The performance and skill level of Cuban players in the big leagues recently has been impressive. Oakland's Yasiel Puig, Oakland's Koenis Cespedes and Chicago's Jose Abreu all made the All-Star team.

DETROIT, Mich. – In the end, they are baseball players, who learned how to play the game the same way thousands of others have learned to play.

Yoenis Cespedes, who has won the last two Home Run Derbies at the All-Star game, learned how to hit from softball-playing mother.

Jose Abreu, who went into the All-Star break with 29 homers, used to swing a broom handle at the rocks that his father pitched to him.

The difference, of course, is where they learned to play the game. All-Stars

Cespedes, Abreu and Yasiel Puig, three of the big league's most impressive players, defected from Cuba. In fact, in Tuesday's All-Star game at Target Field, there were five Cuban All-Stars including White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez and Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman and Ramirez are known quantities, but Cespedes, Abreu and Puig are the new wave. They all have power and so much run producing ability that the question has to be asked – do all Cuban players swing it like these guys?

"It sure seems that way," said John Mirabelli, Indians director of pro scouting, with a laugh. "I will say there are a lot of good baseball players in Cuba."

They might not all run like Puig or hit like Cespedes and Abreu, but Mirabelli said it is not happening by accident.

"No. 1, they play games in Cuba," said Mirabelli. "They're playing competitive games. It's not just workouts and tryouts.

"From a very young age, they're in real games, competing, seeing sliders and breaking balls. They know how to play the game, know how pitchers attack them.

They play way more games than any young players in Latin America and that's a big thing."

The second factor is that the government recruits Cuba's best young players to play on various national teams.

"Because they get chosen by the government when they're very young, they're afforded nutrition, strength and conditioning, structure and coaching," said Mirabelli. "They get a lot of benefits that other Latin players don't get. That leads to the success they've had."

When a Cuban player's talents and desires out-grow his island, there is only way to reach the big leagues. He must defect, leaving family and country behind. It's a dangerous and lonely decision, but there is big money for those with big talent.

Oakland signed Cespedes to a four-year $36 million deal. The White Sox signed Abreu for six years and $68 million. The Dodgers signed Puig for seven years and $42 million.

Mirabelli and the Indians scouted all three players. The talent was obvious. The questions were twofold.

How long would it take for them to get to the big leagues and how do you place a value on a player you know so little about.

"It's hard to hit in the big leagues," said Mirabelli. "They've got shifts and charts and it's just hard to get a hit. How quickly they've acclimated and made that transition probably surprised me a little bit."

The value question is still a hard one swallow for mid-to-small market teams like the Indians. The Indians knew the market value on free agents Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and Dave Murphy when they signed them over the last two years. They knew because they'd been able to scout them for years as big leaguers, minor leaguers and amateurs.

How do you put a price tag on a player you've seen only in international tournaments and in private workouts?

"You can look at these guys and say he's athletic, he has some All-Star upside and could be a run producer," said Mirabelli. "Then you get into how do you value that? Is he worth $68 million . . .$42 million? It's a risk for us in a small market.

"We can see the tools and feel pretty good about our judgment. The value is the really tricky part. Hey, but the teams that signed those guys got All-Star players so it's hard to say they were overpaid."

It's a gamble for any team, but not for the Cuban player. If he wants to play against the best, he has little choice but defect and see what the future holds.

On Monday night, the future looked and bright for Cespedes as he talked to reporters after winning his second straight Home Run Derby. He's a key cog on the first-place Oakland A's and his family, including the mother who taught him how to swing the bat, was with him in the interview room after following him out of Cuba.

This week in baseball

There are three strikes in an out and three outs in every half inning. Here are two more sets of three to think about from last week in baseball. (All stats through Friday).

Three up

1. Phillies second baseman Chase Utley made his sixth start as the NL's All-Star second baseman Tuesday. The only two NL second basemen with more are Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg (nine) and Joe Morgan (seven).

2. Texas right-hander Yu Darvish struck out 12 Blue Jays on Friday night for his 26h career game with 10 or more strikeouts. He ranks second in team history behind Nolan Ryan (34).

3. Oakland's Josh Donaldson, the first A's player to win a fan election to the All-Star game since Jason Giambi in 2000, gave Oakland its seventh walk-off victory Friday with a three-run homer against Baltimore.

Three down

1. Yankee left-hander CC Sabathia will need season-ending surgery Tuesday on his right knee. New York has lost four-fifths of its opening day rotation to injury.

2. The Brewers staggered into the All-Star break losing 11 of their last 13 games as their lead in the NL Central tumbled from 6 ½ games to one.

3. The Rangers have fallen from seven games out in the AL West on June 17 to 21 games behind first-place Oakland. They have not gained ground since June 16.

Tribe talk

"I found a fence. I took four baseballs and threw them into a fence. Walked over and picked them up. That's what I did all through high school," right-hander Trevor Bauer on how he spent one of his off days in Cleveland last week during the All-Star break.

MLB talk

"When they came out and told me I had a choice, I was pretty pumped. I got my dad a truck a couple of weeks ago, so I had to go with the Corvette," Angels' outfielder Mike Trout on how he decided to take a Corvette over a pickup truck after being named MVP of the All-Star game.

Stat-o-matic

Lead the way: Miguel Cabrera, the key to the Tiger offense, hit .383 in their victories headed into the All-Star break and .190 in their losses. (Detroit News).

Whoa, Nellie: Nelson Cruz's 28 homers before the break were the third most in Baltimore history behind Chris Davis (37 in 2013) and Brad Anderson (30 in 1996).

Do it all: Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen became the first player in team history to hit a game-tying homer and a game-winning homer in the ninth inning or later in the same game. McCutchen hit a game-tying solo homer in the ninth and a game-winning solo homer in the 11^th in a 6-5 win over the Reds on July 12.

The list

Here's how the top six hitters in the American League ranked in batting average coming out of the All-Star break.

Player                       Team                 Average

1. Adrian Beltre          Rangers            .337 (104-for-309).

2. Jose Altuve             Astros              .335 (130-for-388).

3. Robinson Cano        Mariners           .334 (118-for-353).

4. Lonnie Chisenhall    Indians             .328 (86-for-262).

5. Victor Martinez        Tigers              .328 (99-for-302).

6. Michael Brantley      Indians             .322 (113-for351).

Stow defensive end Jonathan Watts began power weightlifting when he was in eighth grade, and has become one of northeast Ohio's strongest linemen.

STOW, Ohio -- Jonathan Watts started growing into his body four years ago when he entered eighth grade, but the Stow senior knew back then he had to get bigger and stronger if he wanted to succeed on the football field. 

That's when the once-stocky lineman turned to the sport of power weightlifting and began to transform himself into a chiseled athlete. Now Watts is perched on the cusp of his senior season and ready to wreak havoc on opposing Northeast Ohio Conference quarterbacks.

An All-NOC River Division defensive end in 2013, Watts has a max dead lift of 535 pounds in competition with a goal of reaching 550. He credits power lifting with giving him a sense of achievement that translates into results on the football field. 

"It's a way to get me mentally strong," he said. "Once you hit those numbers, it's like the greatest feeling ever."

But not everybody in Watts' life gets a great feeling watching him compete as a weightlifter. For Karen Watts, Jonathan's mother, every powerlifting competition is a completely nerve-wracking endeavor.

"I'm always scared of him hurting his back or straining something that would keep him from playing football," Karen Watts said. "That's my biggest concern, because I know how much he loves playing."

Every day in July, check out a profile featuring one of the many standout football players in Northeast Ohio as part of the 31 in 31 series.

In March, Watts attended the Arnold Classic in Columbus and met some of his fitness and weightlifting idols. He waited five hours in line to meet bodybuilder Kai Greene and had the chance to snap a photo with fitness guru Rich Piana. Watts says he looks up to Piana and ascribes to his philosophy for success.

"He says that 5 percent of the world's population is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams and accomplish their goals," Watts said of Piana. "My goal is to always be part of that 5 percent."

On the field, Watts was often un-blockable from his strong side defensive end position in 2013, helping lead the Bulldogs to their first playoff appearance in 17 seasons.

Watts beams when he talks about Stow's four returning starters on the defensive line in 2014. 

Kareem Bushwaigeer, Brian Baranowski, Josiah Bodjanac and Watts figure to be among coach Mark Nori's strongest units. The Bulldogs graduated all but one starter from last year's offensive line.

"We're asking everybody to play their role and just work their hardest this season," he said.

Watts takes the edge off the daily grind of being a student-athlete by participating in Teammates, a program that gives him a chance to work with special education students on Stow's campus.

"When I'm dragging during the day, I always look forward to it," Watts said.

Perhaps leadership on the football field comes naturally for Watts because his grandfather, Bernard, was a Marine and an All-American lineman for North Carolina State University in the late 1940s. Bernard Watts was named the NCSU most valuable player in 1948 and is a member of the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame.

Watts recalls having "chalk talks" for hours at a time with his grandfather when he was younger, getting schooled on the finer points of playing in the trenches.

"He taught me so much stuff that it was hard to remember everything," Watts said.

More about Watts

Height: 6-foot-1.

Weight: 215 pounds.

Position: Defensive end.

Grade: Senior.

Awards/honors: First team All-Northeast Ohio Conference River Division defense.

Did you know: Watts was born in Singapore while his mother and father were stationed there working for Goodyear in the 1990s.

Get live updates, pictures and videos from the final round of the British Open, where Rory McIlroy holds a 6-stroke lead.

HOYLAKE, England – Follow Sunday's final round of the British Open below with live updates, pictures and videos from Royal Liverpool.

Track leader Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods and all your favorite golfers in a live leaderboard below.

Also check the box below for live Twitter updates from Royal Liverpool, including pictures and videos from the PGA Tour's official Twitter account and other notable Twitter feeds. Below the box is the live leaderboard.

Thanks to a pair of eagles late in his third round Saturday, McIlroy surged to a 6-shot lead at 16-under 200. Fowler is alone at 10 under, followed by Garcia and Johnson at 9 under.

A win Sunday would bring McIlroy his third leg of a career Grand Slam at just 25 after winning the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2012 PGA Championship.

Michigan State's passing game helped beat the Buckeyes last season, and it looks like the Spartans are still on top in this part of the game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michigan State beat Ohio State, 34-24, in the Big Ten title game last season because the Spartans threw the ball better. Michigan State completed 24 of 40 passes for 304 yards, while the Buckeyes managed just 8-of-23 for 101 yards.

So after checking out the quarterbacks and the run games, we examine the pass games on the whole. And it's not a shock that the Spartans look to be more effective.

Here's the breakdown and rating on Ohio State while Mike Griffith has the Michigan State analysis at Mlive.com.

Pass game

Ohio State returns four of its top five pass catchers from last season, but leading receiver Philly Brown did graduate. And there could be some changes anyway.

Devin Smith (44 catches, 660 yards, 8 TDs) and Evan Spencer (22 catches, 216 yards, 3 TDs, high praise for his blocking) joined Brown as starters last season. But Michael Thomas, Corey Smith and a few freshmen could all push for more playing time this season. Because while the receivers did improve from 2012, they still weren't as consistent or as dangerous as they could be, and some drops helped fuel the title game loss.

Sophomore slot receiver Dontre Wilson should have a much larger role in the offense, after catching 22 passes last season, and he could provide that danger. Urban Meyer has said repeatedly that his top two tight ends -- Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett -- are as good as any tight end combo in the country.

A new offensive line will have to give quarterback Braxton Miller time, and the senior quarterback will have to continue to make strides in finding receivers and hitting them in stride. In a league filled with good receivers a year ago, the Buckeyes didn't really have a star. If the pass game improves this year, it should be the depth of weapons, not an All-American candidate catching the ball, that makes it happen.

Strength: Heuerman (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) and Vannett (6-6, 260) are great athletes who create matchup problems. The Buckeyes may try to get them on the field together more often.

Weaknesses: The outside receivers aren't a sure thing. Smith is a deep threat, Spencer can block and there are plenty of other guys in the mix. But who's the receiver to line up and make a game-changing catch on third down? Not sure.

Keep an eye: Wilson as a pass catcher. He'll also be involved in the run game, but after a ton of hype last season, he had 53 touches (22 catches, 31 carries) and felt like more of a decoy. You have to imagine he'll be more than that this season, but he has to prove he can block and play the entire receiver position. It's not just about speed.

Rating: 7.5 -- There's reason for hope, but not a lot of sure things. If someone like freshman Johnnie Dixon or Smith, a junior college transfer who redshirted last year, breaks out, that could change things. The idea of Miller as a distributor getting out quick passes to his receivers makes sense. But we have to see it work.

Ohio State vs. Michigan State, The Breakdown

Introduction: Ohio State -- Michigan State

Quarterback: OSU's Braxton Miller (9.2) -- MSU's Connor Cook (8.9)

Run game: Ohio State (8.5) -- Michigan State (8.7)

Pass game: Ohio State (7.5) -- Michigan State (8.5)

Coming Monday: Comparing the offensive lines

The Indians loaded the bases in the ninth inning Saturday night and Carlos Santana delivered a three-run double to complete doubleheader sweep of the Tigers.

DETROIT, Mich. – The Indians have their own version of pick your poison.

The Tigers intentionally walked All-Star Michael Brantley to load the bases with two out Satuday night to face free-swinging Carlos Santana and paid the price. Santana lined a three-run double off the right field wall against closer Joe Nathan to give the Indians a 5-2 victory and complete a day-night doubleheader sweep of the defending AL Central champs.

What it means

The Indians improved to 50-47 with the doubleheader sweep. It's the first time they've been three games above .500 all season.

The are 7-4 against the Tigers and 10-4 in July. The sweep cut the Tigers' lead in the division to 4 1/2 games over the Indians.

All Dickerson all the time

Dickerson hit his first homer against Scherzer to start the third inning. He sent a 0-1 pitch into the right field seats.

After drawing a walk against Scherzer in the fourth, Dickerson did it again in the sixth. This time he hit a 2-2 pitch into the right field seats to give the Indians a 2-1 lead. Dickerson entered the game 0-for-9 with seven strikeouts against last year's AL Cy Young winner.

It was only the second multi-homer game in Dickerson's career. He homered twice against the Yankees on May 21, 2013.

Missed opportunity

After Dickerson pulled the Indians into a 1-1 tie with his homer in the second, Scherzer walked Jason Kipnis. Mike Aviles caught the Tigers napping with a bunt single to first to put runners on second and first with no one out.

Brantley lined out to right and Santana struck out, but Scherzer's control deserted him again as he walked Lonnie Chisenhall to load the bases. Nick

Nick Swisher ended the inning by bouncing into a force play at second.

Zach McAllister's game

McAllister allowed one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six, walked three and threw 97 pitches.

He had a strange second inning. After striking out J.D. Martinez, he gave up a single to Torii Hunter. With Don Kelly at the plate, McAllister stumbled during his delivery and bounced the ball toward the Indians' dugout.

McAllister was charged with a wild pitch as manager Terry Francona came out to see if he was all right. McAllister stayed in the game and retired Kelly, but then proceeded to walk three straight to force home Hunter for a 1-0 lead.

Ian Kinsler, who entered the game hitting .357 against the Tribe this season, fouled out to third to end the inning.

What's coming

The Indians conclude this four-game series on Sunday when RHP Josh Tomlin (5-6, 4.21) faces LHP Drew Smyly (5-8, 4.00) at 1:08 p.m. SportsTime Ohio will televise the game. WTAM and WMMS will broadcast it on the radio.

After Sunday, the Indians travel to Minneapolis for a three-game series against the Twins at Target Field.

Josh Tomlin takes the mound Sunday at Comerica Park as the Indians try for a four-game sweep over the Tigers. The had seven four-game sweeps last year.

DETROIT, Mich. -- Here are the Indians and Tigers lineups for Sunday's series finale at Comerica Park.

INDIANS

2B Jason Kipnis, L.

SS Asdrubal Cabrera, S.

CF Michael Brantley, L.

1B Carlos Santana, S.

LF Ryan Raburn, R.

DH Nick Swisher, S.

C Yan Gomes, R.

RF David Murphy, L.

3B Mike Aviles, R.

RHP Josh Tomlin, 5-6, 4.21.

TIGERS

CF Austin Jackson, R.

2B Ian Kinsler, R.

DH Miguel Cabrera, R.

1B Victor Martinez, S.

LF J.D. Martinez, R.

RF Torii Hunter, R.

3B Nick Castellanos, R.

C Alex Avila, L.

SS Andrew Romine, S.

LHP Drew Smyly, 5-8, 4.00

UMPIRES

H Mark Carloson.

1B Laz Diaz, crew chief.

2B Scott Barry.

3B Mike Everitt.

McIlroy joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players with three different majors at age 25 or younger.

HOYLAKE, England -- Walking off the 18th green as the British Open champion, Rory McIlroy kept gazing at all the greats on golf's oldest trophy.

On the claret jug, his name is etched in silver below Phil Mickelson.

In the record book, he is listed behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the youngest to get three legs of the career Grand Slam.

And over four days at Royal Liverpool, he had no equal.

"I'm immensely proud of myself," McIlroy said after his two-shot victory Sunday that was never really in doubt. "To sit here, 25 years of age, and win my third major championship and be three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam ... yeah, I never dreamed of being at this point in my career so quickly."

He had to work a little harder than he wanted for this one.

Staked to a six-shot lead going into the final round, McIlroy turned back every challenge. He made two key birdies around the turn, and delivered a majestic drive at just the right moment to close with a 1-under 71 and complete his wire-to-wire victory.

In another major lacking tension over the final hour, what brought The Open to life was the potential of its champion.

After nearly two years of turmoil, McIlroy looked like the kid who shattered scoring records to win the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, and who won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island by a record eight shots a year later.

Boy Wonder is back. Or maybe he's just getting started again.

McIlroy won by two shots over Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler to become the first start-to-finish winner since Woods at St. Andrews in 2005. Even with one major left this year, the Northern Irishman already is looking ahead to Augusta National next April for a shot at the slam.

"I've really found my passion again for golf," McIlroy said. "Not that it ever dwindled, but it's what I think about when I get up in the morning. It's what I think about when I go to bed. I just want to be the best golfer that I can be. And I know if I can do that, then trophies like this are within my capability."

McIlroy put an end to this major with a powerful drive down the fairway at the par-5 16th, setting up a two-putt birdie to restore his lead to three shots. He finished with two pars, tapping in for par on the 18th green.

The hard part was trying not to cry when his mother, Rosie, came onto the green with tears streaming down her face. She was not at the other two majors. Before leaving, McIlroy turned and applauded the fans in the horseshoe arena who were witness to another masterpiece.

This could have been another romp except for a shaky stretch early for McIlroy, and solid efforts from Garcia and Fowler.

Garcia pulled within two shots with four holes to play until he put his tee shot in a pot bunker just right of the 15th green. His first shot failed to get over the 4-foot sodden wall and rolled back into the sand. He made bogey, and two birdies over the final three holes were not enough. Garcia shot 66 and was runner-up in a major for the fourth time.

"I think that we gave it a good effort," Garcia said. "And there was someone a little bit better."

Fowler, playing in the final group for the second straight major, didn't do anything wrong. He just didn't do enough right to make up a six-shot deficit. Fowler played without a bogey, made three birdies on the last four holes and shot 67.

"He played awesome," Fowler said. "And it was just kind of fun to throw a few shots at him coming. To see him win was pretty cool."

It was the first time two straight majors were won wire to wire. Martin Kaymer did it last month at Pinehurst No. 2, taking the U.S. Open by eight shots.

McIlroy, who finished at 17-under 271, wasn't the only big winner Sunday. Ten years ago, his father and three of his friends each put up 100 pounds ($170) at 500-1 odds that McIlroy would win the British Open before he turned 26.

The kid made good on the best with a brand of golf that had him marked early as golf's next great player.

McIlroy moved up to No. 2 in the world, perhaps on his way to regaining the No. 1 ranking that once looked as if it would be his for years. He ended the 2012 season by winning his second major and capturing the money title on the PGA Tour and European Tour.

Since then, the road has been bumpier than some of the dunes at Hoylake.

McIlroy signed a megadeal with Nike and switched out all his equipment. He changed management for the second time, leading to lawsuits that are still to be decided. And after getting engaged to Caroline Wozniacki on New Year's Eve, he abruptly broke off the engagement in May with a telephone call.

His path to victory in The Open was much smoother.

McIlroy made back-to-back bogeys on the front nine and had to save par from a pot bunker to avoid a third. But he steadied himself with a birdie on the par-3ninth, and when Garcia made a 10-foot eagle ahead of him on the 10th to cut the lead to two, McIlroy answered with a two-putt birdie.

Garcia blinked when he could least afford it, leaving a shot in the bunker at No. 15 as McIlroy watched from the tee.

Jim Furyk was among four players who tied the course record with a 65 to finish fourth. Tiger Woods was long gone. He finished his 75 as McIlroy was still on the practice range. Woods finished 69th -- his worst finish over 72 holes in any major -- and wound up 23 shots behind, his largest deficit ever in a major.

The Indians were denied a four-game sweep of the Tigers as they feel in the fourth and final game of the series Sunday at Comerica Park.

DETROIT, Mich. – OK, so they don't get the sweep, but taking three out of four games against the Tigers at Comerica Park isn't too bad.

The Indians were denied a four-game sweep in Detroit -- something they've never done in their history -- when the Tigers jumped Josh Tomlin early Sunday afternoon an coasted to a 5-1 victory.

Left-hander Drew Smyly baffled the Tribe for seven innings. The Indians only run came on Yan Gomes' two-out homer in the seventh. It was his 13th of the season, two more than he hit last year.

What it means

The Indians (50-48) slipped to 11-5 in July, but retained sole possiion of second place in the AL Central. The Tigers (54-41) extended their lead to 5 1/2 games over the Tribe.

Still, the Indians are off and running on this 11-game, 10-day trip against AL Central foes Detroit, Minneapolis and Kansas City.

They came out of the break trailing the first-place Tigers by 7 1/2 games. By taking three out of four over the weekend, they not only moved into second place, but cut into the Tigers lead by two games.

Not this time

The Indians started four right-handers in this series against a Tiger lineup that is short on left-handed hitters. Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister went a combined 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in the first three games.

They held the Tigers to six earned runs in 20 innings with with 21 strikeouts and five walks. Tomlin, the fourth Tribe right-hander, allowed four runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings Sunday to take the loss.

Trouble with Detroit

Tomlin (5-7) fell to 1-2 against the Tigers with a 7.94 ERA in three appearances, including two starts, this season. He has allowed 16 hits and 10 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings.

In his three appearances against Detroit, Tomlin has allowed three homers. Overall, he has allowed 14 homers in 15 appearances, including 14 starts.

Lefty fever

The Indians slipped to 13-17 in games started by lefties this year. Smyly is 2-1 in his career against the Tribe.

What's coming?

The Indians open a three-game series Monday night against the Twins at Target Field. LHP T.J. House (1-2, 4.40) will face LHP Kris Johnson (0-1, 5.40) at 8:10 p.m. on SportsTime Ohio/WTAM/WMMS.

House and Tuesday's starter Danny Salazar must be recalled from the minors, which means two roster spaces must be cleared.

The Indians lost to the Tigers on Sunday but lead the season series, 7-5.

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

Game: 98.

Opponent: Tigers.

Location: Comerica Park, Detroit.

Time of day: Afternoon.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 54 minutes.

Attendance: 41,736.

Result: Tigers 5, Indians 1.

Records: Tigers 54-41, Indians 50-48.

Scoreboard Watch: The Indians dropped to 5.5 games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central.

No broom service: The Indians failed to sweep the four-game series, but they have every reason to feel upbeat about their weekend. It is difficult to sweep a four-game series from any opponent, let alone a first-place club in its house. The Tribe  departed Detroit having shaved two games off its deficit to remain relevant in the division. If the Tigers had won three or swept, the Indians, for all practical purposes, would have been reduced to chasing a wild card.

Flipping the script: The Indians lead the season series, 7-5. They are 4-2 in Detroit. Last season, the Tigers toyed with the Indians, winning 15 of 19.

Tiger tales: The Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak overall.

Still impressive: The Tribe is 11-5 in July.

Not much chance: The Indians finished with four hits. They slipped to 9-35 when scoring three or fewer runs and to 4-14 with five or fewer hits.   

No laughing matter: Detroit lefty Drew Smyly allowed one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out six. He threw 66 of 103 pitches for strikes.

Smyly deserves credit for a game well pitched. He kept the Indians off-balance throughout using a variety of off-speed pitches that complemented a serviceable  fastball. But he wasn't as good as the Indians made him appear. They didn't seem to want to settle for singles the other way, especially with two strikes.

Smyly should have been vulnerable based on three realities. 1. He allowed at least four earned runs in each of his previous three starts. 2. He entered at 1-4 with a  5.70 ERA in day games (23.2 IP, 15 ER). 3. In his only other start against the Indians this season, May 19 in Cleveland, he allowed three runs on seven hits and walked five in five innings. He threw 110 pitches.

Gomes or bust: Tribe catcher Yan Gomes was 2-for-3 with a double and homer against Smyly; his teammates were 2-for-21 with two singles.

Gomes' double to right-center with two outs in the fifth was Cleveland's first hit. Gomes homered to left with two outs in the seventh.

Gomes is 33-for-92 (.359) against lefties.

Rough start: Indians righty Josh Tomlin gave up four runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three. He exited the fifth with runners on first and second. C-C Lee stranded them at second and third after swinging strikeouts of Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera.

The Tigers simply are a bad matchup for Tomlin, who relies on finesse. Their hitters, collectively, are good enough to spoil or lay off his quality strikes or pitches just off the plate. When Tomlin makes mistakes, they do damage because his stuff isn't quite nasty enough. 

This season, Tomlin is 1-2 with a 7.94 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against Detroit. He has given up 10 earned runs on 16 hits in 11 1/3 innings. For his career, Tomlin is 2-4 with a 6.60 ERA in seven appearances (five starts). He has given up 22 earned runs on 39 hits -- eight of which are homers -- in 30 innings. 

Setting the tone: In the first inning, the Indians went 1-2-3 in nine pitches. Jason Kipnis grounded a 2-1 pitch to short, Asdrubal Cabrera flied to right and Michael Brantley lined to left.

The Tigers scored two in their half.

Austin Jackson led off by lining a 2-2 fastball into the left-field corner for a double. Why Tomlin did not use his curveball in the six-pitch sequence is a mystery -- even granting that pitchers need to establish their fastball. The sequence to Jackson went: fastball, foul; fastball, ball; fastball, ball; cutter, swinging strike; cutter, foul; fastball, double.

Ian Kinsler, who entered 0-for-16, grounded an 0-1 fastball into the hole at short for a single. Jackson scored in part because left fielder Ryan Raburn did not get the ball out of his glove cleanly and made an off-target throw to the plate.

Kinsler delivered the Tigers' first hit with runners in scoring position in the series.

Miguel Cabrera sent a 1-2 curveball to center for a flyout, but it was deep enough that Kinsler tagged. Victor Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-0.

Locking them down: Smyly gave up two runners through four hitless innings (57 pitches).

Carlos Santana led off the second with a walk. Raburn struck out swinging and Nick Swisher grounded into a double play.

Brantley drew a two-out walk in the fourth. Santana flied to right.

Tacking on: The Tigers made it 4-0 in the fourth. Torii Hunter hit a two-out, two-run homer off Tomlin's hanging curve.

Three awful ABs: The Indians appeared to be in business in the sixth when Mike Aviles led off with a single and moved to second on Kinpis's bunt single. The potential uprising fizzled in a hurry: Cabrera was overmtached by Smyly's fastball and struck out swinging; Brantley missed a pitch to hit and popped to center; and Santana popped to second.

Those were the Indians' final three at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Tribe finished 0-for-4 with RISP. 

Right now, the Tribe has two reliable starters -- Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer.

DETROIT, Mich. -- The Indians needed a weekend like this, three days where they won three games in Detroit.

They came to the Motor City trailing the Tigers by 7 1/2 games in the Central Division. They rolled out of town cutting that margin to 5 1/2, despite being on the wrong side of a 5-1 verdict Sunday.

It's still hard to know if the Tribe can actually be a playoff contender. The rotation has too many question marks once you get past Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. Josh Tomlin started Sunday, and lost again, allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings. In his last seven starts, Tomlin is 1-6 with a 6.00 ERA. His only victory was a 1-hit complete game in Seattle.

A disappointed Tomlin shook his head, and took the blame for hanging a 1-and-2 curve to Torii Hunter for a 2-run homer. That came after J.D. Martinez singled on an 0-and-2 pitch. He talked about control problems. Not walking batters. He has walked only five (compared to allowing eight homers) in these last seven mostly shaky starts.

Tomlin's fastball is marginal. To be effective, it has to live on the edges of the plate and not rise much above the knees.

"Been leaking too many over the middle," he said. That means the ball was supposed to be on a corner, but drifted into the heart of the plate -- and the barrel of the bat. His control has been "too good," as he said he may be worrying too much about walking people.

I'm a fan of Tomlin's work, and this is not a demand he be removed from the rotation -- but there is reason for concern. Overall, he is 5-7 with a 4.43 ERA, smashed for 14 homers in 81 innings.

"I always give up homers," said Tomlin. "But the problem is I'm giving them up with guys on base. That has to stop."

Corey Kluber beat Detroit on Saturday, raising his record to 10-6.AP 

SPINNING THE ROTATION

In the next two games, the starters are T.J. House and Danny Salazar. Both are in the minors awaiting roster moves before Monday's game at Minnesota.

At the moment,  the names of Bauer and Kluber are written in ink -- and the rest should be scribbled in pencil, and subject to change. For a team that hopes to contend, that's a problem.

Zach McAllister may be ready to claim a spot in the rotation after holding Detroit to one run in 5 1/3 impressive innings in Saturday's second game. Several times, his fastball was clocked at 95 mph -- a very high reading for him. He was sent back to Columbus after the game, thanks to new MLB rules that allow a 26th man on the roster for a doubleheader. That was McAllister on Saturday.

As Terry Francona looks ahead and ponders his Friday starter, he's considering Justin Masterson (rehab assignment for a cranky knee) and McAllister -- both at Columbus.

A manager can juggle the rotation for a few weeks, but needs to figure it out soon. That's why Salazar is being promoted. The Tribe hopes he can have a strong finish as he did a year ago -- a 3.12 ERA in his final 10 starts after being summoned from Columbus. In his last five starts for the Clippers, Salazar has a 2.38 ERA. Overall, he is a 3-6 with a 4.02 ERA.

T.J. House is being recalled from the minors to start Monday's game in Minnesota.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer 

STABILIZING STARTERS

Tribe starters have a 4.42 ERA, 13th out of 15 American League teams. A year ago, the Indians rotation ranked No. 6 with a 3.92 ERA.

They could use Scott Kazmir, 11-3 with a 2.38 ERA in Oakland. But not Ubaldo Jimenez (3-8, 4.52 ERA), who is on the disabled list with an ankle injury in Baltimore. The Tribe passed on both free agents last winter, hoping Masterson would repeat his 2013 All-Star form and Salazar would grow into a solid starter.

Neither happened.

Just decent starting pitching will be a major plus for the Tribe. That was revealed this weekend thanks to the arms of Bauer, Kluber and McAllister.

The Tribe has the AL's third-ranked bullpen. Even Sunday's loss featured some very good work by C.C. Lee and Kyle Crockett.

At times this season, House (1-2, 4.40 ERA) has had some promising moments. McAllister seems past his June back problems. Masterson? Who knows? Is he healthy?

Salazar? Maybe. Tomlin? Can he get his career back on track once again as he has done before?

Yes, the Indians still need to hit better against lefties -- they are 13-17 and batting .247 against them this season. But the real key for the final 64 games is the starting rotation and if Francona can find the right guys at the right time.

Indians pitchers held the big bats of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez in check to take three out of four games in weekend series against the Tigers.

DETROIT, Mich. – Seen and heard Sunday at Comerica Park.

Clubhouse confidential: Detroit's Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are Public Enemies No.1 and No.1a when it comes to hitting Indians' pitching. Martinez is a .351 (75-for-214) lifetime hitter against the Tribe and Cabrera is right behind at .338 (160-for-474).

This season Cabrera is hitting .383 (18-for-47) and Martinez .289 (13-for-45) with five homers and 15 RBI between them against the Tribe.

Over the weekend, however, the Tigers' top guns batted a combined .290 (9-for-31) with no homers and one RBI. That is as good an explanation as any for the Indians winning three of the four games in the series.

"The last series we played at our place, we only got through them once without getting nicked up," said manager Terry Francona. "It's a huge reason why the Tigers are good. Those guys in the middle are pretty special and I thought our guys pitched them pretty well."

Welcome to Detroit: Friday night, in the opener of the four-game series, former Tiger Ryan Raburn delivered a big pinch-hit double as part of the Tribe's seven-run, seventh-inning rally on the way to a 9-3 win.

The crowd at Comerica Park booed Raburn when he came to the plate.

"When can't I hear them?' said Raburn. "I've heard it for two or three years here. I guess it's part of the game, I don't know."

Asked if it made the double sweeter, Raburn said, "No, I have no ill-feelings toward anybody here. I had a bad year the last year I was here. My goal is to help this ballclub as much as I can."

Stat of the day: The Indians missed their first chance this season for a four-game sweep in Sunday's loss to the Tigers. Last year they have seven four-game sweeps.

The Indians, after taking three out of four from the Tigers over the weekend, open a three-game series against the Twins at Target Field on Monday night.

DETROIT, Mich. – The Indians may need balance in their unsettled starting rotation, but when it comes to handling expectations for the long season, they are well equipped.

They have a manager who lives in the moment. What happened yesterday does not matter. The same goes for what might happen tomorrow. Today's events on the diamond are the only thing worthy of discussion.

In the clubhouse they have a DH/first baseman who lives his life at 98 mph. Whatever happened in the past, present and future is all good, all positive and open for discussion.

What better way to take stock of the Tribe's just completed four-game series against the AL Central-leading Tigers than talking to Terry Francona and Nick Swisher?

The Indians came out of the All-Star break on the quick step and caught the aging Tigers still rolling out of bed. They won the first three games behind solid starting pitching and late-inning offense.

On Sunday they were in line for their first four-game sweep ever in Detroit, but were beaten by left-hander Drew Smyly, 5-1.

So despite improving to 7-5 against the Tigers, moving into second place and reducing their deficit by two games, Francona talked mostly about Sunday.

"I'd rather keep it in the present," he said. "When we win or when we lose, I never want us to get too up or too down. I'd prefer to talk about today because that's what's on our plate.

"I think when you start going back you're trying to make yourself feel too good about what you've done before. That's not real helpful. We're not going to put our tail between our legs because we lost, but that's what was out there.

"I thought both teams had played a lot of baseball this weekend and they did a better job today than we did."

The Indians have finished the first stop on a three-city, 10-day, 11-game AL Central trip through Detroit, Minnesota and Kansas City. Going into the break, they took two out of three from the White Sox, another AL Central foe.

"This was a game we really wanted to get," said Swisher. "They got the early lead on us and I thought (Josh) Tomlin did a great job giving us a chance to stay in that game, but we just weren't able to get it done.

"But either way, the way we played this series, definitely lets everyone know where we stand. Hey, we got the right mindset going into the second half."

The Tigers went 15-4 against the Indians last year. The Tribe is on much more even footing this year.

"We feel good about where we are right now, especially coming out of this set," said Swisher. "This is a huge road trip. It's crazy to say that games mean a lot in July, but this trip is crucial.

"On a trip like this, when you're playing in your division, we have to play well."

The RubberDucks (57-45) have fallen 3 1/2 games behind Richmond, Va., in the Western Division.

Erie had only seven hits but got four runs from two homers to lead the Seawolves over the RubberDucks, 5-2, in a Class AA Eastern League game Sunday in Akron.

View full sizeRubberDucks pitcher Duke von SchamannRubberDucks 

Akron had narrowed the Seawolves' lead to 2-1 in the seventh inning with an RBI single from designated hitter Jake Lowery. 

But after getting the first two batters out in the eighth inning, Erie shortstop Dixon Machado singled off of RubberDucks starter Duke von Schamann. RubberDucks manager Dave Wallace then pulled von Schamann for righthander Trey Haley. 

Haley struggled, walking the first batter he faced then giving up a three-run homer to Erie second baseman Devon Harris. Outfielder Marcus Lemon doubled before Haley ended the inning with a strikeout.

RubberDucks third baseman Justin Toole had a two-out RBI single in the ninth to make it 5-2 and managed to get the tying run to the plate, but Erie's Angel Nesbitt earned his third save of the season by getting RubberDucks outfielder Jordan Smith to fly out to center field.

Erie starter Warwick Saupold (6-8, 5.53 ERA) held the RubberDucks to just one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three.

Von Schamann (3-6, 4.52) gave up three runs on five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out five and gave up no walks.

The loss was the fourth straight for the RubberDucks (57-45), who have fallen 3 1/2 games behind Richmond, Va., in the Western Division.

Chagrin Falls football player Sean Mackin, is a big time recruit in lacrosse, as he will be playing lacrosse at Syracuse in college.

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio – Chagrin Falls football linebacker Sean Mackin is a terrific two-sport athlete, starring on both the football field, as well as helping lead the lacrosse team.

In fact, Mackin will be playing lacrosse at Syracuse, one of the top programs in the country. For Chagrin Falls lacrosse coach Crispin Napolitano, he said Mackin's leadership makes him great in both sports.

“I have been able to coach him for five seasons now, and he has just continued to grow as a leader,” Napolitano said. “He does a great job of leading on the field, but also tremendous in the locker room and off the field. The guys look up to him on our team, and just watching him on the football field, guys look to him to go out and make the plays.”

Both sports are physical, and Mackin said that playing both of them is definitely an advantage.

“Football definitely helps me with the way that I play defense in lacrosse,” Mackin said. “In lacrosse, I have to make sure that I stay in front of my man, and it is very similar to me jamming a receiver in football.

"Likewise, playing lacrosse also helps me in football with my agility and quickness."

For lacrosse players, the way to get noticed by college is different than sports like football and basketball. You have to be willing to travel and have to be on top of your game, which Napolitano says Mackin did when given the opportunity.

“A lot of college coaches aren’t going to go to a high school game during the regular season, “ Napolitano said. “For them, it makes more sense to go watch them in the summer when they are playing on travel teams with other top players. For Sean, he was able to get a chance to play in front of the Syracuse coaches, and when he did, he made the most of his opportunity. He is a special player and I am blessed to be able to coach him."

Mackin's football coach Mark Iammarino agrees with Napolitano that the Chagrin Falls athlete is a joy to coach.

"He obviously has the things like the size, speed and the agility for a guy his size," Iammarino said. "However, his best trait is that he is a great kid. He comes from a good family and great parents. Overall, he is just such a great kid and player, who remains so humble."

While Mackin will be going to play lacrosse at college, his focus right now is solely on his upcoming senior season.

“We have big goals in both sports for the upcoming season,” Mackin said. “In football, we definitely want to win a sixth straight CVC (Chagrin Valley Conference), and that is my main focus right now. Obviously, with lacrosse, we were so close to winning the state title last year. This season, there is no doubt that we are setting our goals very high, and that is to win state. It is going to take a lot of work in both sports, but we can do it if we work hard."

The Tigers get their football season started on Aug. 29 as they hit the road to take on the Madison Blue Streaks.

More about Mackin:

Height: 6-foot-2.

Weight: 216 pounds.

Position: Linebacker.

Grade: Senior.

College: Syracuse (lacrosse).

Contact high school sports reporter Mark Kern by email mkern@cleveland.com or Twitter (@Markkern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – When Seneca Wallace followed new team president Mike Holmgren to Cleveland in 2010, most figured the former Seattle quarterback would be a backup. While that turned out to be the case, injuries led to Wallace starting seven games for the Browns between 2010 and 2011. Wallace is No. 15 on our list as we look back...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – When Seneca Wallace followed new team president Mike Holmgren to Cleveland in 2010, most figured the former Seattle quarterback would be a backup.

While that turned out to be the case, injuries led to Wallace starting seven games for the Browns between 2010 and 2011.

Wallace is No. 15 on our list as we look back at all the Browns' starting quarterbacks since 1999. Here is a look at his career highlights and lowlights and what he's been doing since his Cleveland days.

Seneca Wallace, 2010-11

1-6 as a Browns starter

Before the Browns

At Iowa State, Wallace threw for 5,289 yards, 26 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Establishing himself as a dual-threat, Wallace also rushed for 912 yards and 15 touchdowns in college. 

A fourth-round pick for Seattle, Wallace started 14 games in seven seasons with the Seahawks. He was 333-of-556 for 3,547 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in Seattle. He set a team record by throwing 184 consecutive passes without an interception in 2008.

How he came to the Browns

After becoming team president prior to the 2010 season, Mike Holmgren traded a seventh-round pick for Wallace.

Browns highlights

After quarterback Jake Delhomme was injured in the 2010 season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, Wallace took over and started the next four games. A 23-20 Week 3 win over Cincinnati would prove to be Wallace's only career win as a Browns starter. He completed 18-of-30 passes for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Wallace's best Browns performance might have been against Arizona in 2011. In his first start of the year, Wallace helped the Browns built a 17-7 third-quarter lead. One touchdown came on an improvised play in which Wallace found Greg Little for a 76-yard touchdown.

Wallace was 18-of-31 for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception (and a fumble) in the game, which the Browns lost in overtime, 20-17.

"I think he played awesome," said receiver Josh Cribbs. "Played great. He threw the ball down the field. Threw to a lot of different receivers. He made plays when plays were needed to be made from him."

Browns lowlights

Of Wallace's six losses as Browns starting quarterback, only one was by more than a touchdown. One of those closes losses came to Baltimore in 2010.

After the Ravens took a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter, Wallace and the Browns began at their 20-yard line. But a half pitch/half handoff with Peyton Hillis led to disaster on the first place. Wallace recovered the ball at the Browns 3, but great field position eventually led to a Ravens field goal in the 24-17 loss.

Two weeks later against Atlanta, Wallace injured his ankle while being sacked, forcing the Browns to turn to Delhomme, who was not fully recovered from his own injury woes. The result was a 20-10 loss.

The final game of the five-win 2011 season came on New Year's Day, 2012. Wallace was 16-of-41 passing for 177 yards and an interception. In swirling winds, rain and sleet, Wallace was 0-for-7 inside the Steelers' 30, leaving the Browns with three Phil Dawson field goals and a 13-9 loss.

How he left the Browns

Wallace was released by the Browns following the 2012 preseason.

After the Browns

Wallace did not play in 2012. He spent time with New Orleans and San Francisco during the summer of 2013, finally landing with Green Bay, where he played in three games, starting one. 

What he's doing now

Wallace, who will be 34 in August, is a free agent.

OHSAA surveyed member schools in May about pay-to-participate, drug testing and more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Results released Friday from a survey of Ohio High School Athletic Association member schools indicate a higher-than-anticipated number of programs that require drug testing along with little growth in the number of schools that have pay-to-participate fees.

OHSAA officials sent the survey to 821 member schools in May following the release of the competitive balance referendum results. 

Director of Information Services Tim Stried said almost 500 schools responded and officials were pleased with the turnout.

According to Stried, the OHSAA surveys its member schools every two years to gauge the status of pay-to-participate throughout Ohio. Out of curiosity, officials add a few questions on a variety of current issues. 

This year's survey included questions about student-athlete drug testing programs, the use of artificial turf and whether schools had policies regarding tournament play on Sundays.

Of the schools that responded to this year's survey, 46 percent said they have pay-to-participate fees. Stried says that number was about the same as it was in 2012. 

(1st of 3) #OHSAA SURVEY RESULTS: 46% of Ohio high schools have pay-to-play fees. The Central District has the highest percentage (63%)

— OHSAA Sports (@OHSAASports) July 18, 2014

"We thought it would be higher, but the pay-to-play numbers appear to be holding steady across the state" Stried said, adding that the OHSAA has no control over what schools include pay-to-participate fees.

Data collected from the question about drug testing for athletes was a bit of a surprise, Stried said.

(2nd of 3) #OHSAA SURVEY RESULTS: Of the high schools in Ohio that own their own stadium, 31% have artificial turf. More…

— OHSAA Sports (@OHSAASports) July 18, 2014

"I thought that the number of schools that conduct drug testing would be lower," he said after 22 percent of schools responding indicated they have some form of testing in place. 

Of the schools surveyed, 31 percent of the responding members that own their stadium said they have installed artificial turf. The OHSAA prefers that neutral site football tournament games take place on artificial surfaces.

(3rd of 3) #OHSAA SURVEY RESULTS: 22% of high schools in Ohio have some form of drug testing for their student-athletes.

— OHSAA Sports (@OHSAASports) July 18, 2014

The survey also included a question about whether schools have a policy that would allow their teams to participate in Sunday tournament games, however Stried said the OHSAA is still deciding whether the data collected on that question is usable. 

Many of the schools included conditional responses to that portion of the survey, and it would be difficult to publish the data in a purposeful way, Stried said. 

More complete results from the survey, including data and trends, will be included in a fall OHSAA magazine article, Stried said. 

What do you think of the survey results? Log in and leave a comment below and take our poll. 

The Buckeyes are replacing four starters, with fifth-year senior Alabama transfer Chad Lindsay an interesting option inside.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- We finish up the offense as we continue our Ohio State vs. Michigan State comparison. We've had a little overlap as we broke down the quarterback spot, the run game and the pass game. But run game and a pass game were more descriptive than just talking about running backs and receivers. 

The offensive line was obviously considered with both the run and pass game, but now deserves its own category. Here's the Ohio State view of the Buckeyes' new group, while Mike Griffith deals with the Michigan State offensive line.

Offensive line 

This group a year ago was the best Urban Meyer had ever coached and served as the foundation of the team. Left tackle Jack Mewhort (second-round pick of Indianapolis), center Corey Linsley (fifth-round pick of Green Bay), left guard Andrew Norwell and right guard Marcus Hall are gone, and it's time for offensive line coach Ed Warinner to rebuild.

The line looked like an issue when the new coaching staff took over in 2012, and Warinner shaped the 2013 line from those players. So there is a level of faith in what he can do. But the talent in this group may not be as high.

Taylor Decker is the only starter returning, shifting from right tackle to left tackle. Pat Elflein is the guy at right guard as the only other sure starter. Darryl Baldwin at right tackle and Antonio Underwood at left guard are veteran backups as the leading candidates to earn starting jobs, while Alabama fifth-year transfer Chad Lindsay enters the mix at center (and maybe guard) after Jacoby Boren and Billy Price battled there during spring.

Warinner is good. And there are young options with redshirt freshman Evan Lisle and a five-man class of true freshmen that includes Jamarco Jones and Demetrius Knox. But there's a lot of work to be done in preseason camp and a lot of jobs to be won.

Run blocking: Elflein, a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder, stepped in for Hall during the Michigan game and for the entire Big Ten title game last season and the line didn't miss a beat. He's ready to be a Big Ten guard.

Lindsay started four games for Alabama last season as an injury replacement, and the 6-foot-2, 302-pounder will have a chance since neither Boren nor Price seized the job at center. Meyer made a big deal last season of Linsley's role as the apex of the offense, and someone has to take control of the center spot to fill that role.

Converted defensive lineman Joel Hale will battle Underwood and is ready to run block now, but he's still coming along as a pass blocker.

Pass blocking: Decker, at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, is the ideal long, lean tackle in this offense and came a long way in pass protection last season after Buffalo All-American Khalil Mack gave Decker problems in the opener. Baldwin, at 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds, is of a similar mold but has taken longer to come along after starting his career on defense. 

Keep eye on: Knox and Jones. The two best line prospects among the freshmen weren't in for spring ball. But Meyer told them to be ready to compete once practice starts in August. Starting true freshmen is never a plan on the offensive line. But the Buckeyes are in a situation where one or both should be in the two-deep, and either playing more later in the season wouldn't be a shock.

Rating: 7.3 -- Warinner has a proven track record. Not many of his players do.

Ohio State vs. Michigan State, The Breakdown

Introduction: Ohio State -- Michigan State

Quarterback: OSU's Braxton Miller (9.2) -- MSU's Connor Cook (8.9)

Run game: Ohio State (8.5) -- Michigan State (8.7)

Pass game: Ohio State (7.5) -- Michigan State (8.5)

Offensive line: Ohio State (7.3) -- Michigan State (7.9)

Coming Tuesday: Run defense

Indians pitcher T.J. House endured Hurricane Katrina. He persevered through a rough start to his professional career. Here he is now, part of Cleveland's starting rotation.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When T.J. House sinks his cleats into the circle of dirt in the center of the diamond at Target Field on Monday night, he'll be concentrated on his scouting report of Minnesota's hitters.

He'll rack his memory for details on their tendencies. He'll team with his catcher to devise strategies for countering their every adjustment. He'll ease into that zone any focused athlete searches for during competition.

House certainly won't be thinking about how -- just yesterday, it seems -- Hurricane Katrina forced a tree through his bedroom. He won't be thinking about the trying conversations he had with Mickey Callaway, ones that prompted the Indians to consider cutting the pitcher loose a couple of years ago.

During the unrelenting baseball schedule, there is no time to reminisce. Sure, House has completed his climb up the organizational ladder after it appeared as though he had stalled out on the lower rungs. He celebrated his first major league win with a postgame beer bath in the Indians' clubhouse earlier this month.

After the season, perhaps, House will reflect on the journey, the one that begins near Lake Pontchartrain and doesn't include a scripted endpoint. Right now, though, in the thick of the season, his adversaries' hitting habits occupy his thought process.

"It's pretty cool," House said, "but instead of reflecting, you have to be shooting for higher aspirations and not looking at the past. If you pat yourself on the back now and say, 'Oh, I've done all this,' you really haven't done anything."

House spent most of his youth within an hour of the heart of New Orleans. He was born in Slidell, La., before moving to Picayune, Miss., a short drive north on I-59. He was just shy of his 16th birthday when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.

The superstorm snapped the levees of Lake Pontchartrain, as water engulfed the entire area. Wind gusts ripped the roof off of House's home, which was flooded with 12 feet of water.

Liuzza's, submerged under eight feet of water, after Hurricane Katrina.Liuzza's 

House was out of school for two months. His family was without electricity for about six weeks. He stayed with friends whose dwellings suffered less substantial damage. He spent time away from the classroom cleaning up, gutting houses, picking up yards and cutting trees.

His extended family, much of which resided in the region, was displaced. Some eventually returned to New Orleans. Others relocated to Mississippi or Tennessee.

"You survive, get through it OK and rebuild from there," House said.

House did just that. He focused on baseball. Less than three years later, the Indians selected him in the 16th round of the MLB Draft.

His minor league expedition wasn't a smooth one. House posted a 6-12 record and 5.19 ERA in his second season with Class A Kinston in 2011. He surrendered 10 unearned runs, after he allowed 15 unearned runs the previous year. The lack of a dependable defense often flustered him.

"Anytime a teammate made an error behind him, he put a lot of pressure on himself," said Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "Everything kind of snowballed on him, from a mental standpoint."

The struggles triggered the need for some heated discussions between Callaway and House.

"There were tough conversations, probably things he didn't want to hear but had to be said," Callaway said. "It wasn't pretty."

Callaway served as Kinston's pitching coach in 2011. He became the organization's minor league pitching coordinator the following year. No longer could he devote every day to working with House. When the southpaw arrived at spring training in 2012, the team had already relegated him to the bullpen. He was operating on a short leash.

"We thought, 'Well, if he doesn't do well in spring training, maybe he's a release,'" Callaway said.

House immediately turned heads.

"He came out and was just lights out," Callaway said. "He made pitches and nothing was bothering him. He stayed under control. We were like, 'Man, this is not the guy we've seen in the past.'"

After analyzing his high school mechanics over the offseason, House lowered his arm slot. He also agreed to modify his outlook on baseball.

"There are certain times in the minor leagues when it absolutely sucks and they force you to do things you might not necessarily want to do," House said, "but it's going to be for the benefit of you, like developing certain pitches or whether it's being able to say, 'Hey, we're going to give this run up' or later on down the road, 'It's going to make you better.' It's tough, but once you realize that it's going to make you better and you see success, the more success you have behind it, it becomes easier."

Accepting the miscues behind him also played into it. House yielded five unearned runs over his first 25 innings at Class A Carolina in 2012, but he didn't permit the defensive deficiencies to derail his performance. He limited the opposition to 17 hits and six walks during that stretch, as he posted a 1.44 ERA in those four starts and finally earned that seemingly elusive promotion to Double-A Akron.

"Even if you've thrown six scoreless and in the seventh you give up that one run, you still have to be able to control it to a point where you stop the bleeding," House said. "It's just something that you don't necessarily get right away as a young guy, but you learn as you progress through the system and you realize that it's more important to sometimes sacrifice a run to get outs than to try to be so perfect that you hurt yourself."

House progressed through the minors until he received his first call to the big leagues in 2013. He was with the team from June 24-26 as a long reliever, but never pitched before being optioned back to Triple-A Columbus. He returned to the big league club in May and has worked his way into the mix in what has been a revolving door of a starting rotation.

Despite allowing two or fewer runs in four of his first six major league starts, House remained winless. In his seventh start, he finally captured that first win after lasting a career-high 6 2/3 innings. He called his family first.

"They were excited. They've been waiting, too," House said. "They've been keeping up. They just want it to be the first step in the right direction and keep going."

They aren't the only ones.

"After his first outing up here," Callaway said, "on the bench, I told him, 'I'm so proud of you. I know I said some tough things to you in the past, but it was because I wanted you to succeed. And here you are. I'm more proud of you than any guy I've ever been.'"

After winning their final three games last season, the Akron Zips now have the look of a team that can win the MAC East Division, and contend for a MAC title.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference football meetings are Wednesday in Detroit, and the Akron Zips are expected to be ranked as a contender in the MAC's East Division race. So here is a quick breakdown of what the Zips should look like this season:

Quarterback -- In a league where quarterbacks are paramount, look for junior Kyle Pohl (2,438 yards, 14 TD) to rank among the best in the league, and eclipse 3,000 yards in the air. An injured ankle last season kept the 6-3, 220-pound quarterback almost exclusively in the pocket. But look for him to do a lot more on the run this season to aid Akron's running game, and generate an offense well above the 20.2 points a game from last season.

Tailback -- Senior Jawon Chisholm (869 yards, 8 TD) has yet to have that 1,000 yard season, but could be on target for one in 2014. His bouncing style of running does not smoothly fit coach Terry Bowden's offense, so the Zips always seem to be looking for his replacement. But Chisholm's ability and durability indicate once again he will be there.

Akron coach Terry Bowden and the Zips are title contenders in 2014.Ed Suba Jr., Akron Beacon Journal MCT 

Receiver -- Tall, talented and pretty experienced defines this group, which includes Zach D'Orazio, L.T. Smith and Fransohn Bickley. All have had highlight moments, but none has distinguished himself for an entire season. The 6-2, 215-pound D'Orazio, a former quarterback, led the group last season with 42 receptions for 567 yards, 4 touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per reception.

But his production the last half of the season dropped dramatically. He had four TD receptions the first four games, one 97-yard receiving game and one over 100. D'Orazio had no TD catches after that, and no game with 90 or more yards in receptions. Ditto for the 6-0, 205-pound Smith, with one game of 125 yards receiving vs. Michigan, but only one other game above 50 yards in receptions the rest of the season.

Offensive line -- The offensive line has overall experience with center Travis Switzer and guards Joe McNamara and Dylan Brumbaugh. Now into coach Bowden's third season running this offense, this core group should help improve on the Zips average of 342.0 yards per game.

Defensive line -- Nose guard Cody Grice, (5-11, 283-pounds) is quietly one of the best in the league at the point of attack. He finished the season with 32 tackles, 7.5 tackles for lost yardage and 2.5 sacks on the season, a production line that often draws double-teams to free up others. If newcomer Se'Von Pittman lives up to his hype as a former Ohio State product at defensive end, the Zips could be well on the way with one of the more talented defenses in the league.

Linebacker -- This is the elite position on the team with starters Jatavis Brown and Justin March, Akron's top two tacklers from last season, back for another year. Brown led the way with 107 tackles and a pair of sacks last season, while March delivered 80 tackles with three interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Add in veteran C.J. Mizell (41 tackles, 2 sacks) and this group should create a lot of havoc from sideline to sideline.

Secondary -- This is where Akron's defense must make a significant jump in performance as senior safeties Bre Ford and Johnny Robinson (currently suspended) not only have to break in a pair of unproven cornerbacks, but also must greatly increase their own production. Traditionally a position where a lot of tackles are found, these two safeties combined for only 63 tackles. Neither was a true ballhawk, either, as they combined for just three interceptions and three pass breakups on the season.

Special teams -- Return man Bickley averaged 16.6 yards on kickoffs and will likely take on punt return chores as well this season. Punter Zach Paul (42.9 yards per kick) is back as one of the best in the league, but kicker Robert Stein must improve upon his 9-of-16 efforts on field goals.

For Akron football stats, schedule and more, click here.

Neither the Browns nor the Cavaliers have enjoyed the artistic success of the Indians, but they are both more successful commercially.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – It just so happened that the time the Indians invited Johnny Football to throw the ceremonial first pitch on June 4, the game was delayed 2 ½ hours by rain. Master Football departed, throwing no pitches, but drawing roars of approval for his money-counting gesture.

It just so happened that the time the Indians were in the playoffs for only one day, which was just last year, while they had their chances, Tampa Bay's superb pitching kept the game under control.

The time the Browns were in the playoffs for only one day was after the, ahem, 2002 season.  It was also their only playoff appearance in the 15 seasons since they returned. They should have won and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by playing the prevent defense against the host Steelers.

It just so happened that the Dolan family, which owns the Indians, didn't spend $92 million to settle federal charges of bilking small-time truckers, as did the Browns' Jimmy Haslam. Nor did the Dolans ever attack a departing free agent -- and there have been a lot of them -- in an email written in Comic Sans font, as did the Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert.

It just so happened that the Indians' owners haven't made any vows lately, although Gilbert vowed to win a championship here before LeBron James did in Miami, then humbly apologized and, because James has apparently grown up, somehow managed to get him back.

Haslam has fired people, including the management staff he inherited and the first one he hired. The only vow he made lately was that the Browns would remain a family possession –- which could have referred to his octogenarian father as a caretaker had penalty for the gas scam included prison.

It just so happened that the most publicized basketball player on the planet, LeBron James, and the most publicized rookie football player, Johnny Manziel, are both in town.

At the same time, the Indians' best player, the multi-dimensional Michael Brantley, has a style that is smooth, not clamorous, self-contained, not self-aggrandizing.

Maybe all these are examples of the Indians' bad luck.

Critics always blame the trades of incipient free agents for the Indians' troubles at the gate. Some fans will never forgive them for jettisoning CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee in successive years. At any rate, the Indians average only 18,402 fans per home game, 29^th of the 30 big league teams, ahead only of Tampa Bay.

This is even though they are above .500 now; just won three out of four on the road against the Central Division's recent heavyweight, Detroit; moved into second place in the division; are in robust contention for the second wild-card spot; and employ clearly the most proven coach or manager in the city in Terry Francona.

The Browns' attendance has never reflected the slapstick front-office moves that put such a pathetic product on the field. They have lost either 11 or 12 games in six straight seasons. Yet they ranked 11^th of 32 teams with an average attendance of 71,242, 97.3 percent of capacity with a 4-and-12 record in 2013.

The Browns will open training camp this week.  It will be treated as a seismic event in the history of civilization.

The Cavs had a .311 winning percentage in the four years James was gone. Yet they still ranked 16^th of 30 teams in attendance last season at an average of 17,329. They were only 172 fans per game behind Indiana, the losers in the  Eastern Conference finals.

The Browns are almost in the top third in the NFL, and the Cavs just missed being in the middle of the pack in the NBA, both with enormously inferior products compared to the Indians.

Maybe it says that free spending in and of itself, with Haslam and Gilbert --  although both are in capped sports and can hire at uncapped levels only front office people who quickly displease them -- is attractive to fans. The Indians, in a sport with no salary cap and low attendance, have a much narrower margin of error.

Maybe bravado like the Comic Sans message played well to the Cavs' angry fan base and gave Gilbert a ridiculously over-extended honeymoon.

Maybe Haslam simply being the un-Randy Lerner is enough with Browns fans.

Or maybe the Indians' luck isn't all that big a part of it, after all. The free market determines attendance. Fans can choose not to watch. It's their right.