when things were falling apart in Boston and I went and hid," said Francona. "I bought a ticket to two games just so I could watch him play and it was worth it. ... It was great."

Big picture stuff: Francona was asked about the Republican National Convention coming to Cleveland in 2016.

"I think it's great for the city," said Francona. "I actually got a chance to go talk to that group when they were visiting Cleveland. I'm not real political, never have been, but I'm thrilled for the city that it's coming."

The convention, depending on when it comes to Cleveland, could extend one of the Tribe's trips.

"It may not affect us if it's over the All-Star break," said Francona. "If it's in June, that's OK. For what it does to the city, I think we could take four extra pair of underwear on a road trip."

Back to baseball: Francona said Zach McAllister will start Saturday against the Chicago. He'll be taking Justin Masterson's spot in the rotation.

McAllister go the nod over Danny Salazar, but Salazar is the leading candidate to pitch one of the games in the July 19^th doubleheader against Detroit at Comerica Park.

"I don't think this has necessarily been the easiest thing for Zach," said Francona. "He wants to be here. But I think he's done a real good job of not letting it affect his pitching.

"Sometimes it's harder to do that than just saying it, but he's handled it really well. Now he comes back and pitches for us and that's the goal."

McAllister and Salazar opened the season in the Indians' rotation.

Slow starter: Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway have noticed something about Trevor Bauer.

"For whatever reason, it seems like when he gets to 70 pitches, his stuff has another gear," said Francona. "He said it's been that way his entire career, college, everywhere. With a lot of good pitchers you hear that thing where you better get them early.

"For as much as you don't want him to give up runs early, the fact that he's so good late is really good."

Closer: While it's clear Cody Allen has become the primary closer, Francona said there will still be instances where he'll pitch before the ninth inning. Francona says he's able to do that because Allen and Bryan Shaw are almost interchangeable.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Yankees at Progressive Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section. Game 90: Indians (44-45) vs. Yankees (45-44) First pitch: 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Field TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 Starting pitchers: Josh Tomlin (5-6, 4.11 ERA) vs. Brandon McCarthy (0-0, - ERA)...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Yankees at Progressive Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

Game 90: Indians (44-45) vs. Yankees (45-44)

First pitch: 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Field

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

Gov. John Kasich signed a mutual aid agreement between eight states and two Canadian provinces to combat aquatic nuisance species (AIS) in Lake Erie and the Great Lakes.

PORT CLINTON, Ohio – Gov. John Kasich capped off a morning of Lake Erie walleye fishing to celebrate the 35^th annual Governor's Fish Ohio Day by signing a mutual aid agreement between eight states and two Canadian provinces to combat aquatic nuisance species (AIS) in Lake Erie and the Great Lakes.

The agreement is not binding, or a commitment of funding or resources to wage war against such exotic invaders as zebra mussels, Asian carp or round gobies, emphasized Chief Scott Zody of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

"We are establishing consistent protocols and processes where, for example, we might have an incident in Ohio involving an AIS and need assistance from our neighbors," said Zody. "We can put the call out for resources and people from outside of Ohio to help us. This agreement sets up mechanisms to make that happen."

The agreement is a promise between the Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec to share research and work together on a wide range of issues, Zody said.

Douglas George, the Consul General of Canada in Detroit who represents his country in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, said that will include a new a $400,000 laboratory that opened this week to battle Asian carp at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington, Ontario.

"We have joint stewardship of the Great Lakes," said George. "It is the responsibility of our two countries, as well as the states and provinces, to take care of this great natural resource. The Great Lakes are an international success story, with our nations working on trans-boundary issues for more than 100 years, including the Great Lakes Water Quality agreement in 2012."

George said efforts by both governments and a variety of groups on both sides of the border have closed the door on new invasive species. None have been introduced to the Great Lakes in ballast water of ocean-going ships since 2006.

"There is more work to be done, and the mutual aid agreement being signed (Wednesday) is an important part of that shared effort," he said.

Kasich praised the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for bowing to pressure from Ohio officials and scrapping plans to rely on open-lake dumping to get rid of dredge material from the Cuyahoga River. State Sen. Randy Gardner, a Republican from Bowling Green, was also singled out for his successful request for $10 million to fund environmental alternatives to decades of open lake dumping of Maumee River dredge material.

"With help from Sen. Gardner and funding from the capital budget, we're able to put some money where our mouth is," said Director Craig Butler of the Ohio EPA. "We're building pilot projects to help identify uses for the material so we can turn it into a commodity, not a liability. We want to take this material and make it useful for farmers and others."

Kasich presented President Rick Unger of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association with an award for his Lake Erie conservation efforts, and tried to give Unger a new job.

"I have wonderful Cleveland news, and it's not about LeBron James," said Kasich. "Cleveland has won the Republican National Convention, and I have a great idea. The delegates are going to be here in June, and we should take them walleye fishing on Lake Erie. That would showcase Lake Erie to delegates from all of the 50 states.

"And since we gave Rick Unger a nice plaque today, I think he ought to be in charge of that."

James has not made a decision and will not make any announcements before Thursday, a person said, adding, "He wants to meet with his family."

LAS VEGAS -- Pat Riley made his pitch. And now, LeBron James wants time to think.

The Miami Heat president met with the four-time NBA MVP on Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because neither side publicly disclosed details of the meeting. James, his agent Rich Paul, Riley and Heat executive Andy Elisburg were at the meeting, said one of the people.

James has not made a decision and will not make any announcements before Thursday, a person said, adding, "He wants to meet with his family."

So now, Miami waits. So does Cleveland. So, too, does just about the entire NBA - because once James picks the Heat or the Cavaliers, the teams believed to be serious suitors for his services, the domino effect of other free agent moves will surely follow.

One NBA observer, former ESPN reporter Chris Sheridan, reported that the deed was done and James was headed back to Cleveland. But there was no official announcement to back up that report -- although Sheridan continued to back that statement throughout Wednesday night.

The meeting in Las Vegas lasted for more than an hour and took place more than two weeks after James opted out of his contract and elected to become a free agent, and the day before free agents may begin signing contracts.

Also see: NBA free agency day 9: Updates, news and rumors

James spent part of his day before the meeting at his annual skills academy with some of the nation's top high school and college players, interacting and observing workouts. That was part of the reason why Riley had to fly across the country to make the meeting happen, with hopes that he would return to Miami from the gambling haven with a huge win -- keeping James in Heat colors for at least another season.

Several teams have met with Paul during the free-agent process, but it appears James has only one decision to make: Cleveland or Miami, the same choice he pondered four years ago when he decided play with the Heat. With James, the Heat won four Eastern Conference titles and two NBA championships.

The Cavaliers didn't sit idle waiting for James and Riley to meet.

Cleveland created salary-cap space earlier Wednesday with a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, ensuring they have enough to offer James a maximum contract.

But James had said he would meet with Riley and the Heat before making his decision.

The meeting came nearly three weeks after Riley addressed reporters following Miami's loss to San Antonio in the NBA Finals, when he insisted that the Heat needed to make some adjustments to get better - but didn't need a massive rebuilding job to stay at a championship level.

"You've got to stay together if you've got the guts, and you don't find the first door and run out of it if you have an opportunity," Riley said on June 19. "This is four years now into this era, this team, four finals. It's only been done three other times before. And two championships. From day one to the end, it was like a Broadway show. Sort of ran out of steam, and we need to retool. We don't need to rebuild, we need to retool, and that's what we're going to do."

If James leaves, it'll be more than a retooling project that awaits Miami.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh - the other members of Miami's "Big 3" of the past four seasons - are also free agents, and neither has given any hint as to what they will do, though it's still expected Wade will not leave the Heat. Miami has just two players under contract for next season, one of those on a partially guaranteed deal. The Heat have also reached agreements with forwards Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger, as well as the draft rights to guard Shabazz Napier, but there's still plenty of jobs to be filled.

And the Heat have mostly been in a holding pattern while waiting for James to make his next decision.

- Tim Reynolds, Associated Press

The World Cup final will pit Argentina against Germany.

The World Cup final will pit Argentina against Germany.

The Argentines advanced to the final Wednesday with a semifinal win over the Netherlands in Sao Paolo. After the two sides played a scoreless 120 minutes and went to penalty kicks, Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero made two good saves to knock the Dutch out by a 4-2 margin. 

And ... that about summarizes the action in this one.

For all those casual soccer fans, this one probably wasn't for you. For the soccer detractors, this one was most certainly for you, because you can hate the sport more now.

The two teams combined to take just 15 shots. The Dutch put just one on frame.

And ... and ... and ...

Look, bad games like this just happen sometimes.

Defense wins championships? Well then ...

Argentina's goalkeeper Sergio Romero celebrates after he saved shot by Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder from the spot during Wednesday's semifinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)Frank Augstein 

Soccer is like any team sport. In other sports, a low-scoring game could be because one or both teams are playing phenomenal defense, a pitcher is throwing a gem of a game, or a hockey goaltender is stopping shot after shot, much like when Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa basically stood on his head to hold Brazil scoreless in the World Cup's first round. Or the game could be low-scoring because your team is the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Canadian national soccer team -- i.e. not very good.

Then there is that third class of low-scoring games, the ones that remain that way because the two sides are dancing around each other and throwing jabs all day long, like a boxer afraid to come in close because he's afraid a Mike Tyson uppercut will knock him out in one punch.

In Wednesday's World Cup semifinal, it was largely because both Argentina and the Netherlands approached the game very conservatively. For each team, the approach was that they could not lose in regulation if they didn't surrender any goals, and neither did. 

The Dutch once again played an ostensible 5-3-2 formation, with even more players dropping deep in defense at times. Defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong shadowed Argentine star Leo Messi for much of the game and effectively took him out of the action, with Messi failing to control matters even after de Jong was replaced.

#NED going for the great wall of the 6-3-1 pic.twitter.com/lEaqC3hMVl

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 9, 2014

As for the Argentines, they just had few ideas with their star player closed down, choosing instead to sit deep, defend and hope for a moment of magic from Messi. That is pretty typical of this team, despite its surplus of excellent forwards. What they lack is a good playmaker or multiple players who pass and move off the ball.

Either way, someone had to win at the end of the day. It was the Argentines.

Looking ahead to the final

Now Argentina moves on to their fifth World Cup final, this time against Germany.

And Germany will probably smoke them.

OK, so that's a bit too flippant. It could be a great match if Leo Messi can get going, and unlike the Dutch, the Germans don't have a lockdown defensive midfielder like de Jong.

It's not that the Germans have more talent overall. They really don't.

It's that their players operate much better as a team. Whereas nearly all of Argentina's best players play forward, Germany's play everywhere. In particular, they have a very good passing midfield, led by Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira, that makes the offense hum when they are on form, as they were in Tuesday's 7-1 blowout win over Brazil.

All that said, is the final worth watching on Sunday? Most definitely. You'll see what is probably the world's best national team -- Germany -- take on the team with the world's best player in Messi. At the end of the day, one country will be exploding in joyous celebration. You don't get that every day.

Player of the day: Sergio Romero. The Argentine goalkeeper made the big saves when they mattered in penalty kicks.

Unfortunate business decision of the day: A pub in Galway, Ireland, offered a 50-cent discount on German beers for every goal Germany scored on Tuesday.

The @roisindubhpub threw a promotion that took 50c off German beer for each #GER goal last night. That backfired pic.twitter.com/86LASzk6hE

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 9, 2014

Unfortunate ad campaign of the day: Singapore's National Council on Problem Gambling ran an anti-gambling ad that has missed the mark just a tad. In the ad, a despondent boy says that he hopes Germany wins the World Cup because his father bet all his savings on Germany. So yeah, this family is rich now. 

Justin Masterson threw an easy-does-it 25-pitch bullpen session Wednesday after being placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a sore right knee.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard Wednesday at Progressive Field.

Clubhouse confidential: Justin Masterson is already on the comeback trail.

He threw a 15-minute bullpen session Wednesday, throwing 25 fastballs. He'll repeat this every other day until the All-Star break.

"He's just going nice and easy," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "We're trying to keep the stress off (his right knee) and still get some work."

The Indians placed Masterson on the disabled list Tuesday with a sore right knee that has been bothering him since early April.

"I think the knee affected him pretty bad," said Callaway. "It affected the way he landed and was able to throw against his front side. It probably accounted for the difference in velo (velocity) that we've been seeing."

Callaway said he's hopeful that Masterson will be back in the rotation when his 15-day stay on the DL is over.

"We can do whatever we want coming out of the break, but hopefully he's back pitching in two weeks," said Callaway. "He's going to be one of our keys to being a good team. We need him."

Gradual evening out: Lonnie Chisenhall was hitting .393 (66-for-168) on June 11. He's gone 15-for-76 since, entering Wednesday's game against the Yankees hitting .332 (81-for-244).

"During the course of a season, guys even out," said manager Terry Francona. "I thought he had a great at-bat against (Matt) Thornton on Tuesday night. Thornton was throwing 97 to 98 mph and the at-bat lasted 13 pitches.

"Lonnie's fine. He just may not hit .390."

Stat of the day: When Michael Brantley took a called third strike to end the second inning Wednesday night, it marked his first strikeout in 60 consecutive plate appearances.

LeBron James, the biggest prize in NBA free agency, held his much-anticipated meeting with Miami Heat president Pat Riley.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was the day that so many around the NBA were waiting for.

LeBron James, the biggest prize in NBA free agency, held his much-anticipated meeting with Miami Heat president Pat Riley. The smooth-talking executive who struck deals this week with Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger was hoping to convince James to stay with the Heat, a team that has made four straight trips to the NBA Finals. According to reports, the sit-down also included Miami executive Andy Elisburg and James' agent Rich Paul.

The meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, reportedly lasted a little more than one hour.

Fans and media members were glued to the Internet – either on their phones or computers. One eye was on Twitter, craving any morsel of information. The other eye was on James' personal website as reports and speculation pointed to that forum for his announcement.

But a decision from James didn't come and according to numerous reports, ones from CBS, ESPN, USA Today and Yahoo sports, an agreement is not expected Wednesday evening.

It's anticipated that James will meet with his family before making his choice. Multiple reports stated that James will have no further meetings with teams before making his decision.

One NBA observer, former ESPN reporter Chris Sheridan, did report shortly after the meeting with Riley that James had decided on the Cavaliers. But his blog was the only national voice stating that a decision had been made -- which he didn't retract as the evening went on.

Dwyane Wade, who LeBron had dinner with in Las Vegas the other night, and Chris Bosh -- the other members of Miami's Big 3 -- are also free agents. ESPN reported on Wednesday night that Bosh will go to Houston unless James return to South Beach.

On the eve of the NBA's free agency moratorium being lifted, the NBA and two teams in particular, the Cavaliers and Heat, continue to wait on James.

Michael Irvin rips fellow Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter for saying the Browns should cut Josh Gordon. Carter feels it will be the turning point in Gordon's life. Irvin said everyone's situation is different.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Michael Irvin says that fellow Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter's "ass is out of line'' for urging the Browns to cut Josh Gordon in the wake of his DWI arrest last week.

Irvin, who gave a motivational speech to the Browns last summer, became a mentor to Gordon through his friendship with former Browns coach Rob Chudzinski and former offensive coordinator Norv Turner and knows Gordon personally.

"I was so hot when I heard it,'' Irvin told Dan LeBatard on Wednesday on Miami's The Ticket radio station, via the Palm Beach Post. "I was so hot. You know, I love Cris Carter and he's a good dude and I know what he's trying to do and he's doing his job because his job is to bring his experience to the desk, to a microphone, and share his experiences.

"But he's touching these lines, just like I'm touching when I'm trying to help guys, and you're on TV. You have to toe a thin line here, you have to toe a very thin line. People consider you, like, 'you talked to Josh so you must know more. If you said they need to cut him, then my God, maybe they should cut him.'

"Now, isolation for Cris may have been the best thing. Separation, for Cris, may have been the best thing. For Josh, maybe it's the worst thing.''

Irvin, who like Carter has battled his own drug addiction, emphasized that everyone's situation is different. Carter's point, both to cleveland.com and on ESPN's Mike and Mike show, was that being released by the Browns would be Gordon's catalyst to getting clean, just like it was for him when Eagles coach Buddy Ryan cut him in 1990.

"This is a brain disease,'' said Irvin, who planned to encourage Gordon to attend Larry Fitzgerald's pro receiver camp in Minnesota this summer. "Addiction is a brain disease. You know, we act as if 'how can you make that decision? You must be stupid.' He's not. That's why they call substances dope. Because it makes you less intelligent and you make the poor decision. It's a brain disease. And it affects everybody differently.

"You know, what worked for Cris -- when we're talking about true recovery -- may not work for the other, so you can't make a blanket statement and just say 'worked for me, it'll work for him,' because that's not necessarily the truth and I thought it was a bit irresponsible. We have to be very careful in this position given the situation where you're trying to help people. ...and then also turn around, saying 'I'm mentoring and I'm helping.'

"The people start thinking that you have insight on the situation, so when you come out and make those kinds of comments and you're not in his sessions with his professional help, you don't know what's going on in those sessions, then you're being irresponsible. I was a bit disappointed Cris Carter made that statement.''

Irvin then shared that he felt Carter also crossed the line with Irvin when Irvin was struggling with substance abuse.

"I'm going to (get) a little personal on this even though I love Cris to death,'' said Irvin. "I don't know what year it was we were in the Pro Bowl. And all Cris is trying to do, he's just trying to share his experiences. He said to my wife -- he said to my wife -- 'you know, Michael would never come out of this problem until you leave him. Till you leave him.' For years, I've held it. I've never shared that with anybody. I've never in my life shared that with anybody. I was so irked with Cris because he was out of line then. His ass is out of line now. He is out of line.''

A source told cleveland.com that the Browns are working hard to get Gordon help in the aftermath of the DWI, during which his blood-alcohol level was .09. The arrest came in the midst of Gordon awaiting word on his indefinite ban from the NFL for at least his third violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Gordon's appeal hearing is set for later this month.

Former Browns quarterback talks about his career highlights and lowlights, his time in Cleveland, and what he's been doing since his days in a Browns uniform.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – With the 183rd pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns took a quarterback from a small school, Spergon Wynn out of Southwest Texas State University.

Arguably, what Wynn is most known for now is being apart of "The Brady 6."

Six quarterbacks were taken before Patriots selected future Super Bowl MVP quarterback Tom Brady at 199 in the 2000 draft. Joining Wynn into that club were Chad Pennington (by the N.Y. Jets), Giovanni Carmazzi (49ers), Chris Redman (Ravens), Tee Martin (Steelers) and Marc Bulger (Saints).

Wynn ended up playing one season with the Browns before being sent over to the then-NFL Europe's Amsterdam team, before being traded to Minnesota, where he played for two seasons. After his stint with the Vikings, Wynn spent four years in the Canadian Football League.

Wynn is No. 4 on our list as over the next three weeks we look back at all the Browns' starting quarterbacks since 1999. Here is a look at his career highlights and lowlights, his time in Cleveland, and what he's been doing since his days in a Browns uniform.

Spergon Wynn, 2000

0-1 as a Browns starter

Before the Browns

Wynn started his collegiate career at Minnesota under head coach Jim Wacker, who was also a Texas native. Once Wacker was fired and Glen Mason arrived, Wynn transferred closer to home to Southwest Texas State before the 1998 season.

"(Mason) had guys transferring in at my position that I felt would get more playing time, so I went down to Texas State to battle for a position," Wynn said by phone.

After he finished his senior season at Southwest Texas State, Wynn was invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

How he came to the Browns

After being selected in the sixth round, Wynn was told he would be sitting and watching behind Ty Detmer and Tim Couch.

Wynn said the experience of going from a small school to an NFL organization was a shock at first, especially going from a student athlete to a professional with "such a drastic change."

Browns highlights

Wynn got his first NFL start his rookie year in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His start resulted in a 48-0 loss, as he went 22-for-54 for 167 yards and one interception.

To Wynn, the highlight of his time in Cleveland was the guys he spent time with in the locker room.

"That's kind of what I take away from the whole experience, not what I did on the field because there wasn't much, honestly," he said. "It was more about, when I think of it, me being a rookie and trying to adapt to a new league and our team was really new."

Browns lowlights

Through one year with the Browns and one start, Wynn didn't spend a lot of time on the field. His career stats are the same as they were in his start against the Jaguars.

"I don't really have anything as a lowlight. I mean, yeah I went in and didn't play well and threw a bunch of interceptions (six with the Vikings in 2001) on the field," Wynn said. "If I look back maybe I would have made different throws or reads, but I look at it as a learning process, as helping me grow and mature and become a young man."

How he left the Browns

Following Wynn's rookie season, the Browns sent him to the Amsterdam Admirals, an NFL Europe team. After a successful trip to Europe, throwing for 2,039 yards and 14 touchdowns, Wynn was traded to Minnesota before the 2001 season.

With Chris Palmer out the door and Butch Davis in as the new Browns head coach in 2001, it was uncertain which guys would be where, Wynn said.

"When I got the news I was (traded), it was mixed feelings," he said. "I had friends in Cleveland and felt like I was learning but going to Minnesota, I went to college and had friends there, too. I was basically glad I wasn't released and was glad another team did have interest."

What he's doing now

Currently, Wynn is a commodities broker with Amerex Energy Services in Houston, where he spends his time selling and buying wholesale power and natural gas.

Along with his career at Amerex, Wynn and his wife, Joslyn, have a three-year-old son, Spergon IV, with another baby boy due in November.

He enjoys playing golf and says he hasn't thrown a football in "probably four or five years."

Interviews in restaurants

During his rookie year, Wynn remembers walking into a restaurant down the street from Browns headquarters. Fans filled the restaurant for a taped TV show with Browns players and coaches.

The Browns media relations guy asked him if he wanted to do an interview. When he got there, Wynn was shocked to find "100-200 people crammed in."

With all the lights, boom microphones, and a make up lady, Wynn got a little nervous.

"The sportscaster could tell I was not in the right state of mind to be interviewed. I was sweating and stuttering," he said. "But afterwards the media people came to me and said they got great responses from my interview. The fans and the community, they are truly loyal."  

Grateful for the opportunity

Though Wynn didn't have a long NFL tenure and started just three games, the entire experience was worth it.

"I really don't have any bad memories, and I'm not just saying that," Wynn said. "I don't look at life that way. I was playing professional football; you're living your dream. I didn't play long enough or well enough to have thoughts like that." 

Contact reporter Lexi Pluym by email (apluym@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@LexiPluym). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.