Read what Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said after his team's 106-91 loss vs. Cleveland Cavaliers in Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here is what Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said following his team's 106-91 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

Did you expect them to come out more aggressively?

Thibodeau: The story of the game was the first quarter. They smashed us. We've got to respond a lot better.

Tell us what makes their lineup different with Tristan Thompson starting.

Thibodeau: Aggression. We knew the aggression would be better. Harder. We didn't respond well to it. We got out-rebounded. We gave them everything.  Thirty-eight points in the first quarter. It's too big of a cushion for them. We tried to work our way back into the game. Had maybe one crack at it, but we didn't get it done. We're capable of playing a lot better and we're going to have to.

Defensively, did they do a lot differently?

Thibodeau: Their intensity. Their ball pressure was strong. We've got to do better.

Are you seeing something different with Derrick Rose on one day's rest compared to two?

Thibodeau:  He's still working his way back. Tonight we didn't make shots. I want him to trust the pass. He had 10 assists. The defense and the rebounding was the problem early on. We missed some shots and we didn't take care of the ball in the first quarter. You put that team in the open floor and they get some confidence going. LeBron has a big game. They start making threes. We put ourselves in a big hole.

This is the first time in Derrick Rose's career he's gone three games without taking a free throw. 

Thibodeau: I guess he's gotta go harder. I don't know. Looks like there's a lot of contact to me. Obnvilusly others don't see it that way.

What changes for the Bulls when LeBron is on the wing?

Thibodeau: He's very good in a lot of different area. He's good in the post. He's good on the wing. He's good in the high post. He's good at the elbow. He's good in the pick-and-roll. He's going to put maximum pressure on you. You've got to make him work as hard as he can for his points. He can hurt you with the pass if you're not disciplined with the help. Tonight he made everything. 

Shumpert's gotten off to hot starts in both games.

Thibodeau: When you have great players ,and they have two of them, it requires help. But you can't do it recklessly. We have to have the discipline to be able to do both. To take care of the ball in the paint, react out, cover the line, challenge the shot, finish with the rebound. When we do that, we're pretty good. When we don't and a guy goes to help and we don't stunt, he's going to get a rhythm shot. This team requires you to make multiple effort, and if you don't you're going to pay. And we paid tonight.

Can you sense Joakim Noah lacking confidence and is confused?

Thibodeau: Players go through different things. There'es ups and downs. If he's not going well offensively, there's so many things he does that do help us. that's what I want him to lock into. Find another way to help. Make a great effort on defense. Don't allow the offense to impact your energy or concentration on defense. That goes for our entire team. I thought we were reckless to start the game and we put them in the open floor and gave them confidence. They're hard to shut off after that.

Can you get Jimmy Butler some help on LeBron?

Thibodeau: You need your whole team to be committed. He's a tough cover. If you're not tied together, he's going to make you pay. And he did. We'll take a look at the film. Study and make our corrections and be ready for the next one.

Can you explain why your team is so inconsistent?

Thibodeau: We're facing a tough team. They have a great record. They have great players. We have to be ready. There's going to be ups and downs. They made shots tonight. We have to analyze were they challenged, were they not challenged? I think we can do a lot better. You go game by game. Learn from this one get ready for the next one.

The Chicago Bulls came out flat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, and none of the Bulls' personnel can explain how it happened.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If the Chicago Bulls are going to take control of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, point guard Derrick Rose knows it's going to take a lot more energy than what his team exerted in a 106-91 loss Wednesday night.

After seizing control early in Game 1 and never trailing in a 99-92 win, it was the Cavaliers who broke out of the starting blocks in Game 2. 

In the first quarter, Cleveland stretched a 20-5 lead to a 38-18 first quarter score, and led the entire game.

The Cavaliers were led by forward LeBron James, who led all scorers with 33 points and vowed to play better in Game 2 in the days leading up to Wednesday night. 

Rose acknowledged the effect James' had on the game, but was unable to put a finger on why the Bulls struggled through the first half of Wednesday night's game. The Bulls shot at a 33.3 percent-clip in the first quarter compared to the Cavaliers' 65 percent.

"The way we came out, with a nonchalant attitude, the attention wasn't there right from the beginning," Rose said. "Defense was the key and we kind of let them go anywhere they wanted to go, no ball pressure."

But how could the Bulls come out flat knowing they had a chance to put their feet on the necks of the Cavaliers, with a chance to take a 2-0 series lead heading back to Chicago?

"Who knows?" Rose said. "We've been like that the entire year. We haven't been able to figure it out yet."

If the Cavaliers offense stemmed from James, who had 14 first-quarter points and 22 at the half, it was aided by the play of Iman Shumpert, who was thrust into the starting lineup due to the suspension of J.R. Smith. 

Shumpert had 10 points on 3-of-3 3-point shooting in the first quarter and finished with 15 points and seven rebounds after briefly leaving the game in the third quarter with what was called a left groin strain.

The Bulls went on a 14-0 tear in the third quarter to pull within 11 points, but by then it was too late, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

"We gave them everything," Thibodeau said. "Thirty-eight points in the first quarter was too big a cushion for them. We had maybe one crack at it and we didn't get it done."

Added Bulls forward Pau Gasol: "They came out more aggressively, more efficiently than we were. They took the initiative from that first quarter. Down 38-18 put us down in a big hole. It was hard to recover from that. We knew they were going to come out hard. It was a key game for them, we just didn't match it."

Regardless of tonight's performance, the Bulls were successful in winning a game in Cleveland and flipping home court back to Chicago, where Friday's Game 3 will be held. Rose said he's excited to go back home, but that he feels like the Bulls missed out on an opportunity Wednesday night.

"It sounds good [stealing a game], but we were trying to win the second one," Rose said. "The only thing we can do is learn from it. Now we're going back to Chicago and I know our fans and the city is waiting for us to come back there. It should be another exciting game. Hopefully we play some defense this time."

Contact sports producer Cameron Moon by email (cmoon@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@MoonCameron20). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Chicago will be the team searching for answers after the Cavs built an early lead on Wednesday night, never trailed and cruised to a 106-91 victory in front of a raucous crowd at Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- James Jones called the period between Game 1 and Game 2 "excruciating." The Cleveland Cavaliers were forced to replay the slow start, missed opportunities and defensive breakdowns. They were forced to think about everything they did wrong, everything that led to the first playoff loss of the postseason.

That won't be necessary this time.

Instead, Chicago will be the team searching for answers after the Cavs built an early lead on Wednesday night, never trailed and cruised to a 106-91 victory in front of a raucous crowd at Quicken Loans Arena.

LeBron James scored a game-high 33 points on 13-of-29 shooting. He also added eight rebounds and five assists. Kyrie Irving chipped in with 21 points.

Chicago accomplished what it wanted. They took homecourt advantage and split in Cleveland, but the good vibes were flowing from the Cavaliers locker room this time.

With their backs against the wall, they played their best postseason game by far, leading by as many as 25 and evening up the series at one game apiece. 

Here are five observations from the win:

Follow the leader -- James wasn't good enough on Monday night. He knew it, too. So he took it upon himself, down two starters, to make up for his individual Game 1 shortcomings. The four-time MVP made a comeback, and brought his old headband along for the ride.

"Bron was typical LeBron," Cavs head coach David Blatt said following the game. "Very aggressive, in attack mode, engaged and leading his guys by example and vocally. Obviously, his determined effort in terms of attacking the game was very evident."

It was the exact opposite of the opener. James didn't wait. He didn't try to get the rest of his teammates comfortable. There was no time to "feel out" the opponent.

"I had to change my approach tonight knowing how short-handed we are and be ultra aggressive," James said. "Kyrie wanted me to be ultra aggressive, which I'm not accustomed to doing, especially taking that many shots. I've never been a high-volume shooter. But, I have to respond to my teammates. What my teammates want me to do, I try to succeed at doing."

Back in his comfort zone, playing the "3," James put his head down, charged into the middle of Chicago's stingy defense early and made numerous lineups and ferocious finishes near the hoop. On defense, he flew around the court, pestering Jimmy Butler and anyone else in a red jersey that was near him.

James scored or assisted on the Cavs' first 10 points. Then after four intense minutes, he was gassed and asked out of the game.

"The story of the game was the first quarter," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They smashed us. We have to respond better."

James did his job. He sent a message, delivered the first shot by steamrolling the Bulls early.

"LeBron did a great job with playing hard right from the beginning, attacking the lanes and changing the pace of the game," Derrick Rose said after a pedestrian 6-of-20 shooting night. "For the leader of the team, that's what you're supposed to do. Got to take your hat off to them. Everybody on the team followed right behind him and they got a huge lead right away."

At halftime, the Cavs had 64 points, the most the Bulls had allowed in a half all year. James had 22 of them -- or three more than he had on Monday night, before finishing with 33 points, his high mark in the playoffs this year. 

It didn't matter that the Cavs were outscored in each of the final three quarters. The job was done early. 

Lineup change -- Blatt made a peculiar decision in Game 1, electing to start seldom-used Mike Miller for injured Kevin Love. It didn't work. Miller was the worst player on the court, finishing with a measly three points and the worst plus minus (-20).

So Blatt came up with a Plan B: Tristan Thompson.

"For Double T, just having him on the sideline today was a little bit more physicality to start the game and we responded well," James said. "I would say what he does is a relentless effort on the glass. It was unbelievable for our team and every extra possession we get is key. He's just relentless."

The Cavs stormed out to a 20-point lead at the end of the first quarter and Thompson was at the center of it.

"The aggression," Thibodeau said of what changed with the Cavs' starting lineup. "We knew the aggression would be better and harder. We didn't respond well to it. We got outrebounded. We gave them everything and 38 points in the first quarter was too big of a cushion for them. We tried to work our way back into the game. We had maybe one crack at it and we didn't get it done. We're capable of playing a lot better and we're going to have to."

Thompson finished with five points to go along with a team-high 12 rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

"Just do what I've been doing all season," Thompson said about his role. "My role is to just play hard, set screens, get guys open, try to get extra possessions and just play hard every possession. That's what I did tonight."

Thompson has earned many nicknames. The Janitor. T Top. Double T. The rest of the playoffs, the Cavs could just refer to him as "starter" because he's earned that role. There's no reason for Blatt to make a change, especially with Love's arm in a sling.

"He made a big difference," Joakim Noah said of Thompson. "He played well tonight. We have to do better"

Bench rises -- Shifting Thompson to the starting lineup put more pressure on the rest of the second unit. It meant more minutes for Kendrick Perkins, James Jones, Miller and even Matthew Dellavedova.

They all delivered.

"We got great contributions from everybody that came into the game," Blatt said. "Our starters were terrific, but the guys that came off the bench were a critical part of us winning the game. We need it, obviously, down a few guys. We really need that and they gave it to us."

Dellavedova played 36 minutes, more than anyone in a gold jersey. The plucky Australian scored nine points and dished out a team-high nine assists. Perkins brought toughness and roughed up Pau Gasol, who prefers to play away from the paint. The Cavs' backup center even picked up a technical foul as he got into one of his usual shoving matches.

But no one was bigger than Jones, a two-time NBA champion.

"He's been in the league 12 years because he's a high character guy that knows how to play and is always willing, ready and able to help the team when called on," Blatt said.

That's what every title team needs, a player capable of rising to the moment no matter how much he played in the previous game.

"I'm very confident in him," James said. "He's battle tested, he's playoff tested. He's a true professional, a true gamer. Anytime his opportunity is called, especially when I'm on the floor I'm always looking for him. I know he's capable of doing great things. I'm more proud of him than anybody tonight. He was amazing."

One game after playing eight minutes and failing to score a single basket, Jones logged 22 minutes and buried five triples en route to a 17-point night. 

"As a player, I've never come into a game with a sense of expectation," he said. "The playoffs one play can change the course of a series so everyone is on edge and everyone is ready. I suspected I would probably get an opportunity. Tonight my teammates got me great shots and I made them."

Jones outscored Rose. He even had more points than Gasol. 

The Bulls' bench outscored Cleveland's, 36-26, but that wasn't the story. It's about making a positive impact and the Cavs' second unit did its job, something that wasn't the case in Game 1.

"We're all here for a reason. We're all professional basketball players and this is the playoffs," Jones said. "Our main guys will always be consistent, but it's up to our bench. If our bench can give us the type of spark we had, we will be fine."

Second chance points -- Scoring against the Bulls is a difficult task. Thibodeau prides himself on being a defensive-minded coach, with an answer to slow down any opponent.

The Cavs shot 44 percent from the field, which the Bulls will probably take, but the final total won't cut it from Chicago's perspective. It gave up 106 points, the most this postseason. The Cavs are 25-0 at home when reaching the century mark. A big reason for their offensive success was relentless work on the boards. 

They had 14 offensive boards against Chicago's 11 and had an eight-point (23-15) edge in second chance points.

All eyes on Iman Shumpert -- From the moment J.R. Smith lost his cool and swung his fist at Jae Crowder in the series finale against Boston, Shumpert knew things were going to change.

His minutes. His role. The number of shot opportunities. The free space he would have to fire playing alongside James and Irving.

"I noticed that a lot in Game 1," he said. "I was hesitant a lot early in Game 1 so coming into this game I wanted to make sure I had my feet ready and my hands ready to knock it down and hopefully stretch out the floor and provide an easier driving lane for those guys."

The versatile swingman is known for his defense, but his offensive contributions will give Blatt yet another lineup decision.

The plan all along was to bring Smith, the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year, off the bench in a super sub role, hoping the league's lowest-scoring second unit would receive instant offense. Shumpert's early injury and Smith's fit with the other starters altered that idea.

Is it time for another change?

After scoring 15 points on 5-of-11 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from three-point range in 29 minutes, Shumpert is averaging 18.5 points against the team he grew up watching. In the first two games, he's shooting 46 percent from the field and 8-of-17 (47 percent) from beyond the arc. He has scored at least 15 points in three straight playoff games. 

Who does he think he is, J.R. Smith?

Floor spacing was supposed to be an issue with Smith and Love absent. The outside shooting was expected to be inconsistent, but Shumpert's contributions and Jones' eruption made those areas less of a concern.

Now it's time for the Cavs to cross their fingers. Shumpert left briefly in the third quarter after being diagnosed with a strained left groin, but returned. He felt sore after the game. He is, however, hoping he can suit up on Friday.

"It's going to take a lot of doctors to tell me not to play," he said.

Added Blatt: "Iman has given us a terrific series thus far. He's obviously very, very important for us. I hope he's going to be okay. He did stretch his groin and we'll see if it's not too serious. He was able to come back in as you saw the moment we could get him out of there. The idea of putting him back in was just because we're going to need him and we didn't want him sitting too long. Then once we saw we had our hands around the game, we were able to sit him back down again. Time for one of those miracle 48-hour recoveries. That's what we're hoping for."

Here's what Terry Francona, Carlos Carrasco, Brandon Moss and Marc Rzepczynski had to say about the Cleveland Indians 10-3 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here's what the Indians had to say about their 10-3 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Manager Terry Francona

On Carlos Carrasco's seven-inning performance.

"I thought he did very well. We got on the scoreboard early and that's a good way to win. Then he pitched really effectively against a lineup that feels pretty good about itself.

"They came back like good teams do. He made a bad pitch to (Kendrys) Morales in the fourth and he hit it a long way. Then they had their rally in the sixth and he made some really good pitches to get out of that."

Explanation: Kendrys Morales hit a Carrasco curveball for a two-run homer in the fourth to cut the Tribe's lead to 5-2. The Royals rallied for another run in the sixth, but Carrasco retired Salvador Perez to end the inning and keep the score at 5-3.

On Carrasco being more aggressive in this start than in his last start against Toronto.

"I thought he was aggressive. I thought he was in attack mode even when it came to throwing his off-speed stuff. He wasn't nursing it, just attacking. Early on, he didn't throw a lot of pitches."

On scoring four runs on six hits in one inning against left-hander Danny Duffy.

"Doing that against a lefty, I was thrilled. Up and down the lineup we stayed after him. We ran the bases well.

"Even the little things like Mossie (Brandon Moss) going to third, making them bring the infield in, and Mikey (Mike Aviles) pushing it through the infield for a run. I thought they did a good job."

Explanation: Brandon Moss hit a two-run double in the seventh for an 8-3 lead. Moss took third on Franklin Morales' wild pitch and scored when Mike Aviles punched a single through the right side of the infield with the Royals' infield pulled in to cut off the run at the plate.

On scoring four runs in the seventh to take a 9-3 lead.

"That was a big swing. Carlos (Carrasco) holds them in the sixth and we score four in the seventh. That's the way we're going to have to play because Kansas City is a good team."

On Carrasco pitching two shutdown innings after the Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first and stretched it to 4-0 in the second.

"Coming out of the gate and playing with a lead is huge. Then when we score and then shutting the opposition down is even bigger."

On Game 2 of Francona's revamped lineup.

"I think it was the right thing to do or I wouldn't have done it. But I don't think that's the reason we scored runs. We scored them because we hit and ran the bases. And if we don't swing the bat it doesn't matter.

"But I do think that there's some common sense there to use the guy who gets on base. We'll see how it works."

Explanation: On Tuesday, Francona moved cleanup hitter Carlos Santana into the No.2 spot. Santana leads the AL with 24 walks. In Wednesday's victory, he reached base twice in five plate appearances, scored a run and drove in a run.

On Nick Swisher, coming off double knee surgery, scoring from second base in the second inning on Lonnie Chisenhall's double.

"I think Swish is moving pretty good. He's working at it. It's certainly a work in progress, which we knew it would be. But he's not short-changing anybody on effort."

On Chisenhall's defense at third.

"The pop up was a fluke, but he made some really nice plays. The one ball spun him around. He came back and got his feet under him and finished the play.

It seems like (Jason) Kipnis has been all over the place. That's the way we have to play. It's a fun way to play."

Explanation: After making a great diving stop against Omar Infante in the fifth, Chisenhall dropped Jarrod Dyson's pop up in the seventh for an error.

On Jason Kipnis getting thrown out at the plate in the first inning for what would have been the Indians first run.

"Lorenzo Cain (Royals center fielder) missed the cutoff man and got him by a fraction of an inch.  I've got no problem with that. I told Sarbie (third base coach Mike Sarbaugh) to stay aggressive. He does a really good job of making decisions.

"It worked out because Carlos (Santana) went to second because they missed the cutoff man and we ended up scoring anyway. However way you look at it, it was a great throw to get Kipnis out, but he air-mailed it the whole way."

Explanation: Kipnis started the game with a double. Santana followed with a single to center and Cain threw home to get Kipnis on a close play. Santana took second on the throw, went to third on a ground ball and scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Right-hander Carlos Carrasco

On how he felt facing the Royals.

"I felt great. Before the game started I felt it was going to be a good day. I just attacked tonight."

On keeping the Royals from scoring after your offense scored four runs in the first two innings?

"I knew I had to do my job after we scored those runs."

On the offense producing 10 runs on 13 hits.

"It was great to see. I had my teammates behind me. They scored and made some nice plays."

On whether he was worried after the Royals cut the Tribe's lead to 5-3 in the sixth.

"I felt a little bit different, but I had to continue doing the same job I did in the first few innings. I had to attack and that's what I did."

Right fielder Brandon Moss, who drove in three runs Wednesday

"On Tuesday, (lefty) Jason Vargas pitched really well against us. I know he doesn't light up the radar gun. Everyone wants to look at the radar gun and say this guy is throwing 87 mph and why aren't we hitting him?

"But he moves the ball around and uses his off-speed stuff at the right time.

"Tonight (Danny) Duffy was struggling with his command a little bit. He got ahead of some guys and couldn't finish them off. . .Getting him out of the game in the second inning was huge."

On the Indians ability to hit left-handed pitching.

"I know we have a predominately left-handed lineup.But unless you get a guy who is just filthy, all of us lefties can go up there and put together a decent at bat. You don't always get hits out of that, but sometimes you do."

Explanation: The Indians are 3-9 against left-handed starters this year.

On what manager Terry Francona has done at the top of the order by inserting Jason Kipnis in the leadoff spot and Carlos Santana in the No.2 spot.

"Kip has been swinging a great bat. It started with him today. He was being aggressive, hits a double and that set the tone right there. When you see him have that kind of at bat,  it gives you confidence. 

"I had heard when i came over here that Carlos (Santana) is on base all the time, but until you play with him, you really don't realize it. He's always on base.

"Even if he's not on base, he's going to see four or five pitches. So you can sit in the on deck circle and get your timing and see what the guy is featuring.

"A lot of that goes unnoticed in baseball. A guy that can work the count like that and be that disciplined helps everybody."

Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, who pitched scoreless eighth inning.

On Carrasco going seven innings.

"Anytime we can get a starter to go seven innings, it's great for our bullpen."

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Bulls during the postgame show. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers evened up the best-of-seven series with the Chicago Bulls, building an early lead and coasting to a 106-91 win.

LeBron James set the tone, scoring 33 points, his highest in six postseason games this year. Kyrie Irving added 21 points and Tristan Thompson pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds as head coach David Blatt made a lineup switch on Wednesday night. Starting Thompson instead of Mike Miller helped the Cavs' energy as they exploded out to a 20-point lead by the end of the first quarter. 

With the series tied at one, the Cavs will have tomorrow off before traveling to Chicago for Friday's Game 3. 

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Bulls during the postgame show.

The trio talked about James' approach to Game 2, why the starting lineup looked so much better with Thompson, the bench contributing, if Iman Shumpert should remain in the starting lineup with J.R. Smith coming off suspension and what the first two games of the series mean for the remainder of this matchup. 

Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco pitched seven innings and the offense produced 13 hits in a 10-3 victory over the Royals on Wednesday night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Carlos Carrasco had a little locker room fun before turning serious Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Carrasco, still a member of the bullpen deep in his heart, put a cockroach in former bullpen mate Marc Rzepczynski's shoe. Rzepczynski is not fond of insects and his bullpen mates take delight in torturing him at every opportunity.

After Rzpeczynski made Carrasco stick his hand in the offended footwear to make sure the cockroach was gone, Carrasco took the mound and for the most part made the high-flying Royals disappear in the Indians' 10-3 victory.

Carrasco (4-2, 4.71 ERA) pitched seven innings to beat the Royals for the first time since May 17, 2011. He allowed three runs on five hits with six strikeouts.

The Indians scored early and late, doing the bulk of the damage against lefties Danny Duffy (2-1, 4.55) and Franklin Morales. Duffy started, but lasted just one-plus inning as the Indians reached him for four runs on six hits.

Lonnie Chisenhall (double), Brett Hayes (single) and Jason Kipnis (single) drove in runs against Duffy in the second to send him to the locker room. The Tribe took a 1-0 lead in the first when Carlos Santana scored on Duffy's wild pitch.

After the Royals pulled to within 5-3 on a Kendrys Morales two-run homer and an Eric Hosmer double, the Indians scored four times in the seventh against Morales. A two-run double by Brandon Moss was the big hit of the inning.

Moss added a homer in the ninth that found the fountains behind the fence in right center field. Moss has five homers for the season.

The Indians, offensively challenged in this slow start, finished with 13 hits. Mike Aviles, starting his second straight game at shortstop because Jose Ramirez can't hit lefties, led the way with three hits. Aviles reached base four times in five plate appearances.

Carrasco, who pitched out of the bullpen for much of the 2014 season, threw 98 pitches, including 65 strikes. Rzepczynski and Zach McAllister pitched the final two innings for the Tribe.

What it means

The Indians improved to 2-3 against the Royals and have won three of their last five games. They are still an embarrassing 6-13 in the AL Central, but they did beat a left-hander for just the third time in 12 decisions.

The Royals slipped to 10-5 at home and 12-9 in the Central. Kansas City is 5-5 over the last 10 games.

Slapping leather?

Chisenhall robbed Omar Infante of extra bases with a diving stop at third to start the fifth inning. After making the stop, Chisenhall righted himself and threw Infante out at first.

As good as that play was, Chisenhall dropped a routine pop up by Jarrod Dyson in the seventh for an error. The ball clanked off the heel of his glove for just his second error. 

Feels like the first time

Nick Swisher, after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Tuesday night in his first big-league action since Aug. 9, singled in his first at-bat Wednesday night to start the Indians' three-run second.

It was Swisher's first hit since Aug. 9 against the Yankees.

Would Bourn have had it?

The Royals put a scare in the Indians when they made it 5-3 on Hosmer's double in the sixth.

Carrasco retired the first two batters in the inning, but Lorenzo Cain, just back from a two-game suspension, sent a drive to right center. Michael Brantley, who has replaced Bourn in center against lefties, made a long run for the ball but couldn't catch up to it.

The ball rolled to the fence for a triple.

Bourn, who has been benched against lefties, entered the game in the seventh as a pinch-runner. At the end of the inning, he took over in center and Brantley moved back to his normal position in left field.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Royals drew 23,316 fans to Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night.

What's next?

Right-hander Corey Kluber (0-4, 4.62) will face Kansas City right-hander Edinson Volquez (2-3, 2.10) at 2:10 p.m. Thursday. SportsTime Ohio and WTAM AM/1100 will carry the game.

Kluber, last year's AL Cy Young winner, is still looking for his first win of the season. The Royals knocked him around for six runs, four earned, on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings on April 27 at Progressive Field.

He is 4-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 11 starts against the Royals.

Volquez will be making his sixth start of the season for the Royals. The opposition is hitting .192 against him.

He'll be facing the Indians for the first time since 2011. He's 1-2 with a 12.19 ERA against the Tribe in his career.

Vote for your favorite candidate for girls lacrosse Player of the Year for 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The girls lacrosse regular season is nearly over and it's time to try to narrow down candidates for cleveland.com's player of the year and goalie of the year awards.

The winner won't be chosen until the end of the postseason, but readers are encouraged to share their thoughts on this year's contenders to date. 

Vote for your choice for both. 

Please remember these polls are just for fun and do not determine who will win either award. That will be determined by cleveland.com after the postseason.  

Leave names of additional players you think should be considered in the comments section. The one listed below are just a few to consider and should NOT be interpreted as a list of the only eligible candidates. 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES

Kasidy Anderson, Shaker Heights: The senior multisport athlete leads the Raiders' offense with 52 goals and 15 assists. She's also picked up 24 ground balls taken 32 draw controls through 15 games. Division I second team All-Ohio last season and provides Shaker Heights with solid, experienced leadership. 

Ashley Bernardi, Medina: The senior midfielder plays a very balanced game between scoring and defense. She has 14 goals and four assists to go along with 22 ground balls and 36 draw controls. 

Kate Carlos, Walsh Jesuit: The junior attacker earned Division II second team All-Ohio honors last season and is a key scoring threat for the Warriors and continues to be a drive force for the team this year. The Warriors are ranked seventh among the top Division II teams in the area by LaxPower.com. 

Andrea Chiviles, Rocky River: The junior midfielder has 28 goals and 11 assists as well as 67 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers for the Pirates. She earned Division II second team All-Ohio last year. 

Claudia Lewis, Chagrin Falls: The senior defender is a key component of a Tigers team that's given up double-digit point totals just four times this season. 

Brooke McQuinn, Magnificat: The senior center is the Blue Streaks' leading scorer and an active defender with who knows how to create scoring opportunities for others as well as finding her own shots. During a recent game against Lake Catholic, she racked up eight assists and three goals.

Kelsey Owen, Chagrin Falls: Owen leads the team in total points and is the most explosive and dynamic player, according to Tigers coach KC White, on the top Division II girls team in the area. She's scored 44 points against some of the top-ranked teams in the state and has forced 16 turnovers on defense. Owen is the reigning cleveland.com player of the year and also earned first team All-American and first team All-Ohio honors a year ago. 

Elise Remienschnider, Rocky River: With 25 goals, five assists, six caused turnovers and 37 ground balls, Remienschnider is a player opponents have to pay attention to at all times.

Caroline Tatsuoka, Laurel: Tatsuoka can pretty much do it all for the Gators. The midfielder has 72 goals, 12 assists, 26 ground balls and 67 draw controls and has helped her team to an 11-2 record with the playoffs fast approaching. 

Sarah Vanadia, Medina: The junior midfielder leads the Bees in scoring with 53 goals and six assists. The returning first team All-Ohioan also won 37-of-63 draw controls and has 14 ground balls. Vanadia was the only player from Northeast Ohio to make first team all-state for Division I. 

Jill Zavoda, Magnificat: The senior midfielder presents many challenges to opposing teams as she is a capable scorer and defender who can also make things happen with her passing ability. 

GOALIE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES

Shelynn Beasley, Laurel: With 56 saves and 45 percent save rate, Beasley is rock for the Gators, making it difficult for opposing teams to score, game-after-game. 

Mikaela Faus, Medina: The senior goaltender has stopped 82 of the 170 shots she faced through the first 13 games of the season for a save percentage of 48 percent. 

Emily Forbes, Shaker Heights: The junior goalkeeper has 105 saves through 15 games for the Raiders (12-2-1), which are ranked 11th in the state overall by LaxPower.com. Opponents have scored double-figures against her just twice and she's held teams to seven goals or less 11 times.  

Reagan Hardy, Magnificat: The sophomore goaltender has helped the Blue Streaks hold opponents to eight goals or fewer on eight separate occasions so far with only one regular season game to go. 

Molly Hopkins, Chagrin Falls: Averaging about seven saves per game, Hopkins is a component to the Tigers' defense which has helped them become the top Division II team in Northeast Ohio.

Olivia Stafford, Rocky River: Stafford has stopped 65 percent of the 94 shots she's faced to date and is a major reason why the Pirates are 13-2 overall. 

The Elyria softball team is hitting its peak as the postseason gets underway.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The regular season is nearing the end as the softball playoffs get underway on Saturday.

While the seedings have been set since Sunday, that does not mean that exciting things have not been going on in Northeast Ohio softball.

Here is a look at what else is going in the softball world.

Elyria's offense explodes for 15 runs in an inning against Medina

The Pioneers were a surprise last year as they made it to the state tournament, and they appear ready to make a run this year.

On Tuesday, the Pioneers defeated Medina, 19-5, using a 15-run fourth inning to get the victory. The win was significant as the Bees showed what type of team it is by knocking off previously No. 1 Brecksville, 6-2, last week.

Making it last year was an impressive feat, but this year, the team is more than capable of winning the entire game.

Katie Lew dominates in a win against Berea-Midpark

Lew struck out 14 batters in a 4-2 win against the Titans on Wednesday night, helping the Demons win their 20th game of the year.

Westlake is a balanced team that can win a game with its offense, but the biggest reason why Westlake is capable of competing with anybody is because of Lew.

Brooklyn in contention for conference championship

The Brooklyn softball team is having its best season in years, as the team is currently 13-4 and in contention for a PAC championship.

Two of the team's losses have come to Keystone and Cuyahoga Heights, two teams who are capable of winning a state championship in their respective divisions.

Other media outlets coverage

Eastlake North Rangers stay in PAC race with win over Chardon (News Herald)

Firelands Falcons' Samantha Hribal nearly perfect in win (Morning Journal)

Brunswick keeps title hopes alive (Medina Gazette)

Listen to our latest cleveland.com sports podcasts.

Each week, Cleveland.com brings you podcasts with reporters and columnists from Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Here are our most recent podcasts:

May 6, 2015

Cavaliers postgame podcast, Game 2: Listen | Download

May 5, 2015

Terry Pluto podcast: Listen | Download

May 4, 2015

Cavaliers postgame podcast, Game 1: Listen | Download

May 1, 2015

Dennis Manoloff podcast: Listen | Download

Watch Cavs Insider as we preview the weekend in Chicago and more. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers are off the Windy City this weekend to continue their conference semifinal series with the Chicago Bulls. Game 3 is Friday night at 8 p.m. while Game 4 will take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

On today's Cavs Insider, I previewed the weekend ahead and looked back on Game 2. I was joined by David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune along with cleveland.com's Chris Haynes and Chris Fedor. We talked about:

• Derrick Rose playing every other day.
• Adjustments the Cavaliers made in Game 2.
• Kyrie Irving's all-around performance on Wednesday night.
• Predictions for Games 3 and 4.

Watch the video above. Our next Cavs Insider show will go up Monday to recap the weekend.

If Asian carp can find their way into Lake Erie, satellite images and a USGS model show the invasive fish could grow to 100 pounds, or more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If Asian carp find their way into Lake Erie, a U.S. Geological Survey model using satellite imagery show the invasive fish will have more than enough food to allow them to grow to 100 pounds, or more.

Asian carp are filter-feeders, and would thrive on Lake Erie's growing algal blooms, according to the USGS report released Thursday. USGS scientists determined there was more than enough green algae and blue-green algae on the lake surface for the invasive fish to reach maximum size.

"NOAA satellite imagery allowed us to investigate the entire lake and our model measured the amount of surface algae. It told us not only how much Asian carp would need to maintain weight, but also to gain weight," said USGS scientist Karl Anderson in a telephone interview from the USGS office in Columbia, Missouri.

The two most-dreaded species of Asian carp in the U.S. are the bighead and silver carp. Bighead carp can grow to more than 100 pounds. Silver carp grow almost as large. They are best known for jumping from the water when disturbed by noise, such as a boat motor, and endangering mariners.

Anderson said USGS Asian carp specialist Duane Chapman examined three bighead carp found in Lake Erie between 1999-2000, the only carp captured in Lake Erie other than grass carp, or white amurs, and common carp.

The three filter-feeding bighead carp were in much better condition than bighead or silver carp found in the Mississippi River, where there is a huge population of the invasive carp.

"To predict the growth potential of Asian carp in Lake Erie, we looked at food availability and water temperature," he said. "The remote sensing imagery shows Lake Erie has huge areas of available food, especially the Western Basin, that are several times more concentrated than necessary for Asian carp growth."

Anderson said Lake Erie is at the same latitude as the Asian carp's native waters in China, providing a similar climate. Ohio's cold winters and a frozen Lake Erie would not be a deterrent.

"I was in China, and found at Lake Chagan during the huge Asian carp winter festival that people cut holes in the ice and used nets to drag the fish from the lake," said Anderson. "I had the chance to eat silver carp. It is a white, flaky, sweet meat. It was fabulous."

Check out five of the top tweets about or from those affiliated with high school sports from Thursday, May 7.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Twitter where people of all walks of life are free to share any thought or idea that pops into their head and some of the most interesting and, often times, entertaining come from high school coaches, athletes and sports fans. 

The following are five of the top tweets about or from those affiliated with high school sports from Thursday, May 7: 

Chagrin Falls posted some outstanding action shots.

Remember to check out game pics at http://t.co/dTec8P7gP0 !! pic.twitter.com/Na6wAKYRQG

— Chagrin Lacrosse (@CFHSLacrosse) May 7, 2015

Today was a good day for Kent Roosevelt tennis.

Congratulations to Ethan Jones as he wins 7-5, 6-2 over Norton to take the 2nd singles title in the PTC Championships. 🎾👍🏻

— Roosevelt Athletics (@rriderathletics) May 7, 2015

Solon's lacrosse account poses and interesting question about "Deflategate."

Our guys refer 'slippery' balls to 'greasers'! Anyone else's kids call them that? https://t.co/BtFLBDOgmW

— Solon Lacrosse (@SolonLax) May 7, 2015

Mogadore reached out to Woodridge's baseball team to wish the coach well in his quest to reach a career high-point.

Congrats Coach Dever! https://t.co/c9qPoJFC3f

— Mogadore Athletics (@MogAthletics) May 7, 2015

 Amherst is pumped up about some personalized baseballs in honor of senior day.

A huge thank you to Mr. DiFranco for doing our senior baseballs today! #CometPridepic.twitter.com/c9Fq0joDvf

— Amherst Baseball (@ASHSBaseball) May 7, 2015

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), on Twitter (@rrozboril) or on Facebook (facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Manager Terry Francona has been thinking about moving Carlos Santana into the No.2 spot in the Indians' lineup since spring training, but several things had to happen before he made the move.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Not even manager Terry Francona knows how long the Carlos Santana experiment will last and he's the guy who made it a reality.

It's a safe bet that it's going to be for a while.

Not many managers take their cleanup hitter and move him into the No.2 spot on a whim. Francona is no different. He says he's been thinking about it since spring training. A number of things had to take place before he acted.

No. 1, the offense had to be sputtering, especially when it came to facing left-handers. Check.

No. 2, someone had to emerge from the lineup that bore a reasonable facsimile to a cleanup hitter besides Santana. Check.

No. 3, Santana had to be reaching base at his normal high rate. Check.

The Indians rank 10^th out of 15 AL teams in runs and that is only because they are averaging over seven runs per game in the first week of May. In April, when the Indians went 7-14, they averaged 3.8 runs.

Francona unveiled the experiment in this series against the Royals because they started lefties Jason Vargas and Danny Duffy in the first two games. He was able to move Santana into the No.2 spot because he had Ryan Raburn in the fourth spot.

The reborn Raburn, after a lost season in 2014, is hitting .425 (17-for-40) with eight doubles, one homer and 11 RBI against lefties.

Brandon Moss gave Francona another option. While the left-handed Moss hit fifth behind Raburn in the first two games of the series, he batted fourth Thursday against right-hander Edinson Volquez.

Moss, after a slow start, went into Thursday's game hitting .241 (20-for-83) with five homers, 21 RBI and a .506 slugging percentage. Essentially, Francona has replaced the switch-hitting Santana with a cleanup platoon.

Santana, who is leading the AL in walks, reached base three times in eight plate appearances in the first two games. He scored three runs, walked twice, went 1-for-6 and drove in a run.

This is no fluke. Santana came into this season leading the big leagues in walks for the last four seasons.

The crux of Francona's idea was to hit Santana in front of Michael Brantley, who went into Thursday's game hitting .346 (27-for-789) with a .940 OPS. Last year Brantley hit .327 with a .890 OPS.

"I had heard when I came over here that Carlos gets on base all the time," said Moss, acquired from Oakland in December. "But until you play with him, you don't realize it. He's always on base.

"Even if he's not on base, he's going to see four or five pitches. So you can sit in the on deck circle and get your timing and see what the guy is featuring.

"A lot of that goes unnoticed in baseball. A guy who can work the count like that and be that disciplined helps everybody."

Two games into the experiment, the Indians are 1-1. They lost to the Royals on Tuesday, 5-3. On Wednesday, they beat left-hander Danny Duffy, 10-3.

"I think it was the right thing to do or I wouldn't have done it," said Francona after Wednesday's win. "But I don't think that's the reason we scored runs. We scored them because we hit and ran the bases. If we don't swing the bat, it doesn't matter.

"But I do think that there's some common sense there to use the guy who gets on base. We'll see how it works."

Francona started revamping the lineup on April 26 when he inserted Jason Kipnis in the leadoff spot and dropped Michael Bourn to the bottom of the lineup. Kipnis has responded by hitting .318 (14-for-44) with eight runs, three homers and four RBI.

"Kip has been swinging the bat great," said Moss. "He's being aggressive."

On May 3, the Indians rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat Toronto, 10-7. Francona called it a "crossroads' game for his struggling ballclub.

Could this new lineup help the Indians get past the crossroads and headed in the right direction? Time will tell.

Ohio State grabbed another top prospect out of Michigan when four-star offensive Michael Jordan of Canton (Mich.) Plymouth committed to the Buckeyes on Thursday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There's nothing slow and steady about what Urban Meyer is doing to assemble Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class.

Is there such thing as too fast? If there is, Ohio State is doing it.

But Meyer will take any commitment he can get from a top prospect, like the one Ohio State earned from four-star offensive tackle Michael Jordan of Canton (Mich.) Plymouth on Thursday afternoon.

Rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 16 offensive tackle in the country, Jordan is commitment No. 15 in Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class.

The commitment is significant for Ohio State because not only is it another elite prospect, but one who hails from the Buckeyes' biggest rival's state. Ohio State has worked diligently to create a presence in Michigan, most notably at Detroit powerhouse Cass Tech.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound prospect chose the Buckeyes over offers from Michigan, Boston College, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Penn State.

With the commitment, Ohio State moved up to No. 2 overall in 247Sports' recruiting class rankings in 2016. Of Ohio State's 15 commits, 13 are rated as four-star prospects or better.

Ohio State recruiting coordinator Mark Pantoni usually Tweets out "Boom!" when the Buckeyes earn a commitment. This time he had a more clever message.

Mood pic.twitter.com/qiKqGhx6MR

-- Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) May 7, 2015

Below is Ohio State's full 2016 recruiting class:

The Browns have signed pass-rusher Nate Orchard and tight end Randall Telfer on the eve to four-eyar four-year deal and

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two down and only 10 to go.

On the eve of rookie camp, the Browns on Thursday signed second round pick Nate Orchard, the pass-rusher from Utah and sixth round pick Randall Telfer, the tight end from USC.

Orchard and Telfer will join the other draft picks for the three-day camp that begins Friday at the Browns facility in Berea. The drafted dozen will be joined on the field by a large contingent of undrafted free agents and tryout players.

Orchard's four-year deal is worth $4.466 million, including $2.581 million guaranteed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. It includes a signing bonus worth $1.508 million signing bonus. Terms of Telfer's deal were not immediately available.

In Orchard, the Browns have a pass-rusher who finished second in the nation with 18.5 sacks last season.

"Keep an eye on Nate Orchard,'' NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah said Thursday on Path to the Draft. "He flat-out knows how to rush the quarterback.''

Browns coach Mike Pettine said Friday that Orchard's college production "jumps out at you. As you go through this process, sometimes it gets very complicated with the numbers and statistics and the measurables. We have a saying that the best predictor of future success is past success. This is a guy who has a knack to find the quarterback. He's a guy that we've had our eye on for a long time throughout this process, and we're very excited for him to be a Cleveland Brown."

 Draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki writes of Orchard (6-3, 250) in his draft guide, "A quick, undersized, high-effort pass-rusher who blossomed as a senior with newfound stability and motivation in his life. Is not the biggest, strongest or fastest, but will win a lot of matchups with savvy and effort and has the heart to become a solid producer in the pros.''

In 36 starts at Utah, the converted receiver totaled 186 career tackles, 25 sacks, 10 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries...Converted to defensive end from wide receive. He earned first-team All-America honors last season, and won the Ted Hendricks Award for the nation's top defensive lineman.

Orchard attributed his 18.5 sacks last season to "just wanting to get home man. Just need to get to the quarterback. That is the head of the snake. It can really change a ballgame. It is just my thing."

Telfer (6-3 3/4, 250) underwent surgery on his left foot in late February and is still working hard to come back.

When healthy, he prides himself on "being a well-rounded tight end and bringing a physicality to the table. I think that's one thing I can definitely bring to the Browns. I'm a very physical run blocker, a very physical blocker in general. It's one of my biggest strong suits and one of my biggest assets.''

For the second time in his career, Telfer will try to fill the shoes of fellow tight end Jordan Cameron, who mentored him at USC. Cameron signed with the Dolphins as a free agent this offseason.

"It's kind of a similar situation to when he left at USC,'' said Telfer. "I started playing right after he left. I have a really good relationship with him, and he's a good friend of mine. He taught me a lot about the game, a lot about how to play. I'm proud of him and everything that he's done this far. It feels good to kind of take over where he left off."

Telfer will be one of at least two players limited in this minicamp. The other is seventh-round pick Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who revealed on a conference call Wednesday that he suffered a dislocated knee in addition to his torn ACL, which is likely why he lasted until No. 241. Before the injury, Ekpre-Olomu was projected as a first- or second-round pick.

Among the tryout players will be Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato.

"It feels great to get that call and get that opportunity that I've been looking for," Cato told The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. "It's a dream-come-true and it's a blessing. I've just been looking for the opportunity to get that shot. I just want to go in and some way, somehow just make my mark, take it one day at a time and be the best player I can."

Cato joins Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley as two camp arms hoping to catch on with the team.

 "(Cato's) got the opportunity, and now the ball is in his court," his agent, Joseph Schulz, told The Herald-Dispatch. "I'm just very happy for him because he's going to a good spot where there is a chance for him to make the team with the uncertainty at quarterback there."

Cato broke several of the records of former NFL quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich while at Marshall. During his four-year career, he threw for 14,918 yards and 146 total touchdowns while completing 62.7 percent of his passes.

Among the players the Browns have signed to undrafted free agent contracts are Iowa State tight end E.J. Bibbs, defensive end Mike Reilly of William and Mary and offensive linemen Darian Miller of Kentucky and Tyler Loos of Northern Illinois.

Indians righty Corey Kluber is 0-5 with a 5.04 ERA in seven starts.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the first inning as the Royals defeated Corey Kluber and the Indians, 7-4, Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

Problematic: The Indians (10-17, last place in the AL Central) lost the series, 2-1. It dropped their season's series record to 1-6-2.

The Indians' series victory came when they opened the season by taking two of three in Houston, April 6-9.

Defending AL champion Kansas City (18-10, first place in the Central) is 4-2 against the Tribe.

Unable to get traction: The Indians' past nine games have gone L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L. They have won back-to-back games just once this season -- April 8-9 against the Astros.

Waterworks: Wet weather delayed the start of Thursday's game by 2 hours, 17 minutes.

Hard to believe, but true: The Tribe fell to 0-7 in games started by Kluber, the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Kluber (0-5, 5.04 ERA) allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven. In his past four starts, Kluber is 0-4 with a 7.43 ERA (23 innings, 19 earned runs). He has given up 38 hits.

No question Kluber is in a slump, and the Indians need him to be much better, obviously -- but he was nowhere near as bad against the Royals as the line indicates. He didn't get the job done in a bottom-line business -- but pitchers have performed much worse and delivered "quality'' starts.

Kluber's pitches featured ample velocity and movement. His sequences were not predictable. He moved the ball up and down, in and out.

This was just "one of those starts," which means it doesn't require going back to any drawing boards or over-thinking. His biggest issue, as has been the case for four starts, was fastball command. He wasn't able to put it quite where he wanted.

The Royals, full of confident, professional hitters, punished him for mistakes and made him work for outs. They showed why they were so dangerous after the 100-game mark last season.

In the first inning, Kluber grazed leadoff batter Alex Gordon in the shirt with a 1-2 fastball. Kluber fell behind the next three batters, 2-0, and paid the price: Mike Moustakas single, Lorenzo Cain single, Hosmer homer.

Four batters into the game, Kluber trailed, 4-0.

Moustakas, Cain and Hosmer hit fastballs, although the only one that capitalized on a truly bad location was Hosmer, who finished the series 5-for-12 with two three-run homers in first innings. He ambushed Danny Salazar on Tuesday as the Royals won, 5-3.

Here is a pitch-by-pitch breakdown of Kluber's outing:

FIRST INNING

(L) Alex Gordon -- 94 fastball called strike; 94 fastball inside; 85 changeup foul; 94 fastball, hit by pitch (shirt).

Skinny: Comeback fastball didn't come back.

(L) Mike Moustakas -- 94 fastball inside; 94 fastball inside; 94 fastball, single to right (off plate inside).

Skinny: Moose shot it past diving first baseman Carlos Santana. Gordon scored when right fielder Brandon Moss fumbled ball, then threw to second.

(R) Lorenzo Cain -- fastball inside; 94 fastball outside; 94 fastball, single to right.

Skinny: Cain went to school on the previous pitch. When Kluber moved the fastball to the outside corner, Cain shot it past diving second baseman Jason Kipnis.

(L) Eric Hosmer -- 89 cutter high; 86 changeup in dirt; 95 fastball, three-run homer to center.

Skinny: Hosmer continues to feast on Tribe pitches when ahead in the count. 

(L) Kendrys Morales -- 82 called strike; 83 curve ball; 94 fastball foul; 84 changeup ball; 95 fastball, fly to left.

Skinny: Anthony Swarzak began warming

(R) Salvador Perez -- 95 fastball called strike; 83 curve swinging strike; 95 fastball foul; 84 curve in dirt; 95 fastball, swinging strikeout.

(R) Omar Infante -- 88 cutter called strike; 93 fastball, grounder to third.

(25 pitches)

SECOND INNING

(L) Jarrod Dyson -- fastball called strike (inside corner); 81 curve called strike; 93 fastball, error second baseman.

Skinny: Kipnis backhanded a sharply hit grounder but did not field it cleanly. By the time he recovered, it was too late because of Dyson's speed. 

(R) Christian Colon -- 92 fastball, sacrifice bunt to first base.

Skinny: Royals did Indians a favor by not letting Dyson try to steal initially.

(L) Alex Gordon -- 94 fastball called strike (inside corner); 81 curve foul; 88 cutter, swinging strikeout (Dyson steals third).

Skinny: Nasty strikeout pitch -- outside corner at shoe tops.

(L) Mike Moustakas -- 82 curve down and in; 90 cutter low; 91 cutter swinging strike (deep inside); 87 changeup low; 92 fastball inside, walk.

Skinny: Good discipline by Moose to lay off the final cutter.

(R) Lorenzo Cain -- 83 curve swinging strike (down and away); 83 curve foul (off plate away); 95 fastball, grounder to pitcher.

Skinny: Kluber missed his spot, unless it was a deke: Catcher Roberto Perez set up inside and the pitch ended off the outside corner. But Kluber kept the pitch down, and Cain took a defensive swing. Cain entered as one of MLB's best hitters with two outs.

(15 pitches)

THIRD INNING

(L) Eric Hosmer -- 93 fastball outside; 93 fastball high; 89 cutter inside; 93 fastball called strike (outer third); 89 cutter called strike (inside corner); 90 cutter foul (inside); 90 cutter high and away, walk.

Skinny: Hosmer fouled a good cutter before drawing the walk. 

(L) Kendrys Morales -- 94 down and in; 90 cutter swinging strike (inside); 94 fastball called strike; 94 fastball inside; 86 changeup low; 92 fastball foul; 84 curve foul; 95 fastball, fly to center.

Skinny: Morales drilled the pitch, which was over and at the shins. Kluber benefited from pitching in a spacious ballpark; center fielder Michael Bourn caught ball at wall.

(R) Salvador Perez -- 82 curve swinging strike; 95 fastball swinging strike (in dirt); 95 fastball foul (up); 90 cutter down and away. 95 fastball, foul pop to catcher.

Skinny: Perez jammed.

(R) Omar Infante -- 90 cutter away; 94 fastball called strike; 81 curve swinging strike; 83 curve, swinging strikeout (down and away).

Skinny: Two nasty curves to close the AB.

(24 pitches)

FOURTH INNING

(L) Jarrod Dyson -- fastball, bunt out 1-3.

Skinny: Dyson dragged down to first-base side. Kluber made a glove flip to the inside of the bag, forcing Santana to reach. Dyson clipped Santana's left arm on the way past, and Santana appeared to tweak the left shoulder. He remained in the game. 

(R) Christian Colon -- 92 fastball low; 92 fastball high; 93 fastball called strike; 94 fastball, pop to second.

(L) Alex Gordon -- 86 changeup swinging strike; 91 cutter foul; 94 fastball up and in; 83 curve low; 83 curve, called strikeout.

Skinny: Kluber changed the eye level substantially, and Gordon froze.

(10 pitches)

FIFTH INNING

(L) Mike Moustakas -- curve outside; 93 fastball called strike (inside corner); 86 changeup low; 88 cutter foul (under hands); 83 curve, single to right.

Skinny: Kluber made a good pitch, outer half at the shins. Moustakas reached and emergency-hacked it into hole at second. Moose's ability to go the other way this season helped him here; the Tribe's alignment was conventional.

(R) Lorenzo Cain --  93 fastball called strike; 89 cutter down and away; 93 fastball foul; 94 fastball, swinging strikeout.

Skinny: Running two-seamer severely tied up Cain.

(L) Eric Hosmer -- 82 curve down and in; 82 curve low; 89 cutter called strike; 83 curve called strike; 84 curve, called strikeout.

Skinny: Final curve was outside corner at knees.

(L) Kendrys Morales -- 93 fastball foul; 89 cutter in dirt; 93 fastball, single to right.

Skinny: Morales turned on a fastball that came back over the inside corner/thighs and zipped it to right. Moustakas advanced to third.

(R) Salvador Perez -- 84 curve called strike; 94 fastball, RBI single to center.

Skinny: Kluber had retired Perez with fastballs in the previous two ABs, the second coming when Perez was jammed and popped out. Kluber tried to jam him again, but the pitch didn't get in far enough, ending on the inner half at the thighs. Perez notched his first hit of the series.

(R) Omar Infante -- 84 curve foul; 84 curve called strike (outer third); 93 fastball foul; 84 pop fly to left.

(23 pitches)

SIXTH INNING

(L) Jarrod Dyson -- 92 fastball high; 90 cutter foul; 90 cutter, fly to right.

(R) Christian Colon -- 81 curve called strike; 93 fastball foul; 94 fastball, swinging strikeout (up).

(L) Alex Gordon -- 86 changeup, single to center.

(seven pitches; 104 total)

(Indians manager Terry Francona hooks Kluber for lefty Marc Rzepczynski.)

David Blatt is looking to have Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith in the lineup for Game 3.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt says guard Iman Shumpert is improving after sustaining a groin strain and is hopeful he can go in Game 3 against the Bulls on Friday.

"He's a little bit better than we originally expected and that's a positive, but we're monitoring and we're hoping that he'll continue to progress," Blatt said Thursday at the team's practice facility.

Shumpert's injury occurred in the third quarter of the Cavaliers' 106-91 win in Game 2 on Wednesday. He was seen telling LeBron James that he heard something pop. He asked to come out of the game and immediately headed for the locker room.

He returned in the fourth after riding a stationary bike and stretching. He finished with 15 points and was 4-of-7 from distance. In the series' first two games, he is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 47 percent from three-point range.

Following the contest, Shumpert said it would take a lot of doctors to keep him from playing in Game 3.

"There's a chance of (Shumpert not playing), but my hope is that he'll be able to play," said Blatt. "We just need a little bit more time, that's all."

Assuming Shumpert can get out there on Friday, the Cavaliers' backcourt will be elevated with J.R. Smith returning after his two-game suspension for whacking Boston's Jae Crowder in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Blatt called Smith "a courageous" player and said there's nothing but positives with Smith back in the fold. He said he's not concerned with any chemistry problems with Shumpert playing so well in his absence.

What concerns him is Smith's 12-day layoff.

"That's the only thing, but as far as us incorporating him, no. I don't see that being any kind of an issue," Blatt said.

So the obvious question is who starts the next game? Of course Blatt isn't divulging that info just yet.

"Probably part of that will be determined by how healthy (Shumpert) is or not, but the good news is we have J.R. coming back. And J.R. has done great work for us this year. Hopefully we'll have the both of them because we need them."

LeBron James played at a higher level Wednesday. Derrick Rose struggles with only one day's rest. Which pattern will break in Game 3 Friday?

CHICAGO - LeBron James was sort of defending Tony Snell, the way one might try to play defense after 34 frenetic minutes and his team up by 22.

The Cavs were leading the Bulls with 4:42 left Wednesday night in what would become Cleveland's 106-91 triumph in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

James switched off of Snell and onto Chicago's Joakim Noah on a pick and roll. Noah basically guided James under the hoop while Snell fired an errant three-pointer that fell into Matthew Dellavedova's arms.

While Dellavedova and the rest of the Cavs were on their way to play offense, James stayed under his own hoop, slowly pacing the baseline with body language that screamed "I'm done." Cleveland coach David Blatt nearly sprinted to midcourt to call a timeout.

While all of this was going on, Chicago's star Derrick Rose was seated on the bench, watching his team lose a Game 2 to James after winning Game 1 for the third time. Rose was already finished, having turned in a 14-point, 10-assist performance in which he shot 6-of-20.

As this series shifts to Chicago's United Center Friday, questions of sustainability and survival surround James and Rose.

For James, who was brilliant with 33 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, can he maintain the high-shot-volume, high-energy effort he handed in Wednesday for the rest of the series? Will Rose be able to break loose from a pattern that's developed of playing poorly when there's only one day in between games?

And can either team win if the answer to those questions is "no?"

"I can't think about that. I think that's something you all made up or something," Rose said. "I can't think about that at all. When I play I try to go out there and play my hardest, but that's about it."

Rose was trying to blame the media for something the numbers bear out. In the playoffs, if the Bulls play with only one day between games, Rose scores 14 points and shoots 30 percent overall and 27 percent from beyond the arc.

Derrick Rose's shotchart from the Cavs' 106-91 win over the Bulls in Game 2 on Wednesday night.NBA.com 

When there are two or more days between games, he's averaging 24.5 points and shooting 46.5 percent. The Bulls were off for three days prior to their 99-92 win in Game 1, when Rose led Chicago with 25 points on 26 shots.

From now through Game 6 of this series, the games are one day apart. If there is a Game 7 in Cleveland on May 17, it would fall two days after Game 6.

Rose suffered a serious knee injury in late February that required surgery. He's had a history of such injuries over the past few seasons, and the general theory is his body simply responds better when there is more time to recover.

The trend is not exclusive to Rose, of course. Just more pronounced.

During the regular season, Rose averaged 14.9 points and shot 35.5 percent on the second night of consecutive games (there are no such scenarios in the playoffs). With one day between games - most before his knee injury - Rose averaged 18.8 points, but shot just 40 percent and 30 percent from three-point range.

Then there's James.

Scoring 30-plus points in 30-plus minutes is nothing new for him - he's literally done it dozens of times in playoff games. In fact, both of his 30-point games in the 2015 playoffs prior to Wednesday night were games in which he played more than 40 minutes.

But in Games 2 and 3 of the Cavs' sweep of Boston in the first round, James scored 30 points on 22 shots and 31 points on 26 shots, respectively. He made 50 percent of his shots in each game.

Against the Bulls, James shot 13-of-29 from the field; the 29 shots were the most in a playoff game for him since 2009.

"I've never been a high-volume shooter," James said.

James has now logged 42,734 minutes in 12 NBA regular seasons and 10 postseasons. He's been to four consecutive Finals, hoping for a fifth this June. Signs of mileage have come and gone this season for the 30-year-old, and here's another:

LeBron James has really struggled from three-point range this postseason.NBA.com 

In six playoff games, James is shooting just 16 percent from three-point range (4-of-25). He hasn't connected on a trey since the second quarter of Game 4 against the Celtics and has missed his last 10.

The return of J.R. Smith from a two-game suspension should alleviate some of the pressure on James to shoot as much, though Smith's record in the postseason is spotty. After shooting 43 percent from three-point range for the Denver Nuggets in 2011, Smith has shot 17.9 percent, 27.3 percent, and 26.7 percent from deep in his last three postseasons.

"It's great to get J.R. back, for sure," James said. "He's another guy that can make shots for us and can defend, and he can take the pressure off of all of us with his ability to score and his ability to do things on the floor that you just can't make up for."

History is not on Rose and Chicago's side. The Bulls have twice been in this situation against James - tied 1-1 with Game 3 at the United Center - and have yet to win.

James said "I know how hard it is to win in that building. Those fans are amazing and they feed off that crowd. They play exceptional basketball at home, so we have to be, just as good as we were we have to be even better Friday night."

On Wednesday night, a reporter mentioned to Rose that by winning Game 1 the Bulls had already accomplished their goal by getting a split and stealing homecourt from the Cavs. Rose shrugged.

"That sounds good, but we was trying to win the second one," Rose said. "We really wanted to put pressure on them, but we didn't execute on it, so the only thing we can do is learn from it, go back to Chicago, where I know the city is waiting for us to come back there. It should be an exciting game. Hopefully we play some defense."

See the Players of the Week for May 7, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are the cleveland.com Players of the Week for May 7. Players of the Week win a free SAT or ACT class with College Review. Call 216-831-2557 or visit collegereview.org online.

Scroll to the bottom for information on how coaches can nominate an athlete for this honor. Also see below for a poll asking which athlete had the most impressive week.

Players of the Week are awarded every week in the regular season. Look for the feature Thursdays on cleveland.com and Fridays in The Plain Dealer.

Baseball

Name: Josh Andexler

School: Aurora.

Year: Senior.

Height, Weight: 6-1, 180.

Position: 1B/P.

College: Mount Union.

What Josh Andexler did last week: Last week, Andexler went 9-for-19, including a 4-for-4 game in a win against Perry. He also starred on the mount, as he threw a shutout against Strongsville, allowing only three hits in a 1-0 victory.

Three questions with Josh

Who is the biggest reason why you got into baseball?
I would say the biggest reason why I am involved with baseball is because of my brother. I was able to watch him play when I was young, and I just started to play and grew to love the game.

What MLB players do you like watching the most?

Tim Linncecum of the San Francisco Giants. I love the way he plays the game, as he is always playing with a lot of energy. He has thrown some no-hitters in his career, and he has just been a very good pitcher for many years.

If people came and watched you for the first time, what would they see?

They would see a player who is going to play hard the entire game. It doesn't matter what the score is, I am going to give it my all the entire game.

-Mark Kern

Softball

Name: Brooke Zoltai.  

School:Valley Forge.  

Year: Senior.

Height: 5-5.

Position: OF/ Util.

College: Undecided.

What Brooke did last week: Guided her team to a 4-1 record. Led team for come from behind win at Brush, went 16-of-18 with 18 runs batted in and 16 runs scored.

Three questions with Brooke

Q: If there was one softball field you could play on, what one would you choose and why?

A: If I could choose to play on any field I'd say it would be Akron's Firestone Stadium, because since I was a little girl, I went there to watch many different games. I told myself I wanted to be just like the big girls playing. I told myself would pitch well enough to get my team to Firestone. I still haven't given up on playing there. 

Q: Who are softball or baseball players that you really like to watch and why?

A: The baseball player I really like to watch is Michael Brantley, because he's an amazing left fielder and doesn't give up. Also, because he's a pretty good hitter. I like the way he plays, because he plays with a purpose and plays with his heart. 

Q: Do you have any superstitions before a game?

A: My superstitions before a game would be for me to wear my slider. I feel like if I don't wear my slider, I will do bad at bat. Another superstition I'd say I have would be to wear my gray headband. If I don't have it, everything goes downhill.

-Mark Kern

BOYS TRACK

Name: Ryan Adams.

School: Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.

Year: Senior.

Height, weight: 6-1, 158.

College: Furman.

What Ryan did last week: He was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the Optimist Meet in Austintown. Adams broke meet and stadium records in both the 800 and the 1,600-meter run. His 4:11.51 time in the 1,600 is also a new school record.

Three questions with Ryan

Q: You recently signed with Furman University. What about the school made it the place you wanted to go to college?

A: One of the big things was they had the best package overall. It's a fantastic school academically. It's definitely got a great program for recreation, which is going to be my major, and the running program is very unique from all the programs and coaches I've talked to. It's solely mid-distance, distance runners. There's no sprinters, no throwers, no jumpers. It's only mid-distance and distance.

Q: Do you have a preference between cross country and track?

A: I do prefer track. It's been my sport I prefer. This past year, I really did enjoy my senior year of cross country ... I would say that track is the sport I enjoy the most.

Q: What are some of your hobbies outside of track?

A: I like doing art. I like drawing and painting, definitely, pencil drawing and charcoal, something like that. I just like making things with my hands.

-Tim Bielik

GIRLS TRACK

Name: Hannah Markel.

School: Gilmour.

Year: Junior.

Height: 5-3.

College: Undecided.

What Hannah did last week: She won the 1,600 and ran in the winning 4x800 in a dual meet. At the Lutheran West Longhorn Invitational, Markel won both the 1,600 and the 3,200.

Three questions with Hannah

Q: What did you learn from competing in the state track meet last year?

A: I definitely learned a lot through training. I've learned what works for me and what hasn't really worked for me. So this junior year, I've been doing a combination of all the stuff that I've found to have worked in my training and focusing on that, and seeing that through my racing.

Q: What is your favorite subject in school?

A: I like writing. I see myself as a creative person. So I like just playing around with that kind of stuff.

Q: What is the one track memory that sticks out to you the most?

A: Regional my freshman year in my 3,200, I false-started, which was really embarrassing because it's not a quick sort of start. The timer's hand when up and the person next to me started their watch. But the click of the watch and how they moved their arm, to me, it seemed like like the race started and I missed it. So I took a few steps and I noticed no one else was going. So I went back to the line and they shot off the gun.

-Tim Bielik

How to nominate an athlete for Players of the Week:

Players of the Week are chosen every week in the regular season. Coaches can nominate an athlete anytime between the end of all games in a week and Monday at noon. Go to cleveland.com/potw to access the nomination form. Fill in all the blanks, especially the part on what the athlete did that week. Again, the deadline is Monday at noon. Only coaches can nominate an athlete.

Todd Hankins, Yandy Diaz and Justin Toole each had two hits for the RubberDucks.

The Baysox erased an early RubberDucks lead, eventually winning, 4-2, and completing a four-game sweep of Akron in Class AA Eastern League action in Bowie, Md.

Shawn MorimandoAkron RubberDucks 

Neither team did much at the plate, with each only getting seven hits, but Baysox outfielder Quincy Latimore did go 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.

Second baseman Todd Hankins, third baseman Yandy Diaz and first baseman Justin Toole each had two hits for the RubberDucks but no RBI. Left fielder Destin Hood got the only other hit for Akron, an RBI single in the third inning.

Akron's other run came after Diaz scored on a wild pitch by Baysox starter Elih Villanueva in the fourth inning.

Akron starter Shawn Morimando (2-3, 2.76 ERA) had a decent outing, giving up three runs on five hits in six innings. Reliever Grant Sides pitched two innings, giving up one run and two hits.

Villanueva (4-2, 2.78) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out five. Gene Eskat got his second save.

The RubberDucks fall to 12-15 after going 2-5 on this road trip. They return home Friday night to face the Binghamton Mets in a three-game series, then travel to Erie, Pa., to begin another seven-game trip.