Quantcast
Channel: Cleveland Sports News
Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live

Mayweather wins unanimous decision over Pacquiao in richest fight ever

0
0

Mayweather used his reach and his jab Saturday night to frustrate Manny Pacquiao, piling up enough points to win a unanimous decision in their welterweight title bout. Mayweather remained unbeaten in 48 fights with a win that cemented his legacy as the best of his generation.

LAS VEGAS -- The pressure of a $180 million payday never got to Floyd Mayweather Jr., even if the richest fight ever wasn't the best.

Using his reach and his jab Saturday night, Mayweather frustrated Manny Pacquiao, piling up enough points to win a unanimous decision in their welterweight title bout. Mayweather remained unbeaten in 48 fights with a win that cemented his legacy as the best of his generation.

Pacquiao did what he wanted to do, chasing Mayweather around the ring most of the fight. But he was never able to land a sustained volume of punches, often looking frustrated with his hands finding nothing but air as Mayweather worked his defensive wizardry once again.

Two ringside judges scored the fight 116-112, while the third had it 118-110. The Associated Press had Mayweather ahead 115-113.

"I take my hat off to Manny Pacquiao. I see now why he is at the pinnacle of boxing," Mayweather said. "I knew he was going to push me, win some rounds. I wasn't being hit with a lot of shots until I sit in a pocket and he landed a lot of shots."

The richest fight in boxing history -- a bout that made Mayweather at least $180 million -- wasn't an artistic triumph for either fighter. Far from it, with long periods where both men fought cautiously, looking for an edge.

Pacquiao threw far fewer punches than he normally does in a fight, with Mayweather actually credited with throwing more.

"I thought I won the fight. He didn't do nothing except move outside," Pacquiao said. "I got him many times, I saw the punches."

There were no knockdowns, and neither fighter seemed terribly hurt at any time. Pacquiao landed probably the biggest punch in the fight in the fourth round -- a left hand that sent Mayweather into the ropes -- but he wasn't able to consistently land against the elusive champion.

The fight was a chess match, with Mayweather using his jab to keep Pacquiao away most of the fight. Pacquiao tried to force the action, but Mayweather was often out of his reach by the time he found his way inside.

"He's a very awkward fighter, so I had to take my time and watch him close," Mayweather said.

Mayweather fought confidently in the late rounds, winning the last two rounds on all three scorecards. In the final seconds of the fight he raised his right hand in victory and after the bell rang stood on the ropes, pounding his heart with his gloves.

"You're tough," he said to Pacquiao, hugging him in the ring.

It was vintage Mayweather, even if it didn't please the crowd of 16,507 that paid prices unheard of for a title fight. They cheered every time Pacquiao threw a punch, hoping against hope that he would land a big shot and become the first fighter to beat Mayweather.

But a good percentage of what he threw never landed. Mayweather often came back with straight right hands, then moved away before Pacquiao could respond.

"I thought we pulled it out," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "I asked my man to throw more combinations between rounds. I thought he fought flat-footed too many times."

Ringside punch stats showed Mayweather landing 148 punches of 435, while Pacquiao landed 81 of 429. The volume of punches for Pacquiao was a lot lower than the 700 or more he usually throws in a fight as he tried to measure his aggression against an opponent who was hard to trap.

Five years in the making, the richest fight ever unfolded before a glittering crowd of celebrities, high rollers and people who had enough money to pay for ringside seats going for $40,000 and up. Before it did, though, it was delayed about a half hour because cable and satellite systems were having trouble keeping up with the pay-per-view demand.

They paid big money to watch two superstars fight for their legacies -- and in Pacquiao's case his country -- in addition to the staggering paydays for both.

Pacquiao had vowed to take the fight to Mayweather and force him into a war. His camp thought Mayweather's 38-year-old legs weren't what they once were, and that he couldn't be on the move the entire fight.

"He is moving around, not easy to throw punches when people moving around," Pacquiao said. " When he stayed, I threw a lot of punches. That's a fight."

But Mayweather proved them wrong, moving well and taking pot shots at Pacquiao. His only real moment of trouble came in the fourth round when Pacquiao landed his left hand and then flurried to Mayweather's head on the ropes, but he escaped and shook his head at Pacquiao as if to say you didn't hurt me.

In the corner between rounds, Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr. kept yelling at his son to do more. But Mayweather was content to stick with what was working and not take a risk that could cost him the fight.

"I'm a calculated fighter, he is a tough competitor," Mayweather said. "My dad wanted me to do more but Pacquiao is an awkward fighter."

Mayweather said that his fight in September against a yet-to-be-determined opponent would be his last.

"I'm almost 40 years old now. I've been in the sport 19 years and have been a champion for 18 years. I'm truly blessed."

Mayweather is also very rich, getting 60 percent of the $300 million purse, depending on pay-per-view sales. The live gate alone was more than $70 million, and the bout was expected to easily smash the pay-per-view record of 2.48 million buys set in 2007 when Mayweather fought Oscar De La Hoya.

But while the frenzy over the fight pushed up tickets to 3-4 times their retail price the week of the fight, prices dropped dramatically as the fight neared and some tickets were being resold for less than face value.

Boxing fans called for the fight to be made five years ago, when both men were in their undisputed prime. But squabbles over promoters, drug testing and a variety of other issues sidelined it until Pacquiao beat Chris Algieri in November and immediately launched a campaign to get the fight made.

When they finally got it, it wasn't the fight it might have been five years ago. But it was enough to settle the question that boxing fans had asked for years -- who would win the big welterweight matchup of the best fighters of their time.

___

AP Boxing Writer Tim Dahlberg wrote this report.


Corey Kluber hit hard again as Cleveland Indians fall to Toronto Blue Jays, 11-4

0
0

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner submitted a pedestrian showing for the third straight start. His modest effort, coupled with a once-again lethargic offense and a nightmarish sixth inning, resulted in a 11-4 loss for the reeling Tribe.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Corey Kluber might be mortal after all.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner submitted a pedestrian showing for the third straight start. His modest effort, coupled with a once-again lethargic offense and a nightmarish sixth inning, resulted in a 11-4 loss for the reeling Tribe.

Kluber (0-4, 4.62 ERA) departed after the first batter in the top of the sixth inning. He yielded five runs (four earned) on eight hits, with two walks and three strikeouts.

He didn't stick around for what developed into a six-run frame for the Blue Jays, who scored all of their runs after Lonnie Chisenhall made a low throw to the plate. That allowed Toronto to notch its first run of the inning and grab a 5-2 advantage. A walk, a fielder's choice and four more hits created the one-sided score.

Kluber has now surrendered 31 hits and 17 runs (14 earned) in his last three starts, spanning 17 1/3 innings. He has suffered the loss in all three outings, as he continues to search for his first win of the year. The Indians have lost all six of his starts.

Tribe hitters drew six free passes from Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez (2-2, 4.62 ERA), but the Indians could only scratch across two runs in his 5 2/3 innings. They answered Toronto's run in the top of the first with one of their own. Michael Brantley provided Cleveland with a 2-1 edge with a third-inning RBI single. The Blue Jays, however, responded with a Russell Martin solo home run in the fourth, a Jose Bautista two-run single in the fifth and the six-run barrage in the sixth. The Blue Jays out-hit the Indians, 14-6.

What it means

The Indians (8-15) still have not won consecutive games since the club's season-opening series in Houston. The Indians will need a victory on Sunday to attain a series split. The Indians are 1-5-1 in their seven series thus far. Their lone series victory came against Houston to open the season.

Six in the sixth

The Indians used four pitchers to weave their way through the sixth inning. Toronto sent 11 batters to the plate. Five reached via hit, two reached via walk and one reached via an error. Center fielder Kevin Pillar tallied two hits in the inning. Marc Rzepczynski, Anthony Swarzak and Bryan Shaw faced a combined 10 batters and retired three of them.

Face first

Less than an hour before Saturday's first pitch, center fielder Michael Bourn was scratched from the lineup with a neck strain. On Friday, Bourn completed a head-first slide into home plate without his helmet, which flew off as he rounded third base. After his hand graced the plate, Bourn's face bounced off of the ground. Tyler Holt started in center and batted ninth in his place.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 18,008 ventured to Progressive Field. That marks the largest home crowd for the Indians since their home-opening series weekend against Detroit on April 10-12.

What's next

The teams will reconvene at Progressive Field for a 1:10 p.m. first pitch on Sunday. Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (2-0, 1.80 ERA) will oppose Toronto's Drew Hutchison (2-0, 6.67 ERA). Bauer said he was amazed he didn't pass out on the mound during his last start, which came against the Royals on Tuesday. He was suffering from lingering effects of food poisoning.

Live updates and chat: Cleveland Indians vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Game 24

0
0

Get live updates and chat with beat writer Zack Meisel in the comments section below as the Indians and Blue Jays conclude their four-games series Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get live updates and chat with beat writer Zack Meisel in the comments section below as the Indians and Blue Jays conclude their four-games series Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. Cleveland's Trevor Bauer will face Toronto's Drew Hutchison at 1:10.

Game 24: Indians (8-15) vs. Blue Jays (12-13)

First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

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

Does Corey Kluber miss Yan Gomes, his partner-in-crime? Cleveland Indians notes

0
0

In Kluber's first three starts this season, he posted a 2.49 ERA and limited the opposition to 13 hits in 21 2/3 innings. Two of those three outings came with Yan Gomes behind the plate.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Terry Francona and Corey Kluber sat at Progressive Field and chatted for 20 minutes late Saturday night.

The basis of the conversation revolved around Kluber's struggles during his last three outings. Is fastball command to blame? Is it pitch sequencing? Is it his rapport with catcher Roberto Perez?

No matter the reason -- Francona said a confluence of variables has contributed to the right-hander's pedestrian numbers in the early going -- the manager isn't concerned. After all, Kluber's statistics are eerily similar to his numbers through six starts last year.

2014: 37 innings, 46 hits, 17 earned runs, 10 walks, 35 strikeouts, .752 OPS against, .373 BABIP against (batting average on balls in play)

2015: 39 innings, 44 hits, 20 earned runs, nine walks, 39 strikeouts, .752 OPS against, .373 BABIP against

"It's very similar," Francona said.

In Kluber's first three starts this season, he posted a 2.49 ERA and limited the opposition to 13 hits in 21 2/3 innings. Two of those three outings came with Yan Gomes behind the plate. His last three starts, in which he has fashioned a 7.27 ERA with a 1.043 OPS against, have come with Perez as his backstop. Kluber said pitch sequencing was an issue on Saturday, when he allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits in five innings. Of course, Kluber can always shake off his catcher's suggestion.

Kluber and Gomes, though, are close. The hurler requested the company of his battery mate when he ventured to New York to receive his Cy Young Award over the winter. Gomes served as Kluber's catcher for 32 of his 35 starts last season. In those outings, Kluber posted a 2.38 ERA. In two starts with Perez behind the plate, Kluber logged a 5.40 ERA. Gomes has been sidelined for the last three weeks with a knee sprain. He is expected to remain on the disabled list for at least a few more weeks.

"There was no secret how comfortable Kluber and Gomes were," Francona said. "That was a pretty special relationship that you want. When you lose your catcher, I think we're pretty lucky with the two guys you have. When a guy like Gomes goes down, you don't have a Gomes sitting on the bench. We're pretty fortunate where we are. They aren't going to have that same sync. It's impossible. That's not fair to anybody."

Bourn to play: After a day off on Saturday to rest what the club termed a neck strain, Michael Bourn was back in the lineup on Sunday. Bourn suffered the injury in the fourth inning of Friday night's game. The center fielder slid head-first into home plate, but his helmet had flown off as he rounded third base. After he slid, his face bounced off of the dirt. He was escorted back to the dugout by the training staff, but he remained in the game.

Crockpot: Since being optioned to Triple-A Columbus on April 12, left-handed reliever Kyle Crockett has surrendered 10 runs on 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He has logged a 16.88 ERA and 3.188 WHIP and has tallied four walks and two strikeouts.

Old-timer's day: The Indians will need a fifth starter on Saturday against the Twins, now that TJ House -- who had struggled mightily in four starts -- is on the shelf with shoulder inflammation. Bruce Chen, 37, and Shaun Marcum, 33, a pair of veterans who are not on the 40-man roster, have excelled at Triple-A Columbus in the early going.

In five outings, Chen has posted a 1.74 ERA, having allowed only 19 hits in  31 innings, with three walks and 23 strikeouts. Marcum owns a 2.00 ERA in three starts. He has logged 18 innings and has allowed five runs (four earned) on 17 hits, with five walks and 10 strikeouts. He has earned a win each time out.

"Both of them have done very well," Francona said.

Columbus bound: Jerry Sands, designated for assignment on Wednesday to clear a spot for reliever Ryan Webb, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus. Sands can still refuse the assignment, but as of Sunday afternoon, a decision had not been made.

Takeaways from Cleveland Browns' picks in NFL Draft 2015

0
0

The Browns took a pragmatic approach to the draft and it's likely to pay off.

After LeBron James, all eyes turn towards Kyrie Irving, who must deal with Chicago's Derrick Rose

0
0

Kyrie Irving shined in his first-career playoff series against Boston, but the Chicago Bulls may represent a whole new set of challenges for him.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Kyrie Irving has never lost a playoff game.

He's never matched up against a former NBA MVP in the postseason.

He's yet to play in a game of this magnitude without two of the wingmates who give him so much room to maneuver in the lane - Kevin Love and J.R. Smith.

So while Irving enters Monday's Eastern Conference semifinal opener against the Chicago Bulls with a heap of personal momentum from his performance in the first round, there is still much about the postseason that the 23-year-old star point guard knows nothing about.

But he'll soon learn.

"I feel like the intensity is just heightened," Irving said after Sunday's practice. "Plays to be made. Even watching as a kid, it's the type of situation you want to be a part of, making the big pass, making the big layup, getting the big stop.

"It's all about being in the moment and I feel like I've been prepared for these moments and honestly being out there in that first series was great and in the semifinals it's just going to get tougher.

"I just gotta raise my level of play and just be mentally prepared for whatever's coming."

Prior to Game 1 of Cleveland's four-game sweep of Boston, Irving (and Kevin Love) were challenged publicly by LeBron James, the two-time NBA champion who said it was unknown how they'd respond to their first playoff experiences.

Irving promptly went out and scored 30 points with five three-pointers - no one in the NBA had ever done that in his postseason debut.

Irving scored 56 points in the first two games against the Celtics, averaged 23.3 points for the series, and shot a team-best .480 from three-point range. Only James (58 points in 2006) scored more points in his first two playoff games in franchise history.

James said during the Boston series that he would continue to be hard on Irving, as he had all season. James also backed up his challenge of Irving with his own play, averaging 27.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.

On Sunday, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told Chicago reporters that "any time you have LeBron and Kyrie, you're not shorthanded."

If Cleveland's company line in the wake of losing Love (for the playoffs) and Smith (for two games) is that everyone must step up, and the reality is that James has to make even more of an impact, then a secondary truth is the Cavs will need more from Irving too.

"Me and him set the tone," Irving said. "There's a lot to be learned out here, especially in this game of basketball.. to get advice from him and every single day being around him is a good thing.

"He has to be hard on me, like I said. I wouldn't want it any other way. He demands perfection as much I demand perfection from him.

"Me and him have built our relationship and it continues to grow."

The Bulls' point guard is Derrick Rose, who won the MVP in 2011 and at minimum brings more of a track record to this series than anyone Irving matched up with against the Celtics.

Rose, who battled back from another knee injury to return in time for the playoffs, averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists in Chicago's 4-2 series win over Milwaukee, is about 20-pounds heavier than Irving.

Iman Shumpert, likely to start in Smith's place, hinted Sunday that he would occasionally guard Rose, and on Saturday James said "it's not about Derrick and Kyrie, it's about D-Rose bringing the ball up, he has to see all five defenders."

In four regular-season games against the Bulls (Rose played in three of those games), Irving averaged 21.3 points and 6.5 assists. Rose averaged 22.7 points and 4.3 assists in those games.

"In terms of a personal matchup, there's matchups across the board, for all of us, and guys have gotten better over the years," Irving said. "Derrick is definitely one of the top point guards in our game still and we just have to do a great job containing him and playing great team defense."

David Blatt says Cleveland Cavaliers' layoff a 'concern' going into series with Chicago Bulls

0
0

David Blatt is concerned with the extended time the Cavaliers had off before their clash with the Bulls.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - When the Cavaliers host the division-rival Chicago Bulls on Monday night for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoff round, it will have been eight days since they last played a game.

Chicago has taken the floor twice during Cleveland's layoff. In that period the Cavaliers learned that J.R. Smith would be suspended the first two games and the whopper of them all: Kevin Love is out the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

For a coach in David Blatt who is trying to create new schemes suited for the personnel he has at his disposal, his team's inactivity is worrisome.

"Honestly, it's a concern," Blatt acknowledged after practice on Sunday. "And I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. Because that's a long time and our opponent obviously played games during that time. I hope we respond well. To tell you exactly what that's going to look like initially, it's hard for me to say. I don't know, with this group anyway."

Had Blatt been afforded his whole team going into the series, he might have had a different reaction. But he still has the meat and potatoes of the team -- LeBron James and Kyrie Irving -- prepared to inflict pain on opposing defenses.

He's depending on those two to lead the team to a midseason throwback performance.

"The only source I can draw on is that we had a six or seven-day layoff during the All-Star break and we came out fantastic against the Wizards. And I hope that we can do that," Blatt said.

To replicate a postseason contest as best a possible, Blatt organized 5-on-5 scrimmages over the week that players described as "intense." Those practices got so heated that the coaching staff was forced to halt some of the games out of fear of a player getting injured.

They surely can't afford to lose another major contributor.

"There's a lot of concerns," Blatt said. "We've lost two starters and we have to make up for that. But it's not a concern as in, 'OK, we can't do this.' Other players and other ways of playing are going to have to come to fore and have to contribute major minutes and major performances. We got the guys to do that and that's what we need to do and that's what we have to do."

Earlier in the week LeBron James said he was getting bored with the extended time off. The team has endured so much in a short time-frame and hasn't had the opportunity to let out its frustration on an opponent.

Beating up on your teammates isn't an equivalent outlet.

"You can never really simulate a playoff game in practice, or any game for that matter," Irving said. "But for us, we're just really excited to get back out there and just compete."

Blatt expects some rust, but his desire is that it subsides quickly as the game goes on. As for the players, they're ready to tip it off. Soon the world will find out if the idle time was a hindrance or a benefit. The answer will present itself on Monday.

"Eight days. It's been long," Irving said. "Just ready to get out there and compete again against a great team like the Bulls. It's a great test for us. We just have to raise our level."

Tiger Woods, Lindsey Vonn break up

0
0

Golfer Woods and skier Vonn were together for three years.

He's the greatest golfer of his generation. She's an Olympic gold medalist with the model good looks. Together, Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn formed the unstoppable sports supercouple known as "Liger."

Until today.

Vonn made the breakup Facebook official when she posted this status update.

After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship. I will always cherish the...

Posted by Lindsey Vonn on Sunday, May 3, 2015

Woods released a statement on his website, writing:

"Lindsey and I have mutually decided to stop dating. I have great admiration, respect and love for Lindsey and I'll always cherish our time together. She has been amazing with Sam and Charlie and my entire family. Unfortunately, we lead very hectic lives and are both competing in demanding sports. It's difficult to spend time together."

There you have it.


Three-star DB Kareem Felder announces his commitment to Ohio State: Buckeyes recruiting

0
0

Three-star cornerback Kareem Felder of Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy was previously committed to Virginia Tech, but he flipped to the Buckeyes on Sunday a few weeks after his Ohio State visit.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three-star cornerback Kareem Felder of Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy was considered a heavy Ohio State lean since he visited Columbus a few weeks ago. 

On Sunday, Felder made it official when he announced his verbal commitment to Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes on Twitter. 

"I appreciate every school that gave me the opportunity to play at the next level," Felder wrote, "but I am no longer open to being recruited and will graduate from The Ohio State University." 

Rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 103 cornerback in the 2016 class, Felder picked the Buckeyes over Clemson and Virginia Tech. 

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound cornerback was previously committed to Virginia Tech, but he decommitted from the Hokies shortly after his visited Ohio State in early April. Ohio State assistants Kerry Coombs and Larry Johnson visited Felder at his school Wednesday. 

Urban Meyer didn't technically flip Felder given he wasn't committed when he pledged to the Buckeyes, but Urban Meyer struck again when he sold the defensive back on reopening his recruitment. 

Felder is the first defensive back to commit to Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class, one that now has 14 commitments and is ranked No. 3 in the country, according to the 247Sports rankings. 

Below are Felder's highlights: 

Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley propel Cleveland Indians past Toronto Blue Jays: DMan's Report, Game 24

0
0

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley went 8-for-16 with three walks in a four-game series against Toronto, including 2-for-3 with two walks in a 10-7 victory Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley combined to go 6-for-8 with four RBI and five runs as the Indians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-7, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

A split that feels like a victory: The Indians (9-15) went 2-2 in the series when they easily could have gone 1-3. In the finale, they rallied from a five-run deficit after 3 1/2 innings against MLB's highest-scoring team.

Given how their season has begun, the Indians will take a series split without complaint and seek to build on it. They snapped a four-series losing streak and are 1-5-2 overall.

Professional hitting: Game No. 24 revolved around the Indians' ability to produce a steady flow of quality plate appearances. If they weren't getting hits (13) or drawing walks (seven), they were moving runners, making the pitchers work to get outs or being denied by slick fielding.

Kipnis and Brantley showed the way.

Kipnis went 4-for-5 with five quality PA's in five chances. His out, a grounder to second in the first inning, came on the ninth pitch.

Brantley was 2-for-3 with five quality PA's in five chances. He walked twice. His out was a sharply hit grounder down the first-base line that Edwin Encarnacion dived to stop to end the first. Encarnacion denied Brantley twice in the series.

Among other Indians who hit the ball hard without a positive result: Michael Bourn, grounder up the middle in the third, and David Murphy, double-play grounder up the middle to end the fourth. Toronto shortstop Ryan Goins handled both because of shift-based alignments.

Kip it and rip it: Kipnis's banner day, which included a homer and double, capped a huge series as he continues to get comfortable in the leadoff spot. His pitch recognition and barrel awareness have been superb.

In the opener Thursday night, Kipnis went 0-for-5 in 21 pitches as the Tribe lost, 5-1. But his swing mechanics were sound. He wasn't missing by much.

On Friday night, Kipnis went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and walk in a 9-4 victory. He saw 21 pitches. On Saturday afternoon, he was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs in an 11-4 loss. He saw 25 pitches.

On Sunday, Kipnis drove in two and scored three. He saw 27 pitches. Here is a breakdown of his plate appearances:

First inning vs. RHP Drew Hutchison (none on, none out) -- 89 fastball called strike; 84 off-speed ball; 90 fastball foul; 86 changeup low; 92 fastball low; 92 fastball foul; 92 fastball foul; 92 fastball foul; 87 changeup, grounder to second.

Skinny: Productive out, especially as leadoff batter in the first. Hutchison and catcher Russell Martin grew tired of Kipnis spoiling the fastball; Hutchison sold the changeup with good arm action and put it in a decent spot, down and away.

Third inning vs. Hutchison (none on, two outs) -- 92 fastball called strike; 82 breaking pitch outside; 92 fastball called strike (inside corner); 85 slider down and in; 93 fastball foul; 88 off-speed down and in; 86 changeup foul; 93 fastball foul (lined down left-field line); 85 slider, homer to right.

Skinny: Martin was set up inside for the decisive slider; unlike earlier in the AB, it didn't get inside quite far enough, but the real problem was elevation. Kipnis reacted to what he saw while resisting the temptation to over-swing.

Fifth inning vs. Hutchison (runners on first and second, one out) -- 93 fastball high; 93 fastball, RBI single to left.

Skinny: Excellent approach; Kipnis took what Hutchison gave him and hit it sharply. The grounder caromed off third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was ranging to his left.

Sixth inning vs. RHP Miguel Castro (none on, one out) -- 96 fastball outside; 97 fastball foul (outer half); 88 changeup foul; 90 changeup, single to left.

Skinny: Kipnis stayed on a good pitch -- off the outside corner at the knees -- and was rewarded with a bloop to left.

Eighth inning vs. RHP Scott Copeland (none on, none out) -- 90 called strike; 90 fastball called strike (inner third); 91 fastball, double to left-center.

Skinny: Another terrific piece of hitting. Kipnis tracked a sink piece that tailed to the outside corner at the knees. It became a hustle double because he read how far left fielder Michael Saunders needed to go to stop the ball.

Dr. Smooth locked in: No. 3 batter Brantley finished the series at 8-for-16 with one homer, three doubles, three walks, six RBI, four runs and two steals. Other than that, he was quiet.

Bad luck and/or Toronto defense prevented at least 11-for-16.

The 1-3 punch: On Sunday, the Indians scored their runs in the third inning (one), fourth (one), fifth (six) and sixth (two). Kipnis and Brantley combined to go 5-for-5 with a walk.

Not what it appears: If ever a pitching line deceives, it is Tribe right-hander Trevor Bauer's from Sunday -- 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, K.

Bauer was not masterful, but he wasn't anything close to awful, either. Brain cramps and bad luck foiled him as much as lack of execution on certain pitches.

Here is a breakdown of Bauer's start:

FIRST INNING

(R) Devon Travis -- 92 fastball high; 92 fastball called strike; 74 curve high (squirted); 82 called strike; 83 slider fly to right.

(R) Josh Donaldson -- 91 fastball grounder to short.

Skinny: Pitch on inner third tied up Donaldson.

(R) Jose Bautista -- 83 slider low; 92 fastball fly to left.

Skinny: Bautista barely missed a pitch to hit.

(eight pitches)

SECOND INNING

(R) Edwin Encarnacion -- off-speed high; 81 low; 93 fastball, grounder to third.

Skinny: Encarnacion was too eager to pull fastball on outer third.

(R) Russell Martin  -- 93 fastball, fly to center.

(R) Kevin Pillar -- 94 fastball, called strike; 92 fastball, foul; 88 in dirt; 93 grounder to second.

(eight pitches)

THIRD INNING

(L) Michael Saunders -- 92 fastball called strike; 83 breaking pitch called strike; 77 curve outside; 92 fastball foul; 87 changeup low; 85 changeup low; 93 outside, walk.

Skinny: Saunders showed good discipline.

 (L) Ryan Goins -- 92 fastball outside; 94 fastball low; 93 fastball; 92 fastball inside, walk.

(L) Ezequiel Carrera -- 92 fastball low; 86 changeup low (ninth straight ball); 93 fastball, sacrifice bunt 5-4.

(R) Devon Travis (middle of infield back, even at corner) -- 93 fastball called strike; 86 breaking pitch chop to Santana, fielder's choice 3-2.

Skinny: Good pitch, down and away, had Travis reaching. It turned into an out at the plate.

(R) Josh Donaldson -- 85 off-speed low; 94 fastball up and in; 83 breaking pitch low and outside; 93 fastball high, walk.

(R) Jose Bautista -- 95 fastball swinging strike (over plate at knees); 95 fastball high; 85 slider down and away; 95 fastball foul (inner half); 79 curve, swinging strikeout (three-quarters swing).

Skinny: Nasty curve that dived into the dirt. Bauer's best pitch of the game, in a ginormous spot.

(25 pitches)

FOURTH INNING

(R) Edwin Encarnacion -- 92 fastball high; 92 fastball high; 93 fastball foul; 83 slider down and away; 92 fastball called strike (outside corner at knees); 94 fastball, infield single to third.

Skinny: Bad break for Bauer. Encarnacion reached for a good pitch -- fastball on the outside corner at the knees -- and chopped it off the plate. Lonnie Chisenhall made a nifty pick of the second hop on the edge of the infield grass and fired to first baseman Carlos Santana. Umpire John Hirschbeck called Encarnacion safe on a bang-bang play.

Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "That was a good play. I didn't think Chisenhall even caught the ball.''

The Indians opted not to challenge.

Fox SportsTime Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "I think it's a smart non-challenge. It looked like, especially on that last angle, that his foot was there ahead of time by a hair. If anything, it would be impossible to get it overturned.''

(R) Russell Martin -- 85 off-speed, bunt fielder's choice 5-4.

Skinny: Martin, with Chisenhall back, bunted for a hit. But the ball stayed in the air long enough that Encarnacion needed to wait before heading to second. Easy play for Chisenhall.  

(R) Kevin Pillar -- 83 called strike; 92 fastball up and in, hit by pitch.

(L) Michael Saunders -- 85 changeup foul; 93 fastball foul; 78 curve down and in; 95 fastball, RBI single to left (Martin to third).

Skinny: Bauer needed to put away a struggling hitter such as Saunders when ahead in the count, 0-2. At the same time, Saunders deserves credit for a good piece of hitting. He laid off the curve, then went with a fastball on the outer third at the knees and shot it into the hole at short. With Martin on second and Saunders at the plate, Indians shortstop Jose Ramirez was shaded up the middle. Ramirez would have been able to field the ball in his conventional spot. 

(L) Ryan Goins -- 85 off-speed foul; 93 fastball foul; 78 curve outside (barely); 93 fastball, grounder to first/fielder's choice -- no out recorded.

Skinny: Brutal baseball. After Bauer tied up Goins with a pitch up and in, Santana fielded the one-hopper and spotted Pillar far off third. Santana ran at Pillar -- and kept running, until Pillar dived back safely. Santana never threw the ball and was late with the diving tag attempt.

Manning said of Santana: "You've got to give it up. You run at him, and you make him make a commitment to go one way or the other. He didn't. He kept waiting and running and running, and he was letting Pillar get back to the base....When (Pillar) stopped, you have to force him to go one way or the other. But for whatever reason, (Santana) just held onto it. You've got to get rid of it.''

Manning and Underwood pointed out that Santana had another option on the grounder.

Manning said: "I'll tell you, as hard as that ball was hit, he could have gone for the double play.''

Underwood said: "I thought initially that's what he was going to do.''

Manning said: "You know what: He thought twice about it. Then he wanted to get the guy at home and made a mistake there. It might not be listed as an error, but that's an error. That's a mental error.''

(L) Ezequiel Carrera -- 85 changeup swinging strike (down and in); 85 changeup (down and away); 85 changeup, infield single to pitcher.

Skinny: Another bad break for Bauer, who compounded it. Tripling up on the changeup should have worked, but it didn't. Carrera took a half-swing at a pitch off the outside corner at the knees and chopped it off the plate. Bauer fielded with his back to the plate on the first-base side of the mound, turned and looked toward home. When Bauer realized he had no chance to get Pillar, he threw to first, but it was too late to erase the speedy Carrera.

Manning said of Bauer: "He had no play at home plate. Even thinking home is not a right move....Once you go back (toward second), you only have one play -- first base....I really think that the Santana thing messed with him. I really do. You talk about gift-wrapping an inning....Just get an out: That's the bottom line.''

(R) Devon Travis -- 85 backup slider, foul; 94 fastball, homer to left-center.

Skinny: Travis made the Indians pay full price for their mental mistakes. He pulled in the hands on a fastball on the inner third at the thighs and hammered it over the wall.

Underwood said of the Indians: "If they just take the outs that were given, Travis doesn't even get to the plate.''

(R) Josh Donaldson -- 83 off-speed high; 82 backup slider called strike; 83 backup slider, pop fly to right.

(R) Jose Bautista -- 83 slider foul; 85 changeup low; 94 fastball low; 85 changeup low; 94 fastball called strike (outside corner); 81 backup slider foul; 94 fastball, double to left.

(R) Edwin Encarnacion -- 94 fastball low; 86 off-speed in dirt (wild pitch); 94 fastball, pop to third.

(76 total)

FIFTH INNING

(R) Russell Martin -- slider swinging strike; 82 slider swinging strike; 76 curve foul; 92 fastball outside; 82 slider, infield single to third.

Skinny: Martin used and emergency hack and reached for the pitch. Chisenhall went to his knees to glove with the backhand and fired to Santana, who stretched but was unable to hold onto the ball. Even though the play was ruled a single, it should have been an out.  

Manning said: "Just one of those day for Santana.''

(R) Kevin Pillar -- 82 breaking pitch outside; 84 slider high; 92 fastball called strike; 91 fastball, pop to right.

(L) Michael Saunders -- 86 changeup in dirt; 85 changeup swinging strike; 84 backup slider foul; 92 fastball high and away; 85 off-speed, single to right.

Skinny: Bauer unable to put away Saunders after 1-2 count. Typical of Bauer's day, though, the ball was not hit all that hard but found the hole past Kipnis.

(14 pitches)

(Bauer hooked for lefty Marc Rzepczynski.)

At this point, the Indians were down, 6-2, and seemingly headed for another defeat. But they bowed collective necks and authored a stirring comeback.

Terry Francona: Cleveland Indians were 'at a crossroads' before rallying to beat Blue Jays

0
0

"We have no choice," Brantley said. "You can't say it's the start of the season forever. You have to look in the mirror and own up to everything that we've done so far."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trevor Bauer stood in front of the mound, his back turned to the plate and his hand on his hip. He peered out toward left-center field, watching the baseball he had just heaved sail into the bleacher seats.

Home-plate umpire John Tumpane called out to him and tossed a new ball into his glove. Bauer sauntered to the back of the mound, his head down, his frustration begging for its release.

The Indians trailed, 6-1. Bauer was admittedly peeved. Another loss peeked its head out over the horizon. The Indians were well on their way to yet another nine innings of misery.

"I thought we were kind of at a crossroads," said manager Terry Francona, "where we could feel sorry for ourselves or kick it into gear."

The Indians had dropped to 8-15 after Saturday's loss to Toronto. Along the way to the American League's worst record -- the Rangers assumed that distinction after Sunday's results -- they had lost sight of some of the simple tactics that can rescue a team from an extended funk. On Sunday, after they struck rock bottom on a fourth-inning grand slam by Devon Travis, those qualities resurfaced.

"Passion. Caring. Enthusiasm. Good teammates. Picking each other up. Communication. All those things that you should do every day," said left fielder Michael Brantley. "We need to continue to do a better job as a group."

Jason Giambi retired. Nick Swisher has been testing his refurbished knees in other cities. Brantley and Corey Kluber typically lead by example, not with their vocal chords. A team struggling to the degree in which the Indians have struggled often needs that guiding voice.

Francona took charge in the dugout on Sunday after the Indians' lackluster defense and a few ineffective pitches sent the Tribe spiraling downward yet again. Francona's rally cry inspired others to follow suit.

"Some of the older guys were very forward and being vocal," said second baseman Jason Kipnis, "and saying what needed to be said and said we needed to clean up some stuff, and we did the rest of the game."

For the Indians, it proved to provide a refreshing -- and long desired -- jolt of enthusiasm.

"It was one of the first times this year we had guys step up and lead," Bauer said. "That's a big thing for a team. We've got a bunch of young guys and the leadership has been kind of a question of 'Who is going to take that role and where is it going to come from?' We had some guys step forward and make that picture clearer which is good."

The Indians have developed a knack for playing from behind. It hasn't been a sound strategy, as they have amassed a 3-13 record when the opponent scores first. The Tribe crossed home plate first on Sunday, but the lead quickly vanished. Toronto responded with a six-run fourth inning and the Indians swiftly found themselves in an all-too-familiar hole.

A six-run fifth and two-run sixth turned the tide.

"To come back, and the way we fought, to never give up and not kind of roll over and play dead -- we fought with passion and desire," Brantley said.

The Indians have played plenty of uninspiring, lethargic baseball over the season's first month. On Sunday, they seemed intent of adding another example of that to the collection. Then, they reversed course.

"That's the way we need to play," Francona said. "It doesn't mean we're always going to hit like that, but we need to play like that, with that intensity and that desire to find a way to win."

Will it continue? Have the Indians finally started along a winning path?

"We better. We have no choice," Brantley said. "You can't say it's the start of the season forever. You have to look in the mirror and own up to everything that we've done so far."

Mayweather-Pacquiao pay-per-view TV refunds offered due to glitches

0
0

Strong pay-per-view demand for Mayweather's bout with Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas caused blackouts and other glitches for cable and satellite systems.

NEW YORK -- Saturday's night's championship boxing match was a winner for Floyd Mayweather but a big loser for satellite and cable companies whose glitches kept some customers from seeing the bout.

Several cable companies have already announced refunds, including Buckeye CableSystem and Cox Communications.

The bout was delayed for about a half hour because strong pay-per-view demand for Mayweather's bout with Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas caused blackouts and other glitches for cable and satellite systems.

It's another sting to the reputation of an industry that's already beset with criticism over poor service and competition from streaming video providers.

At least one cable company blamed people who tried to order at the last second, overwhelming the pay-per-view system.

Scores of angry tweets directed at various providers complained of problems with both ordering and watching. Some users said when they tried to order, the fight wasn't available. Others complained of picture problems or an inability to tune to the pay-per-view channel.

Numerous fans circumvented cable companies entirely, watching the fight live for free using video-streaming apps such as Meerkat and Twitter's Periscope, which let users broadcast video directly to the Internet from their smartphones.

As for Saturday night, Jared Kraus of Pevely, Missouri was watching basketball -- Game 7 of the playoffs between the L.A. Clippers and San Antonio Spurs -- when the screen froze and went blank. Later on in the night, he had a few friends coming over to watch the boxing match.

"Cable's out. Missing a ridiculous game 7 and can't order the fight. Sad faces all around," Kraus tweeted.

"This has happened before, of course, but it usually returns to form within the hour," Kraus later told The Associated Press via email. "Not this time. I waited and waited and finally realized it wasn't coming back any time soon."

The fight watching was moved to his uncle's house and the cable did eventually come back but "by then I had missed one of the greatest playoff games of all-time and the fight was almost to its end."

Charter Communications, which provides cable to Kraus, did not respond to a request for comment.

Todd C. Smith, a spokesman for rival Cox Communications, said problems at his company were limited to people who were ordering the fight at the last minute.

"Customers who ordered the fight but were unable to see it should contact us for a full refund. For cases where customers experienced other technical issues during the fight, those will be evaluated on a case by case basis," Smith said.

Customer service Twitter accounts for Dish Network and Cox asked users whether they ordered standard definition or high definition feeds of the fight, indicating there may have been issues with the standard definition feed. A similar account for DirecTV referred users toward a troubleshooting website.

Ellen Cooper, a spokeswoman for InDemand, which distributes the signal from the event to the cable companies, said there were no issues with her company's connection.

"It was flawless. There were no problems with that signal," Cooper said.

Time Warner Cable spokesman Rich Ruggiero said his company had two network issues in New York City; one in southern Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. He said both were fixed before the fight started. Any other Time Warner issues nationally "were highly localized," affecting a small part of individual neighborhoods.

The bout was expected to be the most popular in pay-per-view history, with an estimated 3 million households buying the fight at nearly $100 each.

"We're seeing and gracefully managing a lot of demand -- which is a good thing," Dish Network spokesman Bob Toevs said.

DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said heavy volume of pay-per-view orders caused some problems.
Gallery preview

Some fans who circumvented cable companies to watch for free on streaming services had tried to buy the fight and failed.

Others just didn't want to pay to watch, bragging on Twitter how they saved the $100 fee. Some went as far as calling it the future and knock-out victory for social media, although there are no concrete numbers at this time of how many people watched via Meerkat or Periscope.

The next round may be between fight promoters and the streaming services. CBS, parent company of Showtime, which helped present the fight, declined to comment about viewers watching via the apps.

But last week, CBS and Time Warner's HBO took two websites to federal court -- BoxingHD.net and SportShip.org -- successfully blocking them from airing the fight. HBO has also previously criticized Periscope for allowing people to live-stream the premiere of "Game of Thrones" last month, a move it called "mass copyright infringement."

LeBron James' reasoning for ditching headband personifies Cavaliers' "All In" mantra

0
0

LeBron James tells NEOMG why he ditched the headband and his reasoning blends well with Cavs' "All In" slogan.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cavaliers small forward LeBron James has immersed himself in the spirit of togetherness.

On March 10 in Dallas, he played without wearing his patented headband. The last time he went into a game without headgear was a preseason matchup against Detroit during his rookie season.

He has been headband-less ever since.

James never provided a rationale for ditching his branded look. He has simply stated that he chose to do so out of the blue. Recently I was able to get more of an explanation out of him.

"I did it because I just wanted to look like my teammates," James told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "Just wanted to be one. Nothing more than that."

Whether his confession was entirely the cause or not, it does bring to light James' brotherhood mentality in the midst of the team playing some of its best basketball.

"Well, that's the only way he can [look like us] because I can't get away with wearing a headband," veteran Mike Miller said with a laugh after hearing James' reasoning.

With the Cavaliers missing Kevin Love for the season and J.R. Smith for the next two games, it's going to take a united effort to exit victoriously from the series against the Chicago Bulls.

Seldom-used players will have their names called upon to contribute, but it's not just about the individuals on the roster that will be asked to step up.

"All In" is the Cavaliers' catchy playoff-themed slogan, and its message has become contagious among the fan base. The official Twitter accounts of the Cavaliers, Owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager David Griffin all features the same blue "All In" logo as their profile picture.

Members of the Cavaliers staff have signed their names on all four corners of the basketball court at The Q. It's a way of signifying that they're too "All In." On social media and forums, you will find fans inserting "#ALLinCLE" following a post about the Cavaliers.

The movement is spreading throughout the city.

"I think it's beautiful because for the Cavaliers in Cleveland, it's something that we feel that everybody can be a part of and we really, really want to involve people," coach David Blatt said.

"We do it in terms of our community service, we do it in terms of how we reach out to our fans, we do it in how we have our players interact with the people and we really try to foster that feeling of everyone being involved, everyone being a part of this and everyone being all in."

The Cavaliers recognize they're going to have to be unified and stronger than ever to prolong their postseason journey. Chicago is an aggressive, hard-nosed, defensive-minded team. The Boston Celtics' version of roughness pales in comparison to what the Bulls are capable of.

Cleveland doesn't mind mixing it up, but they can't afford to lose any more contributing players.

"I think physicality is part of the game. And as I said during the Boston series, physicality is one thing and crossing the line is another thing," Blatt said. "The game of basketball is a beautiful thing and the line shouldn't be crossed. And I expect it to be a series where both teams are competitive, and playing hard and not crossing the line. Keeping our game beautiful."

This will be the Cavaliers' biggest challenge of the year. It's a pivotal, possibly season-defining series. Chicago is finally at full force and discovering a rhythm. The Bulls see a vulnerable Cavalier squad and for many on that team, this could be their final realistic shot at dethroning The King.

That's why it's going to take an assembly to secure not just four wins, but 12 more wins. It's going to take being "All In," as the team has been saying.

Akron-born Stephen Curry reportedly beats LeBron James, others for NBA MVP

0
0

Golden State's Steph Curry edged LeBron James, others for the NBA Most Valuable Player award this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron-born Golden State Warriors budding superstar Stephen Curry will be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player this week, according to multiple media reports.

News of Curry winning the MVP was first reported by the Warriors' TV partner, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area on Sunday.

In winning the award for the first time, Curry would finish ahead of other MVP candidates like LeBron James, a four-time MVP, and Houston's James Harden.

Curry, 27, was born in Akron while his father, Dell Curry, was playing for the Cavaliers in the 1987-88 season. The younger Curry averaged 23.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists for a Warriors team that won an NBA-best 67 games this season.

The MVP, voted on by media members, may formally be announced for Curry as early as Monday. It was not immediately known Sunday night where James placed in the voting.

James, 30, averaged 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in his first season with the Cavs since 2010. He took two weeks off to rest nagging injuries in late December and early January, and the 13 games he missed this season were a career high.

Had he won MVP, James would've missed the second-most games of any award winner, trailing only Bill Walton in 1977-78.

Since James' return date of Jan. 13 through the end of the regular season, the Cavs held the NBA's best record.

James is seeking his third NBA championship (and first with the Cavs), while Curry is chasing his first title. If Curry is to succeed James as the face of the NBA one day, he would need to stockpile both championships and MVPS.

"Yeah I got a lot of work to do, obviously," Curry said over the All-Star break.

"For me," James added, "I just try to put myself in a position where I can lay down the foundation for the next group of guys, and if Steph Curry's that guy, then this league will be where it needs to be, if not better."

Akron RubberDucks build big lead, cruise past Trenton Thunder

0
0

Catcher Tony Wolters had three hits and left fielder Bryson Myles had three RBI in the RubberDucks' 9-3 win.

Catcher Tony Wolters had three hits and left fielder Bryson Myles had three RBI as the Akron RubberDucks built a big lead and cruised to a 9-3 Class AA Eastern League victory Sunday over the Thunder at Trenton, N.J.

Tony Wolters.pngTony Wolters 

Designated hitter Anthony Gallas had a two-run single, Wolters had an RBI single and Myles brought in a run on a groundout to give Akron a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Shortstop Erik Gonzalez started the third inning with a solo home run, and Myles brought in two more runs with a double to give the RubberDucks a 7-0 lead.

First baseman Jake Lowery and center fielder Tyler Naquin added RBI singles in the fifth inning to build Akron's lead to 9-0.

Akron starter Mike Clevinger (1-1, 1.95 ERA) gave up one run on seven hits in six innings, striking out seven with no walks. Reliever Grant Sides gave up two runs on three hits in three innings, striking out two and walking one.

Thunder starter Taylor Garrison (1-2, 5.64) had a rough outing, giving up seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in just three innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Akron (12-11) begins a four-game series Monday against the BaySox (13-10) in Bowie, Md. They return home Friday to face the Binghamton Mets.


Cavs vs. Chicago is ticket to cash registers ringing in downtown Cleveland businesses

0
0

Downtown Cleveland businesses didn't get much of a bump from the Cavaliers' games against the Boston Celtics last month, but this series against the Chicago Bulls starting tonight is expected to be different.

scoreboard-1024png-03817bf847639443.png
 
Downtown Cleveland businesses didn't get much of a bump from the Cavaliers' games against the Boston Celtics last month, but this series against the Chicago Bulls starting tonight is expected to be different.

Cavs' games have attracted near-capacity crowds during the entire regular season, so downtown restaurants, bars and other businesses didn't see a significant increase in business from the two home playoff games against Boston two weeks ago.
 
That changes now. In the second round of the playoffs, Cavs face the Bulls in a match-up that's expected to be physical and more competitive than the series against Boston. Downtown businesses believe they'll see an influx of Chicago fans, who will come for games and stay in hotels, shop and eat in restaurants more than just one time after the game.

And they're expecting more Cavs fans who don't have tickets to come downtown to watch games at restaurants, just to be close to the action.

"I think it's going to be huge," said Rick Thome, general manager of the Winking Lizard Restaurant and Tavern, which is about two blocks from Quicken Loans Arena.

Because Winking Lizard is packed nearly all of the time before and after Cavs games anyway, Thome plans to increase staffing by only about 10 percent for these games, and add lots of beer tubs for the extra standing-room-only crowds.

Over at nearby Flannery's Pub, general manager Sean O'Donnell plans to increase staffing on game days by 30 percent. Because it's directly across from the Q, "we kind of get hit first," he said.

O'Donnell also expects to be standing-room-only for fans who don't have tickets. "If they're not going to the game, people really want to be close," he said.

Flannery's did see a slight "bump" from the games against Boston and expects this week to be busier.

But he really wishes the home dates would fall on a weekend because he said his business would probably be busy from open until close. So far, the home games have been only on weekdays. But that could change in the third round. O'Donnell is looking forward to a game day that reminds him of game seven against Detroit back in 2006. Patrons stormed the restaurant so fast and amped-up after the game, he said, "I was afraid. We were afraid."

The excitement of the city's first serious playoff run in five years means many people are more likely to boost their spending to enjoy the experience, said George Mokrzan, senior economist for Huntington Bank in Columbus.

Some might believe that if people are spending money on tickets to games or going out to eat or hosting watch parties, then that sort of comes out of their "entertainment" budgets and they're likely to cut back on other discretionary spending.

But that's probably untrue, Mokzran said. "Spending is going to go up," he said, because Cleveland sports fans are desperately hungry for a championship in any sport and they're likely to spend a little bit carefree to bask in this feeling of winning. "It's a Cleveland-specific problem," he said.

Businesses expect that euphoria -- and money poured into the economy -- to increase the deeper into the playoffs the Cavs go.

Downtown hotels are already booked solid this week by attendees for the Iron & Steel Technology Conference, said Sandip Thakkar, general manager at the Comfort Inn in downtown. If the series return to Cleveland next week for game 5 and game 7, "we'll definitely get people in from Chicago," he said.

If the Cavs beat Chicago, they'd play the Atlanta Hawks or Washington Wizards in the next round. "We are hoping the Eastern Conference Finals will generate a ton of activity," Thakkar said. And his fantasy is the Cavs in the league finals against the L.A. Clippers because he said fans from Los Angeles would certainly come to Cleveland to watch their team, which has never won a championship in its 40-year history.

Mokzran, the economist, said all of the TV coverage and visitors to downtown -- both local and out of state -- will boost the city's image and economy long after the last buzzer. "Overall, it's a positive," he said. "The publicity is good for the area, good for the economy and good for the quality of life."

What the Cleveland Cavaliers look like without Kevin Love against the Chicago Bulls

0
0

The Cavaliers played the Bulls without Kevin Love on Feb. 12.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Back on Feb. 12, the Cleveland Cavaliers played without Kevin Love against the Chicago Bulls due to an abrasion in Love's right eye. The result was a 113-98 road loss, and a sneak peak at how Cleveland might look in the next series.

While Tristan Thompson took Love's spot in the lineup, it was James Jones who saw the biggest increase in minutes. The loss to the Bulls was one of three games this seasons he's played 30 minutes, and he scored nine points.

Elsewhere, the Cavaliers lost the rebounding battle (47-43) and the Bulls frontcourt combination of Pau Gasol and Tony Snell scored 40 points.

Now let's take a closer look at how the Cavaliers looked on the floor without Love in that game.

OFFENSE

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 2.09.47 PM.png
 

While Thompson and Jones saw a minutes increase, the Cavaliers tried to get Timofey Mozgov more involved in the offense early. Specifically, Mozgov was being asked to set several high screens, which he then rolled off of.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 1.58.04 PM.png 

In this specific play, Mozgov sets the screen for Smith, who then finds Mozgov for a an open lane to the layup. He finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Plays like this one show that with Love out, Mozgov might be the one who has a larger offensive role, while Thompson might fill the role previously played by Mozgov.

DEFENSE

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 2.29.29 PM.png 

The post players from Chicago are an imposing force, and with Love out, the defense of Thompson becomes even more important. In many instances, he'll be matched up with Pau Gasol, which could cause some problems.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 2.29.41 PM.png 

Here in the Feb. 12 game, the Bulls exploit Thompson by having Derrick Rose drive right at him. This frees up Gasol at the top of the key, which will cause problems for Cleveland.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 2.29.56 PM.png 

With Thompson in a vulnerable state, the crafty Gasol is able to catch the ball and push towards the basket. It catches Thompson in transition, who is trying to recover quickly enough to stop the penetrating Gasol.

Thompson is too late, and Gasol will find Rose under the basket for an easy layup. Rose is able to get so open because of other Cavaliers needing to recover for Thompson.

When Chicago and Cleveland meet in the postseason, expect Gasol vs. Thompson to be a matchup that the Bulls try to take advantage of on a nightly basis.

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

Offensive outburst provides Cleveland Indians with 10-7 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays

0
0

The Indians answered Toronto's six-run top of the fourth with a six-run bottom of the fifth. That turned a 6-2 deficit into an 8-6 advantage, one the Tribe added to as the afternoon unfolded.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It all began with the innocent ball boy seated along the right-field line.

Then came the onslaught of hits, the balk, the intentional walk and the bases-loaded free pass. All of that produced enough offense to more than offset a string of strange defensive miscues and a grand slam, as the Indians topped the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-7, on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.

The Indians answered Toronto's six-run top of the fourth with a six-run bottom of the fifth. That turned a 6-2 deficit into an 8-6 advantage, one the Tribe added to as the afternoon unfolded.

It didn't look promising early on.

Devon Travis forced a pin into the proverbial balloon and zapped the ballpark of its energy, with a grand slam into the left-field bleachers in the fourth. That followed a sequence of defensive miscues in which the Blue Jays didn't hit the ball out of the infield, but the Indians couldn't convert any outs. On one play, Carlos Santana fielded a grounder and chased a runner back to third, but he applied a tag after the runner slid back into the base. On another, Trevor Bauer fielded a comebacker, looked to throw home, realized he had no play and then tossed a tardy throw to first.

Travis capitalized on the defensive disarray and the Blue Jays attained a 6-1 lead. The Indians scratched across a run in the bottom of the inning and then plated six more in the fifth.

Lonnie Chisenhall opened the frame with a double down the right-field line. The ball boy accidentally scooped up the fair ball and handed it to a fan. A series of walks and hits followed, including a pinch-hit double down the left-field line by Ryan Raburn, who attacked the first pitch he saw. That provided the Indians with a lead they would not relinquish.

In the sixth, the Indians benefitted from a balk -- which led to an intentional walk of Michael Brantley -- and an ensuing bases-loaded walk to Santana to provide them with some extra cushion.

What it means

Sunday's victory gave the Tribe a series split. Terry Francona's bunch is now 1-5-2 in its 10 series this season. The Indians still have not won consecutive games since April 8-9 in Houston. They'll have a chance to remedy that on Tuesday in Kansas City.

Six of one

The Blue Jays tagged Bauer for six runs in the top of the fourth inning, one day after they got to Corey Kluber and three Tribe relievers for six runs in the fifth inning.

Half dozen of the other

The Indians matched their season high for runs in an inning, with six in the bottom of the fifth. On April 24 in Detroit, the Tribe plated six, with a Brandon Moss home run capping the offensive explosion.

Bauer outage

Bauer exited after 4 1/3 innings, having allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out only one batter.

Top o' the order to ya

Kipnis, Jose Ramirez, Brantley and Santana -- the first four hitters in the Indians' lineup -- combined to go 10-for-16 with five walks. Kipnis slugged a solo home run in the third inning, his third blast in the last five days. He had gone 272 days without a home run before the recent surge.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 16,128 watched the Indians push their home record to 4-8.

What's next

The Indians will fly to Kansas City on Monday. On Tuesday, they will begin a three-game set against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Danny Salazar (3-0, 3.32 ERA) will oppose southpaw Jason Vargas (2-1, 5.95 ERA). Salazar earned a victory against Kansas City on Wednesday, when he tossed six innings and allowed four runs on six hits, with no walks and seven strikeouts. Vargas defeated the Tribe last Monday. He limited Cleveland to two runs on three hits over five frames, though he did issue five free passes.

Crockpot: Since being optioned to Triple-A Columbus on April 12, left-handed reliever Kyle Crockett has surrendered 10 runs on 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He has logged a 16.88 ERA and 3.188 WHIP and has tallied four walks and two strikeouts.

Old-timer's day: The Indians will need a fifth starter on Saturday against the Twins, now that TJ House -- who had struggled mightily in four starts -- is on the shelf with shoulder inflammation. Bruce Chen and Shaun Marcum, a pair of veterans who are not on the 40-man roster, have excelled at Triple-A Columbus in the early going.

In five outings, Chen has posted a 1.74 ERA, having allowed only 19 hits in  31 innings, with three walks and 23 strikeouts. Marcum owns a 2.00 ERA in three starts. He has logged 18 innings and has allowed five runs (four earned) on 17 hits, with five walks and 10 strikeouts. He has earned a win each time out.

"Both of them have done very well," Francona said.

The LeBron James rundown: Game 1, Chicago Bulls 99-92 over the Cleveland Cavaliers

0
0

LeBron James struggled in the fourth quarter and his team lost its first game of the playoff to the Chicago Bulls for the third consecutive time.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - For the third consecutive playoffs featuring a LeBron James team and the Chicago Bulls, the Bulls took Game 1.

James scored 19 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out nine assists in Cleveland's 99-92 loss at The Q. Game 2 is here Wednesday night.

The Bulls' win was just the fourth in 16 playoff games against James. Three have come to open the series. In 2011 and 2013, James' Miami Heat came back to take the next four games.

James shot 9-of-22 Monday night and only took two foul shots. He committed six turnovers.

James passed former Bulls great Scottie Pippen (1,048 assists) for seventh in playoff assists in NBA history. During the regular season, James eclipsed Pippen for the most career assists by a forward.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' Game 1 performance against the Bulls.

1st Quarter

Stats: 4 PTS, 3 RBS, 1 AST, 2-4 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James pounded the ball on the court for several seconds before canning a short jumper at 1:29.

Briefing: So, that's what an eight-day layoff looks like. Or was the absence of Kevin Love and J.R. Smith taking a toll right from the start? Either way, the first 12 minutes were not good ones. James began guarding Joakim Noah as the result of a unique lineup in which David Blatt chose to start seldom-used Mike Miller for Love. Mike Dunleavy gashed Miller for 13 points on three treys and 5-of-5 shooting. Noah grabbed four rebounds against James. When Blatt removed Miller for Tristan Thompson at 5:09, James moved over to guard Jimmy Butler, who was defending him. No matter the lineup, there were spacing and defensive woes. Bulls, 27-15.

2nd Quarter

Stats: 8 PTS, 3 RBS, 2 AST, 4-7 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James raced back on defense to swat Derrick Rose's layup attempt with 1:26 left.

Briefing: With 8:40 left, the Cavs trailed 35-21. James was 4-of-6 shooting, the rest of the team 4-of-19. Then, Kyrie Irving arrived. He electrified, well, everyone, including James, with 14 of his 17 first-half points after opening the game 1-of-7. James, meanwhile, had more room in the lane, where he scored six of his eight points. James also moved over to guard Dunleavy, who didn't score in the second quarter. More important than the score - Bulls, 49-44 - the Cavs appear to have settled in after a miserable start. James' offensive game was fine throughout the first half, but his defense and body language improved after Irving went off.

3rd Quarter

Stats: 3 PTS, 3 RBS, 4 AST, 1-6 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: James switched onto Pau Gasol, hounding him into a missed jumper with 2:22.

Briefing: Gasol was the story of the quarter, eviscerating the Cavs on the pick-and-roll to the tune of 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting. His only two misses were when James switched onto him. The Bulls rode Gasol and Rose to a 15-0 run in the quarter, stunning the Cavs. James brought them back a little with drive-and-kick assists on threes by Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova. Earlier in the quarter James passed Pippen with an assist Shumpert for a three. James and Irving played the entire quarter.

4th Quarter

Stats: 4 PTS, 5 RBS, 2 AST, 2-5 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James took a charge on Rose with 4:04 to go, wiping away a basket.

Briefing: Given the roster challenges, James will have to play better in the fourth quarter to win. He tossed an ill-advised pass that was picked off by Rose with 2:08 left, and blew a layup with 54 seconds remaining that would've made a big difference. But if that's were things are left - James needing to play just a little better - the Cavs will take it. He's been there too many times before and succeeded.

Totals: 19 PTS, 14 RBS, 9 AST, 9-22 FG, 1-2 FT, 42 MIN

Avon baseball wins West Shore Conference; Lake Catholic softball beats Beaumont in 13 innings: Spring sports highlights for Monday, May 4, 2015

0
0

See spring sports highlights from Monday, May 4, 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).


Lake Catholic softball beats Beaumont in 13 innings


Abby Greer's walkoff single in the 13th inning gave Lake Catholic's softball team a 2-1 win against Beaumont.


Lake Catholic pitcher Jenna Bayer pitched all 13 innings, allowing one run on three hits.


Beaumont took a 1-0 lead after the first inning but Lake Catholic tied the game in the third until Greer's RBI in the 13th.


Avon baseball clinches West Shore Conference title


Avon's baseball team won the West Shore Conference for the fourth time in five years after it beat Bay, 7-4.


Jeff Laraway led Avon's offense with a triple and three RBI. Logan Doenges got the winning, allowing two runs in five innings and striking out six.


Jacob Crossan had two RBI for Bay.


Danny Cody throws no-hitter for Brecksville baseball


Danny Cody pitched a no-hitter to lead Brecksville's baseball team to a 3-0 Southwestern Conference win against Olmsted Falls.


Hawken baseball holds off Garfield Heights


Hawken's baseball team withstood a late rally from Garfield Heights to earn a 5-4 win.


Evan Faxon pitched 5.2 innings for Hawken, allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out 10.


Josh Roselli had a two-run home run to lead Hawken at the plate.


Tyler Kennedy throws two-hit shutout for Chagrin Falls baseball


Tyler Kennedy had a strong day on the mound for Chagrin Falls' baseball team as it beat West Geauga, 7-0.


Kennedy pitched seven innings of two-hit, shutout baseball and struck out eight hitters.


Tyler Zalusky was 3-for-4 with three RBI for Chagrin Falls.


Nikki Ferraro leads Holy Name softball


Nikki Ferraro had four RBI to lead Holy Name's softball team to a 19-4 win at Warren JFK.


Ferraro had a triple and a double. Cassie Bily went 3-for-3 with a triple and three stolen bases for Holy Name.


Four Holy Name hitters had three hits in the game.


Beachwood softball holds off Orange


Despite losing an early lead, Beachwood's softball team held on to beat Orange, 5-4.


The Bison took a 3-0 lead after the top of the first, and scored again in the sixth to take the lead for good.


Rhodes softball no-hits Max Hayes


Rhodes' softball team had a no-hitter against Max Hayes in a 15-0 win.


Jaelah Dye had two home runs and six RBI for Rhodes.


Cuyahoga Heights softball hits three home runs


Lauren Goetz, Dayna Denner and Jenna Stegmaier each had home runs for Cuyahoga Heights' softball team as it beat Aurora, 12-2.


Stegmaier's home run was her fifth in her last four games.


Stegmaier, Goetz and Alicia Falorio each had three RBI.


Get all the scores


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

Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images