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J.R. Smith 'nervous as hell' with suspension looming for decking Jae Crowder

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J.R. Smith realizes a suspension is likely coming for decking Jae Crowder during the Game 4 win in Boston.

BOSTON - The Cavaliers literally knocked out the Celtics in a Game 4 101-93 road win that swept the series on Sunday.

Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith will almost certainly be hit with a suspension following his backhanded, closed fist punch that connected on the right side of Jae Crowder's chin, decking him.

As he buckled, Crowder sprained his left knee and was not able to finish the game. After the final buzzer, he was seen leaving the arena and headed for the hospital.

Smith was accessed a Flagrant 2, which carries an automatic ejection. But that won't be extent of his punishment after the league looks over the footage on Monday morning.

"I know I'm nervous as hell to see what could come out of this," Smith said after the game. "It's a situation I put my teammates in and it's a selfish act...Hopefully it works out for the best."

Smith did his best to tell his version of the event.

"As I'm boxing him out, I kept feeling his forearm on the upper part of my shoulders," he explained. "I tried to keep backing up, backing up. He kept pushing, pushing, pushing. And unfortunately I tried to swing my arm loose thinking that was the best way to get my arm up in position to rebound and I made contact."

With Kevin Love's status uncertain due to a separated left shoulder, a looming suspension for Smith is not what the Cavaliers were hoping for as they get set to take on the winner of the Chicago Bulls-Milwaukee Bucks series as early as Saturday.

It's not good timing.

"It was nothing malicious about it," he said. "I didn't try to do anything to hurt him or anybody else. It's not the way I play the game and unfortunately I got a Flagrant 2 and let my teammates down. We still advanced, but it's still not a good feeling going into the next round."

It's hard to make a case that Smith doesn't deserve a suspension for the punch. But for his part, he was remorseful, apologetic and he told Northeast Ohio Media Group that he would reach out to Crowder. Yet, he spoke as if he knew it was inevitable.

The Cavaliers could be without their sharpshooter for a couple of games.

"I've been in this situation before in the playoffs and it's not a good feeling to go into," Smith said. "A new team, a new situation, feeling like things are coming on the up and up and to be "back in this situation again" is nothing I want to happen and unfortunately my team is going to pay for it more than anything."

Monday will be an informative day, as we'll know more on Love and the fate of Smith. LeBron James said the team would continue to press on regardless of the circumstances.  

"We only can control what we can control," he said. "If Love is out and if J.R., whatever happens with him, then it's the next man up. It's the next man up. We have guys that have been able to step up."

Smith said hopefully there's no suspension on either end. He just urges league officials to take a deep look at the play and what led to it before determining an outcome.

"I want them to see the bumping and grinding from both ends," he said. "Just don't look at it from one side because one person got hurt or whatever you want to call it. See both sides and try to make a decision off of that."


What Cleveland Indians said after Sunday' 8-6 loss to Detroit Tigers

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Hear what Terry Francona, Carlos Carrasco, Ryan Raburn and David Murphy had to say after the Indians lost to Detroit on Sunday at Comerica Park.

DETROIT -- Here are some of the comments that came out of the Indians locker room Sunday after their 8-6 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park.

Manager Terry Francona

On starter Carlos Carrasco, who allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.

"He gave up a lot of hits. He had to work out of trouble every inning. It seemed like they had the lead-off hitter on every inning. For the amount of hits he gave up, I don't think he threw the ball that horrible.

"He threw strikes as opposed to keeping the ball down. But with this team, when they're in that kind of mode, you really have to locate.

"The best thing to do is not put the lead-off guy on, but that's easier said than done."

Explanation: The Tigers put the lead-off man on base in four of the five innings Carrasco started. The lead-off man scored three times.

On Ryan Raburn getting called out on a close play at third in the second inning when he tried to stretch a double into a triple. (The Indians challenged the call on the field, but the call stood).

"I looked at it (on replay) and I thought he was safe. I can see why they didn't overturn it, but it was close. I still thought he was safe.

"If they had called him safe, I don't think they would have overturned it the other way either."

On Raburn being tagged out in a rundown between third and home in the fourth inning when Lonnie Chisenhall sent a ground ball to first.

"We all thought that there was catcher's interference on Lonnie. Jim Joyce (home plate umpire) started to call it then didn't. When I went out there, he said it might have been the sound of the ball hitting the plate.

"The whole time I was out there I was waiting to see how Lonnie reacted and he didn't. So I couldn't say too much."    

Carlos Carrasco

On how he felt.

"I felt great, but I fell behind batters. That's not good. When you fall behind and you try to come back, they're going to hit you.

"That's what happened today."

On Miguel Cabrera dominating Indians pitching.

"Everything you can throw, he's going to hit it. I missed my spots, too."

On Cabrera intimidating Indians pitchers.

"I don't think so. You have to go there with your best stuff. That's what you have to do and that's what I did. I got him 3-2 and threw a slider and it worked."

Explanation: After Cabrera singled in his first two at-bats against Carrasco, he came to the plate with two on and no one out in the fifth. Carrasco struck him out on a 3-2 slider.

Trevor Bauer

On how he feels after being scratched from Saturday's start because of food poisoning.

"I'm feeling better. I'm still kind of weak because you miss a full day's worth of nutrition. I wasn't able to keep anything down and threw up multiple times.

"I'm definitely going in the right direction, but need to get some food in me and get my energy level back up."

On availability for Tuesday's scheduled start against Kansas City.

"I don't know about that yet. I'm planning on making the start. I'll see how I feel Monday."

Ryan Raburn

On whether he was safe or not at third in the second inning.

"It was close. It could have gone either way. If they had ruled me safe, I don't think they would have overturned it. It was just a tough break."

On what happened in the fourth inning when you were tagged out in a rundown between third and home after Chisenhall grounded to first.

"It was first and third and you want to stay out of the double play. So any ball hit to the corners, I was going. I wanted to stay out of the double play and keep the inning going. Really, that's all it was."

David Murphy

On his pinch-hit home run to start the ninth inning off Joakim Soria.

"I've had two in my career. Soria is a very good pitcher, but he's a guy who comes right after you. He gets tougher as the at-bat goes along. He usually goes fastballs early and then mixes in his off-speed pitches."

On whether the Tigers have intimidated the Indians.

"No, if they were intimidating, I don't think you'd see a result like you did Friday night (13-1 Indians victory). I think they do a good job of getting an early lead. It seems everytime we've played them this year, they hit seven guys in the first inning and score one or two runs at least.

"I think that's the name of the game. Regardless of who you're playing."

Explanation: The Tigers have outscored the Indians, 14-5, in the first two innings of their six games this season.

On how another poor April could hurt the Indians postseason chances.

"We don't want to be in the situation that we were last September. You don't want to have to think back to April and think if we would have just picked up this win here or there.

"There's definitely a sense of urgency. We have to find a way to get rolling. There's not one way to put your finger on it. We need to get going, we need to reel off some wins."

Explanation: The Indians went 11-17 in April last year and finished two games out of the second AL wild card spot. They're 6-11 this season with four games left in April.

Isaiah Thomas on his out-of-bounds defending of LeBron James: "It worked"

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LeBron James committed a turnover when Isaiah Thomas defended him from behind, on an inbounds pass.

BOSTON -- Of all the places where defense is permitted on the basketball court, out of bounds isn't one.

Or so you'd think.

But there was no call made by the officials when Boston's Isaiah Thomas grabbed LeBron James from behind Sunday when James was making an inbounds pass in the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 101-93 win in Game 4.

Thomas made clear contact with James' arm as he threw the pass, and it was intercepted by Avery Bradley. Bradley was fouled and sunk two free throws, and all of a sudden a game the Cavs had controlled all day was down to just six points.

"I don't think it's ever happened before, not in my career," said James, who finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

James said that kind of play, defending an inbounder from the wrong side of the line, is "an automatic technical."

"You're not allowed to cross the line," James said. "You're not aloud to touch somebody taking the ball out of bounds. It just can't happen. We turn the ball over and now we commit a foul and it went from a possible 10-point lead to a six-point lead."

A spokesman for NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not immediately return an email seeking clarification, and the Northeast Ohio Media Group could not immediately locate the precise ruling. According to NBA rules, "preventing the ball from being promptly put into play" and "a defender crossing the boundary line prior to the ball being released on a throw-in" are considered delay-of-game infractions.

Thomas, however, was already out-of-bounds having just finished a layup when James tried to make the pass.

"You know how little I am compared to him?" Thomas said to the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Thomas is 5-9, James is 6-8. "That shouldn't affect him. They thought I did something, I guess I hit his arm. No call, it worked."

After Bradley made two free throws, James committed another turnover - this one caused by Thomas grabbing Kyrie Irving, making him late to James' pass. Again, there was no call. But the Cavs were saved when Luigi Datome missed a three-pointer after the play and Irving corralled the rebound.

Cleveland coach David Blatt was flabbergasted by the sequence.

"The game could've finished a lot easier if not for a few controversial plays," he said.

Blatt, who is in his first NBA season after coaching for decades in Europe, said he'd seen a player be defended from behind on an inbounds pass before.

"It's an automatic technical foul over there, I don't know what they call it here," Blatt said. "I don't even know, but if it happens, it's an automatic technical, two shots and the ball. That's the call. I am not saying it was or it wasn't, because I'm going to let you do that, but that's what would happen in that case."

James finished with six turnovers.  

Kevin Love's absence from Cavaliers lineup depends on personal injury history, says top surgeon: Bill Livingston

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Kevin Love's absence from the lineup depends on his injury history more than anything else, says renowned shoulder surgeon.

BOSTON - How long will Kevin Love be out with his dislocated left shoulder, suffered Sunday against the Boston Celtics?

"It depends on how unstable his shoulder is. Usually it's how many times has this happened before?" said Dr. Reuben Gobezie of University Hospitals, one of the country's most renowned shoulder surgeons, after watching the game on television.

Gobezie, Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at University Hospitals and founder of the Cleveland Shoulder Institute, recently received the NEER Award, the top international award in shoulder surgery and research. The only UH surgeon to be elected to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, the most prestigious subspecialty group in orthopedic surgery, he previously served as a team doctor and consultant to the Browns. The Cavaliers are affiliated with Cleveland Clinic.

"If he had multiple dislocations, then those players feel their shoulder is unstable," said the surgeon. "No matter if you explain it and shut it down, it's hard for them to feel they can use it. Especially a basketball player whose arms are up and above his head and behind him. That's exactly the way it dislocates."

This is not the case with Love.

He missed the first 18 games of the 2009-10 season in Minnesota after breaking the fourth metacarpal in his left (non-shooting) hand by banging it against the arm of a teammate. The Timberwolves went 2-16 without him.

He missed nine of the last 11 games of the 2010-11 season with a groin injury.

In 2012-13, Love broke the third and fourth metacarpals on his right hand by doing pushups in a workout on his knuckles. He came back earlier than expected, but broke the hand again. He required surgery and played only 18 games.

With the Cavaliers this season, he has been occasionally bothered by back spasms and cranky knees, but he played 75 games, the second-most of his career.

Just Saturday at practice here, asked how he felt, Love said: "I feel pretty damn good. I guess I surprised some people."

Said Gobezie: "If it's the first time ever happening, you can usually shut those guys down in a sling and start to rehab them, and they can be back in two weeks, three weeks."

The surgeon said he knew just from looking at the play on television that Love had dislocated his shoulder. "I thought the way he ran off that it was dislocated, just because of the mechanism for what happened to him and the urgency with which he ran away," Gobezie said

What separates a severe dislocation from a milder one?

Said Gobezie: "Was there bone injury or ligament damage only? Plus personal  injury history. Those are the things that distinguish between two weeks and eight weeks and even surgery. Surgery would be (out) for the playoffs. That's unlikely as an option."

Told Cavs fans would be happy to hear that, Gobezie said, "I want the Cavs to go all the way too."

Miguel Cabrera's Detroit Tigers take down Cleveland Indians, again: DMan's Report, Game 17

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The Tigers have scored a combined 37 runs in their five victories against the Tribe this season. They are 5-1 in the season series.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI as the Tigers defeated the Indians, 8-6, Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich. Here is a capsule look at the game after a (fast) dvr review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

Ownership: The Tigers (13-6) won the last two of the three-game series. They are 5-1 against the Tribe this season and 9-1 since early September 2014.

The Tigers are 74-42 head-to-head since the beginning of the 2009 season (stat courtesy of Zack Meisel, who helps cover the Indians for NEOMG.).

Stumbling: The Indians (6-11) wrapped a three-stop Central Division trip at 3-6. They also lost two of three to Minnesota and Chicago.

Offense for naught: The Indians amassed 10 hits and the six runs at Comerica -- and still lost. 

Gettin' Miggy Wid It: Cabrera, the premier hitter of his generation, saves his best for the Tribe. He might as well be playing softball. Here is his season series to date:

  • April 10 @ Cle: 3-for-5, RBI, steal (W, 8-4).
  • April 11 @ Cle: 4-for-5, run, RBI (W, 9-6).
  • April 12 @ Cle: 4-for-4, two homers, double, four RBI, three runs, walk (W, 8-5).
  • April 24 @ Det: 1-for-4 (L, 13-1).
  • April 25 @ Det: 0-for-1, four walks (W, 4-1).
  • April 26: @ Det: 3-for-4, homer, three RBI, two runs (W, 8-6).

Totals: 15-for-23 (.652), three homers, double, nine RBI, six runs, five walks. And don't forget about the steal -- of third.

First things first: It did not take long to get a feel for how the game was going to play out.

Tigers finesse lefty Kyle Lobstein needed 11 pitches to work a 1-2-3 first inning.

Lefty Jason Kipnis, replacing Michael Bourn in the leadoff spot, took a fastball (86 mph) for a strike; fouled an off-speed pitch (81); and took a fastball (87) on the outside corner for strike three.

Mike Aviles, in a 2-1 count, checked his swing on a fastball (86) that was up. The ball bounced to first baseman Cabrera.

Lefty Michael Brantley took a fastball (88) outside; fouled a fastball (87); took a cutter (84) for a strike; and took a fastball (88) on the outside corner for strike three.

Brantley disagreed with plate umpire Jim Joyce's interpretation of the zone.

Brantley finished 1-for-5 with a run and was 8-for-13 in the series.

In the bottom of the first, Rajai Davis led off against Tribe righty Carlos Carrasco. Davis took a 1-1 changeup that missed its target but still came tantalizingly close to the zone.

Davis, ahead in the count, could hunt fastball. Carrasco threw a fastball (97) that Davis lined down the right-field line for a triple, thanks in part to a favorable carom of the side fence.

Ian Kinsler, in an 0-1 count, sent a slider (88) to left for an RBI single. It was a decent pitch -- outside corner at the knees; Kinsler simply put a good swing on it.

Kinsler, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs, has become a huge problem for Cleveland since being acquired by the Tigers in the Prince Fielder trade in November 2013. In this season's series, alone, Kinsler is a combined 13-for-24 (.542) with nine runs.

Miggy followed by pulling in the hands to punch an 0-1 fastball (94) to left for a single. It was a decent pitch -- off the plate inside and at the knees; Miggy simply did what Miggy does. Kinsler hustled to third, narrowly beating Brantley's throw.

Former Indian Victor Martinez hit an 0-1 split-change (88) to right for a sacrifice fly.

Just like that, the Tigers led, 2-0. The Indians chased the rest of the way.

Cookie Express stalled: Carrasco allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Carrasco, as the first inning indicated, pitched better than the line. At the same time, he has been much sharper. He missed catcher Roberto Perez's glove too many times.

Harsh reality: The Indians should not lose when the pitching matchup is Carrasco vs. Lobstein. But they did.

Lobstein, who only is in the rotation because of Justin Verlander's injury, gave up three runs on six hits and two walks in seven innings. The Indians did not exactly make him work; he needed 86 pitches to get the 21 outs. He exited with a 7-3 lead.

No help from below: Bourn batted ninth and went 0-for-4 with an RBI. He is batting .169 with a .439 OPS this season.

The Tribe's retooled leadoff spot didn't produce, either, Kipnis was 0-for-4 with a walk.

Miguel Cabrera once again leads Detroit Tigers past Cleveland Indians, 8-6

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Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in three runs as the Tigers improved to 5-1 against the Indians this season with a victory Sunday at Comerica Park.

DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera has never owned a bigger part of the Indians' soul than he does right now.

The Indians tried walking him Saturday and lost. So they pitched to him on Sunday and they still got beat. And this time Cabrera took an active role in Detroit's 8-6 victory over the Indians.

He went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI.

This year Cabrera is hitting .652 (15-for-23) with three homers and nine RBI against the Indians. In his career, he's hitting .351 (188-for-535) with 38 homers and 121 RBI against the Tribe.

When the Tigers swept the Indians at Progressive Field, Cabrera went 11-for-14. The Indians intentionally walked him once.

In this series, he went 4-for-9, but in Saturday's 4-1 loss the Indians walked him four times. Three of the walks were intentional.

Cabrera's two-run homer in the sixth and sacrifice fly in the eighth proved to be the difference as the Indians rallied late with two runs in the eighth and David Murphy's pinch-hit homer in the ninth.

What it means

The Indians limp home from this nine-game AL Central trip with a 3-6 record. They won one game in Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit.

They are 1-5 against the Tigers. Their lone victory came Friday by a 13-1 score. By virtue of that win, the Indians outscored the Tigers, 20-13, in this three-game weekend series.

Lukewarm start

Carlos Carrasco, who earned one of the Tribe's three wins on this trip, didn't have it Sunday. He lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits.

Carrasco (2-2, 4.60) labored through 91 pitches just to get that deep into the game. If he'd been allowed to stay in the game any longer, the Tigers still might be scoring runs.

Problems with lefties

Tiger lefty Kyle Lobstein beat the Indians for the second time in as many starts this season. He allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings.

Lobstein (2-1, 3.50) struck out four and walked two.

The Indians are 1-6 in games started by lefties.

Triple your pleasure (almost)

The Indians just missed turning a triple play in the second inning when Rajai Davis beat Jason Kipnis' relay from second base by a heartbeat or two.

With runners on first and second, Davis set a one-hopper to Lonnie Chisenhall, who was playing in on the cut of the grass. Chisenhall stepped on third for the first out and threw to Kipnis at second for the second out.

Davis' speed prevented the Indians from turning their second triple play in as many years. The turned one last season against the Dodgers that needed two replay challenges to confirm.

Trouble at third

There was nothing wrong with the way Ryan Raburn swung the bat on Sunday. But he had some trouble at the hot corner.

Rabrn doubled home Carlos Santana in the second inning with a drive into the right field corner. When he tried to stretch it into a triple, third base umpire Chad Fairchild called him out.

The Indians challenged the play, but after a review that lasted 2:11, Raburn was called out.

In the fourth inning, Raburn was on third and Brandon Moss on first with one out. Lonnie Chisenhall sent a grounder to first as Raburn broke for home. Cabrera fired to catcher James McMann and Raburn was caught in a rundown.

The Tigers took a quick 2-0 lead in the first when Davis hit a lead-off triple and scored on Ian Kinsler's single. After Kinsler went to third on Cabrera's single, Victor Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to to right.

What's next?

The AL Central leading Royals make their first visit to Progressive Field this season for a three-game series. Monday night's matchup features Corey Kluber (0-2, 3.90) vs. KC lefty Jason Vargas (1-1, 6.75) at 6:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the game.

With Jose Ramirez struggling, what's the timetable for Cleveland Indians top prospect Francisco Lindor?

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Ramirez's struggles and Lindor's success at Triple-A naturally begs the question: When will the Indians promote their top prospect?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There remains a bit of a language barrier with shortstop Jose Ramirez. There have been times when manager Terry Francona has wanted to relay a message to the 22-year-old about when to run and when not to run.

Typically, it has required a brief meeting, as Ramirez, a native of the Dominican Republic, continues to grasp the intricacies of the English language. Francona often recruits first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. to play the role of translator.

When Francona attempts to broach the language barrier himself, the results are a bit off.

"One time I tried to talk to him in Spanish," Francona said, "and he thought I was asking him about his phone."

Francona said, however, that he can deduce one thing from Ramirez's body language. Despite Ramirez's .196 batting average, .525 OPS and three errors, the manager doesn't think the shortstop is looking over his shoulder at a certain 21-year-old shortstop. That said, Ramirez's struggles and Lindor's success at Triple-A naturally begs the question: When will the Indians promote their top prospect?

General manager Chris Antonetti left that answer a bit vague when he met with reporters on Monday.

"He has a bright future in front of him that he can control in terms of the type of player he's going to ultimately become," Antonetti said. "He's on his way to doing that."

Through 17 games with Columbus, Lindor has compiled a .302/.380/.429 slash line with six stolen bases. He recently completed a stretch of 10 hits in 16 at-bats over four games. So what must Lindor accomplish at Triple-A before the Indians would consider a change of scenery for the guy ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the league by MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus?

"There's a litany of things," Antonetti said. "Rather than getting into the specifics of those -- because it's something that's really between the player and us -- I can tell you that Francisco is committed to that plan and has worked extraordinarily hard to continue to improve and get better as a player."

Antonetti said he isn't worried about Lindor growing frustrated about remaining at Triple-A.

"There may be some uncertainties for people that don't have a chance to see Francisco play every day," Antonetti said. "I can understand why that would be the case, but I don't think that's an issue for Francisco."

Lindor has now logged 55 games at the Triple-A level. Ramirez played a total of 60 games at Triple-A last season, when he also spent time with the big league club. He joined the Indians in September 2013 after 113 games at Double-A.

"When you have young guys, the question gets asked: Should you do this or that?" Francona said. "Sometimes it takes a while for guys to get going. I wish it didn't, but it does. He's proven to us and to himself that he can play here and he can be a pretty good player. The sooner he gets hot, the better for all of us, because it helps us win more."

Ramirez collected only two singles in 25 at-bats (.080 average) in his first cameo with the Tribe last May. He was optioned to Triple-A until the club traded Asdrubal Cabrera to Washington. Upon his return to the big league club, he batted .283 with a .325 on-base percentage, 10 stolen bases and 13 sacrifice bunts.

"He's a guy that's produced at each level and played very well at each stop he's been at, including the major leagues," Antonetti said. "Admittedly, he's had a rough start to the season -- offensively especially -- but he's the same guy that came up last year, struggled initially and then figured things out the second time, and performed pretty well and was a big part of our team's success in the second half."

Brecksville softball moves to No. 1 in Division I, Keystone to No. 3 in Division II in Week 2 of the coaches poll

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Brecksville is now No. 1 in the Division I coaches poll after moving to 18-0 on the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With just one week before the playoff seeding meetings, teams are looking to improve their resumes.

Brecksville moved to No. 1 in Division I after winning three games at the Prebis Memorial this past weekend, while Walsh Jesuit moved to No. 6.


Here is a look at the rankings by division.


1. Brecksville


2. Lebanon


3. Holland Springfield


4. Pickerington Central


5. Marysville


6. Walsh Jesuit


7. Elyria


8. North Canton Hoover


9. Cincinnati McAuley


10. Westerville Central


DIVISION II


1. Hebron Lakewood


2. Greenville


3. Keystone


4. Jonathon Alder


5. Lima Bath


6. Kenton Ridge


7. Milan Edison


8. Licking Valley


9. Springfield Northwest


10. New Concord John Glenn


DIVISION III


1. North Union


2. Wheerlersburg


3. Bloom Carroll


4. Cardington Lincoln


5. Fairview Sherwood


6. Bloomdale Elmwood


7. Alexander


8. Sandy Valley


9. Warren Champion


10. Westfall


DIVISION IV


1. Strasburg Franklin


2. Symmes Valley


3. Leesburg Fairfield


4. Covington


5. Cuyahoga Heights


6. Minster


7. Vienna Matthews


8. Convoy Crestview


9. Danville


10. Tuscarawas Catholic


Tune in every Monday night throughout the rest of the season as the poll will be released.


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.


East Tech High School basketball players accused of raping student inside school

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Two East Technical High School students arrested in March after a student said she was raped inside the school were members of the school's basketball team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two East Technical High School students were arrested in March, accused of raping a student inside the school as classes let out.

One of the players, a 16-year-old sophomore, is on GPS-monitored home detention and is scheduled to appear in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court May 12 to face kidnapping and rape charges, according to a court spokeswoman.

The other student, an 18-year-old man, has not yet been charged, according to court records.

The allegations stem from an incident inside the East 55th Street high school March 18. Both suspects played basketball at the school and the incident came four days after the basketball season ended. An 18-year-old woman told police the two players assaulted her as she sat in a plastic chair in the corner of a room between 2:55 p.m. and 3:05 p.m.

Investigators arrested the boys after they collected DNA evidence left at the scene, interviewed the victim as well as other students and collected a rape kit from University Hospitals.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District spokeswoman Roseann Canfora provided a statement Monday afternoon:

"CMSD takes such allegations of student misconduct seriously and after notifying parents, immediately referred the matter to the Cleveland Police Department that handles sex crime investigations. We are cooperating fully with that investigation."

Canfora went on to say the school district did not notify the parents of other students of the incident "as there is a presumption of innocence during the investigation and we are responsible for protecting the privacy rights of our students."

Walsh Jesuit ranked No. 3 in Division I, while Elyria Catholic is ranked No. 3 in Division III in Week 2 of coaches poll

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Walsh Jesuit baseball is No. 3 in Week 2 of the coaches poll.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With just one week before the playoff seeding meetings, teams are looking to improve their records and to be playing their best baseball.

Walsh Jesuit remained No. 3 in Division I, while Elyria Catholic is making noise in Division III.


Here is a look at the rankings by division.


1. Archbishop Moeller


2. Lakota West


3. Walsh Jesuit                          


4. Perrysburg                                            


5. Butler                                        


6. Westerville Central                            


7. Wadsworth                                      


8. Mason                                        


9. Willoughby South


10. Avon


DIVISION II


1. Bloom-Carroll


2. John Glenn


3. Steubenville                    


4. Minford                          


5. Defiance


6. Bellevue                    


7. Vermilion


8. Goshen


9. Bryan                      


10. Poland Seminary        


DIVISION III


1. Coldwater


2. Fredericktown


3. Elyria Catholic


4. Huron


5. Mount Gilead


6. Anna                          


7. Alexander                        


8. St Clairsville


9. Badin            


10. Waynesville                                                            


DIVISION IV


1. Fort Recovery


2. Toronto


3. Lehman Catholic                  


4. Hiland                            


5. Miller City                          


6. Cincinnati Country Day                


7. Toledo Christian                      


8. Seneca East                    


9. Paint Valley                           


10. Newark Catholic                                                


Tune in every Monday night throughout the rest of the season as the poll will be released.

Nick Swisher continues rehab assignment Tuesday with Class AAA Columbus

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Nick Swisher visits Indians on Monday to discuss continuation of his rehab assignment with manager Terry Francona. Swisher will join Class AAA Columbus on Tuesday and continue to build his stamina in the outfield. Offensively, Swisher says he could help the Indians right now.

CLEVELAND - Nick Swisher made a one-day stop in Cleveland on Monday to see his teammates and meet with manager Terry Francona. Come Tuesday morning he'll be on the rehab road again.

Swisher will join Class AAA Columbus in Rochester, N.Y. to continue his recovery from double knee surgery. Swisher will DH Tuesday and play right field Wednesday. He'll take Thursday off and play right field on consecutive days Friday and Saturday.

"Obviously, I'd like to be back here with this team right now," said Swisher before Monday's game against the Royals. "Tito and I (Terry Francona) had a great talk today and I'm going to bounce out of here on Tuesday."

Swisher is two games into his rehab assignment with the Clippers. He's 5-for-9 with one double, one RBI and four strikeouts.

"I could be with those guys (Columbus) four or five days, maybe a week," said Swisher. "My body feels good, but I want to build that stamina so I can do this every day.

"Stamina is the thing. I feel pretty good standing out there, but about the eighth inning I'm saying, "darn.' The weather is different as well between here and extended spring training. The coldest it got in Arizona was 95 degrees. Now you get here and it's 30, but my body has responded well to the cold weather."

Manager Terry Francona says Swisher has a good understanding of what the Indians are trying to accomplish in his rehab.

"We've been pretty honest with him from the very beginning about not having an artificial date in mind for his return because that's not fair," said Francona. "Now because we're scuffling and need hitters, if we shortcut his rehab, that's not doing anybody any good. He gets that."

As for Swisher's internal deadline, he said, "I don't know exactly what that is. But I think maybe when I go back-to-back-to-back games that would show that, hey, this guy is ready to go."

Francona said that Swisher could try and play three consecutive games after Sunday's off day.

"Offensively, I feel great," said Swisher. "Do I think I could come up here right now and help this team? Absolutely, but that's not the only thing I want to be able to do. I want to help on both sides of the ball."

Swisher said it's taken him longer to recover than he initially thought because, "the injuries were worse than I thought. I thought this would be something I'd bounce right back from like I have from every other little injury I've had. It's been a lot more work than I expected."

The injuries have taught Swisher that the game has changed regarding players playing through injuries.

"A few years ago you'd see a guy playing (hurt) and everybody would say, "That's a tough guy,'" said Swisher. "Now it's not like that. I'd much rather be out there as close to 100 percent as I could be from what I was trying to do last year - go up there and hit with no legs."

J.R. Smith suspended two games for punching Jae Crowder

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The Cavaliers will be without JR Smith who was hit with a two-game suspension following his punch of Jae Crowder.

BOSTON - Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith has been suspended two games for his backhanded punch to Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder in the team's Game 4 win on Sunday, the NBA announced on Monday.

Smith knew it was coming.

"I know I'm nervous as hell to see what could come out of this," Smith said after the game. "It's a situation I put my teammates in and it's a selfish act...Hopefully it works out for the best."

Crowder sustained an ACL sprain in his left knee as he fell to the floor following the blow.

Boston's forward Kelly Olynyk was suspended a game for his role in dislocating the shoulder of Kevin Love, an injury that will keep the power forward out the entire second round.

Kendrick Perkins was hit with a $15,000 fine for his blindsided screen of Crowder in retaliation of the Love play.

The Cavaliers' next opponent will invariably be the Chicago Bulls, another physical team. Head Coach David Blatt will have to get creative with his rotations and lineup usage. Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert's roles will be expanded and other players will have to step up to the plate.

It will take a team effort to make to the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron James said from Day 1 that it wouldn't be easy, but nobody thought it would be this bad.

"We only can control what we can control," James said on Sunday. "If Love is out and if J.R., whatever happens with him, then it's the next man up. It's the next man up. We have guys that have been able to step up."

Healthy Trevor Bauer will start Tuesday night for Cleveland Indians against Royals

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Trevor Bauer, felled by food poisoning before his last start, will start Tuesday night for the Indians.

CLEVELAND -- Food poisoning stopped Trevor Bauer once, but not twice.

Manager Terry Francona said Bauer has been cleared to start Tuesday night against Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie. Bauer was scheduled to start Saturday against the Tigers at Comerica Park, but was scratched about 40 minutes before game time because of food poisoning.

T.J. House replaced him and three runs on four hits in three innings. Detroit won the game, 4-1.

"Bauer is good," said Francona before Monday night's game. "He came in early today just because if something wasn't going in the right direction we wanted to give people a head's up because it would have entailed a roster move.

"He's good to go."

Bauer 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts this year. He's ranked first in AL batting average against at .125, fourth in ERA and seventh in strikeouts with 26.

Intimidation factor? If this isn't a low point in Michael Bourn's career, it's close. The one time National League stolen base king, an All-Star lead-off hitter and Gold Glove center fielder, has been dropped to the bottom of the lineup.

He's not hitting, he's not walking, he's not stealing bases, but there is still plenty of sizzle in him.

Before the entire "intimidation' word left a reporter's mouth following Sunday's 8-6 loss to Detroit, Bourn called "Time out. No, no, no. We're not intimidated by the Tigers. No, we're not."

The Tigers are 5-1 against the Indians already this season. Miguel Cabrera owns  three-fourths of their soul and Victor Martinez owns the rest.

Detroit swept the Indians in Cleveland took two out of three in Detroit.

"They just beat us," said Bourn, referring to Sunday's loss. "No way around that. We had a good fight today. We inched our way back into it and made it 7-5.

"We're not going to run away from them. They won the series, we didn't have a great road trip. Luckily it is early."

GM Chris Antonetti was asked about whether his team has been intimidated by Detroit.

"I don't think so," said Antonetti. "I think they've out-played us so far. I don't think there's an intimidation."

Royal welcome: The Royals paid their first visit to Progressive Field since reaching Game 7 of the World Series last year.

"Teams can go one of two ways when they get a taste of winning," said Francona. "They can go on the banquet circuit and kind of dig yourself. Or you can come back and say, "We want to do it again.' They seem to be in that mode. I wish they weren't, but they look like they had a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.

"They're always hard to play because everybody runs."

The Royals have had three bench-clearing incidents with three different teams in the first month of the season. Asked if that concerned him, Francona said, "If they do it with us, yes. I don't care what they do when they're not here. I hope they all get suspended."

Four Royals players are currently appealing suspensions.

Fire down below: Nick Swisher visited the Indians on Monday before continuing his rehab with Class AAA Columbus.

Asked what he thought of shortstop Francisco Lindor, who is also at Columbus, Swisher said, "He looks awesome. Everybody looks great. It's been great to see these guys grow up right in front of your eyes.  You've got guys like Carlos Moncrief, James Ramsey and Tyler Naquin, who was down in extended spring training with me. You better watch out for him. He's going to be something special."

Speed racers: The pace of game rules MLB instituted in spring training are paying dividends.

The average time of a nine-inning game is down eight minutes 2:54. The Indians, however, haven't cooperated.

The average time for one of their nine-inning games has stayed the same at 3:04. The average time for their games overall has dropped from 3:12 TO 3:04.

Umpires will start enforcing the pace of play rules on May 1.

Finally: The Indians have won consecutive games just once this season, beating Houston in the second and third games of the season. The Indians have won just one of the six series they've played so far this season.

A longer suspension for Kelly Olynyk might've meant more games for J.R. Smith -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

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Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the NBA couldn't ignore J.R. Smith's track record when it handed down a two-game suspension Monday -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Because J.R. Smith's reputation precedes him, a two-game suspension is about what we could've expected.

It's maybe even a little light taking his past indiscretions into account (which the NBA does.)

Kelly Olynyk could've received a multi-game suspension because the arm bar that will cost Kevin Love the conference semis (and probably more) was so unnecessary. It was a dangerous play. Love prefers the term "bush-league."

But consider the J.R. Smith Factor. Had Olynyk received two or three games, the league might've felt compelled by track record alone to hit Smith even harder.

When the Cavaliers traded for Smith, I was among those who didn't understand why the Cavs would take on a player with such knucklehead tendencies. He proved his detractors wrong, seamlessly fitting into the locker room and David Blatt's rotation.

No use beating him up for one emotionally charged reaction. The league got it right where Smith was concerned. It certainly wasn't deserving of 10 games (Charles Barkley's take.)

We don't know if the league took into account Jae Crowder shoving Smith from behind repeatedly. It didn't justify Smith's wild punch to Crowder's jaw. But it should've been measured.

Smith will serve his suspension in the next series. Love will miss the next series for sure. Olynyk will miss next season's opener. How's that for even-steven?

 If the league has any sense of justice (or drama) they'll at least make Boston open with the Cavs.

Cleveland Cavaliers fans have the right to ask, 'Why us?' after injury to Kevin Love -- Terry Pluto (photos)

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Can LeBron James and Kyrie Irving make up for the loss of Kevin Love for the Cleveland Cavaliers?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I know that this doesn't happen Only In Cleveland...

But if you're a Cleveland sports fan, you must be saying, "This ALWAYS happens to us."

The latest is Cavaliers forward Kevin Love being out for at least the next playoff series with a dislocated shoulder and some ligament damage. Love is seeking a second opinion. Makes you wonder if surgery is eventually a possibility.

The Cavs can't count on Love playing any more this season.

And J.R. Smith is suspended for the first two games of the second round after whacking Boston's Jae Crowder in the face during the Cavs' 101-93 victory over the Celtics.

No Love. No Smith.

No starting power forward. No sharp-shooting guard.

No chance for the Cavaliers?

Not quite.

I refuse to say "No Chance" for the Cavs, who probably will face Chicago in the second round. Any team with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving has a chance in any NBA game ... or even, any playoff series.

But can James and Irving carry the Cavs past a team such as the Bulls? And past someone such as Atlanta? And past the best in the Western Conference?

That would be an enormous upset.

The Cavs should be considered an underdog in the second round, given the absence of Love and with Smith missing the first two games.

WHY US?

If you're a Cavs fans, you must be wondering just that, and you probably are dragging up memories of the 1975-76 Miracle of Richfield season when Jim Chones broke his foot and the Cavs lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Former Cavs broadcaster Joe Tait told me several times that the 1975-76 group was the one Cavs team that he was certain would win a title.

I'll dig up another bitter memory.

The Cavs lost in Game 5 of the 1989 playoffs on The Shot by Chicago's Michael Jordan.

That was a best-of-five series. The Cavs lost the opener because star point guard Mark Price had a groin pull and a hip pointer, and he sat out. He sort of hobbled through the rest of the series, averaging 16.0 points, shooting .386 from the field.

Larry Nance averaged 19.4 points in that series, but was playing on an ankle that would require surgery not long after the playoffs.

That Cavs team had a 57-25 record, the second-best in the NBA. Detroit (63-19) won the NBA title, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. So it's doubtful that Cavs would have won the title.

But that was one of the best teams in franchise history, yet they lost in the first round.

No doubt, you have your own misery list that usually ends with a question such as "What if Price/Chones/Love had stayed healthy?"

NOW WHAT?

I can go into the lousy officiating, but at this point -- there is no point. It's over. It's not going to change.

What matters are the changes that must be made to deal with the loss of two starters as David Blatt now faces the biggest challenge of his first NBA season.

He can start Iman Shumpert in Smith's place at shooting guard. Shumpert was marvelous in Game 4, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in Boston.

But he was Blatt's super-sub, an impact defender who could guard virtually any guard or small forward.

Smith's absence makes Matthew Dellavedova the third guard behind Irving and Shumpert.

Cavs fans were seeing the real value of Love as his rebounding and 3-point shooting were so valuable in the playoffs.

Early Monday, I wrote about how the Cavs now must turn to veterans Shawn Marion, James Jones and Mike Miller to fill in.

Marion and Jones can help at forward. Early in the season, Marion had some nice moments. He'll be 37 on May 7, and has announced he'll retire after the season.

Jones is 34 has started only 91 games in 12 years. He has been considered mostly a one-dimensional player, a pure shooter.

Can Blatt combine Marion and Jones into a productive forward? Or will they play three guards with James as a power forward?

That will be tough if the opponent is the Bulls, who have 7-footer Pau Gasol and 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah. The small forward is Jimmy Butler, a 20-point scorer. Furthermore, Derrick Rose is back from his injury issues and is a major factor at point guard.

Even before Love's injury and the Smith suspension, a possible matchup with the Bulls was scary.

Now?

Well Cavalier fans, if you love an underdog ... you now have one.

It's your home team, and that team has James and Irving. And it would not be a shocker if they pulled an upset.

But it's still so hard to believe that this has happened to the Cavaliers ... again.


Cleveland Indians lose 6-2 to Royals; Corey Kluber rocked in second straight start

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Indians ace Corey Kluber is 0-2 in his last two starts, allowing 10 earned runs on 23 hits in 12 1/3 innings.

CLEVELAND -- It was business as usual for Corey Kluber on Monday night at frigid Progressive Field.

He didn't pitch well enough and the offense didn't score enough. Just to keep things interesting, the defense was awful.

Kansas City bruised Kluber for 10 hits on the way to a 6-2 victory over the Indians. In his last two starts, Kluber is 0-2 and has allowed 10 earned runs on 23 his in 12 1/3 innings.

Regarding offensive support for the AL's defending Cy Young winner, the Indians have scored seven runs in Kluber's 34 innings.  The Royals, the top hitting team in the AL, scored six runs, four earned, against (0-3, 4.24) in 6 1/3 innings.

Second baseman Jason Kipnis, shortstop Jose Ramirez and third baseman Mike Aviles made errors in the Tribe's worst defensive night of the young season. The error by Aviles in the seventh accounted for Kluber's two unearned runs.

While the offense and defense were below par, Kluber was not without fault.

Aviles pulled the Indians into a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer in the fifth off left-hander Jason Vargas (2-1, 5.94). It was the Indians first homer at home this season.

The Indians needed a shutdown inning from Kluber in the sixth, but Eric Hosmer (walk), Kendrys Morales (single) and Alex Gordon (double) reached consecutively to put the Royals back on top, 3-2.  

The Royals, who lost twice on Sunday to the White Sox, put the game away with three runs in the seventh. All three were at Kluber's expense, but only two were earned. 

Kluber is just the third reigning Cy Young winner to have his team lose its first five starts the following year. It happened to Frank Viola in 1989 and David Price in 2011 after they won the award the previous year (Elias Sports Bureau).

What it means

The Indians (6-12) have lost seven of their last 10 games and 11 of their last 15. They are 4-11 in the AL Central.

The Royals (13-6) have won five of their last eight games.

500 strikeouts

When Kuber struck out Lorenzo Cain to start the sixth inning, it gave him 500 strikeouts in 80 games as an Indian. The only Indians pitcher to do it faster was Herb Score, who reached 500 strikeouts in his 68th on Sept. 26, 1956 against the Kansas City Athletics.

Bob Feller, the Indians all-time strikeout leader, reached 500 in his 83rd game. Sam McDowell did it in 95 games, Dennis Eckersley in 96 and Bartolo Colon in 99.

Early lead

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the second on an error by Ramirez.

Salvador Perez doubled with one out. Omar Infante sent a grounder to the hole at short. The ball hopped over Ramirez glove as Perez scored and Infante was credited with a single.

Perez scored on the error. it was Ramirez's fourth error in 16 games.

Add on run

The Royals made it 2-0 in the third as Mike Moustakas doubled to center. Kluber struck out Cain, but Hosmer singled to left to score Moustakas.

Missed chances

The Indians squeezed Vargas for five walks and 102 pitches in five innings, but they managed to score just two runs.

Aviles and Michael Brantley drew consecutive one-out walks in the first. Carlos Santana, who entered he game hitting .375 (6-for-16) with runners in scoring position, sent a weak tapper back to the mound for the second out.

Ryan Raburn followed with a liner to left that was tracked down nicely by Gordon, Kansas City's Gold Glove outfield.

Michael Bourn doubled with two out in the second, but Ramirez grounded out.

Aviles and Brantley once again drew consecutive one-out walks in the third. This timer Santana grounded into a double play. 

Running Royals

Before the game, manager Terry Francona said one of the things that makes the Royals so hard to play is their speed.

"Everybody can run," said Francona.

The Royals stole three bases in four attempts against catcher Roberto Perez and the Tribe's pitchers. No.9 hitter Jarrod Dyson went 3-for-3, while Perez threw out Gordon at second in the fourth inning.

Dyson, who stole second and third in the second inning, didn't have a steal in his first eight games of the season. He didn't score in the second, but he stole third and scored in Kansas City's three-run seventh.

Thanks for coming

The Royals and Indians drew a crowd of 9,668 to Progressive Field on Monday night.  

What's next?

RHP Trevor Bauer will (2-0, 0.95) will face Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie (1-1, 5.50) on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. at Progressive Field. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the game.

Bauer missed his last start on Saturday with food poisoning. He's 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA in three starts against the Royals.

Guthrie, the Indians No.1 pick in 2002, is 5-5 with a 6.06 in 13 appearances against them. This will be his 12th start against the Tribe.

Cleveland Browns still visiting players and talking trade with 3 days to go: NFL draft news and rumors

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The Browns spent Sunday and Monday visiting with receivers Breshad Perriman and Chris Conley and are continuing to talk trades with teams with three days to go before the NFL draft. Here are the latest rumors and news. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the NFL draft only three days away, the Browns are still visiting players, talking to teams about trades and putting the finishing touches on their draft board.

They have the No. 12 and No. 19 picks in the first round, and 10 picks overall, including four in the top 77. Will they trade up for Marcus Mariota? Stand pat and draft two starters? Trade down and pick up more picks? Go after Sam Bradford again?

Here are some of the things the Browns have been up to or thinking in the weeks leading up to the draft:

* Central Florida receiver Breshard Perriman: The Browns are seriously considering taking a receiver in the first round, and they flew to Orlando Sunday night to have dinner with Perriman, who ripped off a 4.26 at his Pro Day. Perriman is quickly gaining ground as the fourth-best receiver in the draft behind Alabama's Amari Cooper, West Virginia's Kevin White and Louisville's DeVante Parker.

* Georgia receiver Chris Conley: A source confirmed for Northeast Ohio Media Group a report by profootballtalk.com that Browns general manager Ray Farmer followed his dinner with Perriman with a lunch on Monday with the Georgia receiver (6-2, 213), who's projected to go in the third or fourth round. Conley blazed a 4.35 in the 40 at the NFL combine, which tied him with White. One thing seems clear: the Browns are poised to draft a receiver fairly high this year after passing on the position altogether in last year's draft.

* White: The Browns met with the West Virginia receiver privately the night before his Pro Day, a source told Northeast Ohio Media Group. So why would the Browns meet with a wideout who's expected to go in the top six? If the Browns are really serious about landing White, they'd likely have to trade up for him. In addition to meeting with White, they brought Cooper and Parker to Cleveland for visits.

* Trade talks: NFL Network reported Monday that the Browns have engaged in talks with Washington to move up to No. 5, but this should come as no surprise.
Browns general manager Ray Farmer has stressed for months that he's talked to most of the other 31 clubs about trades. "I've talked to teams about a lot of things -- from trading back to trading up to swapping out to doing a lot of different things,'' he said last month at the NFL annual meeting.

He also stressed that trade talks at this point are virtually meaningless because no one knows how the draft will unfold. "I can tell you right now - nobody's saying anything that's substantial at the moment,'' he said. "I would go up if it was the right circumstance, and I would go back if it was the right circumstance. Those things happen literally much closer to the draft and a lot of times when you're on the clock.''

* No talks with No. 3 yet: While the Browns have talked about trading up with some teams, the Jaguars at No. 3 don't appear to be one of them -- at least not yet. During his pre-draft press conference on Friday, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell revealed that the phone hasn't been ringing, but that he's open to dealing.

"I haven't gotten any calls to-date, so we'll see,'' he said.

* Missouri defensive end Shane Ray: If the Browns had their eye on the premier edge-rusher, who's a likely top 12 pick, they might want to proceed with caution. According to Brandon Kiley of KTGR radio in Columbia Missouri, Ray was cited Monday morning for marijuana possession. The incident follows another top-rated pass-rusher, Nebraska's Randy Gregory, testing positive for marijuana at the NFL combine. Ray also has a toe injury that may require surgery or rest.

* Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford: ESPN's Chris Mortensen re-iterated Monday night that the Eagles acquired Bradford to be their quarterback, not trade bait, and that he'd only sign an extension with Philadelphia if it contained a no-trade clause. I'm hearing the Browns would still like to acquire him, but it's not likely to happen. Bradford is represented by Tom Condon, who represented two former Browns first-round quarterbacks: Tim Couch and Brady Quinn.

When Mike Holmgren wanted to conduct a private workout with Bradford in 2010, he was turned down, a source said. Condon has not had good experiences with his quarterbacks in Cleveland, and likely doesn't want Bradford to end up here. What's more, there's still some tension between the Browns and Condon after Cleveland recently thought they had a deal with him for Jordan Cameron, who ultimately signed with Miami instead.

Sleepwalking in Cleveland: Indians continue uninspiring march through first month of the schedule

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The Indians are sleepwalking in Cleveland. It's becoming an annual April tradition. Last season, the club entered May with an 11-17 mark. In 2013, the Indians opened the year with 13 losses in 21 games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Put on their baseball cleats and

They stepped up to the plate

Falling down in the land of the AL Central

Scuffling through their April slate

They're sleepwalking in Cleveland

Walking with their feet stuck in the dirt

Sleepwalking in Cleveland

Do they really feel how much it hurts?

The Indians are sleepwalking in Cleveland.

It's becoming an annual April tradition. Last season, the club entered May with an 11-17 mark. In 2013, the Indians opened the year with 13 losses in 21 games.

The Indians amassed four hits and three errors on before a sparse crowd on Monday night. Rarely does that type of ratio trigger a satisfying result.

Removing Friday's 13-run outburst, the Indians are averaging 3.1 runs per game. On Monday, they were limited to two runs, worsening their record when scoring three times or fewer to 1-8.

Every team suffers through such a slump at some point during the 162-game schedule, and when it occurs at the start of the season, it is certainly magnified. The Indians, though, have yet to be able to build or sustain any momentum.

On Monday, the Indians demonstrated their faults in all three facets of the game. The offense generated next to nothing against Royals southpaw Jason Vargas. The hurler walked five in the first four innings, including Mike Aviles and Michael Brantley consecutively in both the first and third innings. Carlos Santana and Ryan Raburn failed to move the needle, however. The Tribe's only run production came in the form of a two-run home run by Aviles in the fifth. The ball landed just atop the 19-foot-tall fence in left field.

Corey Kluber appeared human for the second straight outing. He has surrendered 23 hits over his last two starts. He probably feels as though he must twirl a perfect game to have any chance of exiting the ballpark with a victory. That sort of pressure can't help, though he'll never admit to feeling it. The reigning Cy Young Award winner will finish April without a win.

Manager Terry Francona spoke Sunday morning about how he thought the Indians had shown signs of improving defensively. On cue, the Indians committed three errors on Monday evening. Jason Kipnis' routine throw to first base in the first inning ended up closer to Put-In-Bay than Santana's glove. With each miscue Jose Ramirez makes, the public outcry for Francisco Lindor grows louder.

It has been a flawed first few weeks for the Tribe. One hundred and forty four games remain. Time is on Cleveland's side. First, though, the team must wake from a miserable stretch of sleepwalking.

Akron RubberDucks lose early lead, game to Altoona Curve

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Akron is 9-9 on the season and in second place in the Western Division.

AKRON, Ohio -- Altoona erased an early Akron lead with a big fourth inning, then built its own lead for the rest of the game Monday in cruising to a 9-4 win over the RubberDucks in a Class AA Eastern League game at Canal Park.

Shawn Morimando.pngShawn Morimando 

The RubberDucks took a 2-1 lead in the first inning thanks to an RBI single from left fielder Anthony Gallas, followed by an RBI triple by catcher Tony Wolters. Akron loaded the bases with two outs, but Curve starter Jason Creasy (2-0, 2.14 ERA) got Akron first baseman Jeremy Lucas to ground out to end the inning.

The Curve took control in the fourth. With one out and the bases loaded, Sebastian Valle doubled to left field off Akron starter Shawn Morimando (1-2, 3.20) to give Altoona a 3-2 lead. A wild pitch by Morimando allowed another runner to score, then an RBI single by Gift Ngoepe gave the Curve a 5-2 lead.

Altoona added a run in the top of the fifth, but Akron got an RBI single by shortstop Erik Gonzalez and another run on a groundout by Gallas in the bottom of the inning to close the gap to 6-4.

Akron was done scoring for the night, however, and the Curve scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth to help seal the win.

Curve first baseman Josh Bell was 4-for-5 with two RBI, while left fielder Willy Garcia went 3-for-5.

Akron center fielder Tyler Naquin was 2-for-5 with a double, and Wolters was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Akron had only seven hits.

Morimando took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in four innings. Akron is 9-9 on the season and in second place in the Western Division, three games behind the first-place Curve. The Curve and RubberDucks play meet Tuesday night at Canal Park in the second game of a three-game series. 

Valley Forge softball completes comeback; Holy Name baseball rallies to beat Central Catholic: Spring sports highlights for Monday, April 27, 2015

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See spring sports highlights from Monday, April 27, 2015.


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are spring sports highlights from Monday's action based on box scores reported to the Northeast Ohio Media Group.


For more information on how to report box scores, please email High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis (kdavis@cleveland.com).


Valley Forge softball rallies to beat Brush


Valley Forge's softball team used a 6-run sixth inning to get a 10-9 comeback win at Brush.


The Patriots faced a 9-3 deficit after four innings, but got one run in the fifth and six in the sixth to win.


Lily Nelson had five RBI for Valley Forge, and Amber Nunnmaker and Shae Sted each had two.


Holy Name baseball gets walkoff win against Central Catholic


After giving up the lead in the top of the seventh inning, Holy Name's baseball team defeated Central Catholic, 6-5, with two runs in the bottom of the inning.


The Green Wave had a 4-1 lead after two innings before giving up one run in the sixth and three in the seventh to fall behind headed into the bottom of the inning.


Five Holy Name hitters had an RBI including Joe Rivera, who went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base.


Cuyahoga Heights baseball holds off Hawken


A strong pitching performance from Aaron Kucia led Cuyahoga Heights' baseball team to a 6-4 win against Hawken.


Kucia struck out 10 hitters in seven innings.


Brett Lowther and Grayson Thacker each had an RBI for Cuyahoga Heights.


Andrea Scali pitches no-hitter for Parma softball


Andrea Scali's no-hitter carried Parma's softball team to a 5-0 win against Garfield Heights.


Scali also went 2-for-3 with a double. She had 16 strikeouts in the game.


Cleveland Heights softball wins at Lorain


Led by a 3-run first inning, Cleveland Heights' softball team beat Lorain, 8-1.


Emily Vinson went 2-for-3 with a triple, and Flannery Jewell had two RBI.


Simone Sollisch got the win, striking out five hitters in seven innings.


Collin Romel strikes out 10 in Olmsted Falls baseball win


Collin Romel struck out 10 Westlake baseball hitters to lead Olmsted Falls to a 9-4 win in Southwestern Conference play.


Romel had two RBI as well, and teammate Aidan Kelley went 3-for-4 with two RBI.


Katelyn Gray's home run powers Holy Name softball


Katelyn Gray hit a go-ahead 2-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Holy Name's softball team a 4-3 win against St. Thomas Aquinas.


Mary Novosel also had a home run for the Green Wave.


Shakera Marrero has 5 RBI for Rhodes softball


Rhodes' softball team had a strong offensive game to defeat Senate Athletic League rival John Hay, 24-6.


Shakera Marrero went 3-for-5 with two doubles and five RBI.


Get all the scores


Get scores from the following sports this evening: baseball, softball and boys tennis.

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