Tennis fans can get live updates, pictures and videos Friday as the first day of the OHSAA boys tennis state tournament is contested at Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Get live updates, pictures and videos all day Saturday from the second day of the OHSAA boys tennis state tournament at Ohio State.

Northeast Ohio Media Group reporter Nathaniel Cline will be posting updates, pictures and videos in this post live from Columbus.

The post also serves as a chat room for fans in the comments section below, which is a great place for fans to post their take and interact with other tennis fans. Sign up here to get a free cleveland.com account, which will enable you to post comments. Don’t worry, it’s an easy process that takes well under five minutes.

Have a question for Cline? Post it in the comments and look for his reply.

Action begins at 9 a.m.

Check out statewide pairings.

And don’t miss a scouting report by Cline and yesterday's recap.

Locals to be followed are St. Ignatius senior Nathan Griffin, Willoughby South senior Vince Anzalone, senior doubles players Cal Craven and Connor Michelich from Westlake and junior doubles teammates Gavin Aten and Carlos Martinez from Copley all of which advanced to the state semifinals on Saturday.

Tweets by @nathanielcline

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact Nathaniel Cline on Twitter (@nathanielcline), by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Joe Haden is the player who has been with the Browns defense the longest -- since 2010. Having the same coaches two years in a row help.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the first time since the Mike Holmgren administration, the Browns will have the same defensive coordinator and system for two years in a row.

That had me thinking about cornerback Joe Haden, the Browns' first-round pick in 2010.

1. In 2010, he played in Eric Mangini's version of a 3-4 defense.

2. In 2011-12, he played in Dick Jauron's version of a 4-3.

3. In 2013, he played in Ray Horton's 3-4.

4. In 2014, he played in Mike Pettine/Jim O'Neil's 3-4 -- which is much different than Horton's.

Because Haden is primarily concerned with pass coverage, his adjustment to the different defenses is not as severe as for the linemen and linebackers. I picked Haden because he is the only defensive player still with the team from 2010.

That's right, one guy left from five years ago on defense.

But the point is with all the changes of players and schemes, it's exciting (and a relief) for the players to have the same system in place for two years in a row.

• Terry's Talkin' Cavs
• Terry's Talkin' Indians

In the recent OTA, the defense was looking much sharper than the offense because of continuity: Same system. Same terminology. Same coaches.

It also has helped that General Manager Ray Farmer and Pettine have worked together for a year, so Farmer knows the players that Pettine needs. The coaches also talked more with the scouts about the kind of players they wanted.

The coaches have installed some "graduate level" stuff, things that they hope will lead to a faster start for the defense.

Last season, the Browns gave up between 23 and 30 points in their first four games. In the next four games, opponents averaged 13.4 points. The players learned the system, and the coaches learned the players.

By the end of the season, the Browns ranked No. 9 in points allowed -- 21.1. They were dead last defending the run, but No. 8 against the pass. If the Browns can simply be average against the run, they can come close to the elite defense needed to be a real contender in the AFC North.

ABOUT CAMERON ERVING

1. First-rounder Erving played every spot on the offensive line except left guard, which is owned by Joel Bitonio. The coaches were impressed with Erving's ability to quickly grasp the blocking schemes for the different positions.

2. Erving worked at left tackle, the position he played the most at Florida State. He can be a backup to Joe Thomas, if one is ever needed. Thomas has not missed a snap since coming into the NFL in 2007. But that was true of center Alex Mack (drafted in 2009) until he broke his leg last season.

3. Erving will battle right guard John Greco and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz for a starting spot. Erving is so rare, because he proved in college that he can be a big-time center. Very few linemen are so versatile. So far, he comes as advertised. Furthermore, the Browns have a much deeper line than a year ago.

ABOUT THE OTAs

1. Third-rounder defensive lineman Xavier Cooper impressed with his quickness, especially his explosive first step while rushing the passer. Along with first-rounder Danny Shelton, the Browns added two young, talented linemen. Shelton was excused from OTAs to finish up his anthropology degree at Washington. He is an Academic All-American.

2. Veteran lineman Randy Starks also has had some nice moments and looks as if he'll fit in well. Starks will mostly play in the middle of the line, Cooper on one of the ends of the 3-4.

3. Undrafted free agent Dylan Winn (Oregon State) has impressed. He is a defensive lineman who had 4.5 sacks last season. The Browns want to load up at that position. Last season, they suffered significant injuries to Phil Taylor, John Hughes, Armonty Bryant (now a linebacker), Billy Winn and Ahtyba Rubin. No defensive lineman played all 16 games. Desmond Bryant was the most durable with 15 games.

4. The Browns have liked how sixth rounder Malcolm Johnson easily moves from fullback to tight end. A team captain at Mississippi State, Johnson is like Erving in his ability to quickly grasp a playbook. Johnson has looked pretty agile.

5. The offense has more motion than a year ago, but coordinator John DeFilippo plans to keep the emphasis on the run. The running back room is loaded with returnees Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell and Glenn Winston. The Browns claimed Winston on waivers from San Francisco right before the 2014 season. He didn't carry the ball in a game, but they like him.

6. Rookie Duke Johnson was excused from OTAs to take care of a family matter. The third-rounder will be back this week. The coaches are anxious to see him in the mix. Johnson is the best receiver in the group. The Browns want a lot of depth in the backfield.

7. Undrafted left tackle Darrian Miller has caught the eye of the coaches. He started 35 games at Kentucky.

8. Brian Hartline has had several strong practices. The Browns believe the Canton GlenOak and Ohio State receiver could have a very good season. Fellow veteran free agent receiver Dwayne Bowe gives the Browns a big target. Hartline and Bowe combined to catch 99 passes last season.

9. The Browns were excited to grab Hayes Pullard in the seventh round, and the inside linebacker from USC has impressed early. The Browns compare him to Craig Robertson. He's not especially fast, but has shown a real sense of how to read plays and be in the right spot.

10. Second-rounder Nate Orchard has what the Browns call "heavy hands." They mean he's strong and can control blockers. It also should help him when the tackling begins in veterans camp this summer. The Browns want more depth at outside linebacker. Starter Paul Kruger returns. Barkevious Mingo is in the final stages of recovery from shoulder surgery, so he's not in all the drills. Scott Solomon received good reviews at the end of last season, and continues to catch the attention of coaches in OTA. So that gives the Browns four guys for the two spots.

11. I've been hearing good things about Justin Gilbert, who seems to be far more serious in his approach. Gilbert has the physical gifts to be a good defensive back in the NFL. It's worth mentioning that he had some nice moments in OTAs and training camp last year, then lost focus. He was late for meetings and not always prepared.  So the challenge is for the 2014 first-rounder to stay on course.

12. The Browns are wisely saying little about Johnny Manziel. There's no quarterback competition. Josh McCown is the starter. The Browns want Manziel simply do his job on and off the field.

LeBron James might have underestimated himself in his heartfelt essay when he announced he was coming home. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After the Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference title, I called Lee Jenkins. He is the Sports Illustrated writer who helped LeBron James with his coming home to Cleveland essay.

"I re-read the story right after the Atlanta series," said Jenkins. "When we talked for the story, I could tell LeBron was emotional. He knew what he wanted to say. It struck me as a simple message. He was a guy who wanted to go home, raise his kids there and do something special -- win a championship in the place where he is from."

Jenkins said James was convinced that winning a title this season would be extremely hard.

"After he made the announcement, I talked to several NBA people who thought the Cavs would probably get to the second round," said Jenkins. "Suddenly, it became The Finals or bust. LeBron didn't know what kind of timetable it would take to win a title. But here they are, with a shot."

• Terry's Talkin Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Indians

They are opening the best-of-seven NBA Finals against Golden State with Kevin Love (shoulder surgery) out and Kyrie Irving (bad foot, sore knee) not even close to 100 percent. Yet they are 12-2 in the playoffs. They have been the most dominant team in the postseason.

"I look at that and think that in some ways, LeBron underestimated himself," said Jenkins. "Look at the impact that he has made on the other guys on the team."

If you look at the opening-day starting lineup, the only players who will start at Golden State are Irving and James. The other three starters were Anderson Varejao (out with a torn Achilles), Dion Waiters (traded) and Love.

The Cavs lost to New York that night, 95-90. Playing for the Knicks were Iman Shumpert (12 points) and J.R. Smith (11). Both are now Cavs. Shumpert starts, Smith is the sixth man.

Jenkins said that James believed in the Cavs' talent when he returned. He liked Tristan Thompson, Irving, Varejao and some others.

"Now, if you go back and read some of the quotes from LeBron when he was in Miami, you can tell that he still had a very soft spot (for Northeast Ohio)," said Jenkins. "I think part of him wanted to go full circle, to come back and win a title at home."

Jenkins said that James is different from some athletes "because he does have second thoughts about things. He's not one of those guys who says, 'I have no regrets, I never would do things differently.'"

James was the one who quickly mentioned, "Who am I to hold a grudge?" when talking about "The Decision" show on ESPN. He told Jenkins, "If I had to do it all over again, I'd obviously do things differently. I'd still have left. Miami, for me, has almost been like college for other kids."

Jenkins said that James is very aware of Northeast Ohio's longing for a title 51 years after the 1964 Cleveland Browns' NFL championship.

"I believe he thinks about what it would be like," said Jenkins. "He may think about the parade, about the feeling in the city. It's personal to him. He really wants to win a championship in the place where he is from. That was very clear when we were working on the story."

Just as obvious was that James didn't want the hype that surrounded his 2010 move to Miami. There was no ESPN show. There was no ridiculous press conference and rally. James, his agent Rich Paul, and advisor Maverick Carter reached out to Jenkins, who wrote Sports Illustrated's profile of James as the 2012 Sportsman of the Year. James liked and trusted Jenkins, so he decided to announce his move in the magazine.

This time around, everything was different -- and it has been so much better for the Cavaliers and their fans.
 

ABOUT NBA COACHES

1. The firing of Chicago's Tom Thibodeau after five seasons led me to look at the longevity of coaches. I used to think the average coach lasted between 3-4 seasons with the same team. Not any more.

2. Gregg Popovich is on the NBA's coaching Mount Rushmore with 19 seasons in San Antonio. I've often wondered if he would have survived in a large market. He won his fourth title in 2007, sweeping the Cavs in four games. But between 2009-11, his Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. Perhaps in other places, the rumblings would have begun: "The coach has been here too long ... the guys have tuned him out," etc.

3. Popovich runs the basketball side of that franchise, although General Manager R.C. Buford does a great job helping find talent. Nonetheless, the team is his -- and the Spurs are the only show in San Antonio. So he survived, then returned to the Finals in 2013 and won the 2014 title.

4. After Popovich on the seniority list are Rick Carlisle (Dallas) and Erik Spolestra (Miami) at seven seasons. Those three are the only ones coaching their current team for at least five years. That's right, it's three out of 30 NBA coaches.

5. Frank Vogel has been at Indiana for 4 1/2 seasons. Kevin McHale (Houston) and Dwane Casey (Toronto) have been with their teams for four years. Terry Stotts has been in Portland for three seasons.

6. Add it all up, and only eight coaches have been with their current teams for at least three seasons.

7. There are some veterans in the league, but they have only two or fewer seasons at their current job: George Karl (Sacramento), Doc Rivers (L.A. Clippers), Byron Scott (L.A. Lakers), Stan Van Gundy (Detroit), Lionel Hollins (Brooklyn) and Flip Saunders (Minnesota).

8. Four teams have been looking -- New Orleans, Chicago, Orlando (which hired Scott Skiles on Friday) and Denver. Former Cavs assistant Melvin Hunt is supposedly the Nuggets' leading candidate.

9. Is there any surprise why some NBA players have so little respect for coaches? Monty Williams (New Orleans) and Thibodeau were both fired after making the playoffs this season. Scott Brooks (Oklahoma City) had a 545-338 record in seven years but was replaced by Billy Donovan after a non-playoff season marked by massive injuries.

10. That's why my head has wanted to explode this season when I heard talk about the Cavs firing David Blatt. Very seldom is a coach allowed to grow with a team. Steve Kerr and Blatt are rookie coaches in the Finals, the first time that has happened. It probably will just encourage more teams to fire coaches.

ABOUT THE CAVS

1. To interview here, Blatt had to receive permission from the Warriors and new coach Steve Kerr. Blatt had already agreed to leave Macabbi Tel Aviv to be Kerr's assistant. Kerr and Blatt shared the same agent -- Mike Tannebaum, a former New York Jets general manager who was with Priority Sports and Entertainment. Tannebaum is now the Vice President of Football operations for the Miami Dolphins.

2. Blatt is still represented by Priority Sports and Entertainment, a company founded by Mark Bartelstein. That name should be familiar to veteran Cavs fans. His first client was John "Hot Rod" Williams, who received a record-breaking offer sheet of $26.5 million for seven years from Miami. The Cavs matched it. That was in 1990, when the average NBA salary was slightly under $1 million per year.

3. Blatt had an interesting moment after the Cavs swept the Hawks. Standing next to assistant Larry Drew, they began talking about a few years earlier when Drew was the Hawks' head coach. Drew had traveled to Tel Aviv to spend time watching Blatt's practices. Blatt said they recalled sitting on a Tel Aviv pier, talking about life and their future. Who knew it would include Cleveland and the NBA Finals?

4. I love this quote from Shumpert about catching a James pass: "Him snapping that ball at you ... there is energy in the ball when you get it."

5. After gushing about what James has meant, Blatt recently made a good point: "Part of what he's doing so well has to do with his teammates reading and responding to him in the proper way."

6. The Cavs' spacing has been very good. Players are available for passes from James. They are cutting to the basket at the right time. They are clearing out when he wants to take his defender to the rim. It's been impressive.

7. Tristan Thompson has been in the starting lineup since Game 2 of the Chicago series. In nine games, he's averaging 11.0 points and 11.2 rebounds. The coaches have been especially pleased with his ability to challenge shots and protect the rim.

8. Rebounding will be a big deal in the Finals. The Cavs have been out-rebounding teams by 6.5 boards per game, the most in the playoffs. The next three teams are Washington (5.0), Golden State (4.5) and Chicago (1.8). James is averaging 10.4 rebounds in the playoffs, setting the tone.

9. Blatt's Maccabi Tel Aviv team was 50-17 this season. It was coached by Guy Goodes, his former assistant. But Maccabi was knocked out of the Euroleague cup before reaching the Final Four. Real Madrid won it. Last season, Blatt's team upset Madrid in the finals.

10. Former Cavaliers Larry Nance and Jimmy Oliver, along with St. Vincent-St. Mary coach Dru Joyce (who coached James) will be at Akron's House of the Lord on June 20 for a basketball tournament between players from the community and law enforcement. It begins at 1 p.m. While admission is free, tickets are needed. You can pick them up at House of the Lord.

Corey Kluber's attitude during his early season struggles was yet something else to admire about the Cy Young Award winner.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have been using Corey Kluber as a role model for their younger pitchers since early in 2014.

This season, Kluber was able to teach the younger pitchers how to deal with frustration. He opened with an 0-5 record and a 5.04 ERA. He pitched a couple of good games with little run support, then was hit hard a few times.

Prior to Thursday's 5-3 victory in Seattle, the Indians had scored 17 runs in Kluber's 10 previous starts.

"It had to be hard on Corey," said Tribe General Manager Chris Antonetti. "But he never changed his demeanor or approach. His routine stayed the same. It was a great example of how to handle adversity."

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Cavs

Kluber was the surprise 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner. In 2013, he was 11-5 with a 3.85 ERA in his first full season in the majors. Last season, he vaulted to 18-9, 2.44.

Kluber spent parts of four seasons in Class AAA before coming to Cleveland to stay late in April of 2013. He has dealt with adversity before. But how would he handle it after being a major success with a Cy Young Award next to his name?

Turns out, he dealt with it like he does everything else -- stoically and with steely-eyed determination. And he's had his breakthrough. In his last four starts, Kluber is 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA. Here are some amazing numbers from this streak:

• 32 innings pitched
• 50 strikeouts
• 2 walks

The Indians love having Kluber as the staff leader. They believe he has had a major impact on how Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar approach their jobs. Last week, I wrote about a late-spring meeting between the Tribe and Salazar and how he was told to follow Kluber's basic approach.

That meeting may have saved Salazar's season. He was in a major spring funk and lost his spot in the rotation.

Trevor Bauer has always had a rigorous training technique and his own approach to pitching.

As for the 28-year-old Kluber, he signed a five-year, $38 million contract before the season -- meaning he's with the Tribe at least until 2019. So at least, the jokes/complaints about trading Cy Young Award winners are over.

ABOUT BRANDON MOSS

Jerry Crawford (Marquette, Michigan) emailed me about Moss becoming the next Mark Reynolds. Moss does indeed strike out, a little like Reynolds has in his career. It's 47 whiffs in 153 at-bats. That's a lot of wind.

But Moss entered the weekend leading the Indians with eight homers and 28 RBI. He has done a decent job in right field and at first base. He's batting .222 (.733 OPS).

The Indians knew Moss strikes out a lot. With Oakland, he fanned 383 times in 907 official at-bats over the last three seasons. He also hit 76 homers. In an age of declining offense, you take power wherever you can find it, even if it comes with strikeouts.

Mr. Crawford watches about every Tribe game on the MLB package. I sent him this note, "Would you like Joey Wendle back?"

"Who?" was his answer. He forgot the Tribe traded Wendle to Oakland for Moss. The A's were worried about Moss recovering from hip surgery, but that hasn't been an issue.

As for Wendle, the second baseman is batting .250 (.714 OPS) with four homers and 21 RBI for Class AAA Nashville.

I also checked on Reynolds. He's now with St. Louis, batting .253 with three homers and 13 RBI. He's struck out 35 times in 99 at bats. Last season at Milwaukee, Reynolds batted .196 with 22 homers, 45 RBI.

ABOUT SUPER TWO

It's a complicated part of the basic labor agreement, but often young players start a year in the minors to prevent them from becoming arbitration eligible a year early. Some insist that's why Francisco Lindor remains in Columbus.

But the Indians now have two guys headed for "Super Two" status -- Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar. The Indians promoted them because they can help in the rotation.

Meanwhile, shortstop Jose Ramirez is slogging along, batting .187 and losing playing time to veteran Mike Aviles.

The Indians would love to see Lindor begin to hit. On the season, he's at .251 (.679 OPS) with one homer and 19 RBI. In the last 10 games, it's .188.

In 81 AAA games between 2014-15, Lindor is batting .262 (.687 OPS) with six homers and 33 RBI. He has 11 errors. At 21, he is one of Class AAA's youngest players, so it's no reason to worry.

But his performance has not caused the Tribe to seriously consider a promotion.

ABOUT THE TRIBE

1. In May, the Tribe is 15-12. The team is batting .267, averaging a respectable 5.2 runs per game. Jason Kipnis has had a month for the ages, batting .449. Leading off may have helped him become more selective. Or perhaps he's just a good hitter who is very, very hot.

2. Dropping out of the leadoff spot seems to have helped Michael Bourn, who is batting .313 in May after a .200 April.

3. David Murphy (.307) and Ryan Raburn (.315) have combined for a nice platoon in right field.

4. Lonnie Chisenhall is one of the team's most frustrating players. He entered the weekend batting .211 (.604 OPS) with four homers and 19 RBI. Chisenhall is 26. He's improved his defense at third -- only three errors. But not much happening at the bat.

5. At Class AAA Columbus, Giovanny Urshela, 23, is a viable third base prospect. He entered the weekend batting .327 with three homers and seven RBI. But he's had just 55 at-bats while dealing with back problems. He was out between May 5-20. He was batting .393 in the Venezuelan Winter League when he suffered a knee injury. Ursehla is a right-handed hitter and an excellent defender.

ABOUT THE CORNER BAR

The Indians have already done more business at the new Corner Bar down the right field line then they did all of last season at the Batter's Eye Bar in center.

The $13 District tickets for the Corner Bar have often sold out, especially on weekends. But fans with any ticket in the park can go there to watch the game.

A three-year starter for the Wildcats hits the list mostly because of his position name.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The running countdown of the Northeast Ohio Media Group's top 50 Big Ten football players for the 2015 season.

No. 47, Dan Vitale, Northwestern

Senior superback, 6-foot-2, 235 pounds

* What he's done: Vitale is an ideal fit at Northwestern's hybrid tight end/fullback position and finished second on the team with 40 catches for 402 yards last season. A full-time player since his freshman season, he has started more than 30 games in his career, including all 24 the last two seasons. Vitale has at least one catch in 24 of his last 25 games with 102 catches for 1,072 yards. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by league coaches last season.

There were times last year when Vitale wasn't thrown to often, but on a team that struggled to move the ball at times, he probably should have been a more regular part of the offense with a chance to put opposing defenses in mismatches.

* How he got here: A two-star local recruit from the Chicago suburbs, Vitale also had MAC interest but always wanted to play for the Wildcats. He was ranked as the No. 58 prospect in Illinois in the Class of 2012 by ESPN.com and 37th in Illinois in the 247sports.com composite rankings. He was ranked as both a defensive back and receiver as a prospect but rushed for 1,340 yards as a senior running back in high school before taking on the superback role in college.

* What's ahead: In 2011, Northwestern superback Drake Dunsmore won the award as the Big Ten's best tight end while catching 45 passes for 522 yards and six touchdowns. That's the kind of year that could be ahead for Vitale, who has increased his production every season from 28 to 34 to 40 catches. Northwestern is coming off consecutive 5-7 seasons after a run of five straight bowl trips, and this year could be a similar fight for .500 as the Wildcats set up for a potential climb back to winning seasons in 2016. So Vitale should be an offensive focus. 

Elsewhere

* What Vitale brings to Northwestern's offense

* Vitale was super against Penn State

* Does Dan Vitale look like Superman?

Follow live updates from the 2015 OSLA Division II state girls lacrosse championship matchup between Chagrin Falls and Columbus Academy at Westerville Central.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Get live updates from the 2015 OSLA Division II state girls lacrosse championship matchup between Chagrin Falls and Columbus Academy at Westerville Central today at 12:30 p.m. by following this blog in the comments section. 

The Tigers beat Summit Country Day, 15-4, in the state semifinals on Friday while the Vikings defeated Rocky River, 12-7. 

Find out more about the teams by reading this scouting report published prior to the semifinals. 

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.

Here's what Terry Francona, Trevor Bauer, Roberto Perez, Ryan Raburn and Brandon Moss said after Friday's loss to Seattle.

SEATTLE - Here's what the Indians said Friday night after a 2-1 loss to Seattle at Safeco Field.

Manager Terry Francona

On Seattle right-hander Taijaun Walker, who came into the game with a 7.33 ERA, but threw eight scoreless innings.

"I know he came in having some troubles, but there was so much life to that fastball. It was a dominant fastball. Even when, he probably threw it four out of five pitches, it was beating us for the most part.

"And then they played a very good defensive game. Austin Jackson (center fielder) ran a couple down and made it look easy. And Dustin Ackley made a really nice play in left (against Michael Brantley), and there were a couple balls at first base. There wasn't a whole lot going on. A lot of it was because of the way that kid threw."

Explanation: Walker struck out eight, didn't walk a batter and allowed two hits. He threw 75 percent (76-of-102) of his pitches for strikes.

Trevor Bauer, who took the loss despite holding the Mariners to two runs with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

"It's my job to go out there and give the team a chance to win. While I feel like I did a good job of that tonight -- I think in most cases if you go seven innings and give up two runs, you'll win -- it's a loss. And we've got plenty of those already on our record. We're trying to get the other letter (W), so it stinks."

Did Seth Smith hit a cutter for the game-winning, two-run homer in the sixth?

"Yeah, it was a cutter. It was a stupid pitch. I shouldn't have thrown it. It was the wrong pitch at the wrong time. I should've thrown him a fastball in, but it happens."

Catcher Roberto Perez.

On Bauer's performance.

"Bauer was good. They were swinging early and that led to some quick innings. He worked ahead of guys the whole game, especially his last inning (Bauer struck out the side in order in the seventh). He had a lot of guys 0-2 and made a lot of pitches.

"It was just one pitch (that beat him)."

On the strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play against Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz in the first inning.

"I kind of hit Cruz (the batter) with my throw and I don't think he (Kyle Seager) got a great jump.

"I don't think the umpire realized I hit Cruz. And Kip (Jason Kipnis) put a great tag on Seager at second base."

First baseman Brandon Moss

On Walker.

"He had a good fastball. He kept the ball away from the barrel by keeping it up and away to lefties pretty well. And then his splitter was there when he needed it.

"The best way I can characterize him is effectively wild. He wasn't like painting corners or anything like that, but he was wild in the zone and then he would miss. When you throw 97, and you're throwing enough strikes, that's pretty tough to hit."

On Walker pitching up in the strike zone all night.

"He was getting that high strike and credit to him that he was able to keep going with it. That's not an easy thing to do. He was able to keep throwing it there and he was getting the call a lot.

"That's a tough pitch. That's my Kryptonite; I know that, up and away. It's no secret. I don't hit that ball well. I had to battle it all night."

Explanation: Moss went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Walker.

On Bauer's performance.

"I thought it was great. Really, one pitch was the whole game. It stinks, but that's how some games go. There's nothing you can do about that one."

Ryan Raburn, whose pinch-hit triple in the ninth inning against closer Fernando Rodney accounted for the Indians' only run.

On his triple.

"I'm just trying to get a base hit. I'm pinch-hitting and trying to keep the game rolling. That's all it is."

On being 3-for-3 against Rodney.

"I've been able to get a few hits off him. There's no rhyme or reason."

How did Walker's stuff look from the bench?

"He's got good stuff and a lot of arm. He lives up in the zone and when you throw that hard it's tough to catch up to it. Especially, when the umpire is calling strikes up there. It's hard to hit. He did a good job."

The Browns began OTAs this week. Here are four observations from what we heard and what we saw. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- We didn't hear from Johnny Manziel on Tuesday. That was the only day this week that Browns practice was open and players were available to the media.

There was a brief moment, after the podium had been abandoned following Mike Pettine's press conference, when a Browns cameraman began to set back up in front of the podium and the microphone was put back in place. It at least made some of the assembled media wonder.

Turns out all of that was for Josh McCown.

Manziel will talk when he's ready. That's his right. He may answer questions about his personal life. He may say he doesn't want to talk about it. That's his right, too. The fact that he didn't speak on Tuesday, though, and McCown did, speaks volumes about the pecking order. In contrast, both Manziel and Brian Hoyer spoke back-to-back during training camp last season.

Just as telling a moment came shortly after McCown started speaking. Terrance West walked out of the locker room. A good number of us bailed on McCown. Get past Manziel's off-field issues and the entire quarterback situation is, frankly, boring this season.

This is the 2015 Browns, and it might not be too early to say that the offense will be uninspiring. Here are three more Browns observations from OTAs:

Hold the line

The good news on the offensive front is the return of Alex Mack. He was in uniform and, while the team is playing it safe with the Pro Bowl center, he will be full go soon enough. The offense will go as far as its line can carry it. The holes they open up for the running backs and the protection they offer McCown, who played behind one of the NFL's worst lines a year ago, will tell you everything you need to know about whether or not this team can move the football. There are a lot of high draft picks on the offensive front, especially if Cameron Erving pushes his way to the top of the depth chart at either guard or right tackle.

The bad news is Mack's contract: that pesky opt-out and the fact that the Browns can't franchise him. The debate over how much you pay a center from a few summers back seems crazy. Mack and the Browns can say all the nice things they want, but it won't mask the fact that if you already have a Pro Bowl center and a slew of top picks on the line, you don't take a center at No. 19. Unless, of course, you think there could be a job opening there in, say, nine months or so.

Until then, the only thing you need to ask to determine how the offense fared week-to-week will be: How'd the line look?

Related: Browns' Alex Mack acknowledges winning will be a factor in if he stays or goes

How the West could win

I can't figure out West, by the way. The running back came into last season battling Ben Tate for the starting job. Tate's star fell quickly, but by then, many fans and media members had moved on from West and were focusing on Isaiah Crowell. Neither rookie, in the end, proved they had the ability to carry the rushing load each week.

West found himself in and out of Pettine's doghouse in 2015. When he did play, he was inconsistent. There was that game on Thursday night in Cincinnati where he played workhorse: 26 carries, 94 yards and a touchdown. Then there was that afternoon in Buffalo where he put a costly fumble on the ground that turned into a Bills touchdown.

West chalked up his season to being a rookie on Tuesday. "I look at how they treat the guys now here, that are rookies. That's what comes with it. You come in as a rookie, they don't want you to get a big head."

That answer came right after he said, in response to a question about untapped potential, "They always tell me -- like, Jim Brown -- tell me I got great talent. I got a chance to be one of the best running backs."

There are a lot of carries for West if he wants them. Much like the quarterbacks, though, if he doesn't do anything with his opportunity, the Browns likely wouldn't hesitate to move on next spring.

Related: A renter for now, running back Terrance West wants a more permanent place with the Cleveland Browns

We're No. 2?

Safety Donte Whitner cited stats when he said on Tuesday that the Browns' secondary is Top Two in the NFL. (Full disclosure: He said Top Three, but after talking himself through where he would put the Jets with their off-season acquisitions, he whittled it down to Seattle and Cleveland.)

"Men lie, women lie, stats don't," Whitner said, and so, in that respect, let's see where the Browns pass defense ranked last year in key statistical categories according to Pro Football Reference:

• Passing Yards: 8th
• Passing touchdowns: 9th
• Interceptions: 2nd
• Net Yards per pass attempt: 6th

Not bad. Add in the eyeball test (they passed, in my estimation), and Whitner probably wasn't too far off.

Related: Safety Donte Whitner considers Cleveland Browns' secondary among NFL's best

Must-read

You're all finished with this post. Go read Tom Reed's post on Josh McCown's love of basketball. Spoiler alert: He's really good.

The Browns center has total control of his future after this season with opt-out clause. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Alex Mack, sans pads, blocked at an All-Pro level on the first day of voluntary spring practice Tuesday.

Encircled by media members eager to engage the Pro Bowl center on his unique contract status, Mack repelled almost every question, offering little information other than he wants to win and his decision on next season will be made at a later date.

"I'm going to defer,'' he said. "I'll talk about that at the end of the season.''

Asked why he had an opt-out clause built into his five-year, $42 million deal that he can trigger in 2016, Mack replied: "That's an agent question so if you'd like to call him, feel free."

You know the phrase, "smartest guy in the room?" It applies here to the University of California graduate. The 29-year-old possesses a rare commodity for an NFL player: virtual autonomy in deciding his future. In a league where management often holds the upper hand, Mack has become an outlier thanks to the contract he negotiated a year ago with the Jaguars after the Browns chose to use the transition, rather than franchise, tag on him.

His agents Marvin Demoff and Tim Younger crafted a deal - matched by Cleveland - that made Mack the envy of the league because of the freedoms it supplies. The Browns cannot apply a transition or franchise tag on him next spring. They also can't trade him until the 2017 season is underway. If he chooses to remain, his $8 million for 2016 is fully guaranteed come next April.

There are plenty of good players trapped on struggling franchises, sick of losing and all the organizational turnover. Only Mack is in the position to do something about it.

Have others spoken to him about the unusual power he wields?

"I'm going to defer, I'll talk about that at the end of the season," the center said.

Mack is returning from a broken leg that cost him the last 11 games of 2014 and helped cripple an offense that was humming at the time of his Oct. 12 injury against the Steelers.

Browns fans gained a greater appreciation of his importance and why the team agreed to match the Jags' massive offer in Mack's absence.

The club averaged 146.4 rushing yards per game in which he played, ranking third in the league. But without Mack for the first time since the club drafted him in 2008, the Browns finished 17^th on the ground at 108 yards. An offense that was top-10 in points per game and total yards ended the season 28^th and 23^rd respectively in those categories.

"You can't blame everything on the loss of Mack," right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. "It wasn't a steep drop-off. We still kept winning some games, but I think it kind of proved his contract was worth it. He is the best center in the NFL. Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes something like that to understand a guy's value."

Mack's contract also played a role in the team's decision to select versatile offensive lineman Cameron Erving with the No. 19 pick. The rookie figures to start on the right side this season and move to center if Mack opts out.

Has a player who hikes the ball ever commanded as much attention or created such a stir? His injury left the Browns scrambling along the offensive line a year ago. They won't get caught short there again as the addition of Erving means one starter, likely John Greco or Schwartz, will become a depth player. They also have intriguing Michael Bowie returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him all season.

The biggest benefactor is quarterback Josh McCown in his first season here. There are so many unknowns about this offense, but the line should be excellent with Mack, Erving, perennial All Pro left tackle Joe Thomas and left guard Joel Bitonio, one of the league's most impressive rookies a season ago.

Mack won't lack for motivation. Another big season could mean the opportunity to strike it rich again in free agency. What he really desires, however, is the same thing Browns fans desperately crave.

"I think I definitely want to win games," he said. "It's very important to me."

Maybe a winning season or enough positive signs from the 2015 campaign will keep Mack in Cleveland. Maybe not.

Regardless, the league might never see an offensive lineman with such contractual clout again.

The Cavs will need to be an elite defensive team to win a title.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Golden State Warriors are the favorite in the NBA Finals -- and Cavs fans should like that. The underdog role fits the personality of this team.

The Warriors are 46-3 at home, counting the playoffs. They have the home court advantage in this best-of-seven series that opens Thursday at 9 p.m. in Oakland.

Here are a couple of other stats conspiring against the Cavs, according to ESPN's number crunchers:

1. The Warriors are the 14th team to reach the Finals having won at least 65 regular season games. The previous 13 all won a title. The 2009 Cavs were 66-game winners, but they were knocked off in the Eastern Conference Finals by Orlando.

2. The Cavs started the season at 19-20. No team with such a poor record after 39 games ever won a title.

3. The Warriors are the first team since the 1981 Philadelphia 76ers to lead the league in both offensive field goal percentage and defensive field goal percentage.

Hey, the Warriors are terrific. The Cavs are ... just what are the Cavs?

"We are the best defensive team in the playoffs," LeBron James said the other day.

"We are an elite defensive team," said coach David Blatt, who then began to talk about his team having "John Wayne's True Grit."

The days of The Big Three are gone.

THE BIG ONE

I like that title for the Cavs.

After they knocked off Atlanta in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Blatt said: "We're the Big One. One team. You've got to be a team. To miss a guy like Kyrie (Irving) and a guy like Kevin (Love) ... the other guys have to raise their level and have to be committed to competing and to believing in themselves as a team."

It's starts with defense. I can bury you with postseason stats, but here's a quick lesson, as in 1-2-3:

1. Cavs rank No. 1 in rebounding (plus-6.5).

2. Cavs rank No. 1 in defensive 3-point field goal percentage (.281).

3. Cavs rank No. 2 in defensive field goal percentage (.412).

In most games, they come up with the majority of loose balls, long rebounds and hustle plays.

The Big One ... Defense!

"We're doing a terrific job playing as a team and making the whole greater than the sum of its parts," said Blatt.

ALL IN ON DEFENSE

It starts with James. If the superstar doesn't buy in, the team doesn't defend. It's that simple. He doesn't have to be an elite defender, but he has to believe in defense. That's something that Steve Kerr was able to sell to his high-scoring Warriors. It's why they are in their first NBA Finals since 1975.

MVP Stephen Curry isn't an elite defender, but the guard really hustles and cares about defense. Klay Thompson is very strong defensively, but is recovering from a concussion.

The Cavs made the transition during the postseason when Love injured his shoulder in Game 4 of the Boston series, and Irving began to have foot and knee problems.

The defense improved after General Manager David Griffin saved the season by turning Dion Waiters and a future Memphis first-round pick into Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. Opponents were shooting .470 during that 19-20 start. When the new players blended with a healthy James, the opponents shooting percentage dropped to .438.

But it's nothing like the .412 in the playoffs.

Blatt and assistant coach Tyronn Lue designed different defenses. They asked input from players, especially James. I've been told that Lue is especially smart when it comes to changing defenses, etc. But some of those who told me that meant it as criticism of Blatt.

My view goes back to the theme of "The Big One." It's not about who receives the credit, it's about winning the game. I'm just thrilled the Cavs have been playing like a well-coached, unified team in the playoffs.

I say Blatt and his staff deserve at least some credit for that, as I've written in the past.

WINNING THE HARD WAY

Defense is hard. It makes opponents mad. Look at the reaction to Matthew Dellavedova in the Atlanta series. You would have sworn Dellavedova picked up a chair and hit someone over the head. Instead, he leads the postseason in floor burns and scooping up loose balls. His teammates are energized by it.

Shumpert loves to defend the best guard on the other team. James is pushing Shumpert for All-Defensive team honors. Smith is a revelation on defense, changing his "pure shooter" reputation into more of an all-around player.

Mozgov likes to try to block shots. The Russian is not afraid to deliver a hard foul. Then there's Tristan Thompson, averaging 11 rebounds since moving into the starting lineup for Love. He wants EVERY rebound.

The entire team crashes the boards. Smith had 10 rebounds in the final two games of the Atlanta series. Shumpert averaged 6.5 boards in that series.

Then there's James, averaging 28 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists in the last 10 games against Chicago and Atlanta.

The Cavs are no longer a scoring powerhouse with the Big Three of James, Irving and Love. Irving says he is in much better physical condition for The Finals -- and they will need his scoring.

But what gives the Cavs a chance is defense -- the One Big Thing that changed the entire playoffs for the franchise.

The Cavaliers have ample Finals experience on their roster, the Warriors have a historically low amount. As in, none.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - The 27 NBA Finals games in which LeBron James has played is 27 more than the entire Golden State Warriors roster.

In fact, if you were to take James off of the Cavaliers (they would not prefer this), Cleveland would still have infinitely more Finals experience than its California counterpart heading into Game 1 Thursday night.

Cavs reserves James Jones, Mike Miller, Shawn Marion, Kendrick Perkins, and Brendan Haywood own a combined seven championship rings and 11 Finals appearances. Of that group, only Jones is a rotation player for Cleveland coach David Blatt.

The Warriors, though, have a whopping zero Finals appearances.

So as Cleveland and Golden State prepare for a 2015 Finals in which the Warriors are heavily favored, the Cavs would appear to have a major advantage in experience. Not only is their best player - arguably the best player in the NBA, James - heading into his fifth consecutive Finals, but Golden State's Stephen Curry (the reining NBA MVP) has never seen anything like it.

While there are numerous players on Cleveland's bench to reinforce the finer points of surviving the Finals onto the Cavs' first timers (like Kyrie Irving), there is no similar peer support on the Warriors. Coach Steve Kerr has ample championship experience, but none in his current role.

The Cavaliers have ample Finals experience, while the Warriors have none.Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

"The only advantage is if you're able to win the series," James said. "That's the only advantage. For us, we've got to go out and play. They're going to come out and play as well. There's a good possibility they could have one more homecourt game than us, so you could say that's an advantage, but both teams have shown they could win on the road in the postseason, so there's no advantage."

The Warriors have already defied the odds on this run to the Finals, and a title would be even more unique. Golden State is the first team since the Utah Jazz in 1997 to reach the Finals with no players who had any prior Finals experience.

The Jazz lost to Michael Jordan's Bulls in 1997, in what was Jordan's fifth Finals. The last team to win a title with a roster sans Finals experience? Jordan's 1991 Bulls.

James' first Finals - in 2007 - was essentially a disaster. The Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. James shot 35 percent and averaged 22 points, his second-lowest scoring average in any playoff series. His lowest - 17.8 in the Heat's 2011 Finals loss to Dallas (Cleveland's Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood were on that Mavericks team).

Overall, James is averaging 24.3 points in the Finals, with two titles and two MVPs.

The irony of the "experience" debate in this Cavs-Warriors series is when the postseason began, one of the biggest questions Cleveland was the relative playoff inexperience for some of its key players -- namely Irving and Kevin Love.

While Love's first postseason ended in the fourth game due to injury, Irving displayed flashes of brilliance and frustration his first playoff run due to leg injuries that are on the mend. Meanwhile, Tristan Thompson thrived as Love's replacement in the starting lineup (it's his first playoffs) and Matthew Dellavedova morphed into a national phenomenon (also in his first postseason).

"There is no time to celebrate," Irving said. "It's just like there is no in between time or time to (relax). You reflect on the game and now it's time to move forward.

"So that's what I've probably learned most about the playoffs, is that one good game in a series is good for one day and everyone talks about it and then it's about the next game and who is matching up and what's going to happen."

Blatt and Kerr are both coaching their first Finals because, well, this is each man's inaugural season as an NBA head coach. This hasn't happened since 1947 - the NBA's first season. Either Blatt or Kerr will become the first rookie coach to win a Finals since Pat Riley won with the 1982 Lakers.

Blatt, whose Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Euroleague title last season, would become the first coach to win both NBA and Euroleague championships.

Kerr, though, won five Finals as a player - three with Jordan's Bulls and two with the Spurs.

"It's different," Kerr said, comparing the experiences he gained as a player to his role with the Warriors. "It's maybe even more rewarding because you feel responsible for a lot of people's welfare and happiness. But very different because we don't really do anything. 

"I told Luke Walton before the game, 10 minutes before the game starts, I said, 'this reminds me of a movie where somebody puts all their plans together, the whole group, and the leader says, you know what we do now, we wait.' And that's what we do.

"We plan, we go through practice, we address the team, we tell them what we think we ought to do, and then we just sit there because we don't do anything, the players do everything."

The Browns added depth to their receiving corps and defensive line. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns signed defensive lineman Christian Tupou and wide receiver Josh Lenz on Saturday, according to a team release.

Tupou, a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder, spent nine weeks on the Browns' practice squad last season before being waived May 11. The USC product, 26, played five games with the Bears in 2013, registering three tackles.

Lenz (6-0, 195) is a first-year pro from Iowa State. He entered the league two years ago, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Bears, but has yet to play in a regular-season game.

Lenz also has spent time on the Seahawks' and Colts' practice squads.

Walker arrived at Auburn on Saturday morning in time for "Big Cat Weekend" -- one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the Tigers year -- and will spend the night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The only thing cooler about the fact that Ohio State landed five-star running back Kareem Walker of Wayne (N.J.) De Paul Catholic is when the commitment happened. 

Walker, 247Sports' top-rated running back in the 2016 class, announced his commitment to Ohio State during halftime of the national championship game. The Buckeyes went on to capture the title with a win over Oregon a few hours later.

Fast-forward a few months, and Walker is still Ohio State's most coveted prospect in its 2016 class. And this weekend the 6-foot-1, 210-pound prospect is visiting Alabama and Auburn. 

Scary if you're Urban Meyer. But normal. 

Because it's hard for Ohio State to land the nation's No. 1 overall running back more than a year before he's permitted to sign and think he's not going to want to take visits. It's just more interesting because it's Auburn and Alabama. 

Walker arrived at Auburn on Saturday morning in time for "Big Cat Weekend" -- one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the Tigers year -- and will spend the night. It was an unexpected trip because the running back initially decided to go to Alabama to participate in a camp on the Crimson Tide's campus on Sunday. 

As a junior, Walker rushed for 1,607 yards and 27 touchdowns. 

Below is Walker's highlight tape: 

Trevor Bauer pitched well enough to win, but Taijuan Walker pitched better to lead the Seattle past the Indians on Friday night at Safeco Field.

SEATTLE -- The Indians were overpowered Friday night at Safeco Field by 22-year-old right-hander Taijuan Walker. You pronounce the first name TIE-wahn in case you're interested.

The Indians just called him Mister Walker after seeing him for the first time in the regular season.

While Walker kept throwing a 96 mph fastball past the Indians, Seth Smith hit a two-run homer off Trevor Bauer to lead the Mariners to a 2-1 victory to even this four-game series at one win apiece.

Walker came into the game with high-velocity stuff, but there was no indication that he knew where it was going. He was 1-5 with a 7.33 ERA. In 43 innings, he had 39 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Left-handers were hitting .333 (33-for-99) and right-handers were .288 (23-for-80) against him. He'd allowed eight homers, but except for Jason Kipnis' single to start the game and Nick Swisher's two-out single in the fifth, the Indians couldn't do a thing.

Walker (2-5, 6.18) struck out eight and didn't walk a batter in eight scoreless innings. He threw 75 percent (76-of-102) of his pitches for strikes.

The win was Walker's first since April 27 against Texas.

Closer Fernando Rodney completed the three-hitter, but not before the Indians gave him a scare. After Kipnis drew a two-out walk, pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn tripled to make it a 2-1 game.

Rodney retired Michael Brantley on a fly ball to right for his 14th save.

Bauer (4-2, 2.97) turned in his fourth straight quality start, but it wasn't enough because Walker never let a runner reach second base. Bauer allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out 10 and walked three.

In his last four starts, Bauer has 31 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings.

Bauer started the sixth by striking out Kyle Seager. Nelson Cruz singled to left and  Smith hit a 2-1 pitch into the right-field seats. It was Smith's fifth homer of the season and the fifth Bauer has allowed this year.

In three starts against Seattle, Bauer is 0-3.

What it means

The Indians (22-26) saw their modest two-game winning streak come to an end. They have still won eight of their last 11 and 10 of their last 15 games. They stand at 15-12 in May after going 7-14 in April.

Seattle (24-24) has won six of its last eight, and is 2-3 against the AL Central.

Highway robbery

Brantley was robbed of extra bases in the seventh by Dustin Ackley. With one out, Brantley sent a drive toward the left-field corner. Ackley tracked it down and caught it just in front of the wall.

On the road again

The two-run homer by Smith in the sixth inning represented just the second and third runs Bauer has allowed on the road this season.

Bauer entered having allowed just one earned run in 20 1/3 innings on the road this season for a 0.44 ERA. He trailed only Zack Greinke, who had not allowed a run in 21 2/3 innings on the road this year.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Mariners drew 32,454 fans to Safeco Field on Friday night.

May day

Kipnis, with his leadoff single, has hits in 24 of the Tribe's 27 games in May. He came in hitting .449 (48-for-107) with 13 doubles, three triples, four homers and 16 RBI in May. 

What happens next?

Right-hander Shaun Marcum (1-0, 6.28) will make his third start for the Tribe when he faces LHP Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.56) at 10:10 p.m. Saturday at Safeco Field.  SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the game.

Marcum lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his last start in a 10-8 loss to Texas. He allowed seven runs on four hits, two of which were homers. Marcum needs a good start to help him secure the fifth spot in the rotation.

He has made nine appearances against Seattle, going 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA.

Elias has won his last two starts, including a win over Tampa Bay on Monday. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start this season.

He is 0-1 against the Indians, allowing five earned runs in six innings in his only appearance against them.

Indians catcher Yan Gomes is in the starting lineup Saturday night and is scheduled to start Sunday's game.

SEATTLE -- Here are the starting lineups for the game between the Indians and Mariners on Saturday night at Safeco Field. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m.

INDIANS

2B Jason Kipnis.

3B Mike Aviles.

CF Michael Brantley.

LF Ryan Raburn.

DH Nick Swisher.

C Yan Gomes.

1B Brandon Moss.

RF Jerry Sands.

SS Jose Ramirez.

RHP Shaun Marcum (1-0, 6.28)

MARINERS

CF Austin Jackson.

DH Seth Smith.

2B Robinson Cano.

RF Nelson Cruz.

1B Logan Morrison.

C Mike Zunino.

SS Brad Miller.

LF Dustin Ackley.

LHP Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.56).

UMPIRES

H Jeff Kellogg, crew chief.

1B Alan Porter.

2B Mark Ripperger

3B Pat Hosberg.

Read about the action from Day 2 at the OHSAA state boys tennis tournament at Ohio University.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fans of Copley, St. Ignatius, Westlake and Willoughby South's tennis teams braced the dramatic competition like many spectators on Saturday.

But in the end neither of their favorite athletes would finish with a state title instead make history including Copley’s doubles team of Gavin Aten and Carlos Martinez winning the first state runners-up title in the school’s history.

“It’s amazing we don’t have one of these [trophies] at Copley,” Aten said. “It’s pretty cool we were able to get it.”

For the exchange student from Mexico, it was challenging match in the state final.

“We were trying to play our best, but there are really good players,” Martinez said. “We gave it our best shot.”

On Saturday at the Ohio State University Varsity Tennis Courts , Copley's doubles team took second place in the Division I doubles tournament. This came after falling to the Sycamore team of junior Alex Taylor and Nakul Narendran 6-1, 7-5.

Also in Division I, Westlake seniors Cal Craven and Connor Michelich took third place followed by St. Ignatius senior Nathan Griffin defeating Willoughby South senior Vince Anzalone taking third and fourth respectively.

“We came in as a two-seed in the state tournament and we knew it was going to be tough competition,” Craven said. “But we were prepared.”

After defeating the Jackson doubles team of juniors Anthony Kanam and Jake Zalenski 6-4, 6-2, Michelich said he was glad he returned to playing tennis after he decided to sit out his junior year for personal reasons.

“It’s just remarkable what we’ve become since our sophomore year,” Michelich said. “I’m here now, third place in the state tournament and it feels pretty good.”

In singles competition, Griffin lost in the state semifinals to soon-to-be state champion Jackson junior Joey Thomas 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). After the consolation round was relocated to Elysium Tennis Center late in the match due to lightning, Griffin defeated Anzalone 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.

Griffin is moving onto Notre Dame after winning St. Ignatius first singles state title in 2014.

“Vince Anzalone is a good player,” Griffin said. “I knew it was going to be a tough match regardless…it wasn’t the way I wanted to end it, but this was a great way to end my high school career.”

Anzalone fell in the semifinals to Sycamore senior Deepak Indrakanti 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to play Griffin. Anzalone will be heading to Toledo after graduation.

“When I took my visit it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the guys and of course coach Al Wermer,” Anzalone said. “I think I can do well there and continue to get better.”

Thomas won the Division I state doubles competition against Indrakanti 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

In Division II, Lexington senior Mason Dragos won the singles title defeating Gahanna junior Jacob Wareti 6-3, 6-2. Cincinnati Country Day senior Asher Hirsch earned third place after dropping Indian Hill junior Alexander Warstler 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).

Sophomores Shaheel Mitra and Vishaal Nalagtla of Cincinnati Country Day won the doubles tile after defeating Wyoming senior doubles players Myles Bourbon and Will Carter 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).

Senior Matt Gargas and sophomore Tyler Garagas of Ottawa Hill placed third after winning 6-7 (0-7), 6-1, 6-2 against Milton Union senior Matt Brumbaugh and sophomore Phillip Brumbaugh.

BOYS TENNIS STATE TOURNAMENT

Division I

Semifinals singles: Joey Thomas (Jackson) d. Nathan Griffin (St. Ignatius) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Deepak Indrakanti (Sycamore) d. Vincent Anzalone (Willoughby South) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Semifinals doubles: Carlos Martinez/Gavin Aten (Copley) d. Anthony Kanam/Jake Zalenski (Jackson) 6-4, 2-6, 6-0; Alex Taylor/Nakul Narendran (Sycamore) d. Cal Craven/Connor Michelich (Westlake) 6-1, 6-4.

Singles Consolation: Nathan Griffin (St. Ignatius) Vincent Anzalone (Willoughby South)4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-5.

Doubles Consolation: Cal Craven/Connor Michelich (Westlake) d. Anthony Kanam/Jake Zalenski (Jackson) 6-4, 6-2

Singles Championship: Joey Thomas (Jackson) d. Deepak Indrakanti (Sycamore) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Doubles Championship: Alex Taylor/Nakul Narendran (Sycamore) d. Carlos Martinez/Gavin Aten (Copley) 6-1, 7-5.

Division II

Semifinals singles: Jacob Wareti (Gahanna) d. Alexander Warstler (Indian Hill) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3); Mason Dragos (Lexington) d. Asher Hirsch (Country Day) 1-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Semifinals doubles: Myles Bourbon/Will Carter (Wyoming) d. Matt Gragas/Tyler Gargas (Ottawa Hills) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Shaheel Mitra/Vishaal (Country Day) d. Matt Brumbaugh/Phillip Brumbaugh (Milton Union) 6-4, 6-2.

Singles Consolation: Asher Hirsch (Country Day) d. Alexander Warstler (Indian Hill) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).

Doubles Consolation: Matt Gragas/Tyler Gargas (Ottawa Hills) d. Matt Brumbaugh/Phillip Brumbaugh (Milton Union) 6-7 (0-7), 6-1, 6-2.

Singles Championship: Mason Dragos (Lexington) d. Jacob Wareti (Gahanna) 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles Championship: Shaheel Mitra/Vishaal (Country Day) d. Myles Bourbon/Will Carter (Wyoming) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact Nathaniel Cline on Twitter (@nathanielcline), by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Indians and Mariners split the first two games of this four-game set. The Indians won the series opener, 5-3. The Mariners won Friday night, 2-1.

SEATTLE -- Get scoring updates and join beat writer Paul Hoynes for a live chat as the Indians and Mariners play the third game of a four-game series Saturday night at Safeco Field. Shaun Marcum (1-0, 6.2) will face Seattle's Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.56).

Game 48: Indians (22-26) vs. Mariners (24-24).

First pitch: 10:10 p.m. ET.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100, WMMS FM/100.7

Saturday's Division I softball regional final between Barberton and Canton GlenOak was postponed after multiple weather delays.

AKRON, Ohio – Saturday's Division I softball regional final between Barberton (21-9) and Canton GlenOak was postponed after multiple weather delays. 

Umpires first postponed the game in the third inning, after seeing lightning in the area, with the score already 1-0 in favor of Canton GlenOak (23-6). The game was delayed for good in the top of the fifth inning with no outs with the score still 1-0.

In the first inning, GlenOak's Madison Corrick scored after a Barberton error moved her into scoring position. GlenOak's Erin Allison held Barberton hitless in in four innings and also had eight strikeouts.

At press time, the game was tentatively rescheduled for Monday at a time to be announced by the Ohio High Schools Athletic Association at a later date.

Barberton advanced to the regional final with a 7-3 regional semifinal win against Willoughby South on Thursday. Canton GlenOak advanced to within a game of the state semifinal with a 2-1 against Nordonia on Wednesday.

The winner of this game will face undefeated and Associated Press No. 2 ranked team Lebanon (31-0), who defeated Mason 12-1 in just two innings on Saturday.

Be on the lookout for updates on when the game will be officially rescheduled with cleveland.com.

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Along with the Buckeyes on the 6-foot-2, 239-pound prospect's list were Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, TCU, Florida State, Oklahoma, USC, Auburn, Florida, Miami (Fla.), UCLA, Texas A&M, Baylor, Nebraska, LSU and Oregon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dontavious Jackson knew the list he released on Saturday night was a little much.

A top 18? Really? 

Yes, it's a little broad. And the four-star linebacker of Houston (Texas) Alief Elsik admitted it, but he did take solace in the fact that he made some progress in his recruitment after amassing more than 60 scholarships. 

* A day at Houston powerhouse North Shore explains why not all Ohio State scholarship offers are equal 

And Ohio State made his first cut.

Another cut is coming soon. 

Along with the Buckeyes on the 6-foot-2, 239-pound prospect's list were Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, TCU, Florida State, Oklahoma, USC, Auburn, Florida, Miami (Fla.), UCLA, Texas A&M, Baylor, Nebraska, LSU and Oregon. 

"This is a broad List, but starting from 60, I've progressed a lot," Jackson wrote on his public Twitter account Friday. "Thanks to everyone involved! Shortening (the list) soon."

Rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 5 inside linebacker in the 2016 class, Jackson is currently considered a Texas lean. According to the 247Sports Crystal Ball -- a tool that polls recruiting experts to project a prospect's college destination -- the Longhorns got 55 percent of the 11 votes. 

Things are clearly in flux with Jackson, though. 

This Is A Broad List, But Starting From 60 I've Progressed a lot, Thanks To Everyone Involved! Shortening Soon. #AGTG pic.twitter.com/woJFQK8OGl

-- Dontavious Jackson (@DCinco__5) May 31, 2015

Manager Terry Francona says he's talked to Michael Brantley about when to test his balky balk and when to back off. His goal is to keep Brantley on the field for as many games as possible.

SEATTLE - After Michael Brantley went 0-for-5 against Texas on Tuesday at Progressive Field, he was asked if the back injury that bothered him throughout spring training and during the early parts of the regular season was still nagging him.

"That's in the past," said Brantley.

Whether it is or not, something seems to be bothering Brantley.

He's hitting .205 (9-for-44) since May 18. He does have 10 RBI in that 11-game stretch, but there have been signs that Brantley might not be 100 percent.

In the first inning Friday night, Brantley hit into a double play and pulled up well short of the bag.

Manager Terry Francona, when asked about Brantley's back and that play specifically, said, "I think he tries to pick his spots with it. We've talked about it a little bit and I've actually encouraged him (to be careful with his back).

"One of the things I think every manager wants is a guy who runs down the bases like their pants are on fire. But we've actually talked (about it) because keeping him out there is so big for us. Having him keep an eye on things makes sense."

Brantley went into Saturday's game hitting .308 (49-for-159) with 17 doubles, four homers and team-high 29 RBI.

After hitting .339 (20-for-59) in April, Brantley is hitting .290 (29-for-100) in May. He has 22 of his 27 RBI in May.

"Michael is so good at seeing the field," said Francona. "You can tell him things you might not want to tell everybody else. He does such a good job of that and maintaining (his back).

"I probably aggravate him because I ask him so much. But he does such a good job of keeping himself to where he can be out there playing."

Brantley's back flared when he first reported to spring training in February. It has been a concern ever since.

Here's daddy: Carlos Santana was scheduled to arrive in Seattle on Saturday and be in the starting lineup on Sunday against Seattle.

Santana stayed in Cleveland on Thursday to be with his wife, Brittany, who gave birth to a baby girl named Savian Yazmin. When Santana is activated from the Paternity List, look for Jerry Sands to be designated for assignment.

Sands was promoted from Class AAA Columbus to replace Santana. He started Saturday night against Seattle lefty Elias Roenis.

Nice combo: The Indians have received good mileage out of the outfield platoon of David Murphy and Ryan Raburn.

They entered Friday's game hitting a combined .310 (54-for-174) with five homers, 15 doubles and 25 RBI.

"You can't say they're just one player because they're not," said Francona.
"But they play a complementary role. They've been really good when they've played."

Raburn started in left field Friday because Seattle started a left-hander in Roenis. Murphy plays against right-handers.

Finally: The Indians, 15-7 going into Saturday's game, were tied with Houston for the third best record in the AL in May . . .The Tribe's +19 run differential in May is the second best in the AL next to Minnesota's +33. Run differential is the different between the runs a team scores and allows. . .When reporters approached Raburn after Saturday's 2-1 loss to Seattle, he said, "Why do you want to talk to me? I didn't play. I just pinch hit." Raburn's pinch-hit triple in the ninth inning accounted for the Indians only run.