Browns hoping to prevent their defensive backs from grabbing receivers and their jerseys as league plans crack down on holding.

BEREA, Ohio – Turns out Johnny Manziel isn't the only one accessorizing nowadays in Browns training camp.

While the rookie quarterback has worn neon green Nike cleats during warmups, defensive backs are sporting boxing gloves in practice. The smaller mitts, used by kick boxers, not only are permitted by coaches, they're recommended apparel as the Browns brace for the NFL's crackdown on defensive holding.

In the past two days, secondary members intermittently have worn the black Everlast gloves in individual drills and team segments. They're ideal for packing snowballs, but tough for snagging footballs – or anything else. Which, of course, is the purpose of the exercise. Coaches are trying to prevent players from grabbing receivers' jerseys and arms.

League officials are making defensive holding and illegal contact – five-yard penalties that carry automatic first downs – points of emphasis this season. The Browns watched an NFL-produced video last week highlighting rule changes and what infractions will be more tightly called.

Under first-year coach Mike Pettine, the club is expected to play more press coverage after drafting a pair of tall, physical corners in Justin Gilbert (6-foot) and Pierre Desir (6-2). Pettine said he wants the defensive backs to wear the gloves during portions of each practice.

"You've got to get guys out of that habit," the coach said of grabbing. "Instead of putting them in the full boxing gloves that I think would really slow their stride down, they're more like sparring gloves ... like a big mitten.

View full sizeBrowns defensive back Justin Gilbert isn't a fan of the boxing gloves, but he's been wearing them in practice.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer 

"The thumb can still come out. I just think it's more the mentality that they know they have to be able to cover more with an open palm than grabbing and restricting, especially if the rule is going to be called as tightly as we're told it is."

The Browns caught a glimpse of the stricter enforcement Saturday in their scrimmage as defensive backs Johnson Bademosi and Buster Skrine each drew holding calls. The next night, the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants combined for two illegal contact and four defensive holding calls in the Hall of Fame Game.

The physical play of Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" secondary is likely the impetus for the changes.

"The thing is we've got to take the coaching that they're giving us right now to just make sure we do our work in the first five yards," corner Joe Haden said.

The Browns' flashy All Pro, who's been known to make a fashion statement or two, was surprised to see the mitts Monday.  

"I came out today and we had boxing gloves on," he said. "It was crazy."

Restricted fingers have led to some moments of frustration. Haden got beat on a long pass Monday when he wasn't able to pry the ball loose from Travis Benjamin's grip.  

Asked about the play, Haden smiled and replied: "I had on boxing gloves, man."

Secondary coach Jeff Hafley wants his charges aggressive at the line of scrimmage, using their hands in the five-yard window, before playing defense with "their eyes and their feet."

Gilbert, the No. 8 overall pick, doesn't believe he'll have trouble adjusting to the passer-friendly rules. He was seldom flagged, Gilbert said, for holding calls at Oklahoma State.

"I don't grab and hold," said the cornerback, who's enjoyed an excellent start to camp. "I just play technique and use my athletic ability to make plays."

It hasn't excused him from wearing the gloves.

"I never really notice they're on until maybe a ball is thrown into the air and I can't catch it," Gilbert said.

If he could intercept a pass with these mitts Gilbert should be able to don them in any color he wants. Even neon green.

Akron (61-55) trails Richmond by 5 1/2 games for first place in the Western Division.

RubberDucks starter Duke von Schamann overcame a shaky start to pitch seven solid innings and lead Akron to a 3-2 victory Tuesday over the visiting New Britain Rock Cats in a Class AA Eastern League Game.

View full sizeDuke Von SchamannRubberDucks 

The Rock Cats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run homer off von Schamann by outfielder Reynaldo Rodriguez.

That would be it for New Britain's offense. Von Schamann (6-6, 3.83 ERA) gave up only five more hits over the next six innings, striking out four.

Meanwhile, the RubberDucks tied the game in the third with a two-run double from outfielder Jordan Smith. Akron took the lead in the fourth inning with an RBI double from shortstop Erik Gonzalez.

Elvis Araujo pitched a scoreless eighth inning and closer Shawn Armstrong earned his 13th save with a scoreless ninth.

Jason Wheeler (2-4, 3.86) took the loss for the Rock Cats, giving up three runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Designated hitter Anthony Gallas and first baseman Bryan LaHair each had two hits for the RubberDucks.

Akron (61-55) trails Richmond by 5 1/2 games for first place in the Western Division.

Reds righty Johnny Cueto pitched a complete game in a 9-2 victory over the Indians on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a two-game series Tuesday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 113.

Opponent: Reds.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 48 minutes.

Attendance: 22,068.

Result: Reds 9, Indians 2.

Records: Reds 57-56, Indians 57-56.

Scoreboard watch: The Indians dropped to 6.5 games behind first-place Detroit (62-48) in the AL Central. The Tigers defeated the Yankees, 4-3, in 12 innings in the Bronx. The Indians remained 2.5 behind in the race for the second wild card because Toronto (60-54) lost at home to Baltimore, 9-3.   

Streaks snapped: The Tribe had won four in a row.

The Reds won at Progressive Field for the first time in 11 games. The Tribe's 10-game winning streak had been its longest active at home against any opponent.

Time for Skyline Chili: The teams head to Cincinnati for a two-game series beginning Wednesday night. The Indians lead the all-time series, 45-42, but are 10-19 at Great American Ballpark.

Bottom line, up front: A starting-pitcher mismatch on paper that favored Cincinnati played out as such. Tribe right-hander Josh Tomlin, who entered at 5-7 with a 4.47 ERA, allowed six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Reds righty Johnny Cueto, who entered at 12-6 with a 2.05 ERA, gave up the two runs on five hits in a 117-pitch complete game.

Cueto, Cincinnati's version of Corey Kluber, has allowed three or fewer runs in 11 consecutive starts.

In one sense, the Indians can dismiss the loss as a blip, coming as it did against a terrific pitcher. But the mismatch of Cueto against Tomlin underscores why many aren't taking the Indians seriously as a contender, even if the math does. The Indians' rotation beyond Kluber and, to a certain extent, Trevor Bauer, is highly questionable.

Embarrassment factor: On Monday night, the Indians and Kluber took it to the Reds, 7-1. Cincinnati manager Bryan Price labeled his club's effort "unacceptable,'' citing multiple mental lapses. Where Tuesday's game was concerned, Indians  manager Terry Francona could have done the same. The Tribe made several absent-minded plays, including being victimized by Chris Heisey racing home while catcher Brayan Pena was tagged out between first and second in the fifth.

Once they fell behind, 5-1, after 3 1/2, the Indians and their body language suggested they weren't all in. They allowed an offensively challenged opponent to score nine in their house. The Reds out-executed, out-hustled and otherwise outperformed the hosts.

Inexcusable: The Indians -- third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall -- gift-wrapped a run for the Reds in the first.

With Todd Frazier on first and one out, Ryan Ludwick doubled into the left-field corner. Mike Aviles quickly secured the carom and threw to shortstop Jose Ramirez, who tossed to Chisenhall. Frazier was not going to move from third until Chisenhall took his eye off the ball and had it bounce off his glove and roll into foul territory.

As Frazier raced for home, Chisenhall grabbed the ball and made an off-balance throw that actually was in time. But when catcher Yan Gomes caught the ball and put his glove down near the plate, he missed the head-first-sliding Frazier. By the time Gomes located Frazier's body, it was too late -- the hand was in.

Surprise, surprise: Reds No. 9 batter Ramon Santiago ambushed Tomlin with a  three-run homer in the second. It gave the Reds a 4-1 lead.

With Cueto on the mound, that translates to Game Over.

Santiago batted with runners on first and second and one out. In preparation for the first pitch, Gomes set up on the outer half and obviously wanted it down. Tomlin missed over the plate at the belt, and Santiago hammered it over the right-field wall. Even for a hitter such as Santiago, the pitch was a cookie. Tomlin can't afford to miss over the plate that badly against anybody.  

As the ball sailed over the wall, SportsTime Ohio play-by-play man Matt Underwood said: "Are you kidding me?''

The homer was Santiago's first of the season in 50 games and fourth in 223 games since the beginning of 2012.

Tomlin has allowed 17 homers, including four three-run shots. Tomlin has given up more homers than walks (11).

Shift backfires: Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, pulled in because of a runner at third and none out in the fourth, made a diving stop to his right to deny Santiago an RBI single. Billy Hamilton followed with a swinging strikeout, but the Reds finally cashed when lefty Jay Bruce tapped an outside changeup past Tomlin for an RBI infield single and 5-1 lead. Ramirez, forced to come a long way because the shift had placed Kipnis in short right, fielded but couldn't get the ball out of his glove. If Ramirez had been able to throw, the play would have been bang-bang.

The Indians, as is the case with most teams, are proud of themselves for their adherence to spray charts. But the harsh reality of the two-game series was, Bruce had five hits, and a case could be made that four were made possible because fielders vacated spots because of the shift.

Two-ball special: The Indians were undone by two baseballs on the field at the same time in the bottom of the seventh.

With David Murphy on first and Chisenhall on third and none out, Gomes doubled off the Cincinnati bullpen fence in right. As Chisenhall scored and Murphy approached second, a pitch from a Reds reliever sailed out of the bullpen and into short-center. Murphy rounded third, saw the ball on the field and hesitated. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, who had caught the relay, spotted Murphy off third, hesitated and fired to third baseman Santiago, who tagged out Murphy.

The Indians settled for the one run and trailed, 6-2.

The Tribe and its faithful can chalk up the play to bad luck; to a large degree, they are correct. But Murphy can't wander that far down the line -- especially when he makes no commitment to sprint home. (Third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh appeared to be directing Murphy back to the bag. But even if Sarbaugh was late with the directive, Murphy needed to be closer to the bag until he was certain what was happening.)

The Reds were fortunate on another front. Cozart began raising his arms, presumably to call timeout, after Gomes slid into second, but second-base umpire Will Little was watching Gomes and not Cozart.

Spotlight on ... Indians center fielder Michael Brantley: He entered at .324 with 16 homers and 71 RBI. He had 26 multi-hit games since June 1.

First inning (runner on second, one out) -- 89-mph changeup high, ball; 88 changeup up, called strike. 91 fastball outer half, foul; 88 changeup down, foul; 92 fastball inside corner, RBI single to right.

The skinny: Plate umpire Greg Gibson did Brantley no favors by calling the borderline second pitch a strike. Instead of being in command of the count, Brantley needed to be more defensive. Before the decisive pitch, Reds catcher Pena set up on the outer half. As Cueto began his delivery, Pena hopped to the inside corner. The attempted peripheral-vision deke didn't work, Brantley ripping the fastball into the hole at second. Right fielder Bruce, who possesses a good arm, wanted to erase Aviles attempting to score. However, first baseman Todd Frazier recognized the throw would not get Aviles and jumped to cut it off. Frazier's decision ended up being wise;  Aviles was going to score and Frazier trapped Brantley attempting to get to second.

Third inning (runner on first, two outs) -- 92 fastball outer half, foul; 93 fastball inside corner, called strike; 90 hard changeup*, grounder to short/fielder's choice.

The skinny: Cueto evened the head-to-head matchup, 1-1, primarily because a superb second pitch: a comeback fastball, with sink, that was a ball for 50 feet. Entering Tuesday, batters against Cueto were 18-for-125 (.144) with 61 strikeouts after an 0-2 count. Cueto retired Brantley using a hard changeup (*or, Cueto took something off the fastball to get more movement).

Sixth inning (none on, one out) -- 91 fastball up, ball; 81 curve, grounder to short.

The skinny: Cueto dusted off the curve, and Brantley made solid contact. He wasn't robbed, though: It was a routine groundout.

Eighth inning (none on, two outs): 92 fastball outside corner, grounder to second.

The skinny: Not one of Brantley's finest ABs. The pitch had good tailing action -- but Brantley knew that. 

Brantley's streak of multi-hit games ended at five.

David Murphy vicitmized by the old "two balls on the field at the same time' trick.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – David Murphy was double crossed by a double whammy of baseballs Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

After Lonnie Chisenhall drew a leadoff walk against Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto in the seventh inning, Murphy singled to put runners on second and first. The Indians were down, 6-1 in a game they eventually lost, 9-2, but they have been a dangerous team all season in the late innings, especially at home.

Yan Gomes followed with a double off the base of the right field fence in front of Reds' bullpen. As Jay Bruce retrieved the ball and threw it back into the infield, another baseball came flying out of the Reds' bullpen and whizzed past Bruce's relay throw. It came courtesy of a wild warm-up toss by one Jumbo Diaz.

While Chisenhall scored easily on the play, Murphy pulled into third. With third base coach Mike Sarbaugh telling him to stay at third by screaming "right here, right here, right here,'' Murphy looked back toward right field for the first time and saw a baseball rolling in short right center field.

"As a player you're taught two things, listen to your base coach and find the ball," said Murphy. "My base coach is saying, "right here, right here, right here.' As a player you don't want to completely rely on the guy. You want to play the game. You use him for help, but you want to play the game and use your instincts."

That's when the tug of war for Murphy's soul began.

"I hear Sarbie saying right here, "right hear, right hear,'" said Murphy. "Then I see the ball and say, "But I can make it.' "

Murphy's internal baseball clock won the tug-of-war, but he didn't make it home and he didn't make it back to third.

Shortstop Zack Cozart, with the ball that counted in his glove, threw to third baseman Ramon Santiago, who tagged Murphy out as he tried to dive back to the bag.

"The timing of it and everything was crazy and bizarre, " said Murphy. "The situation was unfortunate. I'm sure nobody has really seen anything like that before."

Manager Terry Francona talked crew chief Gerry Davis, who was at third base Tuesday night.

"You can't do anything," said Francona. "Gerry Davis' explanation was right on, but it wasn't fun to hear. I thought I saw what I saw, but the umpires can't kill a play until its conclusion.

"I understand the rule and he said I understand your frustration. At the exact moment of Gomes' double, their right-hander (Diaz), with the catcher standing up in the bullpen, threw a ball over his glove. It was perfect timing."

Asked if he was suspicious that the Reds' timing was that perfect, "No, they're not that good. If they're that good they deserve it."

The rulebook says a dead ball cannot be called unless a player or umpire is injured or the lights go out at the ballpark.

Murphy said that perhaps a play like that could be a review candidate.

"I think the play could reviewed," he said. "I was basically on third. I stopped. I felt the momentum of the play had died. Then I look up and see the ball out there.

"We don't have time for me to turn around and say, "where did that ball come from?' Or for Sarbie to say there's two balls on the field. It's just like boom, boom, boom! My mind is playing tricks on me. He's telling me to stay, but my mind is telling me to go. Then I take off and say, 'This just doesn't add up. That's probably not the ball.' Then I dive back and I'm out . . .crazy."

When Murphy took his spot in right field for the top of the eighth, he yelled into Reds' bullpen, "Good job."

Asked if they responded, Murphy said, "We didn't have time for a conversation."

Josh Tomlin has allowed 17 homers in 91 innings this season for the Tribe. He's allowed seven in his last five starts.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The key to staying in the big leagues is to be a good self-evaluator. You can doubletalk your friends, parents, wives and girlfriends all you want, just as long as you're straight with yourself.

Josh Tomlin has never had a problem with that. He'll look you in the eye and tell you just how good or bad he pitched on any given night.

Tuesday night, in the Indians' 9-2 loss to the Reds, Tomlin was asked to evaluate his start.

"Not good," said Tomlin. "That's all there is to it."

Tomlin was recalled from Class AAA Columbus before the game to start against Cincinnati's ace Johnny Cueto.

He gave up an unearned run in the first due to an ugly error by Lonnie Chisenhall at third, but the Indians got the run back in their half of the first on a Mike Aviles' double and Michael Brantley single.

In the second, however, Ramon Santiago turned the game around with a three-run homer to give the Reds a 4-1 lead. Santiago, the No.9 hitter, ambushed Tomlin by driving his first pitch in to the right field seats. It was his first homer in almost a year. It was his first homer on the road since June 9, 2012.

Unfortunately for Tomlin it was not the first home run he's allowed this year. He's surrendered 17 in 91 innings, including seven in his last five starts.

"The second inning, the three-run homer by Santiago, changed the momentum of the game," said Tomlin. "We give up one in the first. We come back and score one and kind of erase that. Then I go out there and give up a three-run homer.

"That's on me. That can't happen."

Tomlin's goal is to go as deep as he can into the game every time he gets the ball. Tuesday night, he was gone after 4 1/3 innings, eight hits, six runs, five earned, one walk and five strikeouts.

Since his flirtation with a perfect game on June 28 against the Mariners, Tomlin has reached the seventh inning just one in five starts.

"I'm very aware of how much I've been struggling over the past several starts," said Tomlin. "Now it's time to figure something out and get a lot better."

Tomlin's next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Hundreds of schools across the state require their athletes to take one of two baseline tests, ImPACT or C3 Logix.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Eighteen football players focused on the test before them. The room was silent, like during a standardized test, except this test wasn't about selecting an answer by filling in a bubble.

This test had a hieroglyphics-esque code and colored circles, some of which disappeared. This test had three parts, that included a loud metronome and a foam mat.

In the back of Room 203 of Brecksville High, Brecksville junior Tyler Tupa's head rested in his left hand as he moved his right pointer finger across an iPad, matching symbols to numbers.

Tupa was taking the first part of a concussion baseline test called C3 Logix, developed by the Cleveland Clinic's Jay Alberts.

This year, thousands of Northeast Ohio high school athletes across any sport will answer baseline questions that could save their lives. The test gives a pre-concussion base, so if the athlete takes a hard hit, data can be applied for an objective diagnosis. It makes returning to play safer and reduces the possibility of a repeat concussion leaving an athlete in rehab instead of school.

There is another baseline test too. It's called ImPACT, or Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing.

Created 25 years ago by Dr. Joseph Maroon and Dr. Mark Lovell, it consists of a series of questions on reaction time and other neurocognitive functions. ImPACT is the standard of baseline concussion testing in nearly every professional sports league, as well 12,000 high schools and colleges.

That includes almost 300 high schools in Ohio. Some baseline with both ImPACT and C3. Brecksville is one of those schools.

At its roots, ImPACT is a neurocognitive test and C3 tests motor functions like balance and visual acuity. Both focus on objective data.

Alberts' reasons for testing more than neurocognitive functions can be explained through daily activities, which require both cognitive and motor functions. This year, the Clinic will reach 7,000 baselines of high school and college athletes. Fifty-four local high schools and three colleges participate in C3.

Despite these two major baseline tests, many involved in sports aren't aware of baseline tests and why they're important.

"It's really going to help us take care of their kids, bottom line," Alberts said of the importance of the test.

Independence also baseline tests. The Blue Devils baseline with ImPACT on all athletes. (Some schools only baseline test those in contact sports.) Athletic director Tim Skoczen said Independence tests everone because concussions don't always happen on the field. There are all sorts of scenarios, like a cross-country runner skiing, falling and hitting her head. Like many other athletic directors, Skoczen wants to make sure everyone is covered.

ImPACT is often completed by an athlete on a personal computer, which sometimes leads to a kid acting dumb to try to lower a baseline so it's easier to return to play.

To that, Alberts said, "Bring it on."

The way it's written, there are a number of checks within the system to account for validity.

"There are algorithms to determine, 'Is this person actually giving 100 percent effort?'," Alberts said. "That's the beauty of using biomechanics and math. It's very difficult to cheat math."

Other checks within the app make it difficult to tell a physician that the athlete is fine or didn't suffer a bad concussion.

"Imagine if you have a mom, dad and a son," Alberts said. "The son most likely is going to say, 'It wasn't that bad. I felt a little odd, but I'm okay now.' Because he wants to go play."

Alberts said the mom will likely be more conservative and some fathers – but not all – may point to the concussion they once suffered and how their son's wasn't as bad.

It's especially hard to cheat the initial baseline test when surrounded by athletic trainers. Inside Room 205 of Brecksville High were Bees with iPads strapped around their waist and blue foam mats at their feet.

Collectively, the Bees agreed this was their least favorite part of the test.

"That foam mat, it sucks you in," Joe Mandatto said. "Everyone struggles. It's hysterical."

With his hands on his hips, his left foot in front of his right like he was walking a tightrope and his eyes closed, Tyler Tupa tried to balance.

Removing his hands from his hips, opening his eyes or tottering like the Leaning Tower of Pisa was counted as an error. An athlete's average amount of errors on the foam mat is 12.

Tupa would go through three stances, first on carpet, then foam, each for 20 seconds, as a Clinic trainer would subjectively count his errors while the gyroscope inside the iPad would objectively calculate his balance.

The final part tested vision. Five letters appeared and Tupa said them aloud. Then a metronome sounded. With his eyes trained on the iPad, Tupa swung his head back and forth to the tick and tock as he tried to read the letters, testing both his cognitive and motor functions.

In roughly 30 minutes, Tupa and his teammates completed their baseline tests. If during season, one of them seems concussed, they will be tested again. If they struggle, they will stop so the concussion isn't worsened. They will sit out the rest of the practice or game until they are cleared by multiple physicians to return to the field.

"We're not trying to keep kids out longer," Alberts said.  "We're really just trying to be more objective and quantitative and get them back in faster and safer."

It is not as if James wasn't expected to use his leverage. But in doing so, the way the Cavs are trying to give him what he wants makes now seem like the way it was before.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The name of the specific player involved doesn't matter. He was one of the many who were interchangeable, all of them pieces to a jigsaw that never was assembled.

Maybe LeBron James offered the praise for Larry Hughes, or Wally Szczerbiak, or Mo Williams, all of whom could, sadly, be counted on in the end to "die down in the moment," just as James later complained.

On the day in question years ago, he was offering effusive praise for some opposing player or other. Or maybe it was a college player. Anyway, when asked about the possibility of the Cavaliers obtaining the player, James said, "I'm not the general manager."

Cleveland reporters walked away, amused. We knew the Cavs' front office was going all out to win then and convince James to stay. One reporter said, "If he's not the general manager now, when did he stop?"

It doesn't appear that much has changed in LeBron 2.0, except for the fact that two rings in four Finals in Miami has made James even more valuable than he was before, even as a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player.

Today, there is another much praised player, Kevin Love, the addition of whom, some analysts think, would instantly make the Cavs the team to beat in the NBA's effete East and a serious threat in the Finals.

The general perception is that James wants Love, and that the Cavs are willing to move heaven, earth and Andrew Wiggins to acquire him.

Despite years of criticism of James for the manner of his leaving and his play immediately before doing so, I have said, quoting reader Curtis Phillips, who was quoting Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather": "I will not be the one to break the peace we have made here today."

I am not going to cast the first stone at America's Hooper, as James has become to many fans nationwide because of his return to Cleveland.

Still, I have to wonder what happened to James' plea for patience? In the eloquent letter James and Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins composed, James said, "Of course, I want to win next year, but I'm realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested."

The most powerful athlete in American sports, James certainly has leverage. The ancient Greek Archimedes said, "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I will move the world."

Give LeBron James a lever and he will move the hands of the clock forward dramatically as far as being a contender goes. That is even though he is on a young team whose players have never been to the playoffs. For that matter, Love, who is himself only 25 years old, never has made the playoffs either.

The way the Cavs are desperately eager to accommodate James is making the new era look more than a little like the old.

While James and the Cavs swear his two-year contract is a formality, tied to the expected big jump in the salary cap after the 2015-16 season, what about its opt-out clause after one year?

Is it a way of saying, "Please Please Me," albeit less melodically than did the Beatles? Does just the threat of the opt-out mean he's dropped the first "please?"

The right to get out of the contract after a single season is another lever that everyone knows is in place. LeBron James is back, and the Cavs are scrambling to get to serious contention quickly, never mind that stuff about patience.

In James' letter, he spoke about being the "old head" and bringing along Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters, while renewing acquaintances with Anderson Varejao. Although James said he was returning on July11, fully 15 days after the NBA Draft, he made no mention in the letter of his possible effect on the No. 1 pick in the league, Wiggins.

Former Plain Dealer Cavs beat man Brian Windhorst's excellent story about James' "eidetic memory"  shows that it is fairly unlikely that James simply forgot about Wiggins.

Wiggins played well in the Las Vegas Summer League, but he is almost certainly  headed elsewhere if the Cavs get Love. Wiggins has a lot of potential, maybe more as James' understudy as a lock-down defender at the moment than at the offensive end. As for Love, he is nothing special on defense.

"This is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball," James' letter read

I'll take James at his word about his commitment to Northeast Ohio. But a mine full of salt might be required for the part about the roster.

Get news and analysis from around the league in our NFL and Browns links.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- National pundits are weighing in on who the Browns should pick as their starting quarterback. This is how far we've come in Cleveland since Brandon Weeden vs. Jason Campbell.

Add Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post to the chorus of voices clamoring for Manziel: 

"Hoyer has tallied just 1,231 passing yards in five NFL seasons and is projected to throw 151 times for 1,022 yards in 2014. Certainly Manziel can provide that type of production while gaining valuable experience as a starting QB in the NFL."

For what it's worth, Manziel was listed No. 2 on the Browns first preseason depth chart.

More Browns links

Brian Hoyer the starter ... for now (ESPN.com)

Cleveland Browns' offense continuing to evolve (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Browns rookie CB Justin Gilbert gets time with starters, hopes to win job by Week 1 (The Chronicle-Telegram)

NFL links

David Wilson waived, advised not to play football (NFL.com)

Suing NFL rife with conflicts for several ex-players (USA Today)

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer wants to put together the best recruiting class in the country every year, but star ratings don't have an impact on who the Buckeyes recruit.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – If it is a competition, Urban Meyer wants to win it. And that includes putting together recruiting classes that recruiting services deem the best in the country. 

How do the services do it? By judging prospects with rankings and star ratings then compiling the entire group mathematically. After all the programs have their classes assembled, the team with the highest total wins the recruiting title. 

So in other words, Meyer cares about stars?

Yes. 

But not really. 

Though nabbing prospects with the highest star ratings is good for publicity and recruiting momentum, Meyer and the rest of Ohio State's staff doesn't take stock into the rankings before deciding whether to recruit a prospect.

Simply put, the star ratings don't always mean the prospect is going to pan out at the next level.

"You see the NFL Draft every year and guys are getting drafted from small schools or they're unheard of and then five-star guys disappear," Meyer said last week during Big Ten Media Days. "There's some ways we try to find out. It's hard for me because I'm not allowed to go out. It's the (assistant) coach that goes in and does his work that asks the hard questions that comes back to me and says, he's a five-star, but ...

"One thing that I like to do – how does he play in his rivalry game? How winded is he in the fourth quarter against a good team to win a championship? That's what I try to personally watch, because those are the ones that usually turn out fantastic. The five-star that pulls his hamstring every year before a rivalry game or gets shut out, you're like, why did that happen?" 

Meyer has assembled three recruiting classes at Ohio State, and each of them ranked in the top five, according to Rivals.com. The Buckeyes have some work to this year to finish in that territory again, but they're still in the hunt for a handful of premier players. 

Josh Tomlin gave up a three-run homer to light-hitting Ramon Santiago on Tuesday night as the Reds beat the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians didn't have their heads or bodies in Tuesday night's game against the Reds. The only way it could have been worse is if they got caught with the hidden ball trick.

Lonnie Chisenhall made a costly error in the first inning. Josh Tomlin allowed Ramon Santiago's first homer, a three-run shot in the second, in almost a year. Chris Heisey stole a run in the fifth and David Murphy was caught watching the wrong ball in the seventh and was tagged out at third.

The end result of all those miscues was a 9-2 loss to the Reds that ended the Tribe's four-game losing streak.

The loss went to Tomlin (5-8, 4.75), who has allowed 22 earned runs on 39 hits in 26 2/3 innings in his last five starts. Since throwing a one-hitter against Seattle on June 28, Tomlin is 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA in five starts.

Johnny Cueto (13-6, 2.05) threw his fourth complete game for the victory. He allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked two in 117 pitches. 

What it means?

The Indians, 10-9 since the All-Star break, fell to 57-56 and 9-7 in interleague play. They are 4-1 in August.

The victory ended Cincinnati's 10-game losing streak at Progressive Field. The Reds (57-56) improved to 4-9 in interleague play.

What just happened?

After Lonnie Chisenhall walked and David Murphy singled to start the seventh against Cueto, Yan Gomes doubled to right in front of the Reds' bullpen. At the same time, a ball rocketed out of Cincinnati's bullpen, via a wild throw by reliever Jumbo Diaz.

Chisenhall scored on the play, but Murphy was thrown out rounding third when he saw the ball from the bullpen rolling toward second base. The relay went from right fielder Jay Bruce to second baseman Kris Negron to shortstop Zack Cozart to Santiago at third, who applied the tag to Murphy as he tried to scramble back to the bag.

Manager Terry Francona came out to question the play, but the discussion did not last long.

The rule book says the umpires can only call a dead ball for a injured player or umpire or if the lights go out.

Long-ball fever

Tomlin, recalled from Class AAA Columbus before the game, continued to have trouble keeping the ball out of the seats. Santiago's three-run homer was the 17^th he's allowed this year. It was the seventh he's allowed in his last five starts.

For comparison's sake, David Price leads the AL with 20 homers allowed, but he's thrown an AL-high 170.2 innings. Tomlin has thrown 91 innings.

It was Santiago's first homer since Aug. 16, 2013. It was his first homer on the road since June 9, 2012, when he homered against the Reds while playing for the Tigers.

Home sweet home

The Indians ended this eight-game homestand at 5-3. They are 34-22 at home.

What's to come?

This four-game interleague series – two at Progressive field, two at Great American Ball Park – moves to Cincinnati on Wednesday night. Right-hander Danny Salazar (4-4, 4.45) will face Cincinnati's Matt Latos (3-3, 3.07) at 7:05 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Salazar is 3-0 in as many starts since his recall from Class AAA Columbus. He has allowed just four earned runs on in 18 innings with 17 strikeouts and six walks during the streak.

Tribe lefty T.J. House (1-2, 4.09) vs. RHP Homer Bailey (8-5, 3.89) will be the pitching matchup Thursday night. STO, WTAM, WMMS will carry that game as well.

The Indians then move to New York for a three-game weekend series against the Yankees.

Brian Hoyer feels better about his repaired right now that it withstood a hit by Paul Kruger.

BEREA, Ohio -- Brian Hoyer threw a scare into the Browns when he took a hard shot to his surgically repaired knee Tuesday, but the blow was as good for his head as it was risky for his knee.

"Even though it was a heart-skipping-a-beat moment yesterday when he got hit, I think that might be the best thing for him,'' said coach Mike Pettine. "He felt like, 'Hey, I can take a shot like that on my knee and still be able to pop up.' I think Brian's starting to feel very comfortable in the pocket.''

Hoyer will start Saturday's preseason opener in Detroit, where he'll face live tackling for the first time since suffering the torn right anterior cruciate ligament against the Bills last Oct. 3.

"It was just one of those plays it got scudded up in front of you,'' Hoyer said of the Tuesday incident. "I think it was Paul Kruger who fell into me. It was more scary than anything else. I kind of went down and waited for there to be some pain and there wasn't, so it was actually kind of good to have some confidence going into Saturday. I was scared for about two seconds and realized there was no pain and got up and went on to the next play."

The blow confirmed what Hoyer has been thinking: that the knee is ready to withstand the rigors of the game and big, nasty guys like Detroit's Ndamukong Suh bearing down on him.

"It feels great,'' he said. "I was thinking when I was doing the high knees over here how good it felt just moving. I didn't even think it was an issue. I've felt comfortable with it since the spring.  That was my main issue if (the brace) starts to slide a little bit on me. Now you put the (uniform) pants on and get everything ready to go, it stays in place and doesn't really affect anything."

Hoyer, who's rolling out a lot in Kyle Shanahan's scheme, doesn't feel restricted by the brace.

"I feel like I'm more mobile than a lot of guys,'' he said. "I don't think it limits me in any way.''

Splitting the first-team reps with Johnny Manziel now, Hoyer wasn't about to take Wednesday off to rest the knee.

"I can't afford it,'' he said. "That's what we're here for is to play football. I really don't think I need it. I feel fine. We have a break in between now and our meetings and I take full advantage of that, whether it's massage or all the things I can do to keep it in shape and it's responded really well."

Hoyer's mentality hasn't changed now that Manziel is working with the starters every other day.

"I come out here and try to be the best I can, so whether I'm with the ones or the twos I try to make those guys around me better,'' he said. "I like to think that when I'm with the twos I'm trying to show them what it takes to take it to the next level. You go out there and try to make the most of the opportunities you have with those guys and perform as well as you can.''

Hoyer was unhappy with the production of the second-team unit Wednesday despite completing 9-of-13 attempts. Three of his passes were dropped and several snaps were errant. What's more, the twos failed to score on a series of red-zone chances at the end of practice.

"I think of the phrase 'you either get better or you get worse,'' he said. "I think we kind of took a step back as a team. We need to come out with a better sense of urgency, because we have a long way to go. It's the dog days of training camp. Everybody has to deal with it. We're certainly not a team that can afford to take a step back."

Hoyer stressed that earning the nod against Detroit doesn't change his mindset.

"I've expected it all along,'' he said. "You just go about your approach the same way every day. If you go about trying to be the best quarterback for this team regardless where you are, things will work themselves out."

Hoyer said he feels no added pressure despite the fact the first two preseason games will go a long way toward deciding the starter.

"What really matters is how you play in a game when you're going against a live defense,'' he said. "It's totally understandable. The way I look at it is I feel like I'm the starter until someone tells me otherwise and that's how I prepare.You never know when your name is going to get called. That's how my whole career has been.''

Hoyer remains unfazed by the fact he won't have tight end Jordan Cameron (shoulder) to rely on during the game, and that Josh Gordon might not take many first-team reps while he awaits word on his suspension.

"I don't think that matters at all,'' Hoyer said. "What it comes down to as the quarterback is, you've got to put your team in the best situation, so regardless of who the players are, you've got to go through your reads and find the open guy. Obviously we'd love to have Jordan out there. He's a great talent and kind of a safety net for me.

"I've kind of grown really fond of having him out there, but you just move on. You can't  control those things. The only thing you can control is the way you play and whether it's Jordan or Gary or Miles or Josh, whoever it is, you just go out there and try to work and get better and I think in anything it helps other guys realize how plays are run and what to expect from them when they get out there.''

Hoyer acknowledged that he's learning a whole new offense -- his fourth in two years -- just as Manziel is.

"It obviously helps that I've been in this league for six years and I've seen multiple offenses, but each one is unique, so you have to learn the nuances of every play and protection and all of that, so you're just trying to get on top of that and I feel really comfortable where I'm at right now,'' he said. "I think I still have a long way to go on certain plays that I'm not as comfortable with. (But) I don't feel like that's any negative against me. Everyone's all in the same boat, all of these quarterbacks.''

Hoyer has run the offense efficiently since the start of camp, but the Browns have no idea how he'll fare in the new scheme and on the repaired knee until they see him in a game. What's more, Pettine plans to name his starter before the third preseason game, so these first two outings are crucial for both quarterbacks.

"I don't feel like there's a lot of pressure on me these days, so I'm actually having a great time,'' he said. "If anything, this is the best training camp I've ever been a part of because I get to be out there playing with those guys. I'm out there and having fun and just trying to get better every day.''

The Browns have ample storylines that would make them a natural for acclaimed sports documentary.

BEREA, Ohio – On the day HBO debuted a new season of Hard Knocks, one featuring the Atlanta Falcons, Karlos Dansby stood outside the Browns locker room channeling his inner Clubber Lang.

The inside linebacker told reporters he's "underrated" and the voting process that left the former Arizona Cardinal out of last season's Pro Bowl is "a joke." If the press wasn't clear on Dansby's assessment of his talents he added, "I'm the best," not one, not two, not three but four times.

Asked Wednesday what he thought of his linebacker's remarks, Browns coach Mike Pettine said: "I called him Muhammad Ali today."

You could almost picture the synchronized facepalms in HBO offices. Falcons coach Mike Smith won't utter anything as remotely clever.

There's a reason Hard Knocks approached the Browns about making the franchise the subject of this year's training camp documentary. In fact, there's probably a half-dozen of them starting with rookie Johnny Manziel and including the plights of receiver Josh Gordon, owner Jimmy Haslam, Pettine and the attempts of alpha dogs Dansby and Donte Whitner to change the culture of a losing team.

The Browns were able to decline based on Pettine's first-year coaching status. He doesn't fault the network for inquiring, however.

"If I were HBO I would have -- and they did," Pettine said. "There are some compelling storylines here."

These aren't your Browns of Pat Shurmur and Colt McCoy. The organization hasn't been as relevant since the start of the 2008 season when the league scheduled Kellen Winslow Jr., Braylon Edwards and Jamal Lewis for five prime-time games. That team went 4-12. Since then, the Browns probably lead the league in regionally-televised 1 p.m. kickoffs.

But events of the past four months, beginning with draft night and including LeBron James' homecoming, have given Cleveland new-found celebrity. ESPN's Bob Holtzman is here so much he should be paying Cuyahoga County taxes. Same for the NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala. Seems like everyone except Hard Knocks is embedded in Berea, where each practice has drawn at least 3,000 fans hailing from 39 states.

There's probably not a training camp teeming with more intrigue and characters. Richard Sherman and the Super Bowl-champions Seattle Seahawks would supply good theater. Jim Harbaugh's neurosis would make for hours of quality television in San Francisco. And, who wouldn't want an unfiltered look at the competitiveness of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady?

But from Haslam's fight with the feds to Gordon's battle to avoid a lengthy drug suspension to Pettine's quest to emerge from the shadows of his famous father and Rex Ryan, the Browns are the NFL's most irresistible pre-season story. What other rookie makes news for changing his cleats on the practice field?

The Browns' decision to pass on Hard Knocks is understandable. They already have enough potential distractions.

Safety Jim Leonhard, who like Pettine was a member of the 2010 New York Jets featured on Hard Knocks, recalled how several teammates angled for face time.

"There were always guys who loved the camera a little too much and we had to put them back in their place," Leonhard said. "It really didn't bother me too much, I didn't see it as a distraction especially in New York (where) there are cameras everywhere.

"I love the stuff that is real. Not the interviews, but the emotion and that stuff. That's awesome, it's the reason they have the show."

Leonhard knows who would have starred in the Browns' version. It's not Manziel.

"There would be a camera following around Donte wherever he went," the safety said laughing. "That's all they would need. They could fill the whole show by just following Donte around. Johnny would be a given. But the stuff Donte says and the attitude he brings to the game is pretty awesome -- and also pretty funny."

Some fans might not appreciate the bluster and brio of Whitner and Dansby, a pair of accomplished veterans who came within a minute of Super Bowl titles in San Francisco and Arizona respectively. But Pettine cited their hard-edged personalities among the reasons they were signed.

The coach saw the impact Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed had in the Baltimore Ravens' locker room. He knows what Bart Scott meant to the Jets. They are players who draw others into the fight.

"I think you need to be confident, I think you need some swagger, especially defensively," the coach said. "We're going to get after you and we're going to let you know about it. Defenses I've been a part of have always had that personality, that one or two guys who not only got after the other team a little bit but kept the room going especially when there's a little bit of a lull.

"Coaches can only do that so much of that. When you have those follow-me-or-else type of guys you are going to be successful."

Whitner is a Glenville product. Brian Hoyer, who's trying to repel Manziel's challenge, attended St. Ignatius. They're hoping to restore glory to a sports city searching for its first title in 50 years.

The storylines are all here and HBO knows it. That's why Hard Knocks likely will campaign for the Browns in 2015.

Of course, there's another provision that would bar HBO cameras -- assuming the Browns didn't want their presence -- and the coach is well aware of it.

"If we make the playoffs," Pettine said, "it gives us a two-year exemption."

Playoffs in 2014? Not likely. But you tell that to Dansby and Whitner. It would make for great TV. 

The Indians have been outscored, 17-5, and out-hit, 25-12, in consecutive losses to the Reds.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a two-game series Wednesday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 114.

Opponent: Reds.

Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 44 minutes.

Attendance: 33,863.

Result: Reds 8, Indians 3.

Records: Reds 58-56, Indians 57-57.

Nothing doing: The Indians have lost seven straight at GABP. They have been outscored, 51-21.

In the name of the (Ohio) Cup: The Reds lead the four-game season series, 2-1. The finale is Thursday night at GABP.

Bottom line, up front: The Tribe played #zombiebaseball for the second consecutive game against the I-71 opponent. (The Reds won, 9-2, Tuesday in Cleveland.)

Indians right-hander Danny Salazar pitched poorly. Indians bats offered minimal resistance against righty Mat Latos for seven innings.

The Reds are supposed to be offensively challenged. Two of their best players, first baseman Joey Votto and second baseman Brandon Phillips, are injured. Yet they have managed to be relentless the past two nights, amassing 25 hits.

The Reds led, 3-0, after two innings, 5-0 after four and 8-0 after seven. The Tribe's runs came in the eighth on a homer by Yan Gomes and two-run double by Ryan Raburn.

Injury concern: Indians center fielder Michael Brantley exited in the top of the seventh. He winced after making a running catch and bouncing into the wall in the third. He did not move well for the remainder of his night.   

Quick exit: Salazar allowed five runs on five hits in four innings. He walked none and struck out five. He was out after just 69 pitches (48 strikes).

Salazar went 3-0 in his previous three starts, allowing a combined four earned runs in 18 innings.

Thunder from below: For the second consecutive game, the Reds burned the Indians with a three-run homer in the second inning from the bottom third of the order.

On Tuesday, No. 9 Ramon Santiago ripped a first-pitch fastball from Josh Tomlin over the right-field wall for a 4-1 lead. It was Santiago's first homer of the season and fourth in 223 games since the beginning of 2012.

On Wednesday, No. 8 Zack Cozart sent a 2-2 slider from Salazar off the left-field pole for a 3-0 lead. It was Cozart's third homer in 108 games this season.

Cozart took a fastball for a ball, fouled a fastball, took a fastball for a ball and fouled a fastball. (Catcher Gomes visited the mound.) Then Cozart pounced on a hanger.

Both of Cozart's fouls occurred while being tardy.

SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning cracked Salazar for speeding up Cozart's bat and for getting beaten with his third-best pitch. Manning wondered why Salazar didn't continue to challenge Cozart with his best pitch, the heater. Salazar's changeup also is better than his slider.

The bad pitch to Cozart was magnified because there were two outs and the pitcher was on deck.

Salazar has been doing a better job of implementing his changeup and slider. This was not the time for the slider, though.

Missed opportunity: The Indians put runners on first and second with none out in the fourth but failed to score.

Jason Kipnis led off with a single -- the first runner allowed by Latos. David Murphy singled. After Brantley's groundout pushed the runners to second and third, Carlos Santana popped out and Lonnie Chisenhall grounded out.

More two-out pop: Reds No. 7 batter Kris Negron hit a two-out, two-run homer in the fourth. Negron smoked a first-pitch fastball.

Todd Frazier's two-out, two-run double in the seventh made it 8-0.

Outfielder Tim Fedroff's two-out RBI single completed a two-run ninth-inning rally.

Outfielder Tim Fedroff's two-out RBI single completed a two-run ninth-inning rally as the RubberDucks defeated the New Britain Rock Cats, 6-5, Wednesday in a Class AA Eastern League game at Akron.

The RubberDucks (63-55) were trailing, 5-4, in the ninth, but first baseman Jake Lowery, leading off the inning, tied it with a homer off Rock Cats closer Cole Johnson to right-center field. Third baseman Justin Toole followed with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Jaime Pedroza.

Johnson looked like he might take the game to extra innings when he struck out outfielder Ollie Linton, but Fedroff managed to drive in Toole to win the game.

The RubberDucks had a 4-2 lead after three innings after scoring three runs in the first and adding another in the third. The Rock Cats erased the deficit with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth.

Fedroff, Linton and catcher Alex Lavisky each had two hits for the RubberDucks, with Fedroff driving in two runs.

Akron starter Joseph Colon went five innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Reliever Enosil Tejada got the win (4-1, 2.42 ERA) after pitching a scoreless ninth.  

The club optioned Danny Salazar to Triple-A Columbus, moments after he suffered the loss in an 8-3 defeat to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The team recalled reliever C.C. Lee to assume his roster spot.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Indians' starting pitching carousel continues to rotate.

The club optioned Danny Salazar to Triple-A Columbus, moments after he suffered the loss in an 8-3 defeat to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The team recalled reliever C.C. Lee to assume his roster spot.

Salazar allowed five runs – all on a pair of homers – in four innings on Wednesday. In his previous three starts since rejoining the big league rotation, he had posted a 3-0 record and 2.00 ERA. Manager Terry Francona has said the team plans to monitor Salazar's workload over the final two months of the regular season. Salazar has logged 116 1/3 innings between Triple-A and the majors.

The transaction now leaves the Indians with three starting pitchers: Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and T.J. House, who will start on Thursday. Carlos Carrasco could return to the rotation and start Sunday's matinee at Yankee Stadium. The team has three off-days over an eight-day stretch beginning Monday.

Francona said after Wednesday's affair that Salazar would rejoin the big league club once he is eligible. Per major league rules, a player optioned to the minors cannot be recalled for 10 days unless he is replacing an injured player.

Salazar has compiled a 4-5 record and 4.88 ERA in 12 starts this season. Lee owns a 4.26 ERA in 15 appearances with the Tribe.

Four-star running back Mike Weber of Detroit Cass Tech announced his commitment to Michigan on Wednesday evening.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Though Ohio State was one of the first programs to offer Detroit Cass Tech running back Mike Weber, it has been unclear how hard the Buckeyes were pursuing the four-star running back as of late. 

But that doesn't matter anymore because Weber announced his commitment to Michigan on Wednesday afternoon, reuniting the Wolverines with the high school program that was once considered its pipeline. 

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 10 running back in the 2015 class, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back chose the Wolverines over offers from Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Ohio State, USC, Wisconsin and others. 

Ohio State had been making strides in infiltrating Cass Tech after signing top cornerback Damon Webb out of the high school last year and recently earning a commitment from three-star 2015 defensive tackle Joshua Alabi in July.  The Buckeyes also have offered a handful of Cass Tech's younger players. 

But now Michigan – who signed 10 Cass Tech prospects since 2008 – is back in business with the Weber commitment. 

The battle is set to continue in Detroit. 

I have officially commited to the University of Michigan #GoBlue [?][?] pic.twitter.com/rinFDcVZHP

— Uncle Mike (@mikeweber25) August 7, 2014

Indians' pitchers have come and gone in startling numbers this year, but catcher Yan Gomes has stayed behind the plate, helping with his power and game-calling.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The pitchers keep spinning in and out of the clubhouse door for the Indians. The faces and arms are mostly the same, but they certainly don't pack heavy because they could be gone at a moment's notice,

Danny Salazar, who won three straight starts before losing Wednesday night to the Reds, 8-3, was optioned to Class AAA Columbus afterward to give his arm and body some pre-arranged R&R, while CC Lee was recalled to fortify the bullpen for the weekend series in the Bronx.

In contrast to the Indians' here-today, gone-tomorrow pitching staff is the man who catches them. Yan Gomes hasn't gone anywhere through the first four months of the season except behind the plate.

"He's one of the better catchers in the game right now, offensively and defensively," said second baseman Jason Kipnis. "There are not too many guys you find who are as well rounded as him on both sides of the dish.

"He has the ability to drive the ball the other way. His power is starting to come out. If you make a mistake, he's going to make you pay for it. He's turning into a good player."

The Indians scored three runs on seven hits Wednesday. Kipnis had three of the hits, Gomes two.

Gomes hit a leadoff homer in the eighth to give the Indians their first run of the game. It was his 16^th of the season – he hit 11 last year – and tied him with Michael Brantley for second on the team.

"I think Yan really understands his swing," said manager Terry Francona. "When he gets the ball that he can handle, lately he hasn't been missing it. He's a strong kid. He can hit the ball to right field, which is really helpful, and when they leave something over the plate, he can really turn on it and hit a ball a long way."

Among AL catchers Gomes ranks first in RBI (50), extra base hits (38) and OPS (.816). He ranks second in average at .286 (100-for-350) and homers.

"I think it's a middle-the-year kind of thing," said Gomes. "I've gotten enough at-bats to where you can't use the excuse that it's still early in the year. I'm getting in a nice groove and have a good approach at the plate right now."

Gomes hit .329 (28-for-85) with five homers and 17 RBI in July. Wednesday's homer extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

Francona uses Gomes down in the lineup. He's batted third once this year. The rest of the time he's been fifth or lower.

Not only does it give the lineup some ambush ability, but it lets Gomes be Gomes.

Gomes is going to swing the bat as his 86 strikeouts and 21 walks attest. On base percentage is not going to be one of his glowing stats.

"We move him around a little bit," said Francona, "but because of all the responsibility he has catching, the on base percentage isn't as important when you're sitting down their lower in the order.

"You can take the positives of what guys give you when they're hitting a little lower in the order."

This is Gomes' first year as a starter. He took over for Carlos Santana last August and hasn't looked back.

"Hey, I'm just happy to be in the lineup," he said. "I don't care if I'm hitting ninth, eighth or seventh."

For the last two months, the Indians' revolving door of a rotation has cycled Salazar, Tomlin, T.J. House and Zach McAllister through the final three slots behind Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. Carlos Carrasco could rejoin the fold for Sunday's start at Yankee Stadium.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- There ought to be a high-speed rail system that shuffles pitchers between Cleveland and Columbus. The Indians would get plenty of mileage out of such a transportation system. As it stands, Tribe hurlers are using a bevy of gasoline to traverse I-71.

The mad scientists -- manager Terry Francona and general manager Chris Antonetti -- have filled many a beaker in search or the proper solution for a much-maligned starting rotation. After Wednesday's relegation of Josh Tomlin to the bullpen and temporary demotion of Danny Salazar to Triple-A, the starting unit might as well read Kluber, Bauer, Larry, Curly and Moe.

For the last two months, the Indians' revolving door of a rotation has cycled Salazar, Tomlin, T.J. House and Zach McAllister through the final three slots behind Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. Carlos Carrasco could rejoin the fold for Sunday's start at Yankee Stadium.

"We're trying to mix and cover a lot of things," Francona said.

As it stands, House will start Thursday's series finale in Cincinnati. Bauer and Kluber will pitch the first two games in New York and Francona hinted that Carrasco could take the hill in the final affair.

Then, the club has three off-days in a span of eight days, which will allow those in the Progressive Field laboratories a chance to manipulate the roster as they see fit. Francona said Salazar will return to the rotation when he is eligible. Major league rules stipulate that a player optioned to the minors cannot be recalled for 10 days unless it is to replace an injured player. Salazar, then, could start as early as Aug. 17.

Francona has said the team will monitor the workloads of Kluber and Salazar. The four off-days in August will help, but following a day of rest on Aug. 25, the Indians will play 30 games in 30 days before receiving a breather on Sept. 25.

Here is a possible projection for the rotation for the remainder of the month. Granted, given the ever-changing makeup of the starting staff, this forecast could be foiled within minutes. Carrasco seems to be the leading candidate to make the starts currently designated with a question mark, though much could depend on how he fares on Sunday, should he earn that start. House would also need to prove reliable to remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future. McAllister is eligible to be recalled next Wednesday, but he has posted a 9.88 ERA over his last seven starts.

The next three games seem to be secure. After that, it's basically a crapshoot. Here is an estimate.

Aug. 7: House

Aug. 8: Bauer

Aug. 9: Kluber

Aug. 10: ?

Aug. 11: OFF

Aug. 12: House

Aug. 13: Bauer

Aug. 14: OFF

Aug. 15: Kluber

Aug. 16: ?

Aug. 17: Salazar

Aug. 18: OFF

Aug. 19: Bauer

Aug. 20: Kluber

Aug. 21: House

Aug. 22: Salazar

Aug. 23: ?

Aug. 24: Bauer

Aug. 25: OFF

Aug. 26: Kluber

Aug. 27: House

Aug. 28: Salazar

Aug. 29: Bauer

Aug. 30: ?

Aug. 31: Kluber

LeBron James has a role in the new Judd Apatow film "Trainwreck".

CLEVELAND, Ohio — LeBron James found some time in his shooting schedule to meet with new Cavaliers coach David Blatt ... and this shooting had nothing to do with basketball.

James and Blatt had their first significant face-to-face last week in New York City on the set of Judd Apatow's movie "Trainwreck", according to a Sports Illustrated report. 

And what is James doing on the set of a Judd Apatow movie? He's in it, of course.

The movie, set for a July 2015 release, according to IMDB.com, stars comedian Amy Schumer, Daniel Radcliffe of "Harry Potter" fame and Tilda Swinton, perhaps best-known for her role in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". But the cast is chock full of other notable stars, including Marisa Tomei, Brie Larson, Method Man, Bill Hader, Ezra Miller, Vanessa Bayer and pro wrestler John Cena. 

Schumer wrote the script but the plot of the movie has not been revealed, according to Variety. Apatow is well-known for his work on movies such as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", "Knocked Up", "Talladega Nights", and "Bridesmaids".

It's unknown what the nature of James' role is in the movie.

As for the meeting between Blatt and James, SI says the Cavs coach thought it went well:

Blatt had briefly met LeBron at the last two Olympics, but they had a real get together last week in New York City. James was finishing his thespian work on the Judd Apatow comedy Trainwreck, while Blatt was visiting his three daughters, who were on holiday. Coach and Franchise Player didn't talk much basketball, but Blatt was ecstatic about how well they got on . . . and Shani, Adi and Ela were equally ecstatic about the Cleveland shopping tips from LeBron's wife, Savannah. 

It seems James enjoyed his time on the set in New York. Check out some photos from his Instagram account below.

Track a live golf leaderboard and get updates, pictures and videos from the PGA Championship first round at Valhalla.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and defending champion Jason Dufner -- storylines are aplenty entering golf's final major championship of the year as the PGA Championship gets underway today.

Follow the first round all day with live updates, pictures and videos from Valhalla Golf Club. And track all your favorite golfers in a live leaderboard.

The box below features live Twitter updates, including pictures and videos from the PGA Tour's official Twitter account and other notable Twitter feeds. Below the box is the live leaderboard. See tee times for Thursday and Friday. Action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. The final groups tee off at 2:45 p.m.

As usual, all eyes will be on Woods, but for different reasons this time. The 14-time major champion made a surprise arrival at Valhalla on Wednesday ready to play, just three days after withdrawing from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron after another back injury.

Woods tees off at 8:35 and is paired with Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington.

McIlroy, meanwhile, is looking to extend an incredible run after winning the British Open and Bridgestone at Firestone Country Club last week. He tees off at 1:45 p.m. along with Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer.

Then there's Dufner, who was born in Fairview Park and won his first major championship last year at the PGA at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.

Like Woods, Dufner is dealing with injury. Dufner, who spent most of his childhood in Florida, recently was diagnosed with two bulging disks in his neck. Dufner also has an afternoon start, going off at 1:55 p.m. with Keegan Bradley and Y.E. Yang.