More than 2,000 attend League Park reopening as historic Hough neighborhood diamond is polished and ready for public use.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Dorothy Greene has seen and experienced the Hough neighborhood at its worst, and at times wondered if it would ever recover. On Saturday, standing in refurbished League Park, her doubts were gone.

"This says there's good in Cleveland,'' she said. "They give us a bad name or whatever, and said Hough would never recover, but this is something that says it is recovering, and it will be a good place to live.''

Greene, 73, remembered lying on her living room floor with her children after a bullet pierced her window during the 1966 Hough riots. She recalled seeing League Park and the Hough neighborhood deteriorate further in the decades that followed.

She couldn't stop smiling Saturday as she strolled amid the trees and flowers planted in and around League Park and adjacent Fannie M. Lewis Community Park. The City of Cleveland spent $6.3 million to refurbish the historic ballpark, and celebrated with an opening ceremony that attracted more than 2,000 people.

Politicians gave speeches, a poet laureate paid tribute, a former Cleveland Indians slugger hit home runs, and at the end of the day, they just played baseball on one of Cleveland's most historic plots.

"Cleveland has so many historical assets and if we don't preserve them, then we lose that part of our history,'' Mayor Frank Jackson said. "This is a historical asset in the middle of a Cleveland neighborhood, Hough.

"When people think of Hough, they have different connotations and it may go back to negative things. But when they come here, they'll know Hough housed League Park, the Negro League, the 1920 Cleveland Indians, and Cleveland history.''

Longtime Hough resident James Gulley, 93, soaked it all in, remembering the park in its glory, and appreciating its restoration.

"This is just beautiful,'' Gulley said. "I remember people sitting on top of their houses on Lexington to watch the ball games. I remember seeing Allie Reynolds before he got traded to the Yankees, and Bob Feller was my favorite, because he was the best.''

League Park, built in 1891 and then known as Dunn Field, is baseball's oldest existing Major League ball grounds. It also is the first former Major League park turned into a community park.

It was the site of numerous key moments in baseball history, including the Indians 1920 World Series championship, Babe Ruth's 500^th career home run, Joe DiMaggio's 56^th consecutive hit. A long list of Hall of Famers called it home or visited, from Cy Young, to Satchel Paige, to Feller.

The NFL's Cleveland Rams played there, as did the Negro League champion Buckeyes. Even the Browns practiced at League Park.

After the Indians abandoned it in 1946 and the Buckeyes folded a few years later, most of the stadium that held more than 19,000 fans was torn down in the 1950s.

All that remains of the ballpark is the ticket house built in 1909 and part of the E. 66^th Street grandstand wall, slightly bowed, but reinforced and decorated with portraits of Major League and Negro League greats such as Buckeyes player-manager Quincy Trouppe, whose son, Quincy Troupe is a renown poet and paid tribute with a poem about his father during the ceremony. (The son said his father added the extra P in his last night while playing in Mexico.)

The restored ticket house now is home to the Baseball Heritage Museum, which has artifacts from several eras of baseball, and is open on Saturdays. A new visitors center has been built next to the first-base line, but remains empty until the City of Cleveland, which owns the park, finds a vendor.

The artificial turf baseball field will host Cleveland youth baseball and softball games, and Senate League high school games. Cleveland schools athletic director Leonard Jackson said every Cleveland high school will have a game scheduled there next spring.

Other teams and leagues can use the field with a permit from the city. League Park is enclosed, but adjacent Fannie M. Lewis Community Park is unfenced and has a youth baseball and softball field, a walking path and a splash basin, which kids took advantage of on a warm, sunny afternoon Saturday.

Many who attended Saturday recalled League Park nearly in rubble in recent years. Construction workers who began work on the ticket house last year had to evict several homeless people.

"This place was a disaster,'' said Beth Rosenblum, retired director of the Cleveland Baseball Federation. "Hopefully, they can keep it safe.''

Members of the Cleveland Blues vintage baseball team have been playing at League Park since 2008, and at one point had to bring their own mowers to cut the grass. That won't be an issue with the wall-to-wall artificial turf.

"To see how beautiful it looks, we're very excited,'' said Ken "Hammer" Schutz of North Ridgeville. "As a ballplayer, you can feel the presence, that there has been greatness before us on that field.''

Sabrina Morel of Cleveland said the $6.3 million the city spent on the project could have been put to better use.

"I'm happy that it's in the community and some place for people to go in the community,'' she said, "but I'm a little disappointed because some of that money could have been spent in helping rebuild our ward. This place will be closed in a few months. Winter is coming, and they'll keep it closed 'till spring.''

The Indians brought out of retirement former first baseman Travis Hafner for the day. Hafner, wearing a 1920 replica uniform, swung at batting practice balls from the left-handers batter's box where Ruth once stood. Hafner wowed the crowd with nine home runs onto Lexington Avenue, seven of which cleared the 48-foot, right field fence.

"I was really unaware of the history of this ballpark until this week, and I've been learning about all the great things that happened here and its history. It's pretty special to be out here today,'' he said. "It's a really big park to left field and center, and that fence is even taller than the (Fenway Park) Green Monster, so you have to hit it pretty high.''

The current right-field high fence extends halfway to center field. The original high fence extended all the way to the deep center, which is 460 feet from home plate.

"Wow. Good luck with that," Hafner said. "This was fun. A great crowd showed up and it was fun to be a part of it.''

The Cleveland Cavaliers put the finishing touches on their offseason makeover, acquiring Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers put the finishing touches on their off-season makeover on Saturday, acquiring Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"Kevin joining the Cavaliers represents a very special and unique opportunity for our team," Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin said in release by the team. "At only 25, Kevin has already firmly established himself as one the NBA’s elite players and his talent, versatility and fit are major parts of our team’s vision for success."

The Cavaliers will introduce Love at a press conference Tuesday at the team's facility in Independence.

Love, 25, will team up with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, forming a new Eastern Conference power and instant title contender. 

James immediately welcomed his new teammate on Twitter, then couldn't help but show his excitement for the upcoming season with artwork that had been waiting for the right time to appear (notice the words just to the left of LeBron's image in the first Instagram).

Welcome to the Land @kevinlove!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 23, 2014

THE LAND.. http://t.co/XHRBhjO0AN

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 23, 2014

THE LAND.. http://t.co/jkLo3drqj7

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 23, 2014

In exchange for Love, who can become a free agent this summer, the Cavs sent promising No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, last year's top selection Anthony Bennett and a first rounder in 2015 obtained from Miami in the sign-and-trade for James when he left for South Beach in 2010. That pick was flipped to the 76ers, who get guard Alexey Shved and forward Luc Mbah a Moute from the Timberwolves. Philadelphia sent power forward Thaddeus Young to the Wolves, who are hoping he can help replace Love in the starting lineup.

Griffin wished Wiggins and Bennett well with the Timberwolves, calling them "both outstanding young men that have great potential on the court and long, very successful careers ahead of them."

It's a steep price, but the Cavs feel the 6-foot-10 Love is worth it. The three-time NBA All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and former rebounding champion is coming off his best season as a pro. He averaged a career-high 26.1 points on .457 shooting, 12.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.5 blocks in 36.3 minutes for the Timberwolves, where he has spent his entire career.

The former first-round pick has averaged 19.2 points on .451 shooting to go along with 12.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.5 blocks in 32.8 minutes over 364 games (282 starts).

Players that talented rarely hit the trade market, especially this early in their career, but Minnesota had no choice. Originally expected to be a franchise tent pole, Love grew unhappy missing the playoffs six straight years and informed the Timberwolves this summer he would not sign an extension. Minnesota didn't want to enter the season with Love approaching free agency, fearful he would leave the organization empty-handed. So it began listening to offers in June, with the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Cavs at the center of the talks.

Wiggins gave Cleveland the edge, provided the organization was willing to part with him. But the Cavaliers couldn't complete the deal because of a seldom-used NBA rule preventing any rookie from being traded for 30 days after he signs his rookie contract, which Wiggins did on July 24.

Now, the Timberwolves plan to introduce Wiggins along with Bennett and Young to fans at the Minnesota State Fair on Tuesday. The team welcomed them in a full-page ad in the St. Paul Pioneer Press Saturday afternoon.

Two weeks ago at his welcome home rally in Akron, James couldn't prevent himself from envisioning the opportunity to share the court with Love.

"I can tell you, I'll be really excited, very excited to have (Love). He's one of those guys that I don't even really care about the 26 (points) and 12 (rebounds), I care about the basketball IQ," James said. "His basketball IQ is very, very high. He's a great piece."

Love is more than that. In an off-season that has seen James come home, Irving agree to a contract extension, the arrivals of James Jones and Mike Miller with Shawn Marion on the way, Love is the summer's last major piece in Griffin's roster reconstruction.

Watch head coach Mike Pettine talk about his disappointment in the team's performance in the Cleveland Browns 33-14 preseason loss to the Rams. Also, postgame comments from Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio --   "When you play at home you only get one chance to make a first impression for your fans even though it is the preseason and that to me is disappointing," head coach Mike Pettine said of the Cleveland Browns loss to the Rams at FirstEnergy Stadium. 

Brian Hoyer played into the third quarter after starting the game.  He completed 10-16 attempts for 84 yards with one touchdown, an interception and was strip sacked for a 70.8 quarterback rating.

"I don't think he played well enough, but I think that's across the board," said Pettine when asked how he thought Hoyer played.  "It's hard for your quarterback to look good when the guys around him aren't playing to our standards either.

Johnny Manziel relieved Hoyer completing 10-of-15 attempts for 104 yards with one touchdown for a 86.5 rating.

Pettine said that he still plans on starting Brian Hoyer in the season opener Sept. 7 in Pittsburgh.

On the defense, Pettine said, "Third and long, that should be something where a good defense will dominate and that's where we took a step backwards tonight.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

The Indians started five rookies Sunday against the Astros -- right-hander Trevor Bauer, catcher Roberto Perez, DH Zach Walters, right fielder Tyler Holt and shortstop Jose Ramirez.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the Indians and Astros lineups for Sunday's game at Progressive Field.

ASTROS

RF Robbie Grossman, S.

2B Jose Altuve, R.

DH Dexter Fowler, S.

LF Marc Krauss, L.

1B Jon Singleton, L.

SS Marvin Gonzalez, S.

C Carlos Corporan, S.

3B Matt Dominguez, R.

CF Jake Marisnick, R.

LHP Brett Oberholtzer, 4-8, 4.01.

INDIANS

CF Michael Bourn, L.

SS Jose Ramirez, S.

2B Jason Kipnis, L.

1B Carlos Santana, S.

RF Tyler Holt, R.

DH Zach Walters, S.

LF Mike Aviles, R.

3B Lonnie Chisenhall, L.

C Roberto Perez, R.

RHP Trevor Bauer, 4-7, 4.41.

UMPIRES

H Lance Barksdale.

1B Kerwin Danley.

2B Gary Cederstrom.

3B Mark Ripperger.

Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Astros at Progressive Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel.

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

Game 129: Indians (65-63) vs. Astros (55-75)

First pitch: 1:05 p.m. at Progressive Field

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

Gimenez arrived at the Indians' clubhouse at about 9:30 a.m., a clubhouse he called home in 2009-10. During that period, Gimenez played 73 games for the Tribe, the organization that drafted him in the 19th round in 2004.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Chris Gimenez hopped off the plane on Sunday morning -- his third flight on a voyage that took him from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles to Detroit to Cleveland -- and he was back in familiar territory.

He arrived at the Indians' clubhouse at about 9:30 a.m., a clubhouse he called home in 2009-10. During that period, Gimenez played 73 games for the Tribe, the organization that drafted him in the 19th round in 2004.

The Indians acquired Gimenez from the Rangers on Saturday to fill a void at catcher created when Yan Gomes landed on the seven-day concussion disabled list on Saturday (retroactive to Friday).

"I was shocked," Gimenez said. "I didn't really see that coming."

In Gimenez's first tour with the Tribe, core players such as Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana were just breaking in to the league. Gimenez said it's "pretty cool" to now see those players blossom. Of course, it wasn't as fulfilling in 2009-10, when the Indians lost 97 and 93 games, respectively.

"I was here for the rough parts of it," Gimenez said.

Now, things aren't so bad.

"It's really nice to be [above] .500 and not 30 games below," he said. "The most exciting part is having a chance to come back in and we're in the race. ... It gives you that extra little burst that you need at this time of the year. It makes every play, every pitch that much more important and more fun."

Francona said Sunday he doesn't expect Gomes to need more than the seven days to recover from the mild concussion he suffered on Thursday in Minnesota. Gomes will accompany the Indians on their road trip to Chicago and Kansas City this week. Gimenez will join Roberto Perez behind the plate while Gomes is sidelined.

"He's a guy we've sort of been targeting all along, like even maybe for the winter," Francona said. "His reputation in the organization is so good. He can do so many things -- catch, first, outfield. ... It was kind of a no-brainer."

Rest up

Francona omitted Brantley's name from his starting lineup on Sunday. With Monday's off-day, the All-Star outfielder will have two days to rest before the Tribe endures a stretch of 30 games in 30 days.

"I thought he needed it," Francona said. "That's a hard one for me, because he's so good. But I think you can make a mistake when you want a guy to desperately play because he's good, when you know darn right a day off would be in his best interest."

Brantley is batting .077 (2-for-26) over his last seven games. He was dealing with leg soreness two weeks ago, but both he and Francona have said it has subsided.

"I think during the season you go through periods where, like in Minnesota, he took several good swings and fouled balls back," Francona said. "He just missed them. And then once you sometimes miss your pitch, then you're kind of in the hole."

Walk-off wonders

The Indians lead the American League with 10 walk-off wins. That total ranks second in the majors, behind only Miami (11). Rookie shortstop Jose Ramirez provided the club's most recent walk-off with a decisive single down the left-field line on Saturday night.

"I'd much rather not have to have those," Francona said, "but we play so many close games that, one way or the other, you're either going to lose a disappointing one or [win]. That just seems like it's the way it's going to be."

Not sure if the Browns offense is "too complicated," but something is sure wrong with it. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my notebook the day after the Browns' 33-14 loss to St. Louis:

1. Watching the team this preseason, I keep thinking, "This is what happens when you change coaches every year." Mike Pettine is the third head coach in three seasons. That also means three offensive coordinators in three years, three defensive coordinators in the same three years.

2. Kyle Shanahan is supposed to very adaptable to his players, which is part of the reason that Pettine hired Shanahan as offensive coordinator. I confess to not knowing enough about his offensive system to really see what it can do -- but the same seems to be true of many of the players. The quarterbacks do roll-out quite a bit, not a bad idea. But that requires timing. Right now, the offense has almost none of that.

3. I've heard whispers about the offense being "complicated." Not sure if it's "complicated" compared to the simplistic spread offense run by Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, or if it's "complicated" compared to other NFL offenses. I just know there was little fluidity in practice, and almost none in three preseason games. Shanahan has had some very good seasons running offenses in Houston (with drop-back quarterback Matt Schaub) and in Washington (with mobile Robert Griffin III). Maybe he can figure out the problems and simplify things a bit.

Johnny Manziel talks to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. It's up to the offensive coordinator to find a system that works for his quarterbacks. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer 

4. It's amazing that on the first play of the third quarter ... the first play after leaving the dressing room ... quarterback Brian Hoyer and receiver Miles Austin were confused, and that led to the play becoming a mess. Then Hoyer was sacked from behind and fumbled.

5. You can debate Hoyer vs. Manziel and probably make a decent case for either to start. But the fact is the offense is so disjointed, neither would be successful right now. The stats from Saturday's game were so close: Hoyer was 10-of-16 passing, 84 yards. Manziel was 10-of-15, 85 yards passing. Hoyer threw for a touchdown, Manziel ran for a touchdown. Neither had much rhythm in the passing game. Most of their completions were short throws.

6. The quickness displayed by Manziel on his 7-yard touchdown run was impressive. He began to throw from the pocket, spotted an opening -- and faked out two defenders before leaping into the end zone. Very few NFL quarterbacks can make that kind of athletic play

7. Hoyer seemed to find some comfort with Andrew Hawkins. A free-agent addition from Cincinnati, Hawkins caught all five passes thrown to him. It was for a grand total of 36 yards, but one of those catches was for a 5-yard touchdowns.

8. With Josh Gordon expected to receive some type of suspension, Miles Austin is supposed to be the main receiver. He caught two passes for 23 yards. He has had a few drops in the preseason. He and Hoyer do not seem to be in synch.

9. Hoyer was throwing to Austin when his pass was picked off, but that wasn't the fault of Austin. Hoyer stared right at his receiver, and threw the ball right into the arms of Rams linebacker Alec Ogeltree. Hoyer said he didn't see the linebacker. I looked at it a few times. Still not sure why Hoyer missed him. The linebacker was dropping back in coverage -- nothing tricky about it.

10. Ben Tate (81 yards, 19 carries) has looked good running the ball in the preseason. Rookie Terrance West (53 yards, 18 carries) has struggled. I do think the rookie from Towson has potential to be a good running back. So far, Shanahan's "zone blocking scheme" has not opened a lot of holes. This is another change from a year ago.

11. As for the "package" for Manziel, Pettine said after the game: "I did say that's on the table, but I think we need continuity as a starting offense before we start to worry about going to a change-up."

12. "Amen" to that because the Browns need to figure out what in the current system works and fits rather than add more options.

This is an interception for Chris Kirksey. The rookie linebacker was one of the few bright spots in the game. John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer 

13. This will be a real challenge for Pettine. He has always been a defensive coach, and later a defensive coordinator. This is the first time he has to worry about an offense, and he has an offense that is creating a lot of worries. That's why much of the burden is on the shoulders of Shanahan.

14. It was a good night for Chris Tabor's special teams. The Browns averaged 33.7 yards per kick return. Taylor Gabriel averaged 44.5 yards on his two kick returns. The Browns limited Travis Benjamin to one punt return, and he brought it back 18 yards. Gabriel had one run-back for 68 yards. He also caught two passes and is very close to making the team as a non-drafted free agent.

15. This was the first time in the preseason that the defense had far too many moments when it seemed in poor position and confused. Rookie Chris Kirskey had a tremendous game with seven tackles. He picked off a pass. The inside linebacker has played well during the preseason. He's alternating with Craig Robertson, who also has looked good.

The new video boards look good at First Energy Stadium. John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer 

16. In the first half when the Browns starters were on the field, St. Louis converted 7-of-10 third downs. They picked up first downs on the following third-down situations: 3rd-and-25, 3rd-and-19, 3rd-and-12 and 3-and-11. Those are situations where the Browns should have been able to pressure the quarterback and create sacks and/or turnovers. Didn't happen.

17. Perhaps the best thing about the night was the new look of First Energy Stadium. The video boards are terrific. Some of the re-arranging of seats gave the place more a football field-feel ... rather than a bland waiting room at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Owner Jimmy Haslam and team president Alec Scheiner were taking notes on the stadium, and other Browns front office people were gathering feedback from fans. They know some more changes need to be made. But overall, the upgrade of the stadium is far more successful than what is happening on the field.

18. Typo's and truth: In some editions of Sunday's paper, the final score in my story was listed: St. Louis 33, Browns 114. If only scoring points for the Browns were as easy as hitting keys on the computer.

A look at the best linemen in college football heading into the 2014 season.

It should come as no surprise that a quarterback as elusive as Oregon's Marcus Mariota enjoys scrambling behind one of the best offensive linemen in college football or that Florida State's Jameis Winston, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is protected by a pair of elite blockers.

It also should not be a shock to see Michigan State's stout defense featuring one of the nation's elite defensive ends.

Even in today's world of spread "flag" football, games are won up front. And here are the players who are the very best in the trenches heading into the 2014 season:

Offense

1. OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M: The Aggies have produced high first-round NFL draft picks at left tackle in each of the last two seasons in Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews. Ogbuehi, who passed on the opportunity to enter the NFL as a junior, stands a good chance to be similarly prized after this season.

2. OT Brandon Scherff, Iowa: ESPN.com's Travis Haney suggested that the dominant left tackle at Iowa was not only the best tackle in college football, but also the best player, regardless of position in the game. That's tall praise, but not too far off.

EUGENE, OREGON -April 28, 2012 - Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu (55), gives a thumbs up to the crowd before the Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., Sat, Apr 28, 2012. Thomas Boyd/The OregonianThomas Boyd/The Oregonian 

3. C Hroniss Grasu, Oregon: The three-year starter is everything you want in a center. He's smart, quick, strong, a natural leader and a technician at his position. A fifth-year senior with a strong bond with Mariota, his return to school (he could have left for the NFL after last season) may have been as important as Mariota's return.

4. OG Tre Jackson, Florida State: At 340 pounds, Jackson is the biggest, strongest and baddest member of maybe the best offensive line in the country. He may also be the best offensive guard in college football.

5. OT Andrus Peat, Stanford: A 6-foot-7, 312-pounder with long arms, Peat is one of the most physically dominant linemen in the country. He has the skill set to challenge Ogbuehi and Scherff to be the nation's best tackle.

Others: Left tackle Cameron Erving anchors FSU's dominant front. ... Left tackle Spencer Drango of Baylor may be the best lineman in the Big 12. ... The SEC is loaded with elite offensive linemen, including center Reese Dismukes of Auburn, guard A.J. Cann of South Carolina and tackles La'el Collins of LSU and Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss.

Defense

Clemson's Vic Beasley puts the heat on Braxton Miller in the first half of the Orange Bowl.AP 

1. DE Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State: The best defense in the Big Ten is anchored by the best player. Calhoun, a freakish 250-pound athlete, had 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss last year.

2. DE Vic Beasley, Clemson: Perhaps his NFL future is as an outside linebacker, but the smallish but extremely explosive Beasley is perhaps the most disruptive player in college football. He had 13.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss last season.

3. DT Leonard Williams, USC: The 300-pound Williams is the best defensive lineman in a league full of elite quarterbacks, a nice weapon for the Trojans as they challenge UCLA, Oregon, Stanford and Arizona State -- all teams with elite quarterbacks -- for Pac-12 supremacy.

4. DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska: Big Ten quarterbacks should worry as the league is full of disruptive ends. Gregory had 9.5 sacks and 65 tackles in 2013, an unusually high total for an end.

5. DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State: The hits keep coming in the Big Ten. Bosa was perhaps the best freshman defensive lineman in the country last year with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He'll be a marked man this year, but certainly showed the talent to overcome it.

Others: Defensive end Mario Edwards leads Florida State's talented defensive line. ... There are plenty of talented defensive ends returning around the nation, including Devonte Fields of TCU, DE Dante Fowler of Florida, Trey Flowers of Arkansas, Noah Spence of Ohio State and A'Shawn Robinson of Alabama. ... Now well-defined as a defensive tackle, Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss could live up to the promise as the nation's top prospect in the 2013 recruiting class.

Ohio State quarterback target Torrance Gibson, one of the Buckeyes' top remaining targets in the 2015 recruiting class, wore Ohio State cleats for his game on ESPN on Sunday afternoon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Four-star quarterback Torrance Gibson of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage hasn't hid that Ohio State is currently the leader to land his services. 

But just in case you didn't know, Gibson thought he'd make a Buckeye statement when he played a nationally televised game on ESPN on Sunday afternoon. 

Gibson, rated by Rivals.com the No. 6 athlete in the nation, wore Ohio State cleats. 

Below is a picture. 

See a season preview for Southeast football, including top players, newcomers to watch, schedule, stats and more.

RAVENNA, Ohio - Check out a preview for Southeast's football team as it enters the 2014 season, which begins on the road vs. Alliance at Mount Union on Aug. 29.

Check cleveland.com/hssports all preseason for conference-by-conference previews, as well as team-by-team outlooks for each of the 136 area squads.

3 keys for a winning season

1. Be road warriors: The Pirates have a lot of bus trips early this season. Due to their Week 1 "home" game being played at Mount Union, the Pirates open with three games away from home. They play at home just twice through Week 8.

2. Dominate the line: First-team All-Portage Trail Conference honoree Daniel Herr anchors the Pirates' offensive and defensive lines. Seniors Adam Nepstui, Mark Williams and Justin Wolner and junior Brad Powlowski join him to give the Pirates experience up front. A strong line will be important on offense, where the Pirates lack varsity experience at the skill positions.

3.Adjust to new coach: Patrick Youel takes over the Pirates this season after previously coaching Field, where he was 28-15. He will try to lead the Pirates back to their form of 2011 and 2012 when they were first and second in the County Division.

MORE ABOUT SOUTHEAST

2014 schedule 

OHSAA division, region: Division IV, Region 11.

Conference: Portage Trail Conference, County Division.

2013 record: 5-5.

Coach: Patrick Youel.

Coach’s record at school: 0-0.

Coach’s career record: 28-15.

10 key players: 

Brett Bailey, RB/SS, Jr.

Kraig Blankenship, WR/DL, Sr.

Daniel Herr, OL/DL, Sr.

Adam Nepstui, OL/DL, Sr.

Kade Norquest, TE/DE, Sr.

Brad Powlowski, OL/DL, Jr.

Corey Proctor, QB/DB, Sr.

Steve Schmidt, RB/LB, Sr.

Mark Williams, OL/DL, Sr.

Justin Wolner, OL/DL, Sr.

Newcomers to watch: 

Ryan Harris, LB, Sr.

Dominic Nicolino, WR/DB, Jr.

Travis Nunley, TE/LB, Jr.

Reed Myers, RB/DB, Jr.

Follow Southeast all season

Bookmark the team’s cleveland.com webpage to see every post pertaining to Southeast. 

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email(spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter(@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Wide receiver Andrew Hawkins highlighted Saturday night's game with a TD catch.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Slot receiver Andrew Hawkins was the Cleveland Browns biggest free agent signing during the offseason, and his importance has increased because of the expected suspension of wide receiver Josh Gordon.

That means Hawkins and tight end Jordan Cameron will become the favorite (and main) targets of quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Hawkins led the Browns receivers in Saturday's 33-14 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Hawkins was the target five times and caught all five balls for 36 yards and a touchdown.

"I didn't get open right away, and by the time he came to me I was getting open at the right time," Hawkins said. "It was a great play call by Kyle [Shanahan] and a great read by Hoyer."

The play: Hoyer set up in shotgun formation and took the snap on second-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Hawkins, set up on the outside in bunch formation, cut in the middle, paused briefly, and made a quick move into the end zone for the catch.

Mike Pettine says he knows Brian Hoyer needs to get better, but he's still not sure a package of plays for Manziel right away is the thing to do.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are some quick highlights from Mike Pettine's conference call Sunday, a day after the Browns 33-14 loss to the Rams:

* Pettine feels horrible that Rams quarterback Sam Bradford re-tore his ACL on a hit by Armonty Bryant and is lost for the season.

"It's such an unfortunate thing,'' said Pettine. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to him. It's a sad day.''

He stressed that there was "no intent'' on the part of Bryant and that "it was a freak thing.''

* Pettine said he's not worried Brian Hoyer is coming back too fast from his own ACL. He underwent surgery a month before Bradford. "We feel confident where Brian is. He'd be the first to tell you his knee feels strong.''

* He re-iterated that he's sticking with Brian Hoyer as his starter for Pittsburgh. "It's no time for us to panic. You don't get in midseason form by implementing something overnight. Brian knows he needs to get better.''

* He stressed that the players around Hoyer haven't played well either. He cited Nate Burleson missing most of camp with a pulled hamstring and Miles Austin missing most of the offseason with a hamstring injury.  "There's no sugarcoating it. We didn't play well.''

* He said a package of plays for Manziel is an option, but part of the problem is finding the time to practice it now that he's the backup.

* He also attributed troubles on both sides of the ball to "radically different systems'' and new players getting used to each other. "It's no time for us to panic..we have to be ready for the opener.''

* He said Josh Gordon sat out against the Rams in part because of his abdominal issue and in part because "we're fairly certain we're not going to have him for some part of the year.''

* He said Dion Lewis has separated himself some in the race for the third running back job.

* He acknowledged that No. 8 pick Justin Gilbert got lit up, but said it's good that it happened in preseason so he knows how focused he has to be every time he steps on the field.

* He said Joe Haden (sore foot) won't play in preseason finale, but will be ready for the opener. He said Buster Skrine (thumb surgery) will also be ready for Pittsburgh.

Jae Yeong Hwang drove in two runs and Hae Chan Choi weathered a late Chicago rally to lead South Korea to an 8-4 win in the Little League World Series championship game.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Jae Yeong Hwang drove in two runs and Hae Chan Choi weathered a late Chicago rally to lead South Korea to an 8-4 win in Sunday's Little League World Series championship game.

Hwang gave up one hit in two-plus innings while striking out four. He also drove in the Asia-Pacific Region champs' first two runs as they built an 8-1 lead before Jackie Robinson West made it close.

Choi, who had a homer and scored twice, pitched the last four innings for South Korea, which won its third title after back-to-back championships in 1985 and '85.

International teams have won the last three and four of the last five titles.

Brandon Green went 5 2-3 innings for Chicago, which had survived four straight knockout games before the final.

Dong Wan Sin scored twice, including a solo homer, for the South Koreans.

After the final out, a force play, the Seoul team's bench emptied and the players dumped cups of water on their teammates near the mound. The players took a victory lap, waving and laughing.

The game was played in bright sunshine and temperatures in the high 70s before a crowd of 28,671 at Lamade Stadium.

South Korean fans, brightly dressed in flowing satin robes of yellow and electric blue, danced with large fans in the latter innings.

Chicago, the Great Lakes Region champions, came back from 3-0 and 5-4 deficits to beat favored West champ Las Vegas Mountain Ridge 7-5 in the U.S. title game on Saturday. Earlier, South Korea, the Asia-Pacific Region winner, rolled over Japan, 12-3.

But they couldn't come back against the powerful South Koreans, who asserted themselves early.

Leadoff hitter Choi drilled the very first pitch over the wall in right, but a few feet foul. He then flied out deep to right.

Dong Wan Sin followed by smacking a screaming liner to center that slipped out of the glove of DJ Butler for a two-base error. Hwang's double brought in the first run.

They made it 2-0 in the third. With one out, Choi walked and Sin singled sharply up the middle. After a double steal, Choi came home on Hwang's ground-out to third.

Meanwhile, Hwang set down the first six Chicago hitters, four on strikeouts.

Butler broke up Hwang's no-hitter with a spinning cue shot to short that he beat out leading off the third. That was all for Hwang -- one scrub hit -- who had thrown two innings the day before. He traded places with first baseman Choi as Seoul manager Jong Wook Park continued his philosophy of throwing multiple pitchers each game. No South Korean pitcher had gone even three innings in a game at the World Series until Choi in the championship game.

Shortstop Ed Howard greeted Choi with a bouncer to the mound that was scored a single, prompting the first prolonged chants of "U-S-A!" for the day. Choi then fanned Cameron Bufford before leadoff hitter Pierce Jones -- who had three homers in the LLWS opener but was just 1 for 12 since -- walked to load the bases with one out.

That brought up Trey Hondras, who had a homer and three RBIs in the U.S. final, and his high hopper to second on a nice grab by Jin Woo Jeon scored Butler. The rally died when Marquis Jackson bounced out sharply to third on the next pitch.

South Korea came right back to tack on a run in the top of the fourth. With one out, Ji Ho Park's soft hit to left turned into a double when he beat the throw. He then came around on pinch-hitter Jun Ha Yoo's single for a 3-1 advantage.

Sin pounded the ball over the wall near the camera bay in left center in the fifth. A U.S. fan threw the ball back on the field. The next hitter, Hwang, belted a long ball to dead center but Butler caught it at the top of the fence.

The Seoul team added three runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Shane Jaemin Kim and Jin Woo Jeon's two-run single.

Jackie Robinson West lived up to its never-say-die credo -- continually winning when a loss would have ended its journey through the tournament -- by opening the sixth on singles by Jones and Hondras.

After a terrific diving catch by Dong Wan Sin on Jackson's hard shot, Darion Radcliff came through with a two-run single and Joshua Houston -- the pitching and hitting hero of the U.S. final win a day earlier -- also had a single to bring the Chicago fans to their feet.

A passed ball scored Radcliff to make it 8-4, with Houston moving to second, but Choi got Green on a foul-tip third strike and Ed Howard on the force out.

Illinois teams have made 15 trips to South Williamsport, with the Jackie Robinson West league appearing once before, winning two of three games in 1983.

>> Get full coverage on PennLive.com

The Indians are 4-0-1 in their past five series.

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

Game: 129.

Opponent: Astros.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Afternoon.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 14 minutes.

Attendance: 17,123.

Result: Indians 3, Astros 1.

Records: Indians 66-63, Astros 55-76.

Series stuff: The Indians are 4-0-1 in their past five series. They won two of three at the Yankees, split two vs. Arizona and won two of three vs. Baltimore, at Minnesota and vs. Houston.

Finding a way: The Indians' late-August lineup featured one player with 50-plus RBI (Carlos Santana, 59). Three of their top four in RBI were missing: No. 1 Michael Brantley, 81, day off; No. 3 David Murphy, 55, disabled list; and No. 4 Yan Gomes, 53, concussion list.

Four players in the lineup entered with a combined 18 RBI for Cleveland this season: designated hitter Zach Walters (seven), shortstop Jose Ramirez (six), catcher Roberto Perez (three) and right fielder Tyler Holt (two).

Headliners: Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer, Ramirez, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and Holt excelled.

Bauer worked six scoreless innings. Ramirez went 3-for-4 with one double, one RBI and played well defensively. Chisenhall was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run. Holt made two terrific catches and singled.

Bauer power: Bauer allowed four hits, walked three and struck out nine. He threw 73 of 115 pitches for strikes.

Bauer exited after a leadoff walk to Carlos Corporan*. Scott Atchison relieved and got pinch-hitter Jason Castro to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

*Earlier in the AB, Corporan appeared to have hooked a towering fly inside the right-field pole for a homer. The umpires ruled it a foul. Astros manager Bo Porter asked them to check with MLB replay headquarters; the call was upheld in relatively short order. SportsTime Ohio play-by-play man Matt Underwood and analyst Rick Manning thought it looked like a homer. Manning said: "We're blind.''

Bauer rebounded from an uneven start at Minnesota (4 2/3 IP, 5 ER).

Bauer (5-7, 4.18 ERA) used a variety of pitches to handle the Astros, but his field was plowed with the fastball and overhand curve. He kept the fastball out of the middle of the plate. His willingness to throw the curve in hitter's counts is a difference maker.

Six-packs of fun: The Indians' rotation authored three dominant performances against Houston. All lasted six innings. On Friday night, Carlos Carrasco allowed one run on two hits and struck out eight. On Saturday night, Danny Salazar allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out seven.

Fast fact: In the past 13 games, Indians starters have posted a 1.71 ERA (79 IP, 15 ER).   

Stark contrast: Bauer worked a scoreless first, which, in a vacuum, is no big deal. But given what happened to Bauer in his previous start, it is. He gave up five runs within the first five Twins faced (double, walk, double, single, homer).

Bauer opened the first Sunday with a three-pitch strikeout of lefty Robbie Grossman, who took a fastball, swung through a fastball and swung through a curve.

The little hitting machine, 5-5 or 5-6 Jose Altuve, grounded a first-pitch fastball up the middle. Ramirez fielded, spun and threw toward first to make Altuve at least work for his 30th infield hit and 177th overall.

Dexter Fowler flied to center on a first-pitch fastball. During Ohio native Marc Krauss' at-bat, Altuve stole second. Krauss sent a liner with heavy topspin to right, where  Holt dashed in and made a diving, backhanded catch. Holt's excellent read of the ball off the bat, coupled with his athleticism, created the opportunity.

The importance of Holt's play can't be overstated: He prevented a run (and the Astros from scoring first) and ended the inning for a pitcher who has struggled to find a rhythm early in starts.

More pitching and defense: Bauer and Perez combined to foil a potential Astros threat in the second.

Jon Singleton led off with a walk. Marwin Gonzalez fouled a 3-1 pitch, then four more -- fastball (95 mph), fastball (94), off-speed (86), fastball (95). For the 10th pitch, Bauer snapped off a curve (76) on the inner half that froze Gonzalez. As plate umpire Lance Barksdale signaled strike three, Perez zipped throw to Ramirez to easily erase Singleton.

The play became that much more significant when the next batter, Corporan, singled. Matt Dominguez struck out swinging at a filthy breaking pitch down and away.

Bo not happy: After the Astros were a tad sloppy afield in the bottom of the second, former Iowa defensive back Porter cleared the dugout and presumably gave his players an earful in the tunnel.

On the board: The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the third. Michael Bourn led off against lefty Brett Oberholtzer with an excuse-me single to third. Ramirez doubled to left, Bourn stopping at third.

Jason Kipnis had a good approach and even better swing, slashing a pitch to the left side. Kipnis wasn't rewarded, though, because third baseman Dominguez was positioned far off the line and snared it. Kipnis finished 2-for-3.

Carlos Santana flied to center fielder Jake Marisnick, who made a strong throw to the plate as Bourn tagged. Bourn's speed beat it. Bourn, using a head-first slide, maneuvered his left hand to the plate as Corporan's left shin and foot were on it. Bourn motioned to Barksdale that Corporan illegally had blocked the plate, which no doubt would have been the Tribe's contention if Bourn had been called out.

Two-out uprising: The Tribe made it 2-0 in the fourth. With two outs, Mike Aviles doubled and scored on Chisenhall's single. Chisenhall dug out a 1-2 off-speed pitch (81) and hooked it to right. Chisenhall's swing mechanics were superb.

Chisenhall, who was in the midst of a two-month struggle entering Saturday, is 4-for-7 in his past two games.

Remember me? With a runner on first and none out in the sixth, Krauss stepped in. As long as Holt remained in right field, Krauss was in trouble. Krauss smoked a full-count fastball to right -- another ball with heavy topspin. Holt raced in and dived to catch it on the glove side.

Instead of two on and none out, the Astros had a runner on first and one out. Aggressive and powerful lefty Singleton, in a 2-2 count, swung and missed at a wicked curve (79). Lefty Gonzalez, in an 0-2 count, was unable to check against what appeared to be a splitter (80) in the dirt.

Creating a cushion: The Tribe made it 3-0 in the seventh when Chisenhall led off with a single and eventually scored on Ramirez's two-out single to center.

Ramirez had a big series. He went 2-for-4 in a loss Friday and 2-for-5 with a walkoff single Saturday. Sunday's game was his fourth in a row with multiple hits.   

Houston applies pressure: Singleton's two-out RBI double against Bryan Shaw in the eighth cut the Houston deficit to 3-1.

The Astros loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth against Tribe closer Cody Allen. Fowler struck out swinging at a 2-2 fastball.

A look at the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division for the 2014 football season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here is a preview of the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division for the 2014 football season, including predictions of the league race, top players and more.

Check cleveland.com/hssports all preseason for conference-by-conference previews, as well as team-by-team outlooks for each of the 136 area squads.

CHAGRIN VALLEY CONFERENCE VALLEY DIVISION

cleveland.com projected finish (overall, league record in 2013)

1. Kirtland (15-0, 7-0)

2. Cardinal (6-4, 4-3)

3. Berkshire (4-6, 3-4)

4. Fairport Harding (1-9, 1-6)

Preseason Awards

Preseason Offensive MVP:

Adam Hess, Kirtland, RB, Sr., 6-0, 210.

Preseason Defensive MVP:

Matthew Finkler, Kirtland, DE, Sr. 6-3, 240.

Preseason most valuable lineman:

Dylan Diemer, Kirtland, OL, Sr., 5-11, 240.

Other key players:

Jacob Boyd, Kirtland, DB, Sr., 6-1, 190.

Chad Delbo, Cardinal OL, Sr., 6-0, 235.

Sam Skiljan, Kirtland, QB, Sr., 6-0, 190.

Kyle Storm, Berkshire, LB, Sr., 5-10, 160.

Clark Thurling, Cardinal, FB, Sr., 5-11, 170.

Verlin Williams III, Fairport Harding, WR, Jr., 6-4, 185.

Outlook:

Kirtland took care of business last season as the team went 15-0 and won a state championship. The Hornets have a ton of players back from that team that should once again make Kirtland one of the best teams in the state. Running back Adam Hess rushed for 1,473 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, and he had to split carries with Sam Kukura. This year, he will be the go to running back, so look for him to build on those numbers. Quarterback Sam Skiljan also has the ability to put up big numbers, as he finished last season with 2,059 total yards of offense and 36 total touchdowns. With those two in the backfield, the Hornets have guys that are capable of taking it the distance on any play. The Hornets are loaded at nearly every position, and once again look to be the class of the division.

Cardinal was very respectable at 6-4 last season, and with 13 seniors back on the team, the goals of this team should be higher. The Huskies have a lot of quality depth on the team, allowing them to sub guys in-and-out without losing any  ability. Fullback Clark Thurling is a talented runner that rushed for 700 yards on six yards per carry. He runs extremely hard, and can be counted upon to get the tough yards in the fourth quarter when the team needs him most. The key to this team will be how this team comes out in each game. When they got off to a fast start, they got the win. However, in their losses, they got behind early and were unable to comeback.

Berkshire had an up-and-down season last year, but showed how good it could be by defeating a very good Hawken team in the middle of the season. With running back Kyle Storm back, the Badgers have a home run threat in the backfield. Last season, the team went 3-1 at home. With six games at home this season, there is optimism that the team will be much improved.

It was a tough season last year for Fairport Harding, but the team ended the season on a positive note by defeating Newbury in the final game. This is a program still trying to develop and identity, but will look to build off the victory at the end of the season. One guy to look out for is Verlin Williams III. The 6-foot-4 junior is a very intriguing player for the team, as he is a difficult matchup inside the 20.

Top games

Oct. 3, Cardinal at Kirtland.

Oct. 31, Cardinal at Berkshire.

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

Browns coach Mike Pettine acknowledged Brian Hoyer needs to improve, but that his supporting cast also needs to step it up with the opener only two weeks away.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the opener in Pittsburgh just two weeks away, Browns coach Mike Pettine called for quarterback Brian Hoyer to step up his game, and for his supporting cast to give him a hand.

"Brian had his plays,'' Pettine said on a conference call Sunday. "He knows what he needs to work on. We need to play better around him. I think that's important. I mentioned that last night. Sometimes the quarterback gets held accountable. He's out there with 10 other guys and they need to be functioning as a unit, fully functional.

"You can have one guy break down that can ruin a play. But Brian knows he needs to get better, needs more live-game reps, and that's the one positive thing about having a short week, we know we didn't play well, but we can go out there Thursday and get the bad taste out of our mouths."

In seven series during Saturday's 33-14 loss to the Rams, Hoyer completed 10-of-16 attempts for 84 yards, with one touchdown and one interception for a 70.8 rating. He was also strip-sacked on his opening play of the second half when he and Miles Austin miscommunicated again. Austin was also the intended receiver on Hoyer's second-quarter pick, which led to a Rams TD.

"There's no sugarcoating it,'' said Pettine. "We didn't play well. There were some individual performances that stood out. I thought some guys in certain areas played well, but just overall that we were very inconsistent, and then the thing that was a disappointment is we were inconsistent especially on third down, both sides of the ball.

"We refer to third down as money down, and we need to be better both sides of the ball and we just had some very uncharacteristic mental mistakes, some technique errors, and they took advantage of it and it added up to the results that we had.''

Perhaps most disturbing about Hoyer's outing is that the touchdown -- the starting offense's only one in 14 series this preseason -- came against the Rams' second-team defense. And Hoyer started the drive at the Rams' 37 thanks to a 68-yard kickoff return by rookie Taylor Gabriel. What's more, it took the first-team offense 12 drives to reach the end zone this preseason.
   
So what makes Pettine confident the unit will pull it together in time for Pittsburgh?

"I believe in the coaching staff,'' said Pettine. "I believe in the players in the locker room --  that we have a system that we're trying to implement, and you don't get in midseason form implementing something new overnight. But it's certainly no time for us to panic, and I think when we get into true game-plan situations that we're going to take advantage of what our guys do well and avoid some situations where it might not be advantageous for us to be doing things like that.

"I'm confident that by the time we get to Pittsburgh that we'll have a good game plan. We're going to put our players on offense in the best position to be successful."

Pettine explained that he might not be ready to install a package for Manziel against the Steelers because he might not have time enough time to practice it.

"I think that's part of it,'' he said. "You only have so much time to practice, whether it's real practice time or walk-through time. Because we went to the third week, we do feel that we were behind with Brian getting work with the ones exclusively, but it's something that is an option for us. The timing of it will be the question -- when we feel comfortable with it or if it's even necessary."

Pettine acknowledged that Hoyer hasn't had much of a chance to develop his timing with the receivers. Nate Burleson has missed most of camp with a pulled hamstring, and Austin missed all of the offseason with the same injury. Tight end Jordan Cameron is still working his way back from a sprained shoulder, and receiver Travis Benjamin is on the mend from his ACL. Hoyer clearly isn't on the same page yet with some of his receivers, especially Austin, who spent the first eight seasons of his career catching passes from Tony Romo in Dallas.

"They need to play,'' said Pettine. "That's the unfortunate thing about Miles. We wanted to hold him out in the spring a little bit so he missed all that work. We wanted him to be comfortable and to be to a point where he felt confident physically and he's playing catch-up in camp, but we're confident we'll get there with Miles.

"It's a little more concerning with Nate just because he's missed so much time. We still consider him day-to-day. I think we might get him tomorrow for some individual work, but that remains to be seen. I haven't had the final meeting yet with (trainer) Joe (Sheehan) as far as who's going to be available for tomorrow's practice. But it's tough with guys you think are going to be out there and not getting quality reps with them. I've said it a bunch of times: There's just no substitute for that work."

The offense has been plagued by protection breakdowns, dropped passes, holding calls, errant passes and mental errors. A 19-yard run by Terrance West was wiped out by a Joel Bitonio holding call (his first was declined); and a touchdown run by Chris Ogbonnaya was nullified by a MarQueis Gray holding call. Hoyer's strip-sack resulted from him thinking pass and Miles Austin thinking run.

"Consistency (has been the biggest concern),'' said Pettine. "We've had some good plays. But then we just find ways, a lot of times it's self-inflicted, whether it's a drop at a key time, or a missed block at a key time, or a missed read. You have to have the ability to sustain drives in the NFL.

"If teams are consistently making you drive the length of the field, then you have to be one of those teams that can be very methodical and stay consistent over a drive and not put yourself behind the sticks. Any offense that finds itself second and long, third and long, you're not going to be very successful.''
 
The offensive line is still adjusting to the new zone-blocking scheme, and Bitonio is learning the pro game. As a result, the line has had one early snap that resulted in sack, several holding calls and other protection breakdowns.
 
"I wouldn't say they've regressed,'' said Pettine. "I thought they did play well against Detroit, maybe took a step back against Washington. Last night there were some issues, but I thought overall is they are getting more cohesive playing together, and to me that's what we need. ...We're definitely a work in progress, but we have a very true sense of urgency.

"If we feel we're not ready, nobody's going to change Sept. 7 and push that back for us. We have to be ready for the opener, and that's why we're going to take the field this week and anytime after that with a very strong sense of urgency.''

Pettine isn't concerned about the running game, even though Ben Tate averaged 1.7 yards on his three carries and West averaged 2.4 on his seven attempts.

"We think we're on schedule with getting it implemented,'' Pettine said. "We wanted to kind of pull back a little bit from Tate last night to get West a few more carries. The passing game was something we felt we needed to work on and also the circumstances of the game when we fell behind, ended up throwing it more than we normally would. Our goal is to be very well balanced on offense.

"That we can be in unpredictable situations where teams don't know that we have to run it or have to throw it. But we're comfortable with where we are. There's still work to be done to get it to where we want it to be. I think Tate is a very capable back, we're very pleased with where West is. Dion Lewis I think has separated himself from the other guys as far as the third running back spot, but I would still say that that job is open."

Despite the fact Rams' quarterback Sam Bradford re-tore his anterior cruciate ligament against the Browns and is out for the season, Pettine isn't concerned Hoyer is coming back too fast. They had their surgeries a month apart last season, Hoyer 10 months ago and Bradford nine.

"I don't feel that way,'' said Pettine. "I think the circumstances of all the cases are different. I have a daughter that's come back from, she's done both ACLs, so having gone through it and knowing the rehab and knowing the process and how it gets repaired, and a lot of times it comes back stronger than it was before.

"I think that's difficult to make a blanket statement on all the knee injuries. Certainly what happened to sam is so unfortunate. But we feel confident with where Brian is and I think he'd be the first one to tell you that his knee feels strong.''

Pettine noted several times "the strong sense of urgency'' he expects on both sides of the ball.

"I don't think it's concerning enough to panic,'' he said. "Anytime you come in and you're installing systems that are by NFL standards radically different from what your guys are used to and you have new players in it as well and you're mixing veterans with rookies and free agents and guys are all very new to each other and they're new to the staff, I mean, there's only so many opportunities that you have to get on the field with them and coach them and get in the meetings and we're taking as full advantage of it as we can,'' he said. "We're confident as we get going that we'll improve by leaps and bounds. ...there's a strong sense of urgency to get it done.''

Trevor Bauer counters problems in early innings by trying to work ahead in the count. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Pitching being what it is, a thing that can change from pitch to pitch, inning to inning and game to game, it's unclear if Trevor Bauer has his early-inning problems figured out, but a case could be made that he's moving in the right direction.

After giving up five runs in the first inning Tuesday against the Twins at Target Field, Bauer weaved his way through the first two innings Sunday on the way to a 3-1 victory over Houston at Progressive Field.

Bauer (5-7, 4.18) needed a diving catch by right fielder Tyler Holt to end the first and a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to get control of the second, but from that point the obstacles were few and far between. He threw six scoreless innings to improve to 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 11 starts at home.

"I thought he pretty much went with a couple of pitches early – fastball and breaking ball," said manager Terry Francona. "As he got into the game, he started throwing more of his pitches as he got a better feel. I thought that helped."

Bauer told catcher Roberto Perez before the game to just set up in the middle of the plate and let him go to work.

"Our thinking was to attack the hitters from the get go," said Perez. "He told me to sit middle of the plate and he was going to get ahead and then he was going to use his curveball. That's what we did.

"He got ahead of hitters and then they couldn't make the adjustment on the breaking ball in the dirt. He had a good fastball today and we used it."

Holt's diving catch against Marc Krauss ended the first and saved a run because AL batting leader Jose Altuve was on second base following an infield single and his 47^th steal of the season.

Bauer walked Jon Singleton to start the second, but he struck out Marc Gonzalez on a 3-1 pitch with Singleton trying to steal second. Perez threw him out to complete the double play.

"When I'm ahead in the count, I'm better off than when I'm behind," said Bauer. "That was kind of the focus all day long. It turned out well.

"I got away with a couple mistakes that helped out. The defense made some really nice plays that helped out, too. It's definitely a step in the right direction."

The Tribe's much maligned and reworked rotation is 9-4 with a 1.70 ERA with 87 strikeouts, 22 walks and a batting average against of .174 since Aug. 9.

"It's been unbelievable," said Bauer. "It's just every day you run a new guy out there and have this feeling that he's going to post a really good start and we're going to win the game. It's nice to have that confidence as a team every day." 

Francona, striking a more pragmatic tone, said, "We haven't been scoring a ton of runs and we've won three series in a row because of it (pitching). The hope is the pitching stays strong, we start scoring a few more runs . . . We have our work cut out for us, but if we pitch like that we'll give ourselves a chance."

Holt robbed Krauss again with a diving catch in the sixth. Bauer followed that with two of his nine strikeouts to end the inning. He came out for the seventh and Carlos Corporan just missed a homer on a drive down the right field line that appeared to go right over the foul pole. First base umpire Kerwin Darnley called it foul and a review upheld his call.

After Bauer walked Corporan, he was done for the day. As he walked off the field, the crowd of 17,123 gave him a standing ovation. Bauer, who walked three and allowed four hits on 115 pitches, tipped his cap to the crowd.

"It just felt good to pitch well and give the team a chance to win," he said. "It was nice to be ahead when I came out of the game."

Cody Allen pitches out of a bases-loaded jam to secure victory with 17th save.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Trevor Bauer pitched around a couple of early-inning issues and then hit the open freeway.

Bauer pitched six scoreless innings and the Indians' offense did just enough to beat Houston, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. The Indians, trying to put a late-season run together, have won nine of their last 13 games.

The Indians didn't do a lot of scoring against lefty Brett Oberholtzer (4-9, 4.02), but they did enough. Carlos Santana made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in the third. Lonnie Chisenhall made it 2-0 with a single in the fourth and rookie Jose Ramirez delivered Chisenhall for a 3-0 lead in the seventh.

Ramirez had three hits in the game.

Bauer (5-7, 4.18) won for the first time since July 18. He was 0-3 with a 5.50 ERA in his last six starts.

Jon Singleton drove in Houston's only run with a double in the eighth.

Cody Allen struck out Dexter Folower with the bases loaded in the ninth to end it. It was Allen's 17th save. 

What it means

The Indians (66-63) took two out of three from Houston on this brief homestand to once again climb to three games over .500, their high water make of the season. They improve to 13-8 in August and 39-25 at home.

They victory, coupled with Kansas City's loss to Texas, moved them to within six games of the first-place Royals in the AL Central. They were five games out of the second wild card spot.

The Astros (55-76) ended this 10-game trip at 5-5.

Bauer's day

Two pitches captured Bauer's start.

In the fourth, he struck out the first two batters, walked the next two and struck out Matt Dominguez on a 96 mph fastball that froze him. In the sixth, with a man on first and one out, Bauer struck Jon Singleton on a 79 mph breaking ball.

The 17 mph difference in the two pitches showed the kind of variety and command Bauer had Sunday.

Bauer allowed four hits, three walks and nine strikeouts in 115 pitches. The 115 pitches are the second most he's thrown in a start this year. He threw 117 against the White Sox on July 13.

In his last two starts at home, Bauer has pitched 14 innings, while allowing two runs, eight hits, five walks and 18 strikeouts.

Bauer is 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 11 starts at Progressive Field this year. He's 1-5 on the road.

Close shave

Bauer came out for the seventh, but catcher Carlos Corporan sent a drive down the right field line that appeared to go directly over the foul pole for a home run that would have made the score, 2-1.

First base umpire Kerwin Danley, however, called it foul. Houston manager Bo Porter asked for a review. Crew chief Gary Cederstrom ordered the review and the call on the field stood.

The review took 54 seconds.

Bauer walked Corporan and was relieved by Scott Atchison. He received a standing ovation from the crowd of 17,123 and tipped his cap.

Fool me once, shame on you . . .

In the second inning, Chisenhall struck out on a slider from Oberholtzer for the second out with a man on first and second. In the fourth, following a two-out double to Mike Aviles, Chisenhall was in the same position, but singled to right for a 2-0 lead.

In his next at-bat, Chisenhall singled again to right off Oberholtzer. It was the first time Chisenhall has had consecutive games of two or more hits since June 10 and June 11.

Make mine a double

In the first inning, rookie Tyler Holt robbed Marc Krauss of a single and an RBI with a diving catch in right field to end the inning.

In the sixth, he continued to keep Bauer out of trouble by robbing Krauss again with another diving catch following a leadoff single by Fowler.

Running wild

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the third when Michael Bourn scored from third on Santana's fly ball to medium-range center field. Bourn made a headfirst slide to the inside part of the plate to beat Corporan's tag. When he got to his feet, Bourn complained to plate umpire Lance Barksdale that Corporan blocked the plate.

When that conversation stopped, Bourn and Corporan started barking at each other.

Ramirez, who went from second to third Santana's sacrifice fly, tried to score on a two-out pitch in the dirt with Holt batting. The ball didn't kick away as far as Ramirez thought and he was an easy out.

Ramirez sent Bourn from first to third with a double off the left field wall. Bourn reached on a check-swing single to third.

What's next?

The Indians are off Monday before starting a six-game all-AL Central trip to Chicago and Kansas City. Lefty T.J. House (2-3, 3.80) will face lefty Jose Quintana (6-10, 3.25) Tuesday night at 8:05 p.m. at U.S. Cellular Field. SportsTime Ohio, SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Corey Kluber (13-7, 2.46) and Carlos Carrasco (5-4, 3.14) follow House to the mound. Chicago RHP Hector Noesi (7-8, 4.39) and LHP John Danks (9-8, 4.96) will follow Quintana to the hill.

Meyer said there are six receivers who will play at the three spots - Devin Smith, Evan Spencer, Corey Smith, Mike Thomas, Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is five days away from facing Navy, and Urban Meyer still doesn't know who some of his starters will be. Meyer said Monday he views that as a good thing.

"If they're bad players, you got a problem," Meyer said. "If they're really good players and they're just battling and battling and battling (that's good). It means they're both going to play. That's kind of normal this time of year."

Still in flux, at the very least, are two spots on the offensive line, one spot at corner and all three receiver spots.

At receiver, Meyer said Devin Smith, Evan Spencer, Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith and Mike Thomas are the top six players and all will play. Three will start, but Meyer said all will play.

"All of them could march in, and they all deserve playing time," Meyer said, "so it's just a matter of who breaks the huddle first."

At left guard, Meyer said Billy Price, Joel Hale and Antonio Underwood are still in the fight. And Jacoby Boren and Chad Lindsay are still battling to be the starting center.

At the opposite corner spot from Doran Grant, Meyer said Gareon Conley and Eli Apple are still fighting.

Ohio State will release a depth chart on Tuesday, but based off what Meyer said, here's how it stands.

Offense

QB - J.T. Barrett

RB - Ezekiel Elliott

WR - Devin Smith/Corey Smith

WR - Evan Spencer/Mike Thomas

H-back - Dontre Wilson/Jalin Marshall

TE - Jeff Heuerman

LT - Taylor Decker

LG - Billy Price/Joel Hale/Antonio Underwood

C - Jacoby Boren/Chad Lindsay

RG - Pat Elflein

RT - Darryl Baldwin

Defense

DE - Joey Bosa

DT - Michael Bennett

DT - Adolphus Washington

DE - Noach Spence (suspended first two games)

LB - Joshua Perry

LB - Curtis Grant

LB - Darron Lee

CB - Doran Grant

CB - Gareon Conley/Eli Apple

S - Tyvis Powell

S - Vonn Bell

Akron Zips wide receiver Zach D'Orazio has weathered the pain of injuries and now leads Akron wide receivers.

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron receiver Zach D'Orazio has a history of starting the season strong. The junior has been one of the Zips top pass catchers the past two seasons. Now, he and head coach Terry Bowden want to see those early results extend over the course of the season.

"Zach is a key element to our passing game,'' Bowden said. "He plays big in big games. For us to be a better football team, our best players have got to step up their games to another level, and that would be Zach D'Orazio.''

D'Orazio walked off the practice field recently dripping in sweat, but with no evidence of the challenges he has overcome in recent years to still be playing football. There were no extra pads or wraps on the two shoulders he has separated since his senior year in high school ... no brace or pad on the leg he broke early in his freshman season with the Zips.

"I'm looking forward to that first game,'' D'Orazio said. "there is light now at the end of the tunnel."

It is a welcome light, as D'Orazio looks back on last season as a positive for the simple reason that for the first time since high school he played an entire season injury free. He admits to having second thoughts about playing again after the injuries, but after prayer and reflection with family and friends, and clinging to the perception, "these things happen in threes," he returned.

"That was huge for me,'' he said of playing the entire 2013 season without injury. "As any person who has had an injury will tell you, they try to not think about not getting hurt, but it's in the back of your mind, always. Once we got halfway through last season, I started to relax a lot more, and just play. I felt like my old self again."

Akron head coach Terry Bowden.Akron Beacon-Journal 

His experience now, over the course of a full season and the games as a freshman before he broke his leg, makes D'Orazio a sage on Akron's pretty deep group of receivers.

"When it comes down to a guy that is pretty battle tested, he's a big target,'' Bowden said. "He's our one big receiver inside. So I think it's very important that Zach is ready to go, that he opens the season playing very, very well, because of the fact he has been such a big player in big games.''

The challenge isn't so much D'Orazio falling off the pace last season, as much as defenses paying extra attention and locking down on the big and physical presence out of Cuyahoga Heights High.

The first five games of last season, he had 18 receptions for 256 yards and four touchdowns. He did not catch a touchdown the rest of the season, even as he finished with 54 receptions for 764 yards with those four scores. The positive is, down the stretch, the Zips won three of their last four games to put a kick-start to this season.

"The focus was a lot of different,'' Bowden said. "He made some catches, did some things. Then as the season progressed, we had to take what they would give us. Any time a guy would catch a lot of balls, and they change defense to take that away, you have to adjust your game plan.''

The good side of that is with the attention on him, others were able to flourish. Now the Zips have one of the deepest returning receiving groups in the nation. Akron receivers as a team rank among the top five in career receptions (371) and career receiving yards (4,449) and among the top 10 in the nation in career touchdowns (28).

So D'Orazio should see less focus from the opposition, which potentially means more opportunities to catch the ball and make plays, which is right up Bowden's alley.

"We have other good receivers, as much in our plans as Zach, but to make the strides we need, Zach needs to have a good year,'' Bowden said.

As for D'Orazio, he plans to pick up where he left off.

"What I did last year, I'm going to try to do this year, practice hard and play hard,'' he said. "Teams are obviously going to change their schemes when you are being successful. But the wins late last season were more important than individual numbers for me. Hopefully this year, I can have a big year individually and more importantly, as a team. I am really excited to get this season underway.''