Here's what Terry Francona, Corey Kluber, Roberto Perez, Carlos Santana and Jerry Sands had to say after Monday's loss to Kansas City.

CLEVELAND -- Here's what the Indians had to say Monday night after their 6-2 loss to Kansas City at Progressive Field.

Manager Terry Francona

On Corey Kluber, who allowed six runs, four earned, on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"I think he's kind of like where he was at this time last year. He's trying to get on a roll. I think they had six hits to the opposite field against him. They took what he gave them.

"When Klubes gets on a roll, he'll be better. He'll finish off some of those hitters that he's not right now. I'll take him any day of the week, though."

On the Royals swinging early in the count against Kluber.

"Tonight I thought they did. There were a lot of guys with some pretty poor numbers (against Kluber). He's thrown some really good games against them. Early in the game, it looked like they were trying to get the first pitch they saw and see what they could do with it."

On the defense committing three errors.

"That certainly didn't help, especially when you're playing a team that likes to run so much and is so aggressive.

"In the first inning (throwing error by second baseman Jason Kipnis), Klubes bailed us out and it only cost him two pitches. The next inning (error by shortstop Jose Ramirez) cost us a run.

"Right now we're not scoring runs in bunches. We have to pay attention to detail and scrap for everything we get.

"When we start swinging well, that's a different story. But until we get going, we can't just stand around and lose games and wait until we get hot. We've got to find ways to stay in games and win a game that is hard to win."

On Kansas City lefty Jason Vargas, who did a five and fly for the win.

"We took our walks (five). We drove his pitch count up (102), but we just could never (do enough). Mike Aviles hit the home run to tie it (2-2 in fifth), but they come right back and scored in the sixth."

Corey Kluber

On the Royals being aggressive early in the count.

"Yeah, they were aggressive, but they're an aggressive team by nature."

On your performance in the first month of the season.

"I don't know. I probably don't focus that much on me individually. I probably don't have a way to sum it up for you."

On the team's performance in April

"Inconsistent is a good word. We all haven't been on the same page yet. That's frustrating for everybody in there, but we have to stay with it. You can't make up for the way we've played thus far in a week.

"It's got to be a process. We can't let it snowball on us. We have to take it day to day."

Catcher Roberto Perez

On Kluber allowing 10 earned runs on 23 hits in 12 1/3 innings in his last two starts.

"We've been on the same page, but the last couple of games his cutter is spinning. It hasn't had the same break. They've put some good at-bats against him.

"But he's Kluber, he's going to throw a lot of strikes, pound you in, pound you away. Sometimes he'll give up some flares. That's how those innings start. But he's going to come back."

On the Royals stealing three bases in four attempts Monday.

"That's their game. Every guy in their lineup is going to try and steal. They put a lot of pressure on the pitcher and the catcher.

"We try to hold them close to the base, but they just keep running."

On the Royals hitters swinging early against Kluber.

"They probably don't want to fall behind because Kluber is a strikeout pitcher."

First baseman Carlos Santana

On whether he's worried about the Indians starting the season with a 6-12 record.

"I'm not worried, but we have to play better. I'm confident in my heart that we'll play better."

On what pitch he swung at in the first inning when he grounded back to the pitcher with one out and runners on first and second.

"He threw a change up. I was looking for a fastball."

Outfielder Jerry Sands

On the Indians offensive problems

"You don't see it very often, but it's more like a team slump. It's usually a couple guys slumping and then you have a couple of guys who pick them up. Now it's just everybody.

"Nobody can get on base and when we do get guys on base we're struggling to get them in. One through nine, we're struggling with everything."

On getting out of it.

"If we knew, we would have been out of it two weeks ago. We just have to keep pressing. We have to stay consistent. It's going to be one of those things where one guy gets hot and then another go gets hot. Then things just start clicking."

Kevin Love injured the shoulder midway through the first quarter of Sunday's Game 4 win by the Cavaliers over the Celtics in Boston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers will be without forward Kevin Love for the entire Eastern Conference finals series with the dislocated shoulder he suffered in Sunday's Game 4 playoff win over the Boston Celtics, the team announced Monday.

Boston forward Kelly Olynyk dislocated Love's left shoulder in the first quarter of the Cavaliers' Game 4 win over the Celtics on Sunday at The TD Garden. Love had the injury examined Monday after the team returned from Boston.

The Cavs in a statement called the injury "an acute anterior inferior glenohumeral dislocation with the corresponding ligament/labrum tearing and humeral head bone bruising." The team said Love is undergoing training room treatments while additional opinions are being obtained and treatment options being explored.

More information on his availability the rest of the playoffs will be available in the coming days, the Cavs said.

Love and Olynyk were fighting for a loose ball and from the naked eye, it appeared as if they just got tangled up and Love's arm simply slipped out of socket.

But after reviewing the replay, an argument could be made that Olynyk deliberately intended to harm Love as he tugged and slightly twisted his arm. Following the sweep that advanced the Cavaliers to the second round, Love made it known that it was "very disheartening" and he agreed with that interpretation and felt it was a malicious act.

"I thought it was a bush-league play," Love said Sunday. "I was out there and Olynyk was in a compromising position and had no chance to get the ball. It's just too bad that he would go to those lengths to take somebody out of a game and do that to someone. I had no doubt in my mind that he did that on purpose."

Love retreated to the locker room in excruciating pain as soon as the incident occurred. His arm had to be popped back into place. He was wearing a sling when he addressed the media Sunday.

Surprisingly Olynyk only received a common foul. He slipped out and did not speak with reporters after the game. However, he later told The Boston Globe:

I'd probably get killed if I went to Cleveland right now. I don't think if someone gave me their arm and I was running forward like that and locked up, I don't think I could dislocate someone's arm if I tried. I think it's a real tough thing to do.

Like I said before, it's kind of ridiculous to say you intentionally meant to. I'd never intentionally hurt someone, him or anybody else for that matter. I don't think anybody goes out trying to hurt anyone. I think it's just real unfortunate. If you get tangled up and he doesn't dislocate his shoulder, there's' noting dirty ever said or anything. It's just a foul. So I just really hope he can get back as soon as possible and help that team keep making a push.

The play was a big part of Sunday's postgame discussion.

"That's just not a basketball play," Love said of Olynyk. "You look at the replay. I saw a picture of his arm underneath. It's just not a basketball play. Yeah. I expected it to be physical, but when it has to go to that length, it's just not the way it's supposed to be. That's not how you play basketball."

And Love also had a message for the league: Do not hesitate to issue a suspension and a fine.

"Oh, the league will take a look at it and it and it better be swift and just," he said.

"I've seen the replay and it didn't look like a basketball play," the Cavs' LeBron James said. "I've seen a lot of tie-ups in my day and that tie-up was a little different. We want to be physical, but you never want the game to get out of hand where you have injuries."

Love's injury could end up being a major setback for the Cavaliers. The rugged Chicago Bulls play Milwaukee tonight in Game 5 of their series and are one win away from being the next opponent.

Love said Sunday he was optimistic he could play in Game 1 of the next round, the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"I hope so," Love told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "It's tough to say right now. I feel good right now, so at least my spirits are up. That's good."

"I'm obviously not happy about it, but I'm going to try to make the best of the situation," Love said.

Taking quarterbacks in the NFL draft will always bring its share of mistakes. Trading up for Marcus Mariota is tempting an especially expensive one -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - NFL teams never learn their lessons, at least not at the same time. 

So some organization (or five) is always reaching for a quarterback near the top of the draft. Those QBs often fail. GMs and coaches routinely get fired.

Rinse and repeat.

That's how Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel get drafted in the first round (same team, same spot even) two years apart. It's also why pre-draft talk of the Ray Farmer-Jimmy Haslam regime doubling down on Marcus Mariota a year after reaching for Manziel is such a preposterous idea.

Here's the general rule. You know Andrew Luck when you see him. Or you should. Unless you're convinced you're landing The Guy, you should probably consult The Numbers.

Then take two aspirin and lie down until the urge passes to make more of Blaine Gabbert or Christian Ponder than what's really there.

A statistical review of the 45 quarterbacks taken in the first round of the NFL draft since 1999 shows the exercise for the crapshoot it is. Northeast Ohio Media Group's research show first-round picks are the best bet, sure, just not a good bet.

In 11 of the last 16 drafts, a quarterback has gone No. 1 overall. Obviously, they're not joining the previous year's Super Bowl champs, so you would expect the competition to get its pound of flesh early.

Still, a sub .500 career record in the regular season and playoffs (15-17),  suggests Farmer has a point when he says he doesn't believe in the knight in shining armor fairy tale. (Especially when eight of those playoff wins belong to Eli Manning, as NEOMG's Rich Exner points out.)

Cam Newton, taken No. 1 overall in 2011, is 30-31 as a starter and 1-2 in the playoffs. But he's at least stood the test. Meaning he'd probably get drafted close to the same spot again if he came out this year.

The same can't be said of the rest of the 2011 first-round class: No. 8 Jake Locker (9-14 for his career and now retired), No. 10 Gabbert (5-22) and No. 12 Ponder (14-21-1). Maybe Locker would be a first-round pick again, but only because the temptation and demand for a solid starter never goes away.

You can't blame teams for falling hard for QBs. You can, however, blame the ones who fall hardest. Like Washington giving away the farm for Robert Griffin III. Trading multiple first-round picks (and maybe more) for Mariota would put the Browns in the same category.

What are the chances an organization will do that for Mariota, then give him the time necessary to make the transition some scouts believe will be his undoing?

If the idea of trading a No. 1 for Sam Bradford -- a former No. 1 overall who is 18-30-1 as a starter with no playoff games on his resume - strikes you as crazy, it's less crazy than two No. 1s and No. 2 for Mariota.

Nobody is pretending there are easy answers, not when the most important position on the field is the hardest to master.

Looking at the QB draft numbers over 16 seasons tell us mistakes will happen early and often. There's just no need to foolishly drive the cost.

Cleveland's Trevor Bauer, recovered from his bout of food poisoning -- which came on after a bad serving of fettuccine alfredo -- will oppose Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get live updates and chat with beat writers Paul Hoynes and Zack Meisel in the comments section below as the Indians and Royals begin their three-game series from Progressive Field. Cleveland's Trevor Bauer, recovered from his bout of food poisoning -- which came on after a bad serving of fettuccine alfredo -- will oppose Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie.

Game 19: Indians (6-12) vs. Royals (13-6)

First pitch: 6:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

TV/radio: STO; WMMS FM/100.7; WTAM 1100

Readers want to see the Browns erect statues of Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Paul Brown, and are warming to the idea of a LeBron James statue in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The voters have spoken. Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown should get Cleveland's next sports statue, though Browns fans lean more toward his old coach, Paul Brown.

We asked readers to vote on our 10 suggestions for a sports statue in an unscientific reader poll on cleveland.com. Jim Brown finished ahead of Paul Brown and teammate Otto Graham. Right behind were LeBron James and Indians drummer John Adams.

Out of 3,095 votes, Jim Brown received 1,092 votes, or 35 percent, as of Tuesday afternoon.

(You can still vote by clicking here).

Paul Brown received 20 percent and Graham 13.7 percent.

However, in separate polls listing just Cleveland Browns, Paul Brown was the clear winner over his former star running back. Paul Brown received 2,231 (41.5 percent) of 5,370 votes.

Jim Brown collected 1,231 votes (23 percent). Graham received 16 percent.

It remains to be seen whether the polls and strong reader reaction to our 10-part series last week will motivate the Browns to start building statues (they have none; the Indians are working on their third). A Browns spokesman told The Plain Dealer the team is discussing the concept internally.

Jim Brown, 79, is the only one of the three Browns Hall of Famers still living.

James fourth: In the overall poll, James had 12.4 percent of the vote and Adams 10.3 percent. It might have been interesting to see how James would have fared a year ago, before returning to Cleveland and leading the Cavs to the playoffs.

Other statue ideas receiving 4 percent of the vote or less were, in order: Lou Boudreau, Ted Ginn Sr. and Chuck Kyle shaking hands, Browns teammates Marion Motley and Bill Willis paired together, Madeline Manning Mims and John McLendon.

James attracted 31 of his 383 votes from 14 foreign countries, including Finland, Malaysia and Brunei Durassalam. Paul Brown had nine votes from six countries. Someone in Belize voted for Adams, who is in his 42nd year of drumming in the Indians' bleachers.

James also received the most votes (265 of 362) in our poll asking readers to vote on just Cavaliers players. Mark Price (35) and Austin Carr (30) were next.

Boudreau the next Indian: In a small sampling of Indians fans (378 votes), Hall of Fame player-manager Lou Boudreau was readers' pick with 241 votes (64 percent) for a statue alongside Bob Feller, Jim Thome and Larry Doby, whose statue will be unveiled July 11.

Mims would be first woman: A big winner was Madeline Manning Mims, who won a historic gold medal in the 1968 Olympics. Cleveland already has two Olympic statues (Jesse Owens and Harrison Dillard), but none of the area's sports statues depicts a woman. Of the 403 voters deciding who should be the next Olympian honored with a statue, Mims received 355 clicks (88 percent).

Kyle tops Ginn: We asked readers to vote for a single deserving high school coach, and Kyle received just over 50 percent of the vote, with Ginn at 18 percent, Augie Bossu at 12.5 percent, followed by Howard Ferguson and Mike Milkovich.

Appreciation for CSU legend: McLendon, the ground-breaking Cleveland State basketball coach, took in 66 of the 78 votes cast for a deserving college coach.

Former lightweight champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini says Mayweather won't get away with his defensive tactics against Pacquiao. Watch video

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The biggest fight in recent memory takes place on Saturday when Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao face off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The battle between Mayweather and Pacquiao especially excites former lightweight champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini because of the contrasting styles and the possibilities that it brings.

"I'm excited because you have two of the best fighters for over the past 15 years," Mancini said in a video interview with The Plain Dealer. "Manny Pacquiao's style and Floyd Mayweather's style make for a perfect matchup. Manny's going to throw punches in bunches and Mayweather's going to be defensive."

Mayweather is one of the best defensive fighters of all time and his defense is often criticized because he often depends on eluding punches instead of throwing them.

That could change on Saturday.

"Mayweather's got to fight him," Mancini said. "He's not going to keep Manny off by doing all of the slick defensive stuff. He's got away with that in the past."

A victory by Mayweather could make an interesting future. He has one more fight left on his contract with CBS. There are a host of fighters waiting in line.

"If there isn't a rematch, Mayweather should fight the winner of Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto," Mancini said. "I hope its Canelo because he'll fight Mayweather better the second time. Or he can fight Gennady Golovkin at a catch weight, but Floyd's not getting within 100 yards of Golovkin."

Mancini, a native of Youngstown, held the lightweight title from 1982-84. He defeated Arturo Frias for the title and defended it six times before losing by TKO to Livingstone Bramble. Mancini fought his last fight in 1992. He will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this summer.

Mancini returned to his hometown after living in Los Angeles for 30 years. He's the owner of a digital production company. He came back home in November.

"And lucky me, it's one of the worst winters in years," said a smiling Mancini.

Get to know Solon baseball player Gage Golic in this week's Varsity Timeout.

SOLON, Ohio - The Solon Comets baseball team is off to a 10-5 start. A key contributor to that hot start has been Gage Golic, a senior pitcher/first baseman.

Golic, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander, has a compiled a 3-0 record with a skinny 1.91 ERA in 18.1 innings on the mound. He’s been just as effective at the plate, where he is hitting .308 with one home run and nine RBI, 10 walks and a .486 OPB.

Golic is the son of former Cleveland Browns great Bob Golic.

Interestingly, Gage elected not to play football during his senior year at Solon, after starting on the offensive line as a junior and part of his sophomore year.

“That was an interesting conversation,” Gage said when asked what his father’s reaction was when he told him he wasn’t going to play football his senior year.

That was just one of the questions we asked Gage during an interview with him after the Solon’s win against St. Edward earlier this week.

Q: The weather has been pretty rough this April. What’s it like to play in such challenging conditions?

A: “It’s definitely not optimal, but living in Northeast Ohio, we’ve been playing in this weather since we were little kids. You have your Under Armour (gear) and long sleeves on. You just come out here and fight through the cold. All of us are pretty used to it now.”

Q: Do you prefer pitching and tossing a shutout inning, or coming up with a big base hit?

A: “Throwing a shutout inning is something that gets the fire going and getting a big base hit is something that’s always been exciting. If I had to choose one, it would be hitting.”

Q: How would you describe your pitching style?

A: “I’m trying to keep you off balance. I don’t throw very hard compared to a lot kids around here. The fastest I’ve been clocked is 81. I rely on a lot of curveballs and a lot of changeups. I only throw three pitches, curve, change and fastball.”

Q: So you are a crafty right-hander?

A: “That’s a great a way to describe it.”

Q: You missed part of last baseball season due to injury. How did you get hurt?

A: “ I was throwing batting practice before a game against Hudson and I took a line drive to the right eye. It fractured my eye orbital, cheekbone and my nose. I was supposed to be out a couple of months, but I ended up buying a softball face mask and was able to come back in three weeks. School season was over, but I played summer league. I played with a face mask. I got a lot of looks, but it was worth it.”

Q: Who is your favorite major leaguer?

A “Mike Trout (of the Angels). I’m a big fan. I was a big fan of Vladamir Guerrero when he played for the Angels and they both where No. 27.”

Q: Did you ever watch reruns of "Saved by the Bell: The College Years," which your father appeared on?

A: “I thought it was like the coolest thing seeing my dad on TV. I’ve seen every episode of his season three or four times.”

Michael Fitzpatrick is a freelance writer from Avon Lake.

Will the Browns trade up for Marcus Mariota? Try to land Kevin White? Will they make another run at Sam Bradford? Here are some scenarios for the first round of the draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are four possible scenarios for the Browns in the first round of the draft Thursday night:

I. Trade 12, 19 and 43 to the Titans at No. 2 for Marcus Mariota

 It will probably take more than the two first-rounders and a second-rounder to move all the way up to No. 2 for Mariota, but the Browns have shown interest in the former Oregon quarterback and might be willing to do what it takes to land him.

Mariota is widely regarded as the second-best quarterback in the draft behind Jameis Winston, who figures to go No. 1 overall to the Bucs. If the Titans don't take Mariota themselves -- and they indicated Tuesday that they will -- they'll likely be willing to move out of the pick. But they might want the same haul that the Rams got in 2012 for Robert Griffin III: three No. 1s and a No. 2.

The Browns don't want to give up that much, but this might be their only chance to land one of the top quarterbacks in the draft in awhile. Sure, Jimmy Haslam would probably love to draft Ohio State's Cardale Jones next year (I saw the infatuation in his eyes when they spoke at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards this year), but there's little chance of that unless they acquire another 2016 first-round pick on Thursday night. Besides, next year's quarterback class is not expected to be any deeper than this year's.

So if the Browns want their quarterback of the future, they should probably act now.

II.  Louisville WR DeVante Parker at 12 and Washington NT Danny Shelton at 19

This scenario would give the Browns an elite No. 1 receiver to replace Josh Gordon and a run-stuffing nosetackle to help shore up that 32nd-ranked run defense.  Parker, who visited the Browns, missed the first seven games of last season with a foot injury, but still managed 43 catches for 855 yards (19.9 average) with five TD catches. In 2013, he caught as many TDs -- 12 -- as the Browns had all last year. A four-year starter, he also caught 10 TDs in 2012 and six as a freshman, so he's a bona fide red-zone threat. He also has the size (6-3, 209) to fend off smaller defensive backs and the willingness to block. He'd help make Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel or any quarterback look by making the tough catch.

 Shelton (6-2, 339) not only visited Cleveland, but worked out for them privately. He could immediately be plugged in as the starting nosetackle and upgrade the the run-challenged defense. What's more, he's disruptive in the passing game and would be a menace up to the middle to quarterbacks. As a senior last year, posted a career-high nine sacks and recorded 16.5 tackles for loss among his 48 stops. He also recovered two fumbles. Like former Browns defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, Shelton will sprint downfield after a running back and moves well for his size.

III. West Virginia WR Kevin White at 12 and Florida State DT Eddie Goldman at 19 (or lower)

Again, this scenario would give the Browns the No. 1 receiver they sorely need and the defensive tackle that can help stop the run in the ground-oriented AFC North.

White, one of the two best receivers in the draft along with Alabama's Amari Cooper, will likely be gone by No. 12, but the Browns might even consider trading up a few notches for him. They conducted a private visit with him in West Virginia the night before his pro day and would apparently love to have him. White has great size (6-3, 210) and finished tied for third among receivers at the NFL combine with a 4.35 in the 40. White, who transferred to West Virginia in 2013 after two years at a junior college, caught 109 passes last season for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. White is a big, physical receiver who ran faster than expected at the combine, and compares to eight-time Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald.

No. 19 might be a tad high for Goldman, but a case can be made to draft him here. The Browns would probably prefer to take him a little later and pick up an extra selection, but they brought him to Cleveland for one of their 30 pre-draft visits and seem to like him a lot. Goldman has great initial burst to get quarterbacks off their mark and can handle double-teams.  He also has the versatility to play end.

IV. Washington NT Danny Shelton at No. 12 and Central Florida WR Breshad Perriman at No. 19

The Browns might not be able to wait for Shelton at No. 19, and might have to grab him at No. 12. Some experts predict he'll go even much higher than that, so they could be lucky to get him here. Currently, the Browns have Phil Taylor and Ishmaa'ily Kitchen penciled in at the nose, but both have position flexibility.

As for Perriman, the Browns paid him a last-minute visit, flying to Orlando on Sunday night to take him to dinner. Perriman burst into the first-round conversation when he blazed a 4.26 in the 40 at his pro day last month.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock believes that Perriman stacks up with Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker.

"He ran faster than I expected and I think most of the league expected,'' Mayock said after Perriman's pro day. "When you run 4.25, that's significant. I think what it does is it places it in the conversation with those top three guys."

Draft expert Dane Brugler of nfldraftscout.com ranks Perriman as his fifth-best receiver behind the big three and character-concern Dorial Green-Beckham of Oklahoma. As a junior in 2014, Perriman led the team with 50 catches for 1,044 yards (20.9 average) and nine touchdowns to earn first team All-AAC honors.

"With his terrific physical traits and lifelong coaching by a NFL receiver raising him, Perriman has an excellent foundation for his age and should get even better with improved technique, pushing his NFL ceiling higher than most in the 2015 class - late first or early second round grade, but could sneak into the top-20 picks due to his NFL upside,'' Brugler writes in his draft guide.

Perriman is the son of former diminutive NFL receiver Brett Perriman, who played 10 seasons with four teams, including six with the Lions. The elder Perriman recorded two 1,000-yard seasons in Detroit and has coached his son all of his life.

V. Washington NT Danny Shelton at 12 and a trade for Sam Bradford at No. 19

I still believe the Browns would like to have Bradford at 19 if they can't trade up for Mariota. I also think Eagles coach Chip Kelly would be willing to make the trade even though he's sworn that he didn't acquire Bradford as trade bait to move up for his former Oregon quarterback.

The problem here is that Sam Bradford's agent, Tom Condon, might not want to place Bradford in Cleveland because of bad experiences that his clients Tim Couch and Brady Quinn had here. Bradford turned down a request to work out privately for the Browns in 2010. In addition, the Browns thought they had a deal with Condon for Jordan Cameron, but Cameron ended up signing with Miami instead. Maybe there's no lingering bad blood from that, but there probably is something to the reports that Bradford would be reluctant to do a long-term deal with the Browns.

Corey Kluber and Clayton Kershaw, Cy Young winners from 2014, have started the 2015 season slowly.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It has not been great start to the season for last year's Cy Young winners, Corey Kluber in the American League and Clayton Kershaw in the National.

Kluber has had the tougher time of the two, ending April at 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA in five starts. He's allowed 16 earned runs on 36 hits in 34 innings. The Indians have scored only seven runs while he's been on the mound. They are 0-5 in his five starts.

Kershaw will make his fifth and final April start Tuesday night against the Giants. He's 1-1 with a 4.07 ERA.

Unlike the Indians, the Dodgers have gone 2-2 in Kershaw's first four starts. There's another difference, the Dodgers are in first place in the NL West with a 12-7 record. The Indians, meanwhile, are last in the AL Central with the worst record in the league at 6-12.

Kluber has 36 strikeouts, seven walks and has allowed two homers. He leads the AL in innings pitched and hits allowed. He's second in strikeouts. In his last two starts, Kluber has allowed 10 earned runs and 23 hits in 12 1/3 innings.

Kershaw has 35 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. He's allowed 11 earned runs, 25 hits (two homers) and seven walks.

"This April is almost identical to what Corey did last April," said manger Terry Francona. Kluber was 2-3 with a 4.14 ERA in six starts last April. The Indians went 2-4 those starts. He threw 37 innings with 17 earned runs, 10 walks and 35 strikeouts.

"All pitchers, and all players, have to get on that roll," said Francona. "What would be really helpful is if we scored a bunch and he could relax and go pitch. That hasn't been the case.

"Every game we've been behind early or we haven't scored. That will change. Getting some runs for him will help, but he'll get on that roll."

Here's Kluber's month-by-month record last year after April: 4-0 in May, 1-3 in June, 4-0 in July, 2-2 in August, 5-1 in September.

Familiar face: Gavin Floyd was in the Indians' locker room this week.

Floyd underwent surgery to repair a fractured olecranon bone in his right elbow in March. He was in a cast for two weeks following the surgery and just got done wearing an elbow splint for the last three weeks.

"You celebrate the steps in this process," said Floyd. "I got out of the cast and out of this (splint) I've been wearing. That's the good results of the X-rays. The doctor is very excited about them.

"It's one of those first steps where you kind of see what's going on and then you take the next step."

The process is familiar to Floyd. He fractured the same bone last year while pitching for Atlanta on June 19. He did not pitch again until he came to spring training with the Indians.

In the last three years Floyd has undergone three major surgeries on his elbow: Tommy John in 2013, first elbow fracture in 2014 and second elbow fracture in March.

To reinjure the elbow in March devastated Floyd.

"I had a really tough time with it," he said. "I've been blessed with so many years of being healthy and them --- boom, boom, boom. My faith has played such an instrumental role that it keeps my hopeful.

"It took time for me to adjust. It was really a big blow to me. It's not something I was expecting."

The Indians signed Floyd to a one-year, $4 million deal in December. It's unclear if he'll be able to pitch for them this year.

"If it takes the same time it did last year to heal, I'd say there's not a chance," said Floyd. "But the doctor is very confident this will heal quicker. We'll see. I'd love to be able to pitch and make some kind of impact on this team."

Left out: The Indians fell to 1-7 in games started by left-handers this season when Kansas City's Jason Vargas beat them Monday night.

The Indians are hitting .210 against lefties as a team, but Jerry Sands at .389 (7-for-18), Ryan Raburn .385 (10-for-26) and Carlos Santana .286 (8-for-28) have not had a problem.

The same cannot be said for Jose Ramirez .048 (1-for-21), Jason Kipnis .135 (5-for-37), Michael Bourn .138 (4-for-29), Mike Aviles .174 (4-for-23), Brandon Moss .214 (3-for-14) and Michael Brantley .222 (4-for-18).

Terry Francona holds team meeting after the 6-2 loss to Kansas City on Monday night at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Manager Terry Francona isn't big on team meetings.

He figures if a manager holds too many of them, the players stop listening. If he holds them just to scream and yell, he's waited too long to make his point.

Francona did talk to the Indians after Monday night's 6-2 loss to Kansas City. It was their third straight loss and 11^th in the last 15. His message? It's going to take while to clean up the mess we've created, so be patient.

"We have to be strong enough and believe in ourselves (enough) that when we look up on the scoreboard and see our record (6-12) it looks a little daunting," said Francona. "But if you just take care of what's in front of you, and you just play good baseball, it will take care of itself."

The Indians went 11-17 last April, but still won 85 games and were in contention for a wild-card spot until the last weekend of the season.

In 2013, they went 11-13 in April and finished with 92 wins and a wild-card berth.

"We've done this before," said Francona. "But when you start talking about "we've got to win nine out of 10 games,' that would make me nervous. I've heard people say that on other teams.

"What we need to do is go play a good game tonight. Then if you do that you follow it up. You just try to keep it in smaller segments. It makes it a little less daunting and a little easier to handle."

Francona said there was another point to the meeting.

"I just wanted to remind them of what we believe in. About all the things we've talked about from day one in spring training," said Francona. "Part of the reason we talk about these things is that when you run into problems, or tough times, you have something to fall back on.

"There's no guarantee that you hold a team meeting and go out the next day and all of a sudden you put up a winning streak. The teams we're playing are good, but I just want to make sure we pay attention to detail and play the game the right way. Then I'll take my chances."

The Indians haven't won consecutive games since the team's season-opening series in Houston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' 13-1 thumping of the Tigers in Detroit on Friday sure seems like an aberration. The Indians pieced together a victory complete with productive performances from each phase of the game.

Jason Kipnis and Michael Bourn made timely defensive gems. Danny Salazar and the Tribe 'pen limited the potent Tigers to one run. Brandon Moss led an offensive charge that contributed 13 tallies to the team's run total.

The Indians have struggled to synchronize their rotation, bullpen, batting order and defense. If it isn't one thing, it's another, and it's nothing a team meeting can fix overnight.

The Indians are 5-5 when they score four or more runs. That record, simply put, won't cut it for a team with postseason aspirations, especially for a team that has found it so challenging to do just that. Terry Francona's bunch has amassed a 1-8 record when scoring fewer than four runs.

Many nights, the bats are dormant. The other nights, the pitching or defense seem to crumble. It isn't as though there is one specific area of the roster that needs revival. Francona hosted a team meeting in the Tribe clubhouse after Monday night's loss to Kansas City. But words can only go so far.

"I just wanted to remind them of what we believe in. About all the things we've talked about from day one in spring training," Francona said. "Part of the reason we talk about these things is that when you run into problems, or tough times, you have something to fall back on.

"There's no guarantee that you hold a team meeting and go out the next day and all of a sudden you put up a winning streak. The teams we're playing are good, but I just want to make sure we pay attention to detail and play the game the right way. Then I'll take my chances."

The Indians haven't won consecutive games since the team's season-opening series in Houston. The revolving door of disappointment -- one night the offense, the next the defense, the next the pitching staff -- has made April a miserable month for the struggling club.

Fresh Brewed Tees unveiled two T-shirts and one hoodie design to celebrate the Cavs' playoff run.

The Indians are 4-12 during a 17-game stretch against Central Division opponents.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kendrys Morales went 3-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and four runs as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Indians, 11-5, Tuesday night at Progressive Field. Tribe right-hander Trevor Bauer allowed three runs in six innings.

Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

Reeling: The Indians (6-13) have lost four in a row. They are in last place in the AL Central.

No comfort: The Indians are 1-6 at home.

Coming up small: On Wednesday night, the Tribe will conclude a three-game series against the Royals and a 17-game stretch against Central opponents. Regarding the latter, the Tribe is 4-12.

Too good: Sometimes, the other team simply is better. Perhaps the paradigm will shift by the end of the season, but at the moment, the Indians are inferior to at least the top two teams in the division -- Kansas City and Detroit. The respective overall records of the three speak to the disparity, sure, but it runs deeper than that.

The Royals (14-6) lead the season series, 2-0. They are too versatile, polished and relentless for the Tribe.

The Tigers (14-7) lead, 5-1. They possess much too much offense.

Hit parade: The Royals' lineup doesn't intimidate like Detroit's, but that hasn't stopped them from amassing 31 hits in the two games.

On Monday, they knocked around Corey Kluber (6 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER) en route to a 6-2 victory. They finished with 13 hits. On Tuesday, they did their most significant damage against the Tribe bullpen.

Different paths, same result: The Royals, defending AL champion, are good enough to win with any combination of offense, starting pitching, relief pitching, defense and base-running. They have the intangibles, too. They rarely beat themselves, which enables them to wear down the opponent.

On Monday, the Royals led, 2-0, through four innings. The Indians tied it in the fifth, but the Royals scored once in the sixth and three times in the seventh. The runs were made possible by an assortment of good at-bats. Kansas City's bullpen did its part, allowing one hit and striking out six in four scoreless innings.

The Indians were substandard across the board. Kluber struggled, the offense managed four hits and the defense committed three errors. Indians manager Terry Francona spoke with his players after the game.

On Tuesday, the Indians played better. They produced a quality start (Bauer); nine hits; a left-on-left three-run homer (Brandon Moss against Brandon Finnegan); and a 5-3 lead after six. And they still lost, by six runs.

The Royals calmly responded to Moss's blast in the sixth by scoring six in the seventh. They tacked on two in the ninth.

Mixing and matching: Bauer was gritty and gutty in giving up the three runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out two. He threw 54 of 90 pitches for strikes.

He is 4-for-4 in quality starts this season.

Bauer missed his previous turn, last weekend in Detroit, because of illness. He did not appear to be close to 100-percent strength against the Royals -- his fastball clocked in the high-80s -- but he put his team in position to win.

Kansas City's runs against Bauer came when Alex Gordon led off the second with a homer; Omar Infante hit a two-out RBI single in the fourth; and Alex Gordon hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth.

Gordon's homer was the first allowed by Bauer this season. Bauer piped a 2-0 fastball (89) and Gordon launched it deep to right.

Infante lined an 0-1 fastball (89) up the middle to drive in Morales, who had singled and advanced to second on a balk. The pitch gave Infante too much swing room.

Kansas City deserved its first two runs. The same could not be said of the third.

With two outs and none on in the sixth, Morales lined a fastball (89) into the right-field corner. Moss played the carom and had an opportunity to erase the lumbering Morales at second, but his throw was off-line. Second baseman Jason Kipnis cut it and relayed to shortstop Jose Ramirez, which provided enough time for Morales to barely slide in safely.

Gordon jumped on a first-pitch changeup (83) and grounded it into the hole at second. Moss needed to cover ground to get to the ball, but once fielded, he had time to erase Morales at the plate. (Morales rumbled around third and hesitated, probably not thinking he would be sent.) A decent throw almost certainly does the job, but Moss's was far up the line and a play at the plate never materialized.

Moss is Boss: Moss more than made up for the second throw when he hammered Finnegan's 1-1 fastball (93) into the seats in right. It came after Michael Brantley led off with a single and Carlos Santana walked, then both advanced on a passed ball.

Making a mess: Four Tribe relievers -- Scott Atchison, Marc Rzepczynski, Bryan Shaw and Anthony Swarzak -- combined to give up eight runs on 11 hits and two walks in three innings.

Two at-bats told the tale:

* With runners on second and third in the Kansas City seventh, righty Atchison faced righty Alcides Escobar. After getting ahead, 1-2, Atchison threw virtually identical breaking pitches clocked at 85 that were outside and in the dirt. Each was a ball out of the hand, so Escobar never was tempted.

Now in a full count, Escobar was able to anticipate fastball. Tribe catcher Brett Hayes set up inside, but Atchison missed his target, the fastball (90) splitting the plate at the knees. Escobar shot it to right for a two-run double to tie the score, 5-5.

* After Escobar's double, lefty Rzepczynski replaced Atchison in order to face hot-hitting lefty Mike Moustakas.

In a full count, Moustakas chopped to first baseman Santana. Rzepczynski covered and caught Santana's flip but was unable to locate the edge of the bag with his right foot. The flip didn't lead Rzepczynski perfectly, but the foot needed to find the bag.

An infield single, in and of itself, would not have stung the Tribe -- if Escobar had stopped at third. But the Royals being the Royals meant Escobar was going to put pressure on the defense and try to score. Rzepczynski took a split-second to look at first-base umpire Jerry Meals signaling safe, and that gave Escobar a crease. But Rzepczynski still could have gotten the out because his one-hop throw home was neatly picked with a backhand by Hayes, who put the mitt on Escobar's right shoe in time.

Problem for Cleveland was, Escobar's left foot had gotten stuck in the ground during the slide. When it popped free, the left leg had enough force to hit Hayes's left forearm and jar the ball loose.

The Royals led, 6-5.

When one team is playing with supreme confidence, and the other can't win for losing, these types of sequences typically go in favor of the former.

(Three batters later, Morales hit a three-run homer to center off Shaw. Morales drilled an 0-1 breaking pitch (81) that stayed in the middle of the plate.)

A look at the spring highlights in Northeast Ohio high school sports on April 28.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are spring sports highlights from Tuesday'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).

Twinsburg softball defeats Solon behind big performance by Megan Brown

The Tigers picked up their seventh win of the season by defeating the Comets, 5-2.

Megan Brown finished 3-for-4 with a triple and a double, while also scoring two runs. Najah Thorton drove in three runs.

Orange's Ross Groedel has two hits in win against West Geauga

Groedel scored two runs as Orange was able to defeat West Geauga, 3-1.

Jake Kemelhar also had a big game, driving in two runs in the victory.

Holy Name's Abbey Yaugher continues strong season in win against Cleveland Central Catholic

Yaugher has been huge all year for Holy Name, and was terrific in the win on Tuesday night, going 4-for-5 in the 18-2 win.

She also finished with two doubles, while scoring three runs and driving in four.

Mary Novosel also drove in four runs to help Holy Name pick up its 16th victory.

"Something has to change soon," Bauer said of the 6-13 Tribe, "really [expletive] soon, or else it's going to be a long season."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This wasn't the fettuccine alfredo talking.

Trevor Bauer was frustrated on Tuesday evening, frustrated about his condition when he took the mound against the Royals, irked about what he has physically endured over the last few days and irritated with his team's play over the first three weeks of the season.

His succinctness spoke volumes, as he scrapped the trite mantra of "It's still early."

"Something has to change soon," Bauer said of the 6-13 Tribe, "really [expletive] soon, or else it's going to be a long season."

Tuesday's defeat might have marked the longest night of an April that has threatened to make time stand still. After Bauer exited following six gutsy innings, the Indians' bullpen surrendered eight unanswered runs to morph a 5-3 advantage into an 11-5 drubbing. Bauer departed after throwing 90 pitches. He allowed three runs on seven hits. And though he didn't factor into the final decision, he left with a moral victory.

"I'm just happy to get through it without passing out on the mound," Bauer said.

Bauer suffered food poisoning over the weekend after he reportedly consumed some flawed fettuccine alfredo, delivered via room service in his Detroit hotel. He was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday because he couldn't keep anything down. On Sunday, he had no appetite and only ate "a couple pieces of bread."

"I tried to eat [Monday]," Bauer said. "I was able to eat normal food, but not very much. I think my body just hasn't had time to quite recover from Saturday."

Bauer said he lost four pounds between Saturday and Monday. He felt lightheaded once he began to warm up for Tuesday's start. When he soaked in the hot tub, part of his customary pre-start routine -- and for precisely six minutes, he said -- he noticed he lacked energy. When asked to put a number on it, Bauer said he felt 30 percent. But he had no interest in forcing the Indians' bullpen into another bind.

"We needed innings and I missed my last start and put the team in a bad position," Bauer said. "I just tried to get through as much as I could."

Bauer was asked if he did anything between innings to maintain or boost his energy level. He replied: "To be honest, I don't really remember what was going on."

"The plan was the same as it always is: Go out there and compete and try to win a game," Bauer said. "I felt like, for having nothing, basically, that I could weave my way through it OK."

He did just that. Before the Tribe bullpen took over, Cleveland had built a two-run lead.

"I thought it was pretty obvious that he wasn't quite at full strength," said manager Terry Francona. "You look up at the scoreboard, though, after six and, because we came back, we've got the lead. But, I thought it was tough for him."

It might have been more difficult for him to watch the final three frames. The Indians have lost four straight and seven of nine.

"We know we're a good team," Bauer said. "We know we can win games. We're not doing it right now."

After seemingly blowing the game by giving up three runs in the top of the 14th inning, the RubberDucks rallied with four runs for a surprising 5-4 victory Tuesday night over the Curve.

AKRON, Ohio -- Jeremy Lucas saved the game twice for the RubberDucks on Tuesday ... and he did it without getting a hit.

Jeremy LucasAkron RubberDucks 

After seemingly blowing the game by giving up three runs in the top of the 14th ... yes, the 14th ... inning, the RubberDucks rallied with four runs for a surprising 5-4 victory Tuesday night over the Altoona Curve in a Class AA Eastern League game at Canal Park.

Just as surprising as the victory was the way it was won: With the bases loaded and two out, Lucas was hit by a pitch by Curve reliever Tyler Sample.

The game entered the 14th tied, 1-1, after the RubberDucks scored on a ground-out by Lucas in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lucas finished 0-for-6 on the night ... but his two RBI were critical.

The RubberDucks used six pitchers in the game and they gave up only one earned run. However, Altoona took a 4-1 lead in the 14th after the Curve loaded the bases with one out and then scored on errors by catcher Tony Wolters and shortstop Erik Gonzalez.

Akron's Yonathan Mendoza, batting ninth, started the bottom of the inning with a walk off Altoona reliever Tom Harlan. After a fly-out by Tyler Naquin, Todd Hankins tripled to bring in Mendoza. Gonzalez followed with an RBI single to make it 4-3.

Anthony Gallas then struck out, but Wolters was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. With reliever Tyler Sample now pitching, Yandy Diaz singled to bring in Naquin, tying the game and moving Hankins to third. Diaz made it to second on a throwing error.

Jordan Smith walked to load the bases, then Lucas was hit by a pitch to bring in the winning run.

RubberDucks reliever Josh Martin (3-0, 1.29 ERA) got the win, giving up three unearned runs and one hit in one inning. Starter Mike Clevinger gave up one run on six hits in six innings in the no-decision. Harlan (2-1, 2.77) took the loss for the Curve.

Sean O'Toole has stepped down as the basketball coach at St. Ignatius, says Channel 3.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Sean O’Toole has stepped down as the basketball coach at St. Ignatius after seven seasons, according to Dave Chudowsky of WKYC Channel 3.

Sean O'Toole has stepped down as head coach of St. Ignatius basketball program will remain at school as associate AD @wkyc@Cle_HSSports

— Dave Chudowsky (@DaveChudowsky) April 29, 2015

O'Toole could not immediately be reached late Tuesday evening.

St. Ignatius went 16-9 this past season, advancing to the Division I Midview District final, where it lost to undefeated Lorain, 70-62. All but one of the Wildcats' losses came to a team ranked in the top 12 of the final cleveland.com Top 25, and the other was to University of Detroit Jesuit (Mich.), which went 22-4.

The Wildcats won a district championship in 2014. O'Toole also led St. Ignatius to a trip to the regional tournament in 2010.

O'Toole took over the St. Ignatius program in 2008. Prior to that he served as Euclid's head coach for eight seasons, leading the Panthers to a 93-80 mark. O'Toole played basketball for the Wildcats before graduating in 1987.

Check cleveland.com for more content Wednesday.

The Indians held a 5-3 lead in the seventh inning with the bullpen primed and ready to secure the victory. But the bullpen collapsed.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the last two seasons the best thing about the Indians was their bullpen. It was supposed to be the same story this season, but at the moment what appeared to be a team strength has turned into a big concern. 

Scott Atchison, Marc Rzepczynski and Bryan Shaw, the best manager Terry Francona has to offer, allowed six runs in the seventh inning as the Royals came from behind to spank the Indians, 11-5, at Progressive Field.

Atchison (0-1) allowed three runs in one-third of an inning. Rzepczynski allowed two in one-third and Shaw one in one-third.

The Indians forged a 5-3 lead heading into the seventh thanks to six good innings by Trevor Bauer and a three-run homer by Brandon Moss in the fifth. As hard as that lead was to earn, the pen gave it away in the blink of an eye.

Alcides Escobar tied it with a two-run double off Atchison. Then Escobar put the Royals ahead for good by scoring from first on a botched play at first by Rzepczynski on a high chopper by Mike Moustakas.

Shaw relieved with the Tribe down, 6-5, and gave up a three-run homer to Kendrys Morales on his second pitch of the night.

The Royals added two runs in the ninth off Anthony Swarzak.

What it means

The Indians have lost four straight and 12 of their last 16. They are 6-13 and 4-12 in the AL Central.

The Royals have won seven of their last 11 games. The are 9-5 in the AL Central and 2-0 against the Indians.

Bauer's line

Bauer, after missing his last start on Saturday in Detroit because of food poisoning, allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked two.

In four starts, Bauer is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He threw 90 pitches, 54 for strikes.

Replay central

The Indians went 0-for-1 on replay challenges Tuesday. It was a painful loss.

With the score tied, 5-5, in the seventh, Moustakas sent a high chopper to first baseman Carlos Santana with Escobar on second. Santana flipped to Rzepczynski, but he missed the bag as Escobar, on a daring bit of baserunning, scored for a 6-5 lead.

Moustakas and Rzepczynski collided behind the bag. Rzepczynski reacted slowly to Escobar's dash home because of it. He still made an online throw to catcher Brett Hayes, but Escobar kicked the ball out of Hayes' glove for a 6-5 lead.

The Indians challenged the play at first, but umpire Jerry Meals' safe call stood. The call took 1:39 to review.

In the fifth, the Royals thought they picked off Jose Ramirez at first, but Meals called him safe. They challenged the call, but lost the appeal. It took 1:58 to review.

Shut it down

After the Indians took a 2-1 lead on Michael Bourn's two-run single with two out in the second, Bauer pitched a scoreless third even though he walked Escobar to start the inning.

In baseball that's called a shutdown inning and the Indians have thrown way too few of them in the first month of the season.

Light from below

Bourn, since being moved to the bottom of the order Sunday in Detroit, has three RBI and a stolen base.

In the second inning, he singled to right to score Moss and Lonnie Chisenhall to erase Kansas City's 1-0 lead, which was supplied by the bat of Alex Gordon's 428-foot homer in the second.

It's the only homer Bauer has allowed in 25 innings.

After Bourn reached on his single, he stole second. It was his second steal in five attempts.

Plenty of distance

After Gordon's blast, Moss' three-run homer in the sixth measured 400 feet. Morales' homer in the seventh measured 420.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie started the sixth by allowing a single to Michael Brantley and walking Santana. Lefty Brandon Finnegan (1-0) relieved and Moss sent his third pitch into the right field seats for a 5-3 lead.

Moss came into the game hitting .214 (3-for-14) with five strikeouts against lefties.

Thanks for coming

The Royals and Indians drew 10,698 to Progressive Field on Tuesday night. 

Rare loss

Atchison's loss was his first since Sept. 28, 2013 against Milwaukee. He was pitching for the Mets at the time. He went 78 games and 79 2/3 innings without losing a game.

What happens next?

Right-hander Danny Salazar (2-0, 2.08) will face Kansas City Yordao Ventura (2-1, 4.09) on Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. at Progressive Field. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the game.

Toronto then comes to town for a four-game series starting Thursday night.

When Bauer was struggling during warm ups before Tuesday's game, the trainers brought him a juice box. "I said man, "we're screwed,'" said manager Terry Francona, with a laugh. "That's not what I thought there were going to bring him."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Manager Terry Francona gave Trevor Bauer credit for pitching six innings Tuesday night against Kansas City when he was still feeling the effects from a case of food poisoning that struck over the weekend in Detroit.

Bauer said he was at 30 percent and was surprised that he didn't pass out on the mound.

"I will say in our game, when you're sick, posting is a big deal in our game," said Francona. "I'm not talking about pitching with an arm that is going to fall off. Sometimes you have to throw up. We've all seen it.

"The kid (Chris) Archer threw up a couple of times between innings and I think he threw a shutout (for Tampa Bay). It's part of being accountable and dependable. You've got to do it."

Archer threw seven scoreless innings Sunday in the Rays' win over Toronto.

Francona, however, doubted that Bauer was pitching at 30 percent efficiency.

"I know he's a smart kid but that probably a little bit of a (reach)," said Francona. "Thirty percent. I'd probably be dead. I think that's probably a little bit much."

Bauer missed his start Saturday against the Tigers at Comerica Park because he was ill from a room-service meal. When Bauer was warming up Tuesday, a concerned pitching coach Mickey Callaway called Francona.

"Mickey told me, "This isn't going as good as we'd like,'" said Francona. "Then Trevor kind of picked it up a little bit. Then Mickey called and said, "Can you call the trainers because we need something out here.'"

To Francona's chagrin he saw one of the trainers running to the bullpen with a "juice box."

"I said, 'man, we're screwed,'" said Francona with a laugh. "That's not what I thought they were going to bring him. I thought they might bring him something illegal, man. I said, 'Man, did you bring a thermos, too?'"

Bauer allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked two on 90 pitches. He left with a 5-3 lead, but the bullpen turned it into a 11-5 loss.

During his postgame interview with reporters, Bauer looked flushed and appeared ready to pass out. Francona said that's how he looked between innings and prompted him to go to the bullpen after six innings.

"Some guys handle the flu or intestinal turmoil, whatever you want to call it, better than others," said Francona.

Francona said Bauer came to the park on Monday and Tuesday in good spirits.

"He looked great coming into the start," said Francona. "He was bouncing around both days."

In the dugout for Monday's 6-2 loss to the Royals, Bauer was shown on TV wearing boxing gloves.

"I didn't see it," said Francona. "I'm kind of glad I didn't. I'm assuming he was messing around because the Royals have been scuffling around."

Kansas City was in bench-clearing incidents with Oakland, Chicago and the Angels before they came to Cleveland.

Thistledown Racino and Northfield Park have Kentucky Derby parties on tap Saturday.

Churchill Downs 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Break out the Kentucky Derby hats, ladies. And the guys, too, if you want to look dashing at the Kentucky Derby Day parties on Saturday at ThistleDown Racino and Northfield Park.

The 141^st Kentucky Derby is scheduled to come out of the starting gate at 6:24 p.m., but both local tracks will begin simulcasting the Churchill Downs card from Louisville, Kentucky at 10:30 a.m. ThistleDown Racino has live racing starting at 12:55 p.m. Northfield Park has simulcast racing.

ThistleDown mad hatters can register for the Derby Hat Contest from 1-4 p.m., with judging at 5 p.m. at the Slush bar. The winner will get a $250 Macy's gift certificate. Host Carley McCord from the Q-104 morning show is judging the Northfield Park contest from 4-6 p.m., which has a $500 top prize.

Handicapping expert Bob "Railbird" Roberts and track announcer Ayers Ratliff will team up for Northfield Park's Churchill Downs Handicapping Seminar at 9:30 a.m., with coffee and donuts just $1. Northfield has a special Churchill Downs Handicapping Contest for the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Kentucky Derby.

ThistleDown's Ganley Subaru Morning Glory Club will teach fans how to make smart bets on the ponies at noon. Live music begins at 4 p.m., featuring The Skallywags from Nashville. The Derby Buffet is $24 and being served from noon-6 p.m. For reservations call 216-438-6978. Beef brisket and ribs are being served on the track apron throughout the afternoon.

Northfield Park's 4^th annual Food Truck Festival will be on its track apron, featuring Zydeco Bistro, the Nosh Box, The Beachcomber, Get Stuffed Mobile Eatery, Seti's Polish Boys, Truck Pizza Company and Off The Griddle. Music will include One Hit Wonders from 12:30-2:30 p.m.; Monica Robins & The Ninja Cowboys from 3-5 p.m.; and Unknown Reason from 5:30-8 p.m.

Northfield Park is giving away $10,000 in prizes on Kentucky Derby Day. Fans can enter at the track, with names drawn randomly throughout the day for a chance to spin the prize wheel.

Both tracks will have signature mint juleps in commemorative glasses.