DMan and Dan talk quarterbacks, winners and losers in the position battles and more.

• Which quarterback won the day?
• If, at the end of all this, the QBs are even, who does that favor?
• Who else stood out?
• How can this team possibly replace the production of Josh Gordon?

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel felt he performed well in his NFL debut. He appeared to tighten the quarterback race. Watch video

DETROIT -- Johnny Manziel tightened the quarterback race with a promising debut in his first preseason game.

 The No. 22 overall pick -- who took the field with 7:32 left in the second quarter to a chorus of boos and cheers --showed that he's not just a college phenom and that his playmaking magic just might translate well to the NFL after all.

"For me it was a good start,'' Manziel said after the Browns' 13-12 loss to the Lions.  "You have to start somewhere. You have to set a foundation. I got  my feet wet. I got my first preseason game under my belt and we've got three more heading into the season.''

Manziel, who put some considerable heat on starter Brian Hoyer, will likely get the start on Monday Night Football in Washington Aug. 18, but coach Mike Pettine said, "that decision hasn't been made yet.''

In five series of work with the second-team offense, Manziel completed 7 of 11 attempts for 63 yards for a 79.0 rating with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also ran six times for a team-high 27 yards with a long gain of 16 for a 4.5-yard average.

"More than anything, it was good for me personally to get out there, go through the game speed, we're getting tackled, we're live, it's a different look than in practice,'' Manziel said. "I just felt like I wanted to try and get some completions, try and get some things rolling, try to put ourselves in position to score some points. Now we just need to get over that hump of getting down in the red zone and putting it in the end zone.''

Working exclusively with the second-team offense, Manziel managed only a field goal and watched his best drive end in a fumble -- but showed promise in the things that make him Johnny Football, America's new favorite NFL player.

He ran well, threw well on the run and operated efficiently from the pocket. Several times, he pulled the ball in and ran because his protection broke down and he had no choice.

"I want to move the ball down the field,'' said Manziel. "I did as good a job as I could getting down when I needed to get down, and there was a fourth down where I was happy to get the first down, happy to move the chains there. When I did get a  chance to take off and run around a little bit, I got down to the chains and tried to keep the drive going. That's what it's all about.''

Operating primarily out of the pistol formation and running a read-option scheme, Manziel said he's not concerned about starting against the Redskins to try to win the job.

"I just think I need to continue to do what these coaches are asking me to do and continue to learn in these situations and try and handle them the best I can while they're coming at me,'' he said. "I'm sure for these next few weeks there will be adversity I'll have to overcome, and at the same time that's part of this game. I'll try and put this team and my group - whichever,  the ones, the twos, the threes, whichever it is - try and move the ball down the field and help our team win the game.''

Manziel, who scrambled for a long gain of 16 yards and converted a fourth down on a keeper, hasn't concerned himself with winning the starting job.

"For me, it's all about getting better,'' he said. "If I'm the guy that puts this team in the best position to win, then we'll see what happens. But if it's not, then I'm here. At the end of the day, what I want is what's best for the Cleveland Browns.

"Whichever quarterback that is, whichever way I can help this team. That's what I'm all about. I'm not about having to come in, having to do this. I just need to continue to get better as a player, continue to learn, soak everything in from the film and this experience I had tonight and things will play themselves out the way they're supposed to.''

Manziel took a couple of hard hits and was checked by the medical team on the sidelines, possibly for an arm issue.

"It's a football game,'' he said. "It's physical. It's part of the game, but I feel really good. I feel great.''

Manziel's best throw from the pocket - the place from which he'll have to operate more frequently at this level - was a 14-yarder to Taylor Gabriel on his fourth possession.

"I felt comfortable in the pocket,'' he said. "I felt like the offensive line did a great job of holding up for me to be able to deliver that ball when we were supposed to get rid of it.  I felt like the ball came out well tonight. I'm still working on getting balls out on time better and really time things up.''

Manziel wouldn't say if this game gave him confidence he could start against the Steelers Sept. 7 if called upon.

"I think luckily for me there's three more games for me to get out there and learn and continue to go through different situations vs. different defenses, look at the defenses more, what they're doing,'' he said. "I'm continuing to learn how to go through this season and obviously preseason form, but still go week to week learning and just growing up as a quarterback.

"Week one, I guess you guys can say it's close, but at the same time there are a lot of things that unfold from now until then that will paint a better picture for us.'' 

In three drives, Hoyer completed 6-of-14 attempts for 92 yards for a 65.2 rating. He put two field goals on the board and and had a long completion of 28 yards.

"It was good to be back out on the field with my teammates, to go out there and move the ball," said Hoyer. "We kind of killed ourselves with some things. There are definitely a couple reads I would like to take back and a few throws, but for the most part it's good to get out there and play against someone else."

He got a little overexcited and overthrew two of his receivers twice inside the Lions' 20, but also had at least two of his passes dropped.

"Like I said, we kind of hurt ourselves,'' said Hoyer. "For me, I had a bad read on one third down. We just have to continue to improve when the live bullets are flying. We can't settle for three, we've got to score touchdowns."

Like Manziel, Hoyer downplayed the competition.

"I'm not concerned about that right now,'' he said. "I'm concerned about being the best quarterback I can be when I play."

Detroit Lions' Theo Riddick left the game with an abdominal injury on the hit.

DETROIT, Mich. – Since signing with the Browns, safety Donte Whitner has vowed to make the middle of the field a dangerous place for opposing receivers.

It took the Glenville product exactly two preseason series to deliver on his promise with injurious impact.

Whitner leveled Detroit Lions halfback Theo Riddick, who managed to corral a 9-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky, but left the game with what was called an abdominal injury. He did not return. Whitner finished with two tackles in about a quarter's work.

"You throw the football in there, you're going to get hit," Whitner said. "It's a good thing they didn't throw a flag. I tried my best not to put my helmet in there. That's what a good defense has to be about. It has to be physical. Teams understand it's going to be a long, hard fight when you play the Cleveland Browns. That's just a small glimpse of it."

Whitner was surprised Riddick held onto the pass, but learned the running back immediately went to the sidelines.

"We'll take that to send a message to other teams in the National Football League: If you have tough guys that want to come in there, best of luck to you," he said.

Whitner, who spent the first eight seasons split between Buffalo and San Francisco, was thrilled to wear the hometown colors for the first time in a game.

"It means a lot to me," he said. "I stood in the mirror for about 10 minutes before we came out here. It's a dream come true. I just want to continue to come out here, put it on, win games and make the city proud."

Gordon 'nicked'

Josh Gordon, waiting word on his appeal for a drug suspension, played into the second quarter, catching two passes for 32 yards.

Coach Mike Pettine said the receiver was removed from the game after getting "nicked." Gordon was spotted heading into the "X-ray" room adjacent to the locker room.

Gordon caught a 22-yard pass from Brian Hoyer on a seam route, the best throw from the starting quarterback.

Pettine said the team sustained no significant injuries.

Running dry

Neither Ben Tate nor Terrance West distinguished himself in the battle for the starting running back spot. Tate, who started, gained 25 yards on six carries, but fumbled the ball.

West had one nice run for 10 yards, yet finished with 22 yards on 10 carries. He had some trouble on handoffs from Johnny Manziel in the pistol formation.

Lone scorer

Billy Cundiff is starting to know what Phil Dawson experienced all those seasons in Cleveland. He supplied the only points for the Browns on four field goals of 43, 26, 41 and 41 yards. The Browns are yet to score an offensive TD in their scrimmage or preseason game.

The Royals haven't been to the postseason since 1985, but that could change this season as they continue to play well since the All-Star break.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The hot-and-cold Royals are hot again. This time they just might stay that way long enough to get it right.

On Thursday they moved into the AL's second wild card spot just in front of the hard-charging Mariners, Yankees and Blue Jays. The Indians, charging in reverse, were five games back after Friday's loss to the Yankees.

More importantly, the Royals are only 1½ games behind the Tigers in the AL Central. Kansas City, a team that hasn't been to the postseason since 1985, will take an October spin anyway it can get it. But a division title and a guaranteed best-of-five series in the first round is a smoother path than the one-and-done wild-card knockout round.

Last year the Indians went 21-6 in September, ending the regular season on a 10-game winning streak, to finish one-game behind the Tigers in the Central. The only perk all that winning earned them was the right to lose at home to Tampa Bay, 4-0, in the wild card game.

The Royals moved into the second wild card spot thanks to a complete game effort by Jeremy Guthrie, former No.1 pick of the Indians, on Thursday against Arizona. They followed that with two straight victories over the Giants at Kauffman Stadium on Friday and Saturday to give them a 13-4 record against National League teams this year.

Overall, they won 14 of their last 17 games and they're doing it with pitching. The staff ERA is 2.52 (44 earned runs in 157 innings) over that stretch. The bullpen's ERA over those 17 games is 1.62 (nine earned runs in 50 innings).

Saturday's victory made the Royals 62-53, a season-high nine  games over .500. Last year at the 115-game mark the Royals were 61-54, but they trailed the Tigers by 7 ½ games.

"I think this is a better team," DH Billy Butler, told the Kansas City Star. "We have the experience of last year of competing and having a chance to get there. But this team, this year, we're figuring out a way to win every night."

Butler was having a down season, and losing playing time on top of it, until the Indians came to town in late July. He hit consecutive two-run, game-winning homers on July 26 and July 27 against the Tribe to re-ignite his season. But offense has been a struggle for the Royals this season.

They rank third in the AL in team batting average, but they're 11^th in scoring, 14^th in extra base hits and last in homers. But when they pitch, they really pitch.

On Friday, Jason Vargas, making just his second start since coming off the disabled list, went five innings. He left with the score tied, 2-2. When the Royals took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the sixth on singles by Butler and Alex Gordon, they dropped the hammer.

Kelvin Herrera pitched a scoreless seventh. Herrera has allowed one run in his last 20 2/3 innings.

Wade Davis pitched into trouble in the eighth, but escaped. He has allowed one run in his last 39 innings going back to April 26.

Closer Gregg Holland retired the Giants in order in the ninth for his AL-leading 33^rd save and the 100^th of his career. Holland has converted 73 of his last 76 save opportunities (96 percent) going back to last season.

"We were able to get to our power arms," manager Ned Yost told reporters.

The Royals' rotation doesn't rival Oakland or Detroit's, but it's solid. James Shields (11-6, 3.25), Yordano Ventura (9-89, 3.47), Vargas (8-5, 3.68), Guthrie (8-9, 4.35) and Danny Duffy (6-10, 2.39) have helped the Royals the fifth best ERA in the AL at 3.78.

The question is can the Royals keep the good times going, while being guided by one thought?

"We want to win the division," Yost told mlb.com. "They know that. They want to win the division. The wild card is Plan B, that's what it is. We stay focused on Plan A."

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. Andre Either collected his 12^th walk-off at-bat for the Dodgers on Tuesday night in a win over the Angels. The winning run scored when Either reached on an error.

2. San Francisco's Hunter Pence had six extra base hits (two doubles, two triples, two homers) in a four-game sweep against the Mets that ended Monday.

3. Detroit center fielder Ezequiel Carrera made the catch of the week Monday night as he robbed Jacoby Ellsbury of extra bases with a diving, back-to-the-plate-catch in the third inning.

Three down

1. Justin Masterson, in his second start since the Indians traded him to St. Louis on July 30, allowed five runs on seven hits in two innings Frida against Baltimore. He allowed two homers, walked three and threw 61 pitches.

2. Brian Dozier, who had 18 homers and 45 RBI at the All-Star break, has one homer and four RBI since the break for the Twins.

3. Catcher Yan Gomes (12), first baseman Nick Swisher (nine) and departed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (14) lead or are tied for the lead at their positions in the AL for errors. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall (15) ranks second.

Tribe talk

"Anyone who says they've seen it all hasn't seen that," GM Chris Antonetti, after David Murphy was thrown out at third base in the seventh inning Tuesday night against the Reds after being deked by a ball thrown out of the Cincinnati bullpen.

MLB talk

"I'm happy it is over and I'm happy we won," left-hander David Price to reporters Tuesday after his first start as a Tiger. Price struck out 10 in 8 2/3 innings in a game the Tigers won, 4-3, in 12 innings against the Yankees.

Stat-o-matic

1. Nice start: Cubs rookie shortstop Javier Baez hit two homers Thursday against the Rockies to give him three in his first three games in the big leagues. He joins Joe Cunningham of the 1954 Cardinals as the only player to do that since 1900. (Elias Sports Bureau).

2. Four in a row: Orioles rookie catcher Caleb Joseph hit his fourth homer in as many games Thursday in a 2-1 victory over Toronto. He is the first rookie catcher in the modern era (since 1900) to hit one homer each in four consecutive games in the same season. Joseph did not play Friday. (Elias Sports Bureau).

3. Top of the class: The A's have had the best record in the big leagues since June 18, the best record in the AL since May 31 ruled the AL West since April 21.

Watch Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed analyze the play of quarterback Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel in round-one of the competition to see who starts the season.

DETROIT, Michigan --  Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed recap what happened during the Browns 13 -12 loss to the Detroit Lions in Johnny Manziel's NFL debut.

In round-one of the quarterback competition, Brian Hoyer started the game and played three series.   Hoyer went 6-of-14 for 92 yards and a 65.2 rating.

Manziel relieved Hoyer and played five series with the second team.  He went 7-of-11 for 63 yards and a 79.0 rating.  Neither quarterback scored a touchdown.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

A video of the crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park showed driver Kevin Ward Jr., clad in a black helmet and firesuit on a dimly lit track, walking toward Stewart's car before being hit and hurtled 50 feet.

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- NASCAR driver Tony Stewart struck and killed a sprint car driver who was walking on a dirt track during a race in upstate New York on Saturday night.

Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said his department's investigation is not criminal and that Stewart was "fully cooperative" and appeared "very upset" over what had happened.

Povero would not identify the driver Stewart hit, but said he was pronounced dead Saturday night at a hospital in Canandaigua. Stewart was unhurt.

A video of the crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park showed driver Kevin Ward Jr., clad in a black helmet and firesuit on a dimly lit track, walking toward Stewart's car before being hit and hurtled 50 feet.

A witness said it appeared Ward was trying to confront Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. The video showed Ward standing to the right of Stewart's familiar No. 14 car, which seemed to kick out from the rear and hit him.

"The next thing I could see, I didn't see (the other driver) anymore," witness Michael Messerly said. "It just seemed like he was suddenly gone."

Povero said the 43-year-old Stewart, a frequent competitor at local sprint car events, was questioned and released. The sheriff is asking for people who recorded video of the crash to provide copies for investigators to review.

A spokesman for Stewart's racing team called Ward's death a "tragic accident."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends," the spokesman said in a statement. "We're still attempting to sort through all the details."

Stewart is scheduled to race in in NASCAR's event Sunday at Watkins Glen. The statement did not address whether Stewart would remain in the race, which is critical for his championship chances.

The accident came just four days after Stewart marked the one-year anniversary of an accident in a sprint car race in Iowa, where he suffered a compound fracture to his right leg. The injury cost him the second half of the NASCAR season.

The track, about 30 miles southeast of Rochester, canceled the remainder of the race within five minutes and later posted a message on its Facebook page encouraging fans to "pray for the entire racing community of fans, drivers, and families."

It said a statement on the crash would come later Sunday.

Ward's website said he began racing go-karts in 1998 at age 4, but didn't start driving sprint cars until 2010. The 20-year-old from Port Leyden, New York was Empire Super Sprint rookie of the year in 2012 and this year was his fifth season racing the Empire Super Sprints.

Stewart was involved in a July 2013 accident at Canandaigua that seriously injured a 19-year-old driver. He later took responsibility for his car making contact with another and triggering the 15-car accident that left Alysha Ruggles with a compression fracture in her back.

Messerly said Saturday's crash appeared to be the result of "a number of bad decisions" and not "any intent on Tony Stewart's part."

"Auto racing is a dangerous sport," he said. "I think it was just an unfortunate set of circumstances that created a tragic situation."

Ambulances, fire trucks and police arrived within minutes of the crash, Messerly said. Fans filed out in stunned silence, he said.

Stewart only returned to sprint track racing last month. He didn't return to racing in any form until February when preparation for NASCAR's season-opening Daytona 500 began.

He refused to stop his extracurricular racing despite the injury and was scheduled to race Sunday.

Stewart was a spectator at the Knoxville Nationals in Iowa on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the accident, and posted on his Twitter account: "Thank you to everyone that worked so hard to get me back to where I'm at today. It's your life, live it!"

Roughly three hours after the accident in New York, Donny Schatz, a sprint car driver for Tony Stewart Racing, won the prestigious Knoxville Nationals in Iowa for an eighth time. Stewart had spent much of the earlier part of the week trackside in Iowa watching his drivers compete.

"I was just told there was an incident involving Tony. I don't know to what extent or what's happening," Schatz said.

Stewart is co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, the four-team Sprint Cup organization fields cars for Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick. He's struggled a bit this year since returning, and heads into Sunday's race winless on the season and ranked 19th in the standings.

Stewart was scheduled to start 13th on Sunday at Watkins Glen International in south central New York state. He has just five races remaining to either score a win or move inside the top 16 in points to grab a valuable spot in NASCAR's championship race.

"We're really adopting the building to the current sports landscape and size of the market", said Mark Shapiro, Indians President.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Last week the Cleveland Indians unveiled a multimillion dollar renovation plan for Progressive Filed to enhance fan experience in response to attendance loss.

The plan will replace around 7,000 underused seats and even a few empty suites. Renderings made public by the team show a plan that both disguises attendance loss and provides news areas to attract more families and young professionals to the ballpark.

"We're really adopting the building to the current sports landscape and size of the market", said Mark Shapiro , Indians President.

The renovations will be paid for by the Indians along with concessions operator Delaware North Cos.

View full sizeRenovation rendering of Progressive Field provided by The Cleveland Indians. 

While my cartoon has some fun with renderings at the expense of the Indians, I really like what they've done with the place.  Fist-bump to the Indians for making an already great ballpark even better.

What do think  of the remodeling plan?  Do you think the field should be replaced with green shag carpet or green berber  or something else?

Who's the top homegrown staring pitcher by the Indians in the last 20 years -- Bartolo Colon, CC Sabathia or Jaret Wright?

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Indians record for signing and developing top-flight starting pitchers has been sketchy at best. The examples are few and far between, but a case can be made that in the last 20 years CC Sabathia, Jaret Wright and Bartolo Colon top the list.

Who would have guessed that Colon, built along the lines of a 300-pound beach ball, might emerge as the winningest pitcher of the three?

The Indians signed Colon for pennies in 1993 when he was a teen-ager in the Dominican Republic. The next year they made Wright their No.1 pick and gave him $1.2 million signing bonus right out of high school.

Wright, 38, has been retired since 2007, his career shortened by injuries, but in 1997 he was good enough to start Game 7 of the World Series. Colon, 41 won his 200^th game Friday, throwing eight innings for the Mets in a 5-4 victory over the Phillies.

Sabathia, the Indians No.1 pick in 1998, is still the clubhouse leader with 208 wins. The Yankees left-hander, 34, has youth on his side. He's also done for the season following surgery on his right knee. There was speculation that Sabathia's career might be over if he needed microfracture surgery, but that does not appear to be the case.

Colon, listed at 5-11 and 285 pounds, has hit just about every high and low spot a big league pitcher can do. He won a Cy Young award with the Angels, lied about his age to get signed as an amateur and was caught, got busted for PEDs, served a 50-game suspension and is still pitching and winning.

One more thing, Colon is making $9 million this year and $11 million next year. So the journey will continue.

Browns receivers drop at least four passes in 13-12 loss to the Lions.

DETROIT, Mich. – As the Browns wait and wait for the NFL to rule on the future of their top receiver, it's hard not to cast judgment about those beneath him on the depth chart.

The first preseason game at Ford Field – a 13-12 loss to the Detroit Lions -- reinforced what many were thinking: It's a precipitous drop from Josh Gordon to the remaining wideouts.

On a night Gordon played perhaps his last game until midseason or longer, the rest of the corps failed to distinguish itself. The group registered at least four dropped passes and was unsuccessful at stretching the defense vertically. In fairness, the Browns were without Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron, speedy wideout Travis Benjamin and veteran Nate Burleson, but nobody stood out in their absence.

While fullback-tight end MarQueis Gray caught two passes for 51 yards, he also had a key drop of a Brian Hoyer pass. Miles Austin also failed to snare a nice Hoyer pass along the sideline inside the Lions' 10.

"I thought we moved the ball. We just kind of kicked ourselves in the butt a few times," said Hoyer, not speaking specifically about the receivers. "We kind of stopped ourselves really. We were 0-for-3 on third down, and when you get in the red zone, you've got to score touchdowns. Yeah, it's nice to walk away with two out of three drives with points, but really you've got to get seven and not three."

Neither Hoyer nor Johnny Manziel gained much traction in the quarterback derby. Each had his moments: Hoyer threaded a perfect 22-yard strike to (who else?) Gordon on a skinny post; and Manziel delivered a nice ball to Taylor Gabriel for 14 yards. Both also were victimized by drops.

It's unwise to put too much stock in one preseason game. The Browns receivers could rebound with a big night in Washington on Aug. 18. Saturday's performance, however, did nothing to assuage fan-base fears that have been mounting since early May when news of Gordon's potential drug suspension was reported and the club failed to draft a receiver.

The Browns have not scored an offensive touchdown in their scrimmage or first exhibition game.

Pettine said early in training camp there's plenty of competition at wideout because the participants are so similar. He meant it as a compliment.

But even if you remove some of the drops, there's nobody in the group, sans Gordon, who worries defensive coordinators on deep balls. A season ago, the All Pro caught at least one pass in 10 of 14 games than carried for 33-plus yards. Benjamin has Gordon's speed -- and then some -- but isn't the route runner or pass catcher No. 12 is.

Without a deep threat, opponents are likely to constrict the field for the quarterbacks and receivers. Again, Cameron will help but he, too, will be impacted if Gordon is lost for half or the entire season.

Charles Johnson and Taylor Gabriel contributed three catches each against the Lions, and Gray (6-4, 242) flashed his potential as a large target, especially coming out of the backfield.

Overall it was an unsettling first game for the Browns' receiving corps. And, it could be the last one before Gordon is banished for a long time.

Watch as quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel talk about their performance in the preseason opening loss in Detroit as the competition heats up for the starting job. Watch video

DETROIT, Michigan -- The first-round in the preseason battle for the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback job is in the books with a 13-12 loss to the Lions at Ford Field.

Brian Hoyer started the game and played three series with the first-team.  He went 6-of-14 for 92 yards and a 65.2 rating.

Johnny Manziel relieved Hoyer and played five series with the second team.  He went 7-of-11 for 63 yards and a 79.0 rating.

Neither quarterback scored a touchdown on any other their drives.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

Get live updates, pictures and see a live leaderboard from the final round of the PGA Championship.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Follow all the action from the final round of the PGA Championship with live updates, pictures and videos Sunday as Rory McIlroy looks to close an incredible run.

And track McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and all your favorite golfers in a live leaderboard from Valhalla Golf Club.

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 Sunday. Action gets underway at 8:25 a.m. The final pairing, which features McIlroy and 28-year-old Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, tees off at 2:55 p.m.

World No. 1 McIlroy is seeking his third straight win in three big starts, the British Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron preceding this final major of the season.

For the second straight day McIlroy enters his round with a one-stroke lead following another 67. But unlike some of McIlroy's recent major wins, he has several pursuers, as 11 players are within five shots.

Ranked 70^th, Wiesberger was 6 under Saturday to get to the final twosome. His best finish in a major is a tie for 64^th at the 2013 British Open, the only other time he has made the cut at a major.

The second-to-last pairing at 2:45 is a blockbuster duo with Fowler and Mickelson.

Fowler is again in the hunt at a major, just two shots away from McIlory. Will he finally break through after finishing as the runner-up in the past two majors?

Mickelson shot 67 for the second straight day and is three off the lead, as is Jason Day.

The Browns lost the game, Maziel won the QB derby for the night, and some of the same problems persist for the Browns. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns lost the game, but Johnny Manziel in his NFL debut won the first leg of the Great Quarterback Derby of 2014 over Brian Hoyer.

That's my read, based partly on the sheer electricity Manziel creates on the field, the sense that it's  the end of the boring and snoring when he's out there.

1. Manziel was accurate throwing (7-of-11), at times explosive running, and proved capable of  some ad-lib plays that seem to have caught television analyst Solomon Wilcots by surprise.

"From watching Manziel in practice, I know he can ad-lib," said Wilcots.

From practice? It was not exactly a secret that Manziel is at his best when plays are not perfect.

Which, on the bright side, means we could see some very good Johnny Football efforts this season.

2. No TDs were put on the scoreboard by either Manziel or Hoyer in the 13-12 loss to Detroit. Dropped passes could have extended drives or even set up touchdowns. (It counts six points, or two fieldies, in case you've forgotten.)

3. Evidence also revealed that new coach Mike Pettine's new slogan "Play like a Brown" apparently means  to  miss tackles, the same way they've been missed them for 15 years now.

4. Scoring might improve if Manziel had gotten a chance with the same complements (Josh Gordon and Miles Austin, plus the first-string line.) Then again, he was going against Detroit's second unit on defense.  Also Austin had the biggest drop of the game, mishandling a Hoyer pass that was perfect and would have at least put the Browns in really short field-goal range.

5. It would be great if the Browns would go for it more often. How much practice on intermediate field goals does Billy Cundiff need in exhibition season, anyway?

6. Cornerback Pierre Desir had a tough night. He's not at Lindenwood University anymore.

7. Will somebody reduce Wilcots' supply of happy pills? Wilcots thought Hoyer looked "really good," "ripping it downfield." Uh, 6-for-14, 92 yards is a rip that has been mended, I do believe.

8. He is not going to be a Gloomy Gus, Wilcots. That much is clear, including his overpraise of Manziel for, among other things, having his helmet on before almost going  onto the field for the first time in Detroit Saturday night. Buffalo's Thurman Thomas, a Hall of Pro Football Famer, once misplaced his lid in a Super Bowl game, so I suppose it's on the check list, along with pants and brain.

9. Wilcots is replacing controversial Bernie Kosar, dismissed for frankness and other reasons. The new guy was OK overall, other than the rah-rah stuff.

He lauded Manziel for getting a fullback onto the field once, although, since it was a play involving the fullback, that reflects badly on the sideline organization as much as it does on Manziel's headiness.

10. The refs weren't ready for prime-time, halftime, overtime or part-time.

How about that cockamamie call on a clear Detroit fumble in the first half? Incorrectly ruled as a kick returner downed by contact the play on review was determined (and this was not even close) to be a fumble. The Browns just as clearly recovered, but the ridiculous refs said there was no obvious evidence of Cleveland possession. Huh?

11. This denied Manziel the chance to take his very first snap of the night in the red zone. (This was  when  Wilcots praised Manziel for wearing his helmet.)  I bet he'd have gone for the touchdown, too.

12. Can an offensive lineman get credit for a pass defended? Mitchell Schwartz moved too soon on one play,  the refs missed the call, then Schwartz bumped into Manziel as he threw what became an incompletion.

13. Wilcots called Manziel's best running play, a 16-yard bolt out of the pistol, a designed  quarterback draw.  I'm not sure, but I'll defer  to the analyst who played in the NFL. But Maziel did look both right and left for receivers before taking off.

14. It's hard to take exhibition games seriously except for position competition. Example of unseriousness: Matthew Stafford, Detroit's franchise quarterback, played only the first series.

15. Ben Tate and Terrance West see the hole, hit the hole, and run with malevolent purpose. This is nice to see after the Trent Richardson dance studio.

16. In the 1970s there was a Right Guard deodorant commercial, in which a guy turns out to share a medicine cabinet with the man in the next apartment. The latter is an annoying fellow who disturbs the first guy so much that the spot ends with the aggrieved guy's plaintive cry to his wife: "Mona!"

This leads me to the current commercial with the ubiquitously annoying Bill Cowher. This one ends with two young executives wondering how Cowher ever got an interview with them in the first place. Finally, one of the suits shouts, presumably to a secretary: "Donna!"

Wonder where they got that idea?

17. It's hard to believe people still doubt Manziel's arm. He was whip-cracking the ball, including one embarrassing throw downfield to wideout Jonathan Krause, who wasn't looking and fielded it with his kneecap.

Wilcots said he had to be aware of the ball.

He just as easily could have said Krause had to be aware he was on a football field.

Krause got Marcia Brady-ed. (This occurred when Greg threw a football to his unsuspecting sister on "The Brady Bunch," and she fielded it with her face. She  then lamented that she would never be a cheerleader now.)

18. Even though he was stuffed short of a first down on a read-option run, you had to like the way Manziel put his head down and tried to battering ram his way to the yardsticks.

Terrelle Pryor, a much bigger quarterback at Ohio State, although possessed of a strong stiff arm, often caught Trent Richardson's Disease and began to  foxtrot near  the first down marker.

19. Hoyer had a couple of overthrows but, like Johnny Football, he also had a couple of drops. Jordan Cameron better be OK. Without Gordon for an extended time (a near certainty,) the QB competition might devolve into who can be less frustrated by skillet-handed receivers.

20. You can't say any four-field goal game was a triumph for the offense or the men directing it. But I give the nod to the challenger.

It was good to see the Browns finally play a game, but it was just the first preseason game, and it looked like it. Watch video

DETROIT, Michigan -- Scribbles in my notebook after the Browns lost 13-12 in Detroit.

1. It feels as if we've been waiting years for the Browns to finally play some type of game -- even one that doesn't count. Most of us wanted to watch the quarterbacks. What often happens in the preseason is what we saw Saturday night -- the quarterbacks don't play enough to develop much rhythm.

2. It was the first preseason game for Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Consider that it was the first pro game of any type for Manziel. It was the first game for Hoyer since he had ACL knee surgery last October. In some ways, both wanted to get through it without any major calamities. And they both accomplished that.

3. But it's so hard to draw any major conclusions, other than Hoyer's knee appeared sound and Manziel has a knack of using his legs to run for first downs. Hoyer didn't take any really hard hits. Manziel was belted a few times. Once, the trainers checked on him when he went to the sidelines. The rookie insisted he was OK.

4. Hoyer's best chance for a big play came when Miles Austin dropped a 30-yard pass on the Detroit 5-yard line. That could have set up a touchdown. Austin did make a very good grab of a 13-yarder for a first down -- the only catch of the night for the veteran from Dallas.

5. Hoyer missed at least two open receivers by firing the ball high. Remember, this game was in a dome, so wind was not a factor. MarQueis Gray and Austin had dropped passes. Hoyer made some excellent throws, especially a 22-yarder to Josh Gordon on a slant pattern.

Johnny Manziel's best plays were made with his legs. John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer 

6. By the middle of the second quarter, Hoyer was done for the night. His stats were 6-of-14 for 92 yards. He was solid, looking like a veteran who had his team organized and didn't make silly mistakes. He had three possessions with the team, leading them to a pair of field goals.

7. Judging these quarterbacks is so subjective. Those who want Manziel to play now will say that Hoyer looked very ordinary and couldn't put up any touchdowns. Those who like Hoyer will say he was what the Browns wanted, an experienced game-manager. The Browns intend to rely on their defense, their running game and playing hard-hitting football to win. They aren't built to score a lot of points, especially if Gordon is indeed suspended for a long time.

8. Those who like Manziel will say, "This offense has so little going for it, let the kid play. He can create with his legs. He has a good arm. Just put him in there and live with the good and the bad." Those who don't trust Manziel right now will say that he is too quick to give up on passing plays and just take off with the ball and run.

9. Manziel ran 16 yards for a first down -- and also executed a slide before he was tackled. Another time, he ran for eight yards and a first down -- and dashed out of bounds. This must be his approach. On a third-and-1, he tried to act like a fullback -- and was smashed by two defenders, failing to pick up the first down. Moves like that are asking for an injury.

10. On at least two of his runs (6 carries, 27 yards for the game), Manziel had some receivers open, but seemed more focused on the running the ball.

11. When Manziel quickly drops back to pass and sets his feet, he is very accurate on short and mid-range throws. In some ways, he needs to trust his arm as much as he has faith in his legs. Manziel was 7-of-11 passing for 63 yards. He had four possessions, and produced one field goal.

12. Manziel carried the ball 345 times in 26 college games. That's 13 times a game -- a lot for any quarterback. He can't come close to doing that in the NFL and expect to stay healthy.

13. It's only the first preseason game, but you wish the Browns would have scored at least one touchdown. I know, Billy Cundiff was 4-of-4 on field goals to make special teams coach Chris Tabor happy. But Tabor was not pleased with his coverage units. They gave up kickoff returns of 49 and 30 yards, along with a 24-yard punt return.

14. Ben Tate looked like a veteran back, 25 yards on six carries. Terrance West looked like a rookie: 22 yards on 10 carries. West had some good moments, but also seemed a bit surprised with the speed of the defenders. That shouldn't be a surprise. West played at Towson State, and this was the first time he was tackled as a pro. It's not as if he played against tons of future pros in the SEC or Big Ten.

Barkevious Mingo had a sack, but still needs to get stronger when defending against the run. John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer 

15. Armonty Bryant displayed excellent speed rushing the passer. He was a seventh-round pick by Mike Lombardi last year, and Bryant should have a significant role in Mike Pettine's defense. Barkevious Mingo had the Browns only sack of the night. He was wiped out by blockers a couple of times on running plays. It still seems that Mingo needs to get stronger.

16. Fullback MarQueis Gray caught two passes for 51 yards. The fullback also dropped one. He has a clear role in the offense beyond blocking. In college at Minnesota, Gray played everything from quarterback to wide receiver. The Browns played him a bit at tight end last year, and also used him a few times to carry the ball in the Wildcat formation.

17. Of all the young receivers trying to make a good impression, Taylor Gabriel had the best day. He caught three passes for 32 yards. He's a 5-foot-8 slot receiver from Abilene Christian, an undrafted free agent.

18. Not a good night for Dion Lewis, who fumbled. He carried the ball three times for nine yards.

19. Pettine's defense used a variety of formations. On one play, the only lineman was Desmond Bryant -- six defensive backs, four linebackers on the field.

20. Detroit starting quarterback Matt Stafford played only one series. Lions running back Reggie Bush carried the ball only twice. Star receiver Calvin Johnson sat out. That's why it's so hard to judge these games. The Browns rested Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron, who has had some minor injuries.

Indians righty Corey Kluber is 3-0 with a 0.29 ERA in his past four starts.

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

Game: 117.

Opponent: Yankees.

Location: Yankee Stadium.

Time of day: Day.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 59 minutes.

Attendance: 47,376.

Result: Indians 3, Yankees 0.

Records: Indians 58-59, Yankees 61-55.

Streaks busted: The Indians had lost four in a row and seven straight at Yankee Stadium.

Cooled off: The Yankees had been 14-7 since the All-Star break. They won the series opener, 10-6, Friday night.

Even through six: The season series is tied, 3-3.

John Krepop stat of the day: Four Tribe pitchers combined to craft a 150-pitch shutout.

Flailing: The Yankees struck out 15 times and went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Starring roles: This game belonged to Indians right-hander Corey Kluber and shortstop Jose Ramirez.

Kluber gave up four hits and struck out 10 in six innings and Ramirez went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer.

Klubot dealing: Kluber (13-6, 2.46 ERA) allowed one double and three singles. He hit one batter and walked one. He threw 72 of 109 pitches for strikes.

Kluber used primarily a well-located power fastball, nasty cutter and cartoonish slurve to solve the Yankees. He mixed in several good changeups to lefties. Credit the Yankees for grinding at-bats enough to run up his pitch count, but when they put the ball in play, not much happened.

The Yankees managed to get four balls out of the infield against Kluber: Chase Headley flied to left in the second inning; Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to left in the fourth; Carlos Beltran flied to center in the fourth; and Ellsbury singled to left-center in the sixth.

Kluber's best work came in the sixth. After Derek Jeter led off with an infield single and advanced to second on Ellsbury's single, it was as if Kluber became offended that two runners were on with none out. Kluber struck out Beltran looking (three pitches), Headley swinging (four) and Stephen Drew swinging (four). The dangerous Beltran, who hit a grand slam the previous night, stared at an 0-2 fastball down the middle.

Ridiculous four-pack: Kluber is 3-0 with a 0.29 ERA in his past four starts covering 31 1/3 innings. He has allowed two runs (one earned) on 15 hits, walked three and struck out 35.

Almost as ridiculous seven-pack: Kluber is 6-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his past seven starts covering 54 1/3 innings. He has allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 34 hits, walked seven and struck out 60.

Bullish: Tribe relievers Scott Atchison (hitless seventh), Bryan Shaw (one-hit eighth) and Cody Allen (hitless ninth) secured the victory. Shaw earned his 15th hold and Allen his 15th save.

Quality matchup: Kluber needed to be sharp because Yankees righty Brandon McCarthy gave up two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked none and struck out eight.

McCarthy (4-1, 2.21 ERA) had won four straight starts.

Out of nowhere: The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

With two outs, Lonnie Chisenhall singled up the middle. Chisenhall, given an off-day Friday because Tribe manager Terry Francona said he looked tired, went  0-for-11 in his previous three games.

No. 8 batter Ramirez, 0-for-9 in his previous three games and batting .174 overall, ambushed McCarthy, sending the first pitch over the right-field wall for his first career homer. McCarthy had thrown a get-me-over, flat fastball clocked at 91 mph figuring Ramirez would take or do nothing with it.

Yes, Ramirez capitalized on the "short porch'' for lefties at Yankee Stadium. But a home run is a home run is a home run -- especially when it is the first of a major-league career.

Target practice: Indians designated hitter Michael Brantley struck McCarthy in the right foot with a liner in the third. The ball caromed far enough away from the mound that Brantley reached with his second hit.

McCarthy threw practice pitches and remained in the game.

More target practice: Kluber retired the first eight before drilling Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli in the left side with a fastball in the third. Cervelli yelped as he wore it.

Cervelli remained in the game. On Friday, the Yankees lost catcher Brian McCann to the concussion list.

Missed opportunity: The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the seventh but failed to score.

Nick Swisher led off with a single, which qualifies as a bonus given his struggles this season, especially during the day. Chisenhall struck out swinging. Ramirez singled to left, Swisher stopping at second.

Former Indians lefty Rich Hill relieved McCarthy. Chris Dickerson singled to right, Swisher stopping at third. Jason Kipnis bounced into a force at the plate and, after righty Chase Whitley relieved, Mike Aviles struck out swinging.

Dr. Smooth delivers: Brantley picked up his teammates with a homer against Whitley leading off the eighth. It caromed high off the right-field pole.

Brantley finished 3-for-4 and is batting .324 with 17 homers and 74 RBI. 

Spotlight on ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter. He entered Saturday tied for sixth on the all-time hits list with 3,430 (Honus Wagner). Here is a breakdown of his at-bats:

First inning vs. Kluber (none on, one out) -- 93 fastball outside, ball; 88 cutter down and away, swinging strike; 93 fastball inside, grounder to pitcher.

The skinny: Fastball ran hard in on Jeter's hands and tied him up.

Fourth inning vs. Kluber (none on, none out) -- 93 fastball, called strike; 94 fastball just outside, ball; 93 fastball away, grounder to first.

The skinny: Tribe first baseman Carlos Santana denied Jeter a single by diving to his right and snaring the grounder. Santana hustled to the bag and slid to beat Jeter. Kluber was late arriving to the bag perhaps because he tweaked his foot as he came off the mound.

Sixth inning vs. Kluber (none on, none out) -- 81 slurve high, foul; 88 cutter down and outer half, single to third.

The skinny: Kluber made a good pitch; Jeter tapped it toward third, where  Chisenhall had no chance even if he barehanded cleanly. Jeter moved into sole possession of sixth on the all-time hits list with 3,431. 

Eighth inning vs. Shaw (runner on second, none out) -- 94 fastball, called strike; 82 slider away, foul; 93 fastball away, foul; 92 fastball in, foul; 82 slider away, foul; 94 fastball away, ball; 80 slider in dirt, swinging strikeout.

The skinny: On the decisive pitch, plate umpire Jeff Kellogg checked with first-base umpire Brian O'Nora to see if Jeter went too far. O'Nora said Jeter did. Jeter and the Yankees disagreed, of course -- but O'Nora's call was correct. It actually was an easy one: Jeter had committed his hands well beyond the threshold. (The notion that O'Nora had the "guts'' to make that call on Jeter at Yankee Stadium should be absurd; unfortunately, it is not. Jeter, as great as he is, has gotten the benefit of the doubt on that type of "swing'' on countless occasions at home.)

With Ezekiel Elliott sidelined, Samuel will get more of a shot. And Meyer said he can do everything a running back needs to do. "I've done this a while," Meyer said. "Yes." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer couldn't hide the smile Sunday. It's the "how 'bout that freshman?" smile. 

Dangerous. It can be dangerous. 

Dontre Wilson elicited the same kind of smiles last season, when the entire Ohio State preseason camp was abuzz with the speedy freshman's potential. By the end of the season, Wilson had solid numbers - 460 yards from scrimmage - but he said he felt like a decoy all year.

The story then was that Wilson didn't do enough of the little things, like blocking, to stay on the field. The story now is that he's added strength and can run tougher inside. As a sophomore, no one will have to be careful. Wilson sounds ready.

But back then, Meyer tried to get reporters to slow down on the Wilson buzz. Now Meyer is trying to stop himself with Samuel.

Watch your step, Urban. Especially with projected starting running back Ezekiel Elliott out of practice for several days with a broken bone in his wrist, and with Meyer saying Elliott will be held out of contact for at least 10 days or so, this is really a time for the Samuel talk to grow. Samuel, Rod Smith and Bri'onte Dunn will all get the chance to do more in Elliott's absence.

Here comes a question about whether Samuel can do everything that needs to be done at the running back position.

"That running back battle, can Curtis Samuel as a true freshman ..."

"Absolutely."

That wasn't even a full question. Here's the rest.

"... do everything you need a running back to do?"

"Every time, I've got to be careful, because I do this, but I love that kid and man, oh man, does he go hard," Meyer said. "He's talented and he will play this year."

And he can run between the tackles and everything?

"To be determined," Meyer said. "But I've done this a while. Yes."

Samuel hit campus in the winter listed at 185 pounds on National Signing Day in February. He said Sunday he's up to 197 pounds and would like to add another five by the Aug. 30 opener.

"Right now, I'm physical enough, I can take a pounding, and I'm ready," Samuel said.

And the speed? That OK?

"I have great speed," Samuel said. "My speed didn't go down from me gaining weight."

In the spring, when Samuel turned heads, the thrust of his game was to get the ball and go. That's what Meyer told him to do. Actually playing running back for a top-10 team college football is a little more detailed. That's especially true for a player who in recruiting was seen as maybe a running back or maybe an H-back type of guy, who wouldn't have the same backfield responsibilities.

But now, he's a tailback all the way. That means pass protecting. And catching passes out of the backfield. Reading holes. Following blockers.

"I knew I'd be playing running back. I got my mind right before I came here to play running back and understand the pounding I'd be taking just coming in here," Samuel said. "I had to get my body ready for a  lot of pounding."

He came sure that he could do it.

"I was very confident that my game from high school would translate to the college level," the native of Brooklyn said. 

Defensive lineman Michael Bennett told a story of Samuel bouncing back after taking a big hit from a senior in the spring. His dominating performance was the highlight of the Buckeyes' circle drill before practice this week. His offensive teammates went crazy.

"I took off low, I was very explosive on that because of the hard work I do in the (weight) room," Samuel said. "It was very exciting for me to know the whole offense is behind me."

So Samuel is confident. So is his coach. Meyer will try to be cautious. It appears that may not be easy.

Ohio State media day took place in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon, which means just about everyone on the team was wandering around in the indoor facility wearing their jerseys. We took a ton of pictures and gathered them in the inside gallery.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State media day took place in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon, which means just about everyone on the team was wandering around in the indoor facility wearing their jerseys. 

That gave us a chance to source our stories for the coming weeks, but we also managed to snap about 20 pictures of the team and coaches. 

Above is a full gallery from today's media day, and it includes some freshmen in their jerseys.

Below are stories we've already done since the availability. 

Must-read links: 

• Ohio State QB Braxton Miller missed Buckeyes' first fall scrimmage Saturday, if he misses the next one it's a problem

• Curtis Samuel, the Ohio State freshman RB Urban Meyer knows he might like too much

• Livingston: Ohio State's Dontre Wilson is stronger and in a hurry to meet expectations

Be sure to check back with cleveland.com continually all week as we continue to roll out full coverage of the Buckeyes as they progress through fall camp. 

The Indians won a season series against the Yankees for the first time since 2008.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the New York Yankees in the finale of a three-game series Sunday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 118.

Opponent: Yankees.

Location: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx.

Time of day: Afternoon.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 8 minutes.

Attendance: 46,152.

Result: Indians 4, Yankees 1.

Records: Indians 59-59, Yankees 61-56.

Bottom line, up front: The Indians played superbly in posting back-to-back victories in the Boogie Down against a club that had been hot since the All-Star break. The Indians won, 3-0, Saturday afternoon.

Entering Saturday, the Tribe had lost four straight -- and looked bad doing so. 

Long time coming: The Indians won a series series against the Yankees (4-3) for the first time since 2008 (4-3). They improved to 2-17-3 in season series against the Yankees since 1993.

Plenty of goose eggs: Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury homered off Cody Allen with two outs in the ninth inning. It snapped New York's scoreless streak at 19 innings.  

Starring roles: This game belonged to Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco,  second baseman Jason Kipnis and catcher Yan Gomes. Carrasco allowed two hits in five shutout innings; Kipnis went 3-for-5 with one double, three runs and one steal; and Gomes expertly handled Carrasco and was 2-for-3 with two RBI and one walk.

Cookie Express: Carrasco, making his first start since April 25, walked none and struck out four. He threw 51 of 77 pitches for strikes.

Carrasco snapped a 17-start winless streak that dated to July 2011. He had been 0-12 with an 8.09 ERA in those 17 starts.

Carrasco, as Sunday's line suggested, was terrific. As expected from a pitcher coming out of the bullpen, he relied on a two-pitch mix. Both pitches -- the fastball (mostly 95-97 mph) and slurve were crisp and well-located. Of utmost importance at Yankee Stadium, Carrasco kept the ball down and on the outer half of the plate against the lefties. 

Carrasco, pitching out of the stretch from the outset, should have retired the side in order in the first -- but third-base umpire Jeff Kellogg prevented it. With two outs, lefty Ellsbury was fooled by a nasty 1-2 slurve down and in. Ellsbury sold a check-swing well enough to fool Kellogg on appeal. Ellsbury had been so aggressive to the ball that contact might have resulted in a single to right.

Instead of being out of the inning in 12 pitches, Carrasco needed to throw 10 more. Ellsbury socked a full-count single to center for a single and, with Mark Teixeira batting, stole second. Teixeira ripped a 2-2 pitch that Kipnis snared in short right.

Earlier in the week, the Indians' shifts against Reds lefty Jay Bruce backfired. Five of Bruce's hits in a four-game series resulted from balls that traveled through areas vacated by unconventional alignments. In the first inning Sunday, though, the shift paid off big, denying Mark Teixeira an RBI hit.

Carrasco pitched around a one-out single by Stephen Drew in the second. He struck out righty Martin Prado swinging at a wicked slurve down and away and caught Ichiro Suzuki looking at an 0-2 fastball (97) on the outer half.

The Yankees went 1-2-3 in the third. Francisco Cervelli flied deep to center, Brett Gardner grounded to first and Derek Jeter hit a full-count fly to center.

Ellsbury led off the fourth with a full-count grounder to first, where Carlos Santana gloved and threw to Carrasco. It was a basic play, but one that needed to be seamless against the speedy Ellsbury.

Carrasco went to a full count on Teixiera before firing a 95-mph heater on the outside corner at the thighs -- precisely where a pitcher needs to attack the pull-oriented Teixeira at Yankee Stadium. Teixeira swung and missed.

Carlos Beltran grounded up the middle. Shortstop Jose Ramirez, positioned on the second-base side of the bag, dived to his right, grabbed and threw from his knees for the out. The shift paid off again, thanks in large part to Ramirez's range and athleticism.

The Yankees went 1-2-3 in 12 pitches in the fifth. Leadoff batter Drew swung through a nasty slurve at the feet for a strikeout. Prado flied to right and Ichiro lined to left.

Good pairs of eyeballs: With runners on first and third and two outs in the Tribe fifth, Santana drew a five-pitch walk against righty Hiroki Kuroda. Santana leads the majors with 83 walks.

Gomes, after a 1-1 count, took a breaking ball away and two high fastballs for the walk to give the Indians a 3-0 lead. It would have been easy for Gomes to try to be  The Man and muscle up, especially against the full-count fastball. Kuroda banked on it, but Gomes refused to give him what he wanted. The team-oriented restraint led to a run.

According to STATS, the bases-loaded walk was Kuroda's first since his MLB rookie year of 2008.

First-round showdown: After Gomes walked, Yankees manager Joe Girardi signaled for lefty David Huff to face Lonnie Chisenhall. The matchup of Indians first-round picks ended with Huff (39th overall, 2006) getting Chisenhall (29th overall, 2008) to ground to second.

Grinding: Indians batters collectively did a great job of working counts against Kuroda, who allowed three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Kuroda (7-8, 4.03 ERA) walked four and struck out three en route to using 97 pitches. He has just 31 walks in 147 1/3 innings this season.

Another excellent AB by Gomes: The Indians put runners on first (Michael Brantley) and third (Kipnis) with one out in the seventh. Righty Shawn Kelley relieved Huff and struck out Santana in three pitches. Gomes stepped in.

Kelley, figuring Gomes would be looking for a first-pitch fastball, threw a slider low. Gomes fouled it. Kelley threw a fastball that Gomes fouled, putting him one strike from keeping the Yankees' deficit at 3-0. Not so fast.

Gomes spit on a slider away, fouled a slider and took two sliders for balls. Catcher Cervelli visited. Gomes fouled another slider, which frustrated Kelley into a mistake that pitchers can't expect to get away with against Gomes: a low fastball over the plate. Gomes shot it into the hole at second to drive in Kipnis. Credit Brantley for smoothly eluding the ball and making a 4-0 lead possible.

Carlos Carrasco beats Yankees with five scoreless innings for first win as a starter since June 29, 2011.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – An empty head makes all the difference in the world to Carlos Carrasco. Pitching at Yankee Stadium helps as well.

Carrasco, who has taken a vow to no longer stress over the downtime between starts, pitched five scoreless innings Sunday as the Indians beat the Yankees, 4-1, on a lovely afternoon in the Bronx.

It took a lot of coaxing and coaching to get Carrasco to this point. It coincided with a three-month stay in the bullpen after he opened the year in the starting rotation and quickly pitching himself out of it.

In the pen, Carrasco learned to empty his head of the worry about how to get through a lineup the second and third time around. He scrapped his delivery, pitched from the stretch, played some pre-game soccer with his bullpen mates, and listened to a two-word message from bullpen coach Kevin Cash.

"Kevin Cash told me to, "go hard,'" said Carrasco.

Cash told Carrasco that on the day he joined the bullpen. He repeated it last week when Carrasco returned to the rotation after he went 3-1 with one save and a 2.30 ERA in 26 relief appearances.

"He told me, "Don't change anything and when Tito (Francona) comes to get you, give him that ball and that's it. That's what we have the bullpen for.' That's what I did."

Carrasco (4-4, 3.60) struck out four, didn't walk a batter and allowed two hits. He threw 77 pitches, 51 for strikes. It sounds as if he'll be in the rotation from here to the end of the year.

"That was one of the more fun days of the year," said Francona. "One of the most rewarding days. We hoped Carlos would pitch well, but to get through five the way he did and for him to stay in his delivery and hold his stuff that was really exciting."

The win was Carrasco first as a starter since June 29, 2011. While he won games as a reliever, he went 0-12 in 17 starts between victories as a starter.

Yankee Stadium might have had something to do with it. Carrasco made his first appearance in the Bronx on June 13, 2011. He threw seven scoreless innings to beat the Yankees, 1-0.

"When you face the Yankees, you feel in your body that you want to throw a shutout and everything," said Carrasco. "Three years ago I pitched seven innings here. I won the game 1-0.

"I told my wife after our win Saturday, 'I'm going to do the same job I did three years ago and I'm going to pitch the same way I've been pitching in the bullpen.'"

It's hard to do two things at once, but Carrasco managed just fine Sunday.

Johnny Manziel tightened the quarterback race with a strong showing in Detroit, but he hasn't moved ahead of Brian Hoyer yet, Mike Pettine says.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine acknowledged Sunday that Johnny Manziel has made "lot of improvement'' from the start of camp, but that he hasn't overtaken Brian Hoyer in the quarterback race yet and that there's no obvious frontrunner between the two.

"To me, if there was a clear-cut favorite at this point, it would probably mean that one of them wasn't playing very well,'' Pettine said on a conference call. "And it's a good problem, having two guys that we think are both capable of being NFL starters.''

Pettine denied a report Sunday morning by ESPN's Bob Holtzman that Manziel has moved ahead of Hoyer. Holtzman was in Detroit for the Browns' 13-12 loss to the Lions, and has been covering the Browns regularly since Manziel was drafted.

"It's untrue,'' said Pettine.

Pettine also stressed that he hasn't yet made a decision who will start the next game, the Monday Night Football contest in Washington Aug. 18.

He said the two quarterbacks will continue to divide the first-team reps in camp this week, but backed off slightly on his deadline for naming his starter by the third preseason game.

"I would like it decided before then,'' he said. "I'm not going to say that's 1,000 percent etched in stone, but I would like it (decided) before that."

After watching the film, Pettine acknowledged that his rookie quarterback has tightened the race by catching up on the playbook and leading the offense.

"We put Brian out there with the ones and that was for a reason, because he was ahead in experience and the lead he had with the playbook, and he's done nothing to have that taken away from him,'' said Pettine. "But Johnny has made some improvement -- a lot of improvement.  The things where he was behind in the spring, he's gotten a pretty firm grasp on, and as we said before, it was him versus the playbook and he's handling it well.

"I mean, it was his first live game situation of an active play clock and having to get the call and repeat it and get everybody lined up and the motions executed, which we do a lot of, and he's really gone from one extreme to the other and I think he's handled it well. But Brian on the other hand has been solid.''

Pettine said both quarterbacks made strides in Detroit despite not being able to get the ball in the end zone. Manziel, working with the second-team offense, produced one field goal in his four possessions, and completed 7-of-11 attempts for 63 yards and a 79 rating. He also led the team with 27 yards on six carries, including a 16-yard scramble and a conversion on fourth-and-1.

Hoyer produced two field goals in his three chances, completing 6-of-14 attempts for 92 yards and a 65.2 rating. He overthrew a couple of passes, but also had two dropped inside the 10.

"I thought they were both solid,'' Pettine said.  "I think they both got almost the same number of reps. Brian got 24, Johnny got 25. They had different supporting casts but it was good tape for both of them. They both operated the offense efficiently, and had a couple plays they'd want to take back. For Brian, this is his first live game coming off the knee injury, and I thought he did some good things, and (it was) and Johnny's first NFL game. I think there was reason for both of them to be nervous and I think they both settled in quickly and operated efficiently.''

Pettine said he wouldn't necessarily give Manziel the edge because the team lacks premier wideouts without Josh Gordon.

"I don't see it that way,'' Pettine said. "He does have a certain skill set that we hope to take advantage of if he is out there, but that's not the way we look at it. It's what I said before. We're going to look at everything involved and whoever gives us the best chance to win will be out there.''

Pettine has not changed his mind about preferring rookie quarterbacks to sit behind veterans.

"I still believe that,'' he said. "But I also believe that you can be successful with a rookie.''

He cited Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Carson Palmer as quarterbacks who waited their turn, "and then you have situations where a rookie comes in and plays right away and is great, so you've seen everything, but I've always felt in an ideal situation that the rookie gets a chance to sit behind someone and learn.''

Pettine was impressed with Manziel's scrambling, and didn't try to dampen his enthusiasm for it.

"The one long scramble that he had, it was the third down, he knew were the sticks were, he knew there was enough real estate that he could get the first down, and he certainly showed his ability to slide,'' said Pettine. "When it really opened up, I don't think he felt the need to sit and wait on a receiver when he knew he could get the first down and get down."

He also had no problem with the keeper on fourth-and-1, despite fullback Ray Agnew flashing open.

"I can't speak on what he saw,'' Pettine said. "I just know we needed a yard and he gained a yard."

Pettine said he's confident his starter will have plenty of time to prepare for the season opener at Pittsburgh if he sticks with his timeline, and that he'll choose whoever gives him the best chance to win.

"If we do have a starter (by Aug. 23), he'll play significant reps in the third game and then get all that practice time leading up to the Pittsburgh game we feel we'll have a quarterback that's ready."

After the game, Manziel said all of the right things about winning the starting job, which should play well in the locker room, especially among the veterans.

"For me, it's all about getting better,'' he said. "If I'm the guy that puts this team in the best position to win, then we'll see what happens. But if it's not, then I'm here. At the end of the day, what I want is what's best for the Cleveland Browns.

"Whichever quarterback that is, whichever way I can help this team, that's what I'm all about. I'm not about having to come in, having to do this. I just need to continue to get better as a player, continue to learn, soak everything in from the film and this experience I had tonight and things will play themselves out the way they're supposed to.''

He also received a compliment from Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas, who's seen plenty of rookies come and go quickly.

"He seemed to handle it really well, and you didn't see any silly rookie mistakes that you'd expect out of a first-year quarterback,'' Thomas said.

Manziel wasn't ready to say that his debut gave him the confidence to face the Steelers less than a month from now if called upon, but seemed up to the speed and magnitude of the pro game.

"Luckily for me, there's three more games for me to get out there and learn and continue to go through different situations vs. different defenses,'' said Manziel. "I'm still just growing up as a quarterback. I guess you guys can say (the Steelers game) is close, but at the same time there are a lot of things that will unfold from now until then that will paint a better picture for us.''

Authorities questioned the 43-year-old Tony Stewart once on Saturday night and went to Watkins Glen to talk to him again Sunday.

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- The collision was as common as any in racing. Kevin Ward Jr.'s car spun twice like a top, wheels hugging the wall, before it plopped backward on the dimly lit dirt track.

In a sport steeped with bravado, what happened next was another familiar, but treacherous, move: Wearing a black firesuit and black helmet, the 20-year-old Ward unbuckled himself, climbed out of the winged car into the night and defiantly walked onto the track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

He gestured, making his disgust evident with the driver who triggered the wreck with a bump: three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.

Ward, a relative unknown compared to NASCAR's noted swashbuckler, was nearly hit by another passing car as he pointed with his right arm in Stewart's direction. As he confronted Stewart in his passing car, disaster struck.

Ward was standing to the right of Stewart's familiar No. 14 car, which seemed to fishtail from the rear and hit him. According to video and witness accounts, Ward's body was sucked underneath the car and hurtled through the air before landing on his back as fans looked on in horror.

Ward was killed. Stewart, considered one of the most proficient drivers in racing, dropped out of Sunday's NASCAR race at Watkins Glen, hours after Saturday's crash. And the sport was left reeling from a tragedy that could have ripple effects from the biggest stock car series down to weeknight dirt track racing.

"There aren't words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr.," Stewart said in a statement.

Authorities questioned the 43-year-old Stewart once on Saturday night and went to Watkins Glen to talk to him again Sunday. They described him as "visibly shaken" after the crash and said he was cooperative.

On Sunday, Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said that investigators also don't have any evidence at this point in the investigation to support criminal intent. But he also said that criminal charges have not been ruled out.



The crash raised several questions: Will Ward's death cause drivers to think twice about on-track confrontations? Did Stewart try and send his own message by buzzing Ward, the young driver, only to have his risky move turn fatal? Or did Ward simply take his life into his own hands by stepping into traffic in a black firesutsuit on a dark track?

The only one who may have that answer is Stewart.

David S. Weinsten, a former state and federal prosecutor in Miami who is now in private practice, said it would be difficult to prove criminal intent.

"I think even with the video, it's going to be tough to prove that this was more than just an accident and that it was even culpable negligence, which he should've known or should've believed that by getting close to this guy, that it was going to cause the accident," he said.

The sheriff renewed a plea for spectators to turn over photos and videos of the crash. Investigators were reconstructing the accident and looking into everything from the dim lighting on a portion of the track to how muddy it was, as well as if Ward's dark firesuit played a role in his death, given the conditions.

Driver Cory Sparks, a friend of Ward's, was a few cars back when Ward was killed.

"The timing was unsafe," he said of Ward's decision to get out of his car to confront Stewart. "When your adrenaline is going, and you're taken out of a race, your emotions flare."

It's often just a part of racing. Drivers from mild-mannered Jeff Gordon to ladylike Danica Patrick have erupted in anger on the track at another driver. The confrontations are part of the sport's allure: Fans love it and cheer wildly from the stands. Stewart, who has a reputation for being a hothead nicknamed "Smoke," once wound up like a pitcher and tossed his helmet like a fastball at Matt Kenseth's windshield.

"I've seen it many times in NASCAR, where a driver will confront the other one, and a lot of times they'll try to speed past them. And that's what it appeared to me as if what Tony Stewart did, he tried to speed past Ward," witness Michael Messerly said. "And the next thing I could see, I didn't see Ward any more. It just seemed like he was suddenly gone."

The crash also raised questions about whether Stewart will continue with his hobby of racing on small tracks on the side of the big-money NASCAR races. He has long defended his participation in racing on tracks like the one where the crash happened, even as accidents and injury have put his day job in NASCAR at risk.

Saturday's crash came almost exactly a year after Stewart suffered a compound fracture to his right leg in a sprint car race in Iowa. The injury cost him the second half of the NASCAR season and sidelined him during NASCAR's important Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Stewart only returned to sprint track racing last month.

The crash site is the same track where Stewart was involved in a July 2013 accident that seriously injured a 19-year-old driver. He later took responsibility for his car making contact with another and triggering the 15-car accident that left Alysha Ruggles with a compression fracture in her back.

"Everybody has hobbies," he said last month, adding that "there are a lot of other things I could be doing that are a lot more dangerous and a lot bigger waste of time with my time off do than doing that."

Greg Zipadelli, competition director for Stewart-Haas Racing, said Stewart felt strongly he should not race after the wreck. Regan Smith replaced him in his car.

"We're racing with heavy hearts," Smith said.