Midweek headlines from around Major League Baseball as we count down the days until the postseason begins.

Baseball said another round of goodbyes to one of its all-time greats over the weekend while playoff races around the league heated up. 

Here's a look at some midweek headlines from around Major League Baseball as we count down the days until the postseason begins:

Jeter's emotional day in the Bronx

Prior to their Sunday matchup with the AL Central-leading Royals, the Yankees pulled out all the stops to honor Derek Jeter, who is hanging up his cleats after 20 seasons in pinstripes. 

Jeter was joined on the field by many Yankee greats and even NBA icon Michael Jordan before taking the mic and doing one of the few things he hasn't done in his storied career. The patently stoic 40-year-old opened up, writes NJ.com's Brendan Kuty:

"I had to guard against being emotional," he said. "I think my hand was shaking a little bit. I don't know if you guys saw it."

Jeter had been asked what his emotions were like while he was thanking fans for the love they've showed him over his 20-year career.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank them," he said. "The fans are the ones that made this fun. It's been an extremely fun 20 seasons and when you're out there playing, you're out there trying to do the best for the fans. Because, Yankees fans in particular, they pay attention. It means something to them. They push you. They push me. They're hard. They're tough. But I think they've helped shape who I am. So I wanted to have the opportunity to thank them. But I don't know if I can truly thank them enough."

Special guest Michael Jordan ducks in front of New York Yankees Derek Jeter (2) in a pregame ceremony honoring the Yankees captain, who is retiring at the end of the season, on Derek Jeter Day at Yankee Stadium in New York, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)Kathy Willens 

With the ceremony over, there was still a game to play. Jeter's teammates, however, took another opportunity to honor their captain by having Jeter run onto the field by himself for another standing ovation. The Yankees will continue to commemorate Jeter by wearing patches on their hats and jerseys, an uncommon gesture that further cements Jeter's reputation as one of sport's rare living legends.

Jordan, basketball's preeminent living legend, had this to say, summing up Jeter's storied career: (via ESPN.com)

"I don't think anybody can say one thing bad about Derek," Jordan said. "He's a complete champion. He's an idol for me in terms of how he's well-respected in the game, from not just his teammates, but his opponents. He carries himself like every professional baseball player, or professional athlete should."

The bad news for the Yankees is that on a day that was supposed to be a celebration of one of the franchise's most important players, another loss meant Jeter's chances of playing into the postseason dwindled yet again. From USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale:

In reality, those dark purple roses in the shape of No. 2 outside the Yankees clubhouse Sunday resembled a funeral wreath more than a tribute to Jeter. 

It was that kind of day.

The Yankees lost once again, 2-0, to the Kansas City Royals, the first time they lost a season series to the Royals since 1999, and now, reality is setting in. Jeter knows the end is near.

There are only 21 games left, and barring a miracle in the Bronx, the final three weeks of the Yankees' season will be irrelevant.

It's no secret in the Yankees' clubhouse that reaching the postseason is a long shot. A patchwork rotation and underachieving lineup has the Yankees on the outside looking in. With the AL West crown out of reach, a seemingly insurmountable 4.5 game deficit in the Wild Card standings and an unfavorable schedule the rest of the way, the Yankees have their work cut out for them. 

Sluggers slumping as postseason approaches

Baltimore Orioles' Chris Davis looks on from the dugout after scoring against the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014, in Baltimore.(AP Photo/Gail Burton)GAIL BURTON 

The Orioles have all but locked up the AL East, but their chances come October will be drastically improved if the good version of slugger Chris Davis shows up. Unfortunately, Davis has taken "hit-or-miss" to the extreme this season after leading the league in home runs and RBIs last season: (via USAToday.com)

Davis is batting .194 with 167 strikeouts, and perhaps most alarmingly has seen his on-base percentage dwindle from .370 to .299 entering Monday night's game at Boston.

His on base plus slugging (OPS) is down 296 points. Only Hack Wilson, whose OPS dropped from 1.177 to .798 from 1930 to 1931, has had a bigger OPS dropoff one year after hitting at least 50 home runs.

All of which threatens to add a difficult and controversial twist to the Oriole's off-season - what to do with a player only months removed from being an apparent cornerstone of a team on the rise.

Out west, another of baseball's breakout stars of last season is experiencing season-altering struggles at the plate. Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig looked like the superstar he was expected to be over the first two months of the season, but has been of little benefit to the Dodgers since, writes ESPN's David Schoenfield:

Since June 1, he has two home runs in 78 games -- or one fewer than Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner has hit on the season. Since Aug. 1, he's hitting .207 with no home runs and just three extra-base hits in 111 at-bats. The power has vanished. The Dodgers still hold a three-game lead over the Giants in the NL West as Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez have provided most of the punch, but Puig's struggles are a big reason L.A.'s offense has been middle-of-the-pack since the All-Star break and just 13th in the National League in home runs in the second half.

The tightest division battle is between the Royals and Tigers, who entering Tuesday are separated by just one game in the AL Central. And it just so happens they're embroiled in a three-game series that could go a long way in determining who wins the pennant. 

If there's anyone that knows the importance of a head-to-head series with a division rival in September, it's the manager of the team that trails in the standings. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus made sure everyone knows his team isn't taking their chance to take the division lead lightly: (via MLive.com)

"Clearly the biggest series of the season to this point," Ausmus said about three hours prior to first pitch. "I would imagine that the atmosphere will probably be, there will be a little more energy in the dugout and probably in the ballpark as well."

With work left to do, the Tigers might be playing musical chairs with the bullpen down the stretch. Reliever Joakim Soria could return from a strained oblique Wednesday after throwing a pain-free simulated game. Meanwhile, closer Joe Nathan is still dealing with elbow soreness, but so far isn't expected to miss any possible save opportunities. 

Injury notes

Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera reacts after striking out swinging against Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) 

• Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera will likely be less than 100 percent the rest of the season because of a bone spur in his ankle, and the team doesn't yet know if the two-time reigning AL MVP will need offseason surgery. (via Sports Illustrated)

Cabrera has been dealing with ankle issues for most of the season and aggravated the bone spur running the bases Sunday and was eventually removed from the game.

• Curious throwing issues for Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez prompted a move to first base, but now a foot injury that isn't improving is keeping Alvarez off the field altogether, writes NBC Sports' Aaron Gleeman:

• With nothing to play for over the next three weeks, the Rangers announced ace Yu Darvish will not pitch again this season: (via ESPN.com)

Darvish through an interpreter said he was disappointed.

"It is my job to pitch throughout the season,'' Darvish said.

Darvish indicated the decision was taken out of his hands by the club but that, though disappointed, he believes the decision is wise.

"That is what I've been told,'' he said of the move to shut him down. "It is what it is."

• Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton missed his fourth straight game Monday with a sore shoulder. Hamilton has been on the shelf multiple times this season, including missing time with a sore knee and torn thumb ligament suffered during a headfirst slide in April. (via The Associated Press)

• Royals starter Danny Duffy threw just one pitch Saturday before leaving the game and will miss his next scheduled start with shoulder soreness. The shoulder is "structurally sound," according to general manager Dayton Moore. (via ESPN.com)

Despite a pedestrian 8-11 record, Duffy's 2.42 ERA means the Royals playoff hopes will take a substantial hit until Duffy is back in the rotation. (via Sports Illustrated)

Around the Horn

• In a move that some players and managers will think came way too late, the league sent a memo to every team Tuesday to "provide guidance" on the controversial home-plate collision rule. The experimental rule was created to reduce the likelihood of injuries but has been more often the subject of confusion: (via USAToday.com)

Says Detroit Tigers veteran right fielder Torii Hunter: "The whole thing is stupid.''

The rule was implemented in large part, because of the season-ending injury suffered in May 2011 by San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey in a violent home-plate collision.

"The new rules are only in place,'' Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon says, "because a star catcher got injured and he was bowled over and he was in bad position. I hate to say it was his fault.''

• The Astros won't lose 100 games this season, and that's really bad news for a Houston furniture store: (via Yahoo! Sports)

McIngvale's Gallery Furniture store ran a promotion prior to the MLB season saying that the first 500 customers to spend more than $6,300 would receive a full refund on their purchases if the Astros won 63 or more games.

That's a jackpot for the people in Houston who needed new sofas and quite a loss for McIngvale. He told SportsRadio 610 in Houston (via CBS Houston) that he's giving back $4.2 million to customers. Context alert! There are only three players on the cost-conscious Astros making that much this season

• MLB announced its 2015 schedule Tuesday with the season slated to begin April 5 and end Oct. 4. As a result, a potential seventh game of the World Series wouldn't happen until Nov. 5. (via The Associated Press)

Browns suspended receiver Josh Gordon could end up back on the field soon. Player reps are set to vote Tuesday on a revised drug policy.

BEREA, Ohio -- Josh Gordon could take another big step on his comeback route Tuesday.

The NFL's 32 players reps will vote on the new drug policy Tuesday, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

And depending on the way the new policy is written, Gordon could have his suspension overturned and return to the Browns as soon as the agreement is reached.
 
Under terms of the new agreement, Gordon wouldn't have tested positive for marijuana, and therefore, he wouldn't have been banned indefinitely. The NFL and NFLPA are reportedly set to bump the marijuana metabolite threshold up from 15 ng/mil to 50. Gordon's positive test was a 16, sources have told cleveland.com.

Gordon, whose appeal was rejected on Aug. 27, is currently suspended indefinitely, but at least for the entire 2014 season.

Whether or not Gordon is re-instated will depend on what the two sides agree on: allowing players back in that tested positive in the new league year beginning March 11, or players that were ultimately suspended in the new league year. A source told cleveland.com that Gordon tested positive no later than February, which was in the previous league year.
 

Mortenson also reported that a late point of contention is that if the NFL allows suspended players such as Gordon and Denver's Wes Welker back in, other NFL owners will fight to have their suspended players re-instated. The NFL has already begun receiving complaints from owners who want their players re-instated.

Even if Gordon's drug ban is rescinded, he might still be suspended for his pending DWI charge in Raleigh, N.C.

According to profootballtalk.com, the NFL is seeking a minimum two-game suspension for a first-time DWI conviction. Gordon's hearing in Raleigh for the July 5 DWI was postponed from Aug. 26 to November while he went through the appeals process.

In addition, the league wants players to be de-activated with pay for the game following any DUI  arrest -- before due process.

So as it stands, Gordon might make it back as early this week's game against the Saints, but could miss two games in November for the DWI.

Last season, Gordon was also suspended for two games -- for what he said was codeine in his cough syrup -- and still managed to lead the NFL with 1,646 yards.
It's unclear who the Browns' new player rep is now that D'Qwell Jackson is gone.

"Obviously (losing) is a challenge," co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said. "It's kind of a downer when the game is over and then next day you're spending time with the recruits. ... You might have to put your happy face on a little bit instead of being in a really good mood. That part is a little different." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer was chipper Monday morning, much more than you'd expect given Ohio State was only 36 hours removed from its upset loss to Virginia Tech. 

Maybe Meyer was faking it. He had practice. 

Losing to Virginia Tech was hard. What was worse was that five of the top 20 high school prospects in the country were in Ohio Stadium for one of the two biggest recruiting weekends of the year for Ohio State. 

And the next morning, Meyer had to put on a fake smile, face those coveted recruits and sell the program. 

"You don't sleep much," Meyer said. "You get up, breakfast at 9:30, and then you have meetings from 9:30 to 6:30 at night with recruits. That's what I did (Sunday). You have to put a smile on your face and go attack them." 

Meyer imitated the fake expression, flashing an exaggerated smile even bigger than the ones that showed up during the beginning portion of his news conference. 

It's not that Meyer wasn't happy to see the prospects, or that he didn't enjoy talking to those who made the trip to Columbus. But there's no question that the energy and the positive environment that naturally exists after an exhilarating win had to be gone. That can't be imitated. 

So the question has to be asked – Is it really worth hosting elite prospects for the home game in which Ohio State has the largest probability of losing? 

"We always talk about the high risk," Meyer said. "When I was at Florida, same thing. Do you really want to schedule all those official visits (against a really good opponent)? We risked it last year between Wisconsin and Penn State, and we risked it the year before against Nebraska. Those turned out the (right) way." 

That Meyer even referred to it as a risk implies that there's a negative reaction when taking that chance backfires like it did against Virginia Tech. It takes a little something away from the recruits' experience.  

"Obviously (losing) is a challenge," co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said. "It's kind of a downer when the game is over and then next day you're spending time with the recruits. ...  You might have to put your happy face on a little bit instead of being in a really good mood. That part is a little different."

During last year's matchup with Wisconsin – the night game in which Ohio State had a stacked visitors list, hosted LeBron James for the first time, and, most importantly, won – there was an overwhelming feeling of success when the weekend was over. 

It panned out for at least one of the elite visitors, as former four-star Florida wide receiver Johnnie Dixon, who made that visit, eventually signed with the Buckeyes. He was one of the best prospects in Ohio State's 2014 class. 

This year, LeBron was on the sideline again. The electric Ohio Stadium night atmosphere the coaches have praised 1,000 times was back. There was an attendance record set. 

Yet the following morning, it wasn't about LeBron and the crowd. It was about ensuring the prospects leave town with a positive vibe. That wasn't guaranteed. 

"I know we live in the now here, but we have to kind of have some foresight for where this program is going," running backs coach Stan Drayton said. "This program is going to be very dynamic here very soon, and players who have enough maturity to see that, one loss doesn't change the opportunity to get great recruits."

A loss doesn't mean the Buckeyes won't sign any of the prospects who were in attendance. Frankly, Meyer's 2015 recruiting class depends on signing at least a few of the prospects who visited. 

View full sizeFive-star defensive end Josh Sweat, a native of Virginia, is one of the most elite prospects in the 2015 class. He was at Ohio State's 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday night as part of his official visit. Ari Wasserman, cleveland.com 

Among those who roamed the sideline before the game were five-star running back Damien Harris of Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern; Five-star defensive end Josh Sweat of Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith; Five-star cornerback Kevin Toliver II of Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian; Five-star running back Jacques Patrick of Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek; Four-star running back Jordan Scarlett of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas; Four-star offensive lineman Matthew Burrell of Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton; Four-star junior defensive end Nick Bosa of St. Thomas Aquinas and others. 

But losing to Virginia Tech may have had a little extra meaning for Sweat, one of the nation's most elite prospects, and Burrell, a coveted offensive lineman. Both are from Virginia and both are considering Virginia Tech. 

It may not seem like a recruit will make a decision based on one visit or one game. Recruiting, though, is about emotions, building relationships and having altering experiences you can't shake. 

One of those experiences as part of a typical recruiting weekend like this one is inviting those prospects into the locker room after the game so they can participate with Ohio State as they celebrate a home win. 

Victory speeches, music, dancing and joy – to be a part of that is memorable. 

But Saturday, Ohio State didn't find it appropriate. 

This time they didn't even let them in. 

The Manziel Era officially began against Arkansas at Kyle Field. The offense scored 52 unanswered points and sent the Hogs packing, 58-10. Manziel completed 29-of-38 passes for 454 yards, and rushed for 109 yards. His 557 total yards broke the SEC's single game mark set 43 years earlier – by Ole Miss' Archie Manning. The next day, the Aggies moved into the top 25. Fans even learned to pronounce the young quarterback's name correctly – ManZEL, not ManZEEL.

This is the third of five excerpts from "Manziel Mania," by New York Times bestselling author Jim Dent. "Manziel Mania" is an e-book that can only be purchased at Amazon.com and is not available at bookstores. After purchase, click on the "free Kindle reading app" and choose your device – Kindle, computer, iPad or cell phone. Dent plans two more books, scheduled for November 2014 and February 2015, exploring Manziel's first season in the NFL with the Browns. Look for daily excerpts on cleveland.com through Friday and in print in Sunday's Plain Dealer.

Today:

-- College football's Manziel Era begins.

-- Beating Alabama – and winning over Nick Saban

-- A freshman can't win the Heisman, right?

No one knew how fast Johnny Manziel really was. They did not know that he could skirt a season-long suspension in mid-August, tied to a fight and arrest in June, and wind up with the Heisman Trophy in early December.

A miracle? By the end of the 2012 season, Manziel had everyone believing.

Based on his opening performance for Texas A&M against Florida that 2012 season, no one was talking Heisman: 173 yards passing, 60 rushing. My, how that would change.

The Aggies led Florida 17-10 at halftime in their first official Southeastern Conference game. The Aggie offense did not score again as the Gators roared from behind to win 20-17.

Dr. Robert L. Walker, class of 1958, is now the senior executive for development at A&M. After the Florida game, he told Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com, "students used to think of us as a place where plowing farmers and marching soldiers came.''

September 8 was a coronation on the prairie. It was proof that the Aggies were willing to take real big boy steps toward change. They had dumped the Big 12 for a powerhouse football conference that had won six straight national titles. Johnny Manziel had showed enough spark to make the future look brighter.

Walker, like the rest, could not have cared less about the loss. "I think we might need a little time to get competitive in football,'' he said. "It might take a couple of years for us to play with the big boys in the SEC.''

Walker's opinion was the standard feeling of the Aggie fans. Boy, were they wrong. The outlook for A&M football would change drastically the following week when the Aggies throttled SMU 48-3 in Dallas. Manziel scored six touchdowns running and passing. Beating South Carolina State the following Saturday 70-14 was the blowout everyone expected. Manziel accounted for five touchdowns.

Welcome to the Manziel Era

The Manziel Era officially began the following week against Arkansas at Kyle Field. The offense scored 52 unanswered points and sent the Hogs packing, 58-10. Manziel completed 29-of-38 passes for 453 yards, and rushed for 104 yards. His 557 total yards broke the SEC's single game mark set 43 years earlier – by Ole Miss' Archie Manning. The next day, the Aggies moved into the top 25. Fans even learned to pronounce the young quarterback's name correctly – ManZEL, not ManZEEL.

Against Louisiana Tech, fans would learn that, pound-for-pound, Johnny Football was the toughest player in college football. By mid-October, his weight had dropped from 202 to 180 pounds. Mostly, he was known for his long, winding touchdown runs and his accurate passes. Against Louisiana Tech, though, he proved that he could hit and he could tackle.

Texas A&M was on the verge of scoring a touchdown early in the third quarter when halfback Christine Michael tried to stretch the ball over the goal. It was knocked out of his hands and the fumble was recovered by Tech's Chip Hester, who took off at full speed going the other way. The only hope to catch Hester was Manziel, who shed the block of safety Quinn Giles and took up the chase.

Near midfield, Manziel caught up with Hester and punched the ball out of his grasp. It bounced forward and was caught on the first hop by Tech's Mike Schrang, who was already at full stride. Manziel leaped to his feet and began to gain ground on the ball carrier. He seemed to be boiling over with rage when he tackled Schrang from behind at the 30-yard-line. The capacity crowd at Joe Aillet Stadium let out a long groan.

Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said after the game, "That sums up the type of player Johnny is. He's not always going to be perfect. But he is going to fight, fight, fight to help his teammates win.''

Against Louisiana Tech, Manziel became the first player to surpass 500 yards twice in the same season. He broke his own all-time single-game record with 576 yards.

The yards and touchdowns continued piling up. Four touchdowns in the first half against Auburn. Against Mississippi State, 30-of-36 passing for 311 yards and 129 more rushing -- including a snaking 37-yard touchdown run in the first half that was one of ESPN's highlights of the week.

The Aggies were 8-2 and headed to Tuscaloosa.

Coach Saban becomes a believer

The sports books made Texas A&M a 13-point underdog against Alabama.

A&M jumped to a 20-0 lead against the country's No. 1 team. DVRs were rolling when Manziel pulled off the play of the year by pinballing off his right tackle, spinning, reversing field, and then grabbing his own fumble from mid-air. He rolled left and fired a bullet to Ryan Swope in the middle of the end zone.

Alabama Coach Nick Saban could not believe what he was seeing.  Not known to exaggerate, Saban said after A&M's 29-24 win, "Johnny Manziel might be the most challenging player in college football right now. He's the best I've seen at this point of the season in terms of the combination of things. His skill set as a player? He's really fast. He's very athletic. He's developed into a good passer. He's effective at executing their offense without doing the other stuff. But when he starts scrambling around, and he starts extending plays – sometimes for eight or nine seconds – he's hard to stop.''

All Manziel needed was a solid game in the season finale against Missouri. He also needed to remain injury-free. In the first quarter, Manziel was viciously sacked from behind. An Aggie crowd of 87,222 stopped singing and swaying as TV cameras caught a few coeds crying and covering their faces. Lying on the field, Manziel looked finished. Then he was asked by the trainer, "Where is your knee brace?'' Manziel groaned, "At the bottom of my locker.'' The trainer radioed for someone to fetch it.

Manziel strapped on his brace and limped toward the sideline as the crowd began to chant, "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!'' He conferred with coach Kevin Sumlin, then walked slowly back to the huddle. As the adrenaline took over, though, he fired a touchdown pass to Swope, another to Mike Evans, then one more to Uzoma Nwachukwu. The Aggies led 42-7 at halftime and Johnny was hobbling no more.

A&M completed a 10-2 regular season with a 59-29 defeat of Mizzou. Manziel finished the regular season of his freshman year with 4,600 yards and 43 touchdowns. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was 24-8. He became the first freshman to surpass 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing.

Meet Johnny Heisman

Texas A&M's regular season ended eight days before the Heisman voting deadline, and two weeks before the announcement in New York. The media continued to tout Notre Dame's Manti Te'o as the frontrunner, and why not? The Fighting Irish could boast seven Heisman winners.

With the Alabama upset victory as his springboard, Manziel was awarded the John Heisman Memorial Trophy on December 8, 2012, two days after his 20th birthday. He will be forever remembered as the first freshman to win the award.

Manziel's emergence as a public figure on Heisman night represented the birth of a media darling. He had not spoken to reporters all season, thanks to a gag order imposed on all freshmen by Sumlin. Few people attending the Heisman ceremonies had ever heard his voice. For three minutes and 46 seconds, he spoke eloquently, thanking his family, teammates, coaches and especially his grandparents, Jerry and Lyana Loggins of Tyler, Texas.

"Grandpa, thanks for all the times you threw the ball to me as I ran down the hallway. I love you with all of my heart. You inspired me more than anyone. To Grandma: Sorry about all of the things we broke in the house.''

At that moment, Johnny Football Manziel was one of the most beloved players in the history of the game. In the blink of an eye, though, that would all change.

Tomorrow on cleveland.com: Johnny loudly embraces fame and quietly helps a young boy battle cancer.

"There is so much satisfaction out of trying to accomplish something even though it can be difficult."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Indians manager Terry Francona provided an overview of the Indians' season on Tuesday.

Here are five observations stemming from the skipper's own.

1. Nothing easy: Francona has been quick to point out how many close games the Indians have played this season, especially over the last two months, as the pitching has tightened up.

"There have been more things not quite go as we anticipated," Francona said. "Because of that, we've had some periods where we've made it harder to win games."

The Indians anticipated better seasons from their well-paid veterans, such as Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn and Jason Kipnis. They expected more from Justin Masterson and Asdrubal Cabrera, a pair of players auditioning for long-term contracts who were eventually dealt after they struggled in the first half.

2. Error flu: For much of the season, the Indians have ranked last in the majors in fielding percentage and first in errors. The widespread defensive disappointments have stumped the Tribe brass.

"Our defense has been the head-scratcher," Francona said. "There are times when we can figure it out and there are other times when we're just like, 'This winter, we'll sit down at length, but we don't quite have the answer.'"

3. Positives: Regardless of how the rest of the 2014 campaign unfolds, the Indians have progressed in a few areas. The starting rotation has blossomed as the summer has wore on. Michael Brantley emerged as an All-Star left fielder. Cody Allen has stabilized the ninth inning. Bryan Shaw, Marc Rzepczynski and Scott Atchison have formed a stout middle relief corps.

"Watching Brantley turn into one of the game's better players," Francona added, "or seeing Carlos go through what he went through the first six weeks of the season to seeing what he is now."

4. The kids: Francona has stressed on several occasions how rewarding and refreshing it has been to watch the club's influx of young players earn meaningful trips to the plate in September, rather than the typical aimless at-bats that non-contenders provide to prospects. Tyler Holt, Roberto Perez, Zach Walters and Jose Ramirez have all played a part in Francona's lineup.

"We're playing a lot of younger guys," Francona said. "We're getting a pretty big kick out of that. It's been good for everybody. It's created some enthusiasm."

5. Bottom line: Given the club's injuries, inconsistency and four months of mediocrity, Francona seems rather pleased to have his team in the hunt this late in the season.

"There is so much satisfaction out of trying to accomplish something even though it can be difficult," Francona said. "I don't know that you just wait until the end of the year and find out if you're good enough to qualify for the playoffs and say, 'OK, it was a success.' You don't want to miss the journey, because along the way, that's how you create a lot of loyalties, the camaraderie and the closeness of going through not only the good times, but difficult times."

Browns running back Ben Tate could miss up to a month with a sprained knee, according to Ian Rapoport. Currently, it's expected to be 2-4 weeks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns running back Ben Tate suffered a sprained knee against the Steelers and will likely miss 2-4 weeks, according to a report.

Tate, the Browns' starting running back, will not require surgery, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

In the meantime, the Browns will rely on rookie running backs Terrance West, their third-round pick out of Towson, and Isaiah Crowell, the undrafted rookie out of Alabama State.

Crowell rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 15 yards in the 30-27 loss to the Steelers. West rushed for 100 yards on 16 carries, including 91 yards in the fast and furious second half, during which the Browns scored 24 straight points.

Coach Mike Pettine will address Tate's injury Wednesday, and that of tight end Jordan Cameron, who reinjured his shoulder on a 47-yard reception on the opening drive.

In response to Cameron's injury, the Browns signed first-year tight end Gerell Robinson off the Broncos' practice squad Tuesday. It means Cameron might also miss some time.

Cameron said he landed on the shoulder after the catch and reaggravated it. He first injured the shoulder Aug. 2 during the Family Day scrimmage in Akron and missed the first preseason game.

Ohio State lost the week after the Navy game in both 2009 and this season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State plays Kent State on Saturday. If the Buckeyes could do it over again, maybe they'd have played the Golden Flashes last week and would be getting ready for Virginia Tech right now.

Why?

Facing a tough opponent the week after Navy is not how you'd prefer to draw up a schedule.

In the final dissection of Ohio State's 35-21 loss to the Hokies (we'll move on to Saturday's kick against KSU eventually), remnants of the week one win over Navy were present. They can sound like excuses, but they are based in reality. Ask an OSU staffer if turning from the Midshipmen - unique on both sides of the ball - to Virginia Tech - with more talent than Navy and with other styles the Buckeyes didn't expect - was difficult, and the answer is obvious.

Young OSU team. Tough and weird first game against Navy. Virginia Tech with an easier week one test against FCS school James Madison. That's a trio of truths that helped spell doom for the Buckeyes.

Virginia Tech planned for Ohio State while preparing for James Madison. Ohio State did less Virginia Tech planning early because the triple option and Navy's defensive alignment ate up practice hours.

Should Ohio State have handled it better? Yep. Frankly, playing Navy in the opener is the best time to deal with that style, because you have an entire offseason to prepare, not just six days. But flipping the page right away for a tough opponent was the issue.

The Buckeyes weren't the first ones to feel the after effects of a Navy week.

Since 2009, when Ohio State played the first game of this two-game Navy series, 18 power conference opponents have played Navy one week and come back against a major college opponent the next week. (Only Maryland smartly slipped in a lower-level week of recovery, besting Morgan State 62-3 the week after Navy in 2010.)

Games against Navy aren't always easy for opponents to bounce back from the next week.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

Those 17 teams are 8-10 in the week after the Midshipmen.

That includes two losses by the Buckeyes, 18-15 to USC in 2009 and Virginia Tech this year.

Even some of wins were tough. On the way to the BCS national title game at 12-0 in 2012, Notre Dame played one of its closest games of the regular-season against Purdue. That was a 20-17 win, secured with a field goal with seven seconds to play, against a Boilermaker team that finished 6-7. That came the week offer the Irish opened with Navy.

Here are the rest of the post-Navy results since 2009.

The week after Navy

2009 (0-4)

Sept. 5 Ohio State beat Navy 31-27 Next week: Lost to USC 18-15

Sept. 19 Pitt beat Navy 27-14 Next week: Lost to N.C. State 38-31

Oct. 24 Wake Forest lost to Navy 13-10 Next week: Lost to Miami 28-27

Nov. 7 Notre Dame lost to Navy 23-12 Next week: Lost to Pitt 27-22

2010 (1-2)

Oct. 9 Wake Forest lost to Navy 28-27 Next week: Lost to Virginia Tech 52-21

Oct. 23 Notre Dame lost to Navy 35-17 Next week: Lost to Tulsa 28-27

Oct. 30 Duke beat Navy 34-31 Next week: Beat Virginia 55-48

2011 (2-1)

Sept. 17 South Carolina beat Navy 24-21 Next week: Beat Vanderbilt 21-3

Oct. 15 Rutgers beat Navy 21-20 Next week: Lost to Louisville 16-14

Oct. 29 Notre Dame beat Navy 56-14 Next week: Beat Wake Forest 24-17

2012 (3-0)

Sept. 1 Notre Dame beat Navy 50-10 Next week: Beat Purdue 20-17 on a last-minute drive

Sept. 15 Penn State beat Navy 34-7 Next week: Beat Temple 24-13

Oct. 20 Indiana lost to Navy 31-30 Next week: Beat Illinois 31-17

2013 (2-2)

Sept. 7 Indiana lost to Navy 41-35 Next week: Beat Bowling Green 42-10

Oct. 12 Duke beat Navy 35-7 Next week: Beat Virginia 35-22

Oct. 26 Pitt lost to Navy 24-21 Next week: Lost to Georgia Tech 21-10

Nov. 2 Notre Dame beat Navy 38-34 Next week: Lost to Pitt 28-21

2014 (0-1)

Aug. 30 Ohio State beat Navy 34-17 Next week: Lost to Virginia Tech 35-21

Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between No. 25 Rocky River and Warrensville Heights.

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio - Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between No. 25 Rocky River and Warrensville Heights. 

What: Nonconference game.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Rocky River High, 20951 Detroit Road, Rocky River. Call 440-356-6803.

Records: Rocky River 2-0; Warrensville Heights 1-1.

About Warrensville Heights: The Tigers snapped their losing streak at 18 games with a season-opening win against Central Catholic. That gave new coach Desean Washington a victory in his first game. QB Justin Robinson had two rushing touchdowns in the opener. The Tigers couldn’t keep that momentum into Week 2, losing 49-12 to Toledo St. Francis deSales.

About Rocky River: The Pirates have outscored their opponents 101-19 through two weeks. QB Matt Lowry has picked up where he left off during last season’s All-Ohio campaign. He had nearly 300 years of offense in Week 1, and threw four TD passes last week. While the Pirates have All-Ohioan Patrick Connors at WR, it was Evan Nugent with 153 yards and three TD catches last week. RB Travis Smith had 121 yards rushing in Week 1.

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

Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between No. 19 Strongsville and Berea-Midpark.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between No. 19 Strongsville and Berea-Midpark. 

What: Nonconference game.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Strongsville High, Pat Catan Stadium, 20025 Lunn Rd., Strongsville. Call 440-572-7100.

Records: Strongsville 2-0 Berea-Midpark 2-0.

About Berea-Midpark: The Titans have scored in spurts this season. Against North Royalton in Week 1, they scored 26 second-quarter points. Against Garfield Heights in Week 2, they jumped out to a 22-7 first-quarter lead. Already this season they’ve returned a punt and a kickoff for scores. RB Justin Harris has been the main threat in the backfield, and QB Nick Gassman has four TD passes.

About Strongsville: Through two games, the Mustangs have dealt with injuries to starting QB Bobby Cole and backup Ryan Robertson, but have persevered. Last week, RB Dominic Lombardo took snaps and threw two touchdown passes. Lost in the 2-0 start is the defense’s play against Cleveland Heights, holding the Tigers to six points.

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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

Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Akron North and Springfield.

AKRON, Ohio - Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Akron North and Springfield. 

What: Nonconference game.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Springfield High, 2966 Sanitarium Road, Akron. Call 330-798-1002.

Records: Springfield 1-1; Akron North 1-1.

About Akron North: The Vikings equaled their win total from last season with a Week 2 win against Timken (24-22).

About Springfield: The Spartans bounced back from a season-opening loss to Ellet and beat Barberton last week. QB Aaron James had two TD passes in Week 2, both to Elijah Bell. One of the Spartans’ three wins last season came against North (10-0).

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

Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Coventry and Mogadore.

MOGADORE, Ohio - Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Coventry and Mogadore. 

What: Portage Trail Conference cross-division game.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Mogadore High, Wildcat Stadium, 130 S. Cleveland Ave., Mogadore. Call 330-571-3106.

Records: Mogadore 2-0; Coventry 1-1.

About Coventry: After winning a 46-34 shootout with Canton South in Week 1, the Comets fell by 26 points to Akron East. WR Zack Lake had two touchdowns last week and has been the Comets’ biggest offensive weapon. He had 353 total yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 by throwing, catching and running, with a punt return and a kickoff return for scores.

About Mogadore: The Wildcats’ defense shined in Week 1 with a 24-2 win against Norton, but with RB Brandon Berry back from injury, they got the offense rolling last week in a 41-15 win against Smithville. Berry had 13 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats rushed for 306 yards. QB Zeddie Pollack was efficient, going 10-of-14 for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

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

Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Streetsboro and Youngstown Christian.

STREETSBORO, Ohio - Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Streetsboro and Youngstown Christian. 

What: Nonconference game.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Streetsboro High, 1900 Annalane Drive, Streetsboro. Call 330-626-4902.

Records: Streetsboro 2-0; Youngstown Christian 0-2.

About Youngstown Christian: The Division VII Eagles have struggled this season, getting outscored 75-7.

About Streetsboro: The Rockets have outscored their opponents 96-14 this season. Defensively, they’ve dominated. In Week 1, the Rockets surrendered just 50 yards in the first half and had four sacks in the second half. QB Jerry Judd had a four-touchdown game in Week 1. Last week he had two carries for 127 yards, including a 97-yard score.

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

Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Collinwood and Open Door.

ELYRIA, Ohio - Check out a preview capsule for the Week 3 football matchup between Collinwood and Open Door. 

What: Nonconference game.

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.

Where: Midview High, Abelsderg Stadium, 38199 Capel Road, Grafton. Call 440-322-6386.

Records: Collinwood 0-2; Open Door 0-2.

About Collinwood: The Railroaders lost in Week 1 after an on-field fight ended their game with Garfield Heights in the third quarter. Last week, with two starters suspended due to Week 1 ejections and fives others being disciplined by sitting at least a half, the Railroaders lost 19-2 to Lutheran East. Most of the disciplined players are expected back this week.

About Open Door: The Patriots are off to a rough start, losing big to two undefeated teams. But with the Railroaders, the Patriots begin a three-game stretch against teams currently winless.

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

Every team in the Lake Erie League has at least one win in 2014.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A buzz will be in the air in Cleveland Heights on Saturday, as the Tigers are set to open a new turf field when they play rival Glenville at 4 p.m.

The day will be full of festivities for fans and alumni. At 2 p.m., the gates will open and the school will hold a tailgate. At 3 p.m., there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and at 4 p.m., it is time for kickoff. Many former Cleveland Heights players are expected to be in attendance.

The change is a needed one, as Cleveland Heights' old stadium was nearly 90 years old. It was built in 1925 and renovated in the 1980s. The new stadium increases seating from 1,000 to 2,500 people.

With the renovations taking place all summer and into this school year, it's been a waiting game for the football team, and it's hard for them to believe the day is finally here.

"It's been hard because you've been waiting," said Cleveland Heights coach Jeff Rotsky. "The kids are excited. It's big for the community and the program."

Maple Heights looking for redzone success

Friday's loss to Fremont Ross was a frustrating one for Maple Heights. The Mustangs had an impressive 245 rushing yards in the first half, but the team failed to score any points.

A day like that has the coaching staff preaching one thing this week.

"We have to score when we have opportunities," said Maple Heights coach Devlin Culliver. "We have to punch one in."

Lorain sees it all come together against Elyria

It's just two games into Dave McFarland's coaching tenure at Lorain, and the he's already starting to see results. Last Friday, Lorain had an upset road win over rival Elyria.

With three coaches in three years, Lorain has been looking for stability, and it might now have found it.

"It was a great win for our kids and the community," McFarland said. "It's huge for our program. These kids are working hard."

Bedford has running game working

One of the priorities this off-season for Bedford was to get Chawntez Moss more involved in the offense. So far that has worked well for the Bearcats.

Both Moss and London Cloud have three rushing touchdowns each through two games. It's exactly what the team has hoped for as it heads into a showdown with Benedictine on Friday.

"We're going to play a hard-nosed game," said Bedford coach Sean Williams. "There are a lot of good athletes. It's all seniors playing against each other for four years."

Harrison Roberts steps up for Euclid

After a loss to Hudson in Week 1, Euclid was in need for a Week 2 win against rival Villa Angela-St. Joseph. The Panthers got it with a 23-13 win that was fueled by the defensive effort of Harrison Roberts, who finished with 2.5 sacks.

Deonte Freeman breaks out for Shaw

It looks like Shaw has found a talented young linebacker in sophomore Deonte Freeman. Through two games, Freeman leads the team in tackles despite not starting in Week 1.

"He sniffs the run out and attacks it," said Shaw coach Rodney Brown. "He's changed the complexion of the defense."

Standings

Bedford 2-0

Cleveland Heights 1-1

Euclid 1-1

Lorain 1-1

Maple Heights 1-1

Shaw 1-1

Our coverage of the Lake Erie League

Cleveland Heights senior Taylor Jones returns to quarterback after one-year hiatus

What others are writing about the Lake Erie League

Cleveland Heights grad Dorian Baker excelling for Kentucky (The Courier-Journal)

Lorain-Elyria rivalry returns (The Chronicle-Telegram)

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 David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter Chris Haynes and Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Will Barton held their long-awaited one on one matchup on Tuesday.

Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter Chris Haynes challenged Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Will Barton to a game of one on one.Chris Fedor, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter Chris Haynes is a triple-threat. He brings a Rolodex of NBA contacts, strong work ethic and a terrific understanding of the game to the beat. But he's got another talent and it was on display Tuesday afternoon.

Haynes is a good basketball player.

If there's a media pick-up game, I want Haynes on my side. If there's ever a Northeast Ohio Media Group basketball tournament, Haynes is a lock for the first pick. He showed off his skills against Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Will Barton.

The two held their long-awaited one on one matchup, which was in the works for quite some time after a conversation during the season, according to CSNNW.com. Haynes, a former college basketball player at Fresno Pacific University, insisted that he could score on Barton at least once if given 10 offensive possessions. Barton disagreed, and the challenge was on.

Haynes didn't need all 10 attempts; he only needed two. In the first attempt, Barton's size advantage was apparent as he swatted Haynes with ease. But the second time, Haynes elected for a pull-up jumper that dropped. 

You can watch the entire video below.

Who will be next to receive Haynes' challenge? LeBron James? Kyrie Irving? Dion Waiters? Or another Cavalier? Stay tuned.

From empty seats at Penn State to ranking the major conference in terms of passing yards, here's a snapshot of a variety of college football numbers.

The Beaver Stadium crowd was about 10,000 short of capacity for the Penn State-Akron football game.Associated Press 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - From empty seats at Penn State's Beaver Stadium to tracking the freshman running back flash Marion Mack, here's a snapshot of some college football numbers through Week 2.

9,928 - Empty seats at Penn State for its opener against Akron on Saturday. Beaver Stadium's listed capacity of 107,282 makes it the second largest in college football, but attendance on Saturday was just 97,354.

Six schools have topped 100,000 this season, including the top crowd of 107,517 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Others hitting the 100,000 mark have been Michigan, Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU and Alabama.

202- The drop off in rushing yards for South Florida freshman running back Marlon Mack. He opened the season Aug. 30 by running for 275 yards against Western Carolina on just 24 carries. That's the most by any back this season. In Week 2, however, Maryland held Mack to a mere 88 yards on 22 carries.

60.6 percent: The share of offensive yards gained through the air for members of the Pacific 12 so far this season. That makes the Pac 12 the pass happy league among the major conferences.

The others, in order, are the Big 12 (59.6 percent), Big Ten (57.7 percent); Southeastern (56.9 percent), Atlantic Coast (53.8 percent).

Third-and-long: Ohio State converted just 4-of-16 third-down opportunities in its loss to Virginia Tech, but it's not like the Buckeyes were positioned to succeed in those situations. Excluding the final play of the game, OSU needed 11 or more yards on seven out of eight of the previous third-down plays.

96-0: Michigan and its far less successful college football neighbor. Eastern Michigan just a few miles away, were both on the road Saturday. But each left their offense at home. Michigan lost 31-0 at Notre Dame, and Eastern Michigan lost 65-0 at Florida. That's a combined 96-0.

• cleveland.com/datacentral is home to numbers on a variety of topics.

After no wins in 2013, Firelands football already has two wins in 2014.

OBERLIN, Ohio -- With zero wins in 2013, Firelands football had a season that no one wants to remember. So that's exactly what the team did.

"The kids went into the off-season and wanted to forget about that," said Firelands coach Mike Passerrello.

It's easy to forget about it now, as Firelands is off to a 2-0 start in 2014 after defeating Lutheran West and New London in the first two weeks of the season.

The Week 1 win over Lutheran West was an important one, as it immediately showed qualities the team was lacking in 2013.

"The team gutted it out and that was something we didn't have last year," Passerrello said.

And that win gave Firelands something else that it didn't have last season.

"There was definitely more confidence," Passarrello said. "We were able to build off that."

Black River suffers injury to talented freshman

A dislocated left elbow will sideline Black River freshman Travis Sexton for the forseeable future. The talented fullback and linebacker showed promise early but now will be relegated to the sidelines, as coach Al Young didn't want to risk his bright future.

Brookside offense busts loose

It took Brookside very little time to shrug off a 40-7 opening week loss to Bay. In Week, the Cardinals earned a 55-38 victory over Oberlin.

The obvious difference was the offense. Running back Dudley Taw had 118 rushing yards in Week 2 and quarterback Tyler O'Malley has now thrown for 320 yards through two weeks.

Standings

Firelands 2-0

Keystone 2-0

Black River 1-1

Brookside 1-1

Buckeye 0-2

Wellington 0-2

What others are writing about the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division

Firelands quarterback Brad Thrasher wants Falcons to soar (The Chronicle-Telegram)

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 David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Indians have scored three or fewer runs in 14 of their past 18 games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 143.

Opponent: Twins.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 4 minutes.

Attendance: 9,489.

Result: Twins 4, Indians 3.

Records: Twins 62-82, Indians 74-69.

Bottom lines, up front: The Indians, in no position to lose games they must win, stumbled against a last-place club. Their hopes for a second straight postseason took a huge hit. The Indians remain mathematically alive in the AL Central and second-wild card races, but they need to go 16-3 just to achieve 90 victories.

Can't happen: The Indians' performances against the White Sox and Minnesota, bad clubs that fill out the Central, have prevented them from perhaps leading the division or second wild card. They went 10-9 against the White Sox and are 7-7 against the Twins.  

Nothing doing: The starting pitchers Tuesday were Trevor Bauer for the Indians and Trevor May for the Twins. They Indians absolutely, positively must win that matchup, especially at home in September, but they didn't.

The Indians managed three runs against right-hander May (5 IP, 5 H 2 R), lefties  Aaron Thompson (1 2/3 IP, 2 H) and Brian Duensing (IP, H, R) and righties Casey Fien (1/3 IP, H) and Jared Burton (IP).

Burton needed six pitches -- six -- in a perfect ninth to earn his second save. He subbed for nasty closer Glen Perkins, who is dealing with a neck issue.

May improved to 2-4 with an 8.38 ERA.

The Indians' offensive problems persist. They have scored three or fewer runs in 14 of 18 games -- including the past five.

Not quite good enough: Bauer gave up the four runs on four hits in eight innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

All of Minnesota's hit and run damage against Bauer occurred in a span of four batters in the fourth.  

Bauer (5-8, 4.12 ERA) belied his issues in the first inning by facing the minimum, although he did walk a batter. He entered Tuesday with 16 earned runs allowed in the first innings of 22 starts.

Jordan Schafer led off with a six-pitch walk. Bauer missed high with a 2-2 curve and missed with a 3-2 fastball. It was Bauer's 13th walk in first innings. 

With Brian Dozier batting, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire put Schafer in motion in a 1-1 count. Dozier, a fastball hitter with pop, fouled a fastball.

Schafer did not go on Bauer's next pitch, which was a ball. Bauer, making sure not to forget about Schafer, used a good move to make a pickoff attempt close. At that point, Schafer should have been grateful he wasn't erased and shortened his lead. Instead, he seemed to increase the lead by at least a half-step. Bauer used another A-move, and this time first baseman Carlos Santana slapped the tag on Schafer's forearm before the hand reached the bag.

On the next pitch, Dozier grounded to short.

Bauer worked over three-time AL batting champion Joe Mauer to end the inning. Mauer took two strikes, then foul-tipped a curve into the dirt. Bauer and catcher Yan Gomes opted to double up on the curve; this one stayed up and Mauer swung through it.

Bauer pitched a 1-2-3 second. Big, strong Kennys Vargas, in a full count, popped a hittable fastball to left. Trevor Plouffe lined to short. Oswaldo Arcia, a lefty with power who always is looking to pull, was called out on strikes when Bauer painted  the outside corner at the knees with a 95-mph fastball.

Bauer cruised through the third in eight pitches. Kurt Suzuki struck out swinging at a slider down and away (four pitches); Eduardo Escobar struck out swinging at 79-mph curve (three pitches) and Aaron Hicks flied to center (one).

Bauer needed 38 pitches to notch his first nine outs. In his previous start, Sept. 4 against Detroit, Bauer needed 38 pitches to get through a four-run first inning. Those were the runs he allowed in 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision.

The Twins erupted for four two-out runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. They did so in a blink, the final three hits occurring in consecutive pitches.

Bauer retired Schafer on a first-pitch fly to left and Dozier on a grounder to short.  Mauer, in a 2-2 count, blooped a breaking pitch near the left-field line. Michael Brantley sprinted a long way and thought he had the catch with a reach while remaining on his feet, but the ball dropped after appearing to glance off his glove. Brantley slid into foul territory.

For one of the few times this season, Brantley seemed to be fooled by the trajectory of the ball. The spin created what SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning called the "parachute'' -- a ball dropping straight down. The play correctly was scored a double, but it is the type of play Brantley makes more often than not.

So Bauer had made a good pitch and gotten a good result, with Mauer popping to a quality defender in Brantley (regardless of what the advanced metrics say). But Bauer wasn't out of the inning. Far from it.

Vargas fell behind, 0-2. After a foul, he took two balls, the second a curve that barely missed low. Bauer threw a fastball in a spot similar to that of the second-inning matchup with Vargas, and this time, Vargas didn't miss it. He ripped an RBI double to right-center.

The next pitch was a hanging breaking ball that Plouffe punched to left for an RBI single. Vargas challenged Brantley's arm and won easily to tie the score.

The next pitch was a hanging changeup that Arcia parked over the right-field wall for a two-run homer and 4-2 lead. Because of the location and the speed (85 mph), the changeup must have looked to Arcia like a batting-practice fastball.     

Bauer righted himself with a 1-2-3 fifth, although Escobar opened with a scorcher to first. Hicks lined to left and Schafer struck out looking.

The Twins were set down in order in the sixth. They put a runner on first with two outs in the seventh (Suzuki HBP). They went in order in the eighth.

Three bad ABs

May opened the door for the Indians by walking the first two batters of the fourth, Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis. The runners never moved because Lonnie Chisenhall popped to short (1-2 fastball), Yan Gomes popped to left (2-1 fastball) and David Murphy popped to third (3-2 changeup).

Murphy was ahead in the count, 3-1. May threw a changeup down and in that was ticketed for ball four -- until Murphy swung over it. May came back with the changeup away, and Murphy reached for it.

The Indians, on the whole, did nowhere near enough when they were ahead in counts -- especially 2-0.

Finally: Plate umpire Alfonso Marquez did not have one of his better nights. Pitchers and batters on both sides wondered about his zone throughout.

Watch Sports Insider on cleveland.com live Thursday at 11:30 a.m. as we talk about the Indians playoff chase and preview the Browns' home opener against the New Orleans Saints.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Watch Sports Insider on cleveland.com live Thursday at 11:30 a.m. as we talk about the Indians' playoff chase, recap the Browns' first game of the year and preview the Browns' home opener against the New Orleans Saints. 

View full sizeMary Kay Cabot will join today's Sports Insider at 11:40 p.m.Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer 

Hosts Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe will be joined by NOLA.com columnist Larry Holder at 11:30 a.m. to talk about the Saints and the challenges they present heading into Sunday. 

Mary Kay Cabot talks about the injuries to the Browns, what she took away from the first game and feeling around the team heading into the second game. She will join the show at 11:40 a.m. 

Finally, Paul Hoynes calls in from Progressive Field to talk about the Indians' doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at 11:50 a.m.

Click play above to watch live at 11:30 a.m. Stick around to watch Fantasy Football Insider at 12:30 p.m. Post your questions and remarks in the comments section below.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get ready for Week 2 of fantasy football with Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe as we'll answer your questions in a live show at 12:30 p.m. Post your questions in the comments below and we'll answer them throughout the half hour. On today's show, we'll tell you who to sit, who to start and who the sleepers...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get ready for Week 2 of fantasy football with Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe as we'll answer your questions in a live show at 12:30 p.m. Post your questions in the comments below and we'll answer them throughout the half hour.