The Indians went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in an 8-1 loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt Garza pitched six shutout innings and Jean Segura went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 8-1, Tuesday night at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wis. The Tribe slipped to 44-48.

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

The Counsell of Milwaukee: The Brewers are 42-52 overall but 35-34 under manager Craig Counsell.

Ambush: Tribe right-hander Danny Salazar gave up three runs on two hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out eight.

The hits against Salazar (8-5, 3.78 ERA) came off first-pitch fastballs.

*Lefty Gerardo Parra, who has been sizzling in June, led off the first with a triple into the right-field corner. Salazar missed his spot: Catcher Yan Gomes set up on the outer half; the pitch was off the inside corner at the thighs.

Parra scored on Jonathan Lucroy's grounder to short to make it 1-0.

*Segura hit a two-run homer with one out in the second to make it 3-0. The pitch was on the inside corner at the belt. Segura must have been paying attention to the  previous batter, Aramis Ramirez, who narrowly missed a first-pitch fastball on the inner third in what turned out to be a fly to left.

Segura has hit four homers in 305 at-bats; Salazar has given up 14 in 17 starts.

The Brewers piled on in the seventh primarily against Zach McAllister.

Matter of RISP: The Indians entered the night batting .228 with runners in scoring position, which ranked 13th in the American League. Their .139 average with the bases loaded ranked last in the AL, and their 670 left on base were most in the AL.

The Indians went 1-for-11 with RISP against the Brewers. Here is a look at their plate appearances with RISP (includes runners on first when applicable):

Second inning: runners on first (Brandon Moss, bloop single) and second (Carlos Santana, walk), none out.

1. Yan Gomes -- fly to center, Santana advances to third.

Skinny: Gomes, who has struggled to drive in runs, fizzled again. He was unable to do enough with a 1-1 fastball. But at least he put a runner at third with one out and his team trailing, 1-0.

2. Michael Bourn -- GIDP 4-6-3.

Skinny: A classic example of what ails the 2015 Indians.

Garza threw a first-pitch fastball that ran to the outer half and below the knees. In most counts, let alone 0-0, it qualified as a pitcher's pitch. Yet Bourn, as is too often the case, became too eager. He reached and rolled over it. Because the ball was hit directly at second baseman Scooter Gennett, Bourn was doubled up.

Third inning: runner on second (Jason Kipnis, double), two outs.

3. Francisco Lindor -- grounder to second.

Skinny: Garza, having fallen behind, 2-0, threw a fastball over the plate at the knees. If Lindor was going to swing, he needed to make solid contact. Instead, he pulled off the pitch and chopped routinely to Gennett.

Fourth inning: runners on first (Brandon Moss, single) and second (Michael Brantley, single), one out.

4. Yan Gomes -- liner to right, Brantley advances to third.

Skinny: Gomes had the correct approach and mechanics against a 2-1 fastball on the outer half. He put a good swing on it but wasn't rewarded.

5. Michael Bourn -- called strikeout.

Skinny: Bourn ultimately is responsible for the result, no question, but plate umpire Brian Gorman played a significant role.

Bourn took Garza's first pitch, a fastball that ran outside by plenty. For reasons known only to Gorman, it was called a strike. After two balls put the count in Bourn's favor, he took another fastball that ran outside by plenty. For reasons known only to Gorman, it was called a strike, thereby changing the entire complexion of the plate appearance.

Garza, now afforded room to work, dropped a breaking pitch over the plate that froze Bourn.

Fifth inning: runners on first (Jason Kipnis, single) and second (Giovanny Urshela, single), one out.

6. Francisco Lindor -- GIDP 6-3.

Skinny: Brutal. Garza fell behind, 3-0, meaning he was one pitch from facing Brantley with the bases loaded. Lindor wisely took a strike but, in a 3-1 count, swung at a fastball at his shoes. Lindor, for as talented as he is projected to be, must remember that Brantley is on deck, recognize a pitch far out of the zone, and take the walk.

Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "You have to be patient....Being aggressive, overly aggressive, is a tough way to drive in runs. It happens to a lot of young hitters at the big-league level, and it is happening to Lindor.''

Garza came back with a fastball on the outside corner at the belt. Lindor grounded  almost directly to Segura, who stepped on the bag and fired to first.

Garza is 5-10 with a 5.23 ERA.

Seventh inning: runner on second (Yan Gomes, double), none out.

7. Michael Bourn (vs. RHP Michael Blazek) -- swinging strikeout.

Skinny: Bourn, in the eighth pitch of the AB, flailed at a 3-2 curve.

Bourn finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and is batting .225 with a .296 on-base percentage and .269 slugging percentage. The season would be highly problematic on a $1 million salary; Bourn, in the third of a four-year guaranteed contract, makes $13 million.

8. Giovanny Urshela -- RBI double to right.

Skinny: Urshela, using a similar approach to that of Gomes in the fourth, went with a 3-2 fastball and shot it to the wall.

9. David Murphy (PH for Salazar, vs. LHP Will Smith) -- strikeout swinging.

Skinny: Smith, his right arm presumably free of a rosin/sunscreen mix, overmatched Murphy in four pitches. Murphy had no chance at a 1-2 sweeper.

10. Jason Kipnis (vs. Smith) -- swinging strikeout.

Skinny: The 1-1 pitch, a fastball, was outside -- but Gorman called it a ball. As with Bourn in the third, it changed the complexion of the AB. Kipnis eventually swung through a 2-2 fastball. Credit Smith and catcher Lucroy with surprising Kipnis with the heater.

Eighth inning: runners on first (Carlos Santana, single) and second (Michael Brantley, walk).

11. Brandon Moss (vs. LHP Neal Cotts) -- GIDP 4-6-3.

Skinny: Make it three GIDPs with RISP, and four overall, for the Tribe. All four ended the inning, including two by Moss.

Fox SportsTime Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "The Indians are just mired in an offensive funk that is hard to comprehend.''

Manager Terry Francona, Franciso Lindor and Danny Salazar talk about Tuesday's 8-1 loss to the Brewers.

MILWAUKEE - What the Indians said after Tuesday's 8-1 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park.

Manager Terry Francona.

On starter Danny Salazar.

"I thought Danny actually pitched pretty well. He gave up the homer to (Jean) Segura after the walk and the first-pitch triple to start the game. Other than that, he was really good, dominant."

Explanation: Salazar allowed three runs in the first two innings and then threw four scoreless innings. He struck out eight, walked three and allowed just two hits, but took the loss.

Gerardo Parra opened the game with a triple and scored on a ground ball. Segura hit a two-run homer in the second.

On Milwaukee's four-run seventh inning

"We fell behind and we were trying desperately to keep the score (3-1) where it was. Ryan Webb came in and did exactly what you're looking for. There was no place to put people (the bases were loaded). We needed a ground ball and that's exactly what we got.

"Then we got the next ground ball and Frankie (Francisco Lindor) laid back and didn't move his feet and that led to a bunch more runs."

Explanation: The Indians just cut Milwaukee's lead to 3-1 with a run in the seventh. The Brewers responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, three of them unearned because of Lindor's two-out throwing error on Ryan Braun's grounder.

Will the error help Lindor mature?

"I hope everything is, but it doesn't matter what age you are, you have to move your feet. He knows that. That's a play he knows he needs to make."

On continued failure with runners in scoring position?

"We hit into four double plays and that hurts a lot. We got into some hitter's counts and still rolled over to second base. We have to realize that pitchers aren't just going to lay a pitch in there when they're behind.

"We're going to have to be a little more selective . . .more aggressive on the right pitches instead of going out of the zone. "

Francisco Lindor

On his seventh-inning error.

"I didn't move my feet. I stopped moving my feet and didn't get it. "

On the play before the error, you fielded a ground ball and threw home to start a 6-2-3 double play. How do you go from that play to the error?

"They're both routine plays. They're both plays I should have made. I messed up. It's tough to swallow.

"I'll learn from that. I'll continue to get better. This is not going to be the first error or the last error that I make like that."

Danny Salazar

Did going 10 days without starting hurt you early in the game?

"Not really. I felt pretty good. The All-Star break was good because I rested. Then I came back and threw a bullpen and felt normal.

"I was just overthrowing in the first two innings. And that cost us the game."

The Indians watch close game turn into a rout by Milwaukee on Tuesday night after critical error by rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor.

MILWAUKEE - It was another night of empty swings and frustration for the Indians.

The Brewers jumped Danny Salazar early Tuesday night and the Indians never recovered in a 8-1 loss at Miller Park. Once again they didn't do what they usually don't do -- hit in the clutch.

The Indians went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. On Sunday, they were 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position in a 5-3 win over the Reds. That victory was spurred by four bases-loaded walks.

Such good fortunate did not smile on the Tribe on Tuesday night. 

Matt Garza (5-10, 5.23) came off the disabled list and threw six scoreless innings at the Indians. Garza came into the game with a 5.55 ERA, but he dazzled the Tribe on 83 pitches.

Salazar (8-5, 3.79) allowed three runs in the first two innings. Gerardo Parra started the game with a triple and scored on Jonathan Lucroy's grounder to short.

Shortstop Jean Segura hit a two-run homer in the second on Salazar's first pitch for a 3-0 lead and that was enough to hand the Indians their 48th loss of the season.

The Indians made it 3-1 in the seventh on Giovanny Urshela's double to score Yan Gomes. Lefty Will Smith relieved and ended the rally by striking out David Murphy and Jason Kipnis.

The Brewers responded with a four-run seventh to put only the final score in doubt. Manager Terry Francona used four relievers in the inning, but it wasn't enough to stop Milwaukee. A two-out error by rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor unhinged the inning, but he could have used some help from first baseman Carlos Santana, who had a chance to scoop his one-hop throw from deep short, but couldn't hold the ball.

Three of Milwaukee's four runs that were unearned because of that error.

Salazar, working on 10 days rest, was fine after the first two innings.  He struck out eight, walked three and allowed just two hits in six innings.   

What it means

The Indians (44-48) fell to 2-2 on their inter-league trip against the Brewers and Reds. They've lost four of their last six and fell to 25-22 on the road.

The Brewers under manager Craig Counsell are 35-34 since he replaced Ron Roenicke on May 4. They've won four straight, five of their last six and are 11-4 in July.

Make up your mind.

Francona has dreamed of having an ambidextrous pitcher to use. Well, he has the next best thing in switch-hitting Danny Salazar.

Salazar batted right-handed in the third inning against Garza and struck out. In the fifth inning, he batted left-handed against Garza in attempting to bunt  Urshela to second base.

He fouled off three bunt attempts and struck out. In the Indians media guide, Salazar is listed as a left-handed hitter.

Change of pace

Segura's two-run homer in the second ended a 38 straight singles by the Milwaukee shortstop. It was his fourth homer of the season.

Double your trouble

The Indians killed four potential rallies by hitting into four double plays. Michael Bourn, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Moss (twice) did the honors.

The double play Bourn hit into in the second -- Santana was on third --  was the first he's hit into since Aug. 27, 2014, a stretch of 375 at-bats.

What's next?

Rookie right-hander Cody Anderson (2-1, 0.89) will face Milwaukee's Kyle Lohse (5-10, 6.17) on Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. at Miller Field. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Anderson will be pitched on 12 days rest. His last start was July 9 when he pitched the Indians to a 3-1 victory over Houston at Progressive Field. This will be his third career start on the road and second interleague game.

Lohse will be making his 20^th start of the season. Opponents are hitting .294 with 21 homers against Lohse. He is 8-9 in 21 career starts against the Indians. He has not faced them since pitching St. Louis to a 2-0 victory at Busch Stadium on June 9, 2012.

Find out how Ohio's public universities pay for sports on campus and the cost of those intercollegiate athletic programs. All but Ohio State use student fees or other institution support to help pay the bills.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Nearly every Mom, Dad or student that's paid college bills knows all about inflation. But those rising education costs pale in comparison to the increasing bill for college sports at most Ohio public universities.

Athletic spending at the state's six Mid-American Conference schools, for example, is up 24 percent in five years, almost double the increase in the cost of tuition, books, room and board at the same schools.

Most of the money for sports at Ohio's mid-major schools such as those in the MAC comes from mandatory student fees or other non-athletic university resources. Ticket sales, TV revenue and donations don't come close to paying the bills.

Ohio State is different. OSU's athletic department generates enough cash to cover the entire sports bill and transfer some leftover money to the academic side of campus.

For the other 10 Division I public universities in Ohio, student fees and other school support adds up to an average of $820 a year per student on campus.

At each school, more is spent on coaching and staff salaries than on athletic scholarships.

The Northeast Ohio Media Group identified these trends and others after analyzing the last five years of financial reports filed with the NCAA. (Details for each school will be published at this link over the next few days.) Private schools Dayton and Xavier declined to share their reports.

What NEOMG found for Ohio mirrors to some extent what is happening across the country.

Spending on sports nationally per student is rising faster than spending on academics, and the reliance on student fees and other institutional support has fallen only for the highest profile sports conferences such as the Big Ten, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics reports.

The University of Akron women's basketball celebrates winning the 2014 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena.John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

A 64 percent subsidy

In Ohio, the six MAC schools, plus Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Wright State and Cincinnati combined to spend $164.2 million in student fees and other university support on sports in 2013-14, the latest year for which data are available, the NEOMG analysis found.

That accounted for 64 percent of the $254.7 million these schools spent on sports. Five years earlier, these sources of money covered 62 percent of the $205.6 million bill.

In other words, as a group these athletic programs helped pay for their spending increase (24 percent) with an even larger increase (28 percent) in money from students and other university resources.

"The trends have shown historically any increases [in spending] have resulted in increases in student fees or institutional funding," said Amy Perko, executive director of the Knight Commission, noting the recent exception for the big five conferences with major TV deals.

Will the increases continue?

Perko said her sense is that schools at the mid-major level - those in the category of most of the universities in Ohio - are becoming more interested in reining in rate of spending growth like the Knight Commission has been suggesting for years.

In Virginia, it's now the law. A bill the governor signed in March caps student and public subsidies to sports at 20 percent for major conference schools, 55 percent for mid-majors and 70 percent for schools that compete at what used to be called the Division I-AA level.

There is no such bill on the governor's desk in Ohio, but two recent examples in Northeast Ohio illustrate budget concerns.

• Akron in early July included elimination of its baseball team among a series of cost-cutting measures across the university in an attempt to solve school-wide budget problems.

• Cleveland State in March announced elimination of its wrestling program, a decision later reversed only after supporters complained and students approved a fee increase of about $90 a year for full-time students.

At Kent State, Athletic Director Joel Nielsen said the school is taking a "deep dive" into athletic finances and will have proposals by the end of the year on what can be done going forward.

"Funds from the university are reaching their limit, not just student fees but institutional," Nielsen said. "Decisions will need to be made."

Bowling Green hosts Ohio State in hockey.Rich Exner, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

Why the investment?

Athletic directors, including Nielsen, argue that the values of intercollegiate sports are many, including delivering a higher profile for the universities, enriching campus life and providing life-learning experiences for the student-athletes.

"There is an investment component in programs such as our MAC schools," Ohio University Athletic Director Jim Schaus said. "But it is a very small investment for a very large return."

Sports accounted for 4 percent of OU's total spending in 2013-14.

"Athletics are clearly a marketing arm for our schools and other institutions in our conference," Schaus said.  "It's a great deal. You get a good return on the investment."

Nielsen made the same argument about athletics being a small part of the overall budget - 4 percent at KSU as well - that returns a large amount of exposure. He said that was especially true after the school's advance to the College Baseball World Series in 2012.

"We definitely know there are points of pride from the students to alumni, to our community and donors," Nielsen said.
 
Student fees and non-athletic university funds covered 68 percent of the 2013-14 athletic bill at Ohio University, 78 percent at Kent State and 84 percent at Cleveland State in 2013-14, NEOMG found.

Yet CSU, a non-football school in the Horizon League, has held to slower growth. Operating expenses went up 12.9 percent over five years, about half the rate of increase for the six MAC schools in Ohio.

CSU Athletic Director John Parry said he had no choice but to keep the budget down because "we're driven very extensively by student fees."

So when the school decided to add men's and women's lacrosse teams, the decision was made to eliminate wrestling to offset the cost. Wrestling was restored to the budget only after students approved the fee increase for all students on campus. It will amount to about $90 a year for full-time students, after a one-year phase-in at about $30.

Parry said increasing costs at other schools often are tied to construction of new facilities. "We haven't done a whole lot of that," he said.

Kent State celebrates a victory over Oregon en route to the 2012 College Baseball World Series.Associated Press 

Coaching pay

One of the largest budget items is the cost of coaches in the highest profile sports.

Cleveland State paid men's basketball coach Gary Waters $629,316 in salary and benefits in 2013-14, accounting for 5.5 percent of the school's total athletic operating expenses.

His pay and benefits increased 52 percent over the five years examined. Such increases are not that unusual.

At the six Ohio MAC schools, pay and benefits for men's basketball coaches increased 58 percent to an average of $502,000 a year, and football coaches 34 percent to an average of $560,000.

Kent was the lowest for both in 2013-14, with $271,511 spent on the men's basketball coach and $388,226 on the football coach. Highs were $751,934 for basketball at OU and $684,284 for football at Miami.

"In order to compete, you're going to have to pay what the market is requiring," OU's Schaus said. "Salaries for coaches have increased just like other areas have increased. We want to be competitive and fair to individuals."

At a school like Ohio State, the pay and benefits are much higher: $3.5 million for basketball coach Thad Matta and $5.2 million for football coach Urban Meyer in 2013-14.

An opposing view

The increase in coaching salaries is just one area of spending at public schools that has  triggered complaints from the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors.

"As far as we can see, athletic spending is a runaway situation that has gotten worse," said John McNay, president of the group and a professor of history at the University of Cincinnati. "All of the universities have doubled down it seems."

Commencement in 2013 at Cleveland State University.John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

McNay disputed claims that sports lead to higher overall enrollment - "There is no hard information on that." - and said he believed the money could be better spent on academics. One idea he offered: hire more full-time faculty to replace low-cost part-time instructors often used for entry-level classes.

"I'm not against athletics," McNay said. "I'm against spending so much money on it."

McNay suggested making student fees for athletics optional.

"I think it would be worthwhile for students to opt in or opt out, rather than to make everyone pay," McNay said. "For a student who is just interested in academics, why not?"

The head of Akron's faculty senate recently suggested downgrading Akron's football program to save money, an idea not under serious consideration.

Nathan J. Mortimer, interim athletic director at Akron, said fiscal stability must be a part of college athletics, but he also said the value of a Division I athletic program such as Akron's should not be overlooked.

His goal is to improve athletic finances, in part by boosting football attendance, which ranked last in the NCAA last season with 9,170 fans per game. Akron spent more on sports last year, $32 million, than any other Ohio school in the MAC.

"The reality I believe is that athletics is the door step, the porchway into the institution," Mortimer said. "Right or wrong, that's the outlet that we get a lot of coverage from. ... It's a great marketing tool."

As Browns' rookies head to camp get your questions answered this afternoon at a new time.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns' football is back.

Rookies report today for training camp and veterans join Aug. 29 with the first full practice coming the following day.

We'll begin a position-by-position breakdown of the camp roster on cleveland.com Thursday. In the meantime, we'd like to hear from you. What questions do you have about the franchise as it heads to camp?

What are the Browns going to do at tight end? Who becomes the odd man out on the offensive line? Can Justin Glibert put a disappointing rookie campaign behind him? And what, if anything, can be expected from Johnny Manziel?

Join the discussion at 1 p.m., with Browns beat writer Tom Reed. Click on this link to be transported to the comments section below.

The Indians will try to break an eight-game losing streak against the Brewers when they send Cody Anderson to the mound on Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park. The Brewers are 12-7 against the Tribe since joining the National League in 1998.

MILWAUKEE -- Get scoring updates and join beat writer Paul Hoynes for a live chat as the Indians and Brewers play the second game of a brief two-game interleague set Wednesday at Miller Field.

Game 93: Indians (44-48) vs. Brewers (42-52).

First pitch: 2:10 pm. ET.

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers added to their off-season haul on Tuesday afternoon, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran Richard Jefferson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers added to their off-season haul on Tuesday afternoon, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran Richard Jefferson.

With Jefferson providing much-needed wing depth, they are likely to focus on J.R. Smith next. The unrestricted free agent who declined his player option for this season is expected to meet with the Cavs sometime this week. 

Just like the Cavs, other teams around the league were making small moves as well, trying to fill the remaining roster spots.

Jefferson changes his mind: Early in free agency, it seemed a formality that the 35-year-old small forward would return to Dallas. That was before DeAndre Jordan reneged on his deal with the Mavs.

Coming down to the end of his career, Jefferson, the two-time NBA Finals participant, would like another shot at a tile and Dallas' hopes faded when Jordan returned to Los Angeles.

This U-turn, however, didn't play out the same, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

"When reached Tuesday, Cuban said that he actually spoke to Jefferson about his change of heart and was not blindsided by the decision as Dallas was in Jordan's case," Stein writes.

"He called and talked to me," Cuban told the site. "RJ said he had an opportunity with an Eastern Conference team. He said he would honor what he [originally agreed to with the Mavs] but thought the other was a better fit. I told him I was OK with it and understood."

Jefferson, who averaged 5.8 points per game last season, will slide into Shawn Marion's role from last season.

It was a minor, but necessary move. The market was thinning out and Cleveland needed reliable veteran in the rotation as opposed to a youngster like Joe Harris or rookie Sir'Dominic Pointer. Jefferson also proved to be a reliable shooting threat last season in Dallas as he made nearly 43 percent from three-point range. 

He has made 40 percent or better from beyond the arc in four of the last five seasons.

Kendrick Perkins finds new home: Perkins arrived in Cleveland in February, choosing a chance to play with LeBron James over a reunion with former head coach Doc Rivers. His presence was felt behind the scenes and it wasn't a coincidence that his locker was set adjacent to Tristan Thompson, but Perkins didn't make much of an on-court impact.

He averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds during while receiving sporadic minutes.

Perkins, looking for more consistency, is now going to New Orleans, agreeing to a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum. Known for his toughness and defensive-first attitude, Perkins will provide a much-needed veteran presence for the Pelicans, a team on the rise in the Western Conference.

Seth Curry joining his big brother in California: Curry played for the Pelicans during the Las Vegas Summer League and there were reports of them wanting to find a roster spot for him. But one of the remaining spots was earmarked for Perkins, which led Stephen Curry's younger brother to weigh other options.

According to Yahoo Sports, Curry has received a two-year deal worth $2 million from the Sacramento Kings.

Curry, who was named to the Summer League First Team, has played a meager 21 minutes in the NBA over the last two seasons, but was the third leading in the D-League last year.

Tyler Hansbrough joins the Hornets: A former North Carolina star, Hansbrough has agreed to a deal with Charlotte. It's been a quiet offseason for the Hornets and it's expected to stay that way moving forward, according to the Charlotte Observer.

"This might be the last move the Hornets make in free agency. They came to terms late Tuesday with Hansbrough to be their energy guy/sixth big man. He figures to raise competition in training camp, based on intensity. But in stints with Indiana and Toronto, he has struggled to find a consistent place on an NBA roster."

Baron Davis attempting a comeback? Remember him? The one-time first-round selection hasn't played since the 2012 playoffs when he injured his right knee. But the 36-year-old NBA junkie appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio Tuesday and revealed an interesting piece of information.

"This is the first time I'm going to put myself out there, I'm going to try out for some teams." @Baron_Davis on looking to get back to @NBA

-- SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 21, 2015

He's had a lot of time off, but the veteran point guard has been training in Los Angeles and given the remaining options in free agency, teams may give him a look.

Akron: An explainer on the cost of intercollegiate sports at the University of Akron, and the source of the money that pays the bills.

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron, which announced earlier this month that it will eliminate its baseball team, spends more on intercollegiate athletics than any other Ohio school in the Mid-American Conference.

Operating expenses in 2013-14 totaled $32.1 million, up 31 percent from $24.5 million five years earlier, according to the most recent data.

Akron spending easily topped the $26 million average for the five other Ohio MAC schools.

Yet, no other Ohio MAC school fielded more teams. Akron and Miami led with 19 each, followed by Kent State and Bowling Green with 18 each, and Ohio and Toledo with 16 each.

The college sports bill

This is one in a series of summaries detailing the finances of Division I sports at Ohio's 11 public universities, based on a Northeast Ohio Media Group analysis of the most recent five years of NCAA reports for each school. Private schools Dayton and Xavier declined to share their reports. Read also:

• Spending across Ohio up faster than overall college costs; trends and issues examined.
• School-by-school summaries.

How does Akron pay for sports?

NEOMG found the school covered 71 percent of the bill in 2013-14 with direct institutional support, money that could come from sources such as tuition, taxes and other public sources, according to the NCAA report. This amounted to $22.7 million, or $1,096 per student student.

Far less was money from athletics.

Tops in this area were distributions from the conference, NCAA and tournaments ($2.5 million); ticket sales ($1.7 million); payments for road games ($1.3 million); royalties, advertisements and sponsorships ($971,746) and sports camps ($642,126).

Salaries and benefits for coaches, administrators and staff totaled $10.5 million, including $5.6 million for the coaches.

The University of Akron tops Mid-American Conference schools in Ohio on sports spending.Mid-American Conference

The biggest chunk of coaching portion was for football, with $554,523 for head coach Terry Bowden and $1.2 million for his nine assistants. Head men's basketball coach Keith Dambrot received $660,208 in pay and benefits; his three assistants: $407,574.

Next highest were head coaches for women's basketball ($326,864), men's soccer ($268,213), softball ($109,858), baseball ($109,703) and women's volleyball ($109,394).

Eliminating the baseball team should save at least $600,000

Baseball specific expenses detailed included $261,181 for scholarships, a total of $199,018 in salary and benefits for the head coach and two assistants, $103,971 for travel,  $39,777 for equipment and supplies, $22,137 for game-day expenses, and $10,532 for recruiting,

There was no ticket revenue for baseball, but there was $47,854 in baseball revenue from other sources such as away-game guarantees and baseball camps.

Athletic expenses overall will be getting a close look from the top.

Nathan J. Mortimer, vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer for the school, became the interim athletic director this summer. His background includes time as a public accountant in the state auditor's office.

"To me, the pillars of athletics are academic performance, personal conduct, team records and attendance," Mortimer said. "And it's all built around fiscal stability."

Mortimer said he considers football a "huge opportunity on the revenue side,"  noting poor attendance in the past.

Akron opened a new $62 million football stadium in 2009. Capacity is 30,000 but attendance at InfoCision Stadium averaged just 9,170 this past season, ranking last among the 129 NCAA schools playing top-division football.

Akron's athletic debt, according to the 2013-14 report filed earlier this year, stands at $68.1 million, third highest in Ohio behind Cincinnati ($139 million) and Ohio State ($191.2 million).

Akron's athletic teams

Men's sports (8): Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, indoor track, and outdoor track.

Women's sports (10): Basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track, outdoor track and volleyball.

Mixed teams (1): Rifle.

 

Rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela, who ended an 0-for-10 slump Tuesday night with two hits, will look to continue his rebound Wednesday afternoon against the Brewers.

MILWAUKEE -- Here are the starting lineups for Wedneday's game between the Indians and Brewers at Miller Park.

INDIANS

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

CF Michael Brantley.

LF David Murphy.

1B Carlos Santana.

C Yan Gomes.

RF Brandon Moss.

3B Giovanny Urshela.

RHP Cody Anderson, 2-1, 0.98 ERA.

BREWERS

RF Gerardo Parras.

C Jonathan Lucroy.

CF Carlos Gomez.

1B Adam Lind.

LF Khris Davis.

SS Jean Segura.

2B Scooter Gennett.

RHP Kyle Lohse, 5-10, 6.17.

UMPIRES

H Mark Carlson.

1B Ryan Blakney.

2B Tripp Gibson.

3B Brian Gorman, crew chief.

Mid-American Conference Players were visible on several NFL.com top 15 lists, but Kent State's Jordan Italiano was the only player ranked No. 1. And he's the smartest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The smartest man in college football, Kent State senior safety Jordan Italiano, was not smart enough to see the honor coming his way.

"It's a nice honor, nice to be recognized,'' Italiano said. "I did not (know it was coming). One of my teammates saw it and sent me the link to the story."

NFL.com ranked the top 15 college football players in the country in multiple categories. Italiano, a bio-chemistry major with a 3.978 GPA, was at the top of the list for college football smartest players. Considering the major, and the fact he has recorded all As and one B-plus after three years of classes, it is well deserved.

It has also come with some instant notoriety for the smooth-faced Italiano, with now slick-back wavy hair, a twinkle in his eye and a dashing smile. "Everyone is coming up to me now, asking what it's like to be the smartest player."

The criteria for the honor was somewhat subjective as it went beyond test scores and grades to include football performance as well. The list includes players from brainiac schools such as Duke and Stanford, and football factories such as Ohio State and Alabama; the top five power conference teams and conference teams all the way down to the MAC.

Last season, Kent defensive lineman Nate Terhune made one of the categories (the 15 toughest) on the annual top 15 lists. This year, Italiano is joined by teammate Earnest Calhoun, who is No. 12 on the list of smallest players in college football.

"He's actually the smallest (5-6, 151-pounds), measurably, if you look at the list,'' Kent head coach Paul Haynes said. "But just like they went by more than GPA and test scores with Jordan, there was other criteria that moved Calhoun down on his list."

But it is Italiano who is carrying the burden of notoriety, as now teammates and coaches seem to be waiting for him to make a misstep for the 'gotcha' moment.

"A lot of people are giving me a hard time now, like 'how does the smartest player in football not know that,''' he said.

Haynes said he has not played that card yet, saving it for pads and the regular season. "I'm keeping that one in my back pocket for when I need it. The thing is, everybody in that entire safety room carries a 3.0 (GPA) or better. So they keep each other on their toes. I think, overall, in that room it's a 3.5, 3.6. so he's surrounded by guys who are academically motivated."

The NFL.com lists included many players from the Mid-American Conference. Only two MAC players were named on multiple lists. Toledo tailback Kareem Hunt, a product of Willoughby South High School, was No. 11 on the 'Most Explosive Athlete' list and No. 11 on the 'Best Player outside of the Power 5 Conferences' list. Interestingly Western Michigan receiver Corey Davis was No. 8 on both lists.

Finally, the 'Smartest' list, led by Italiano, also includes No. 7 Cooper Rush, quarterback at Central Michigan, and No. 14, Nate Locke, linebacker at Bowling Green.

LeBron James and his production company, Springhill, signs unprecedented deal with Warner Bros. to produce TV shows, movies, and digital content. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fresh off a $30 million opening weekend at the box office for his first movie and with his production company building momentum, LeBron James is partnering with Warner Bros. in an "unprecedented arrangement," according to the entertainment giant.

The partnership is between Warner, James, and SpringHill Entertainment, the production company owned by James and run on a day-day basis by James' friend and long-time business partner, Maverick Carter.

Per the agreement, SpringHill will work on movies, TV, and original digital content for Warner. That means James' name will be listed on many of those projects as an executive producer and he could hold acting roles in those movies/and shows.

James played a small role in his first movie "Trainwreck," starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. The film premiered twice -- once in Akron, once in New York, both with red carpets and media on hand -- and landed James on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and the Today Show.

James is a global basketball star and marketing gold mine. For instance, his Nike shoe did more than $340 million in sales in his first season back in Cleveland.

The buzz he helped generate for "Trainwreck" could be there for several of the projects he engages in with Warner Bros. Not to mention, Warner Bros. owns the rights to "Space Jam," which starred Michael Jordan.

The fit for a sequel is obvious, and last month Warner Bros. filed new trademarks -- a possible sign of plans for new merchandise, according to Capital New York media editor Alex Weprin.

For James, the partnership is a huge step toward his goal of building out his business and entrepreneurial footprint beyond basketball.

"LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him and his partner, Maverick Carter, and SpringHill Entertainment,"  Kevin Tsujihara, chairman and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. said in a news release. "The combination of LeBron's global media presence and Warner Bros.' unmatched production and distribution expertise is a big win for fans everywhere.

"We're excited to welcome LeBron and Maverick to the Warner Bros. family and look forward to partnering on incredible projects that will connect with consumers across a variety of platforms."

James said "connecting with my fans and telling meaningful stories have always been my passion.

"In everything I've done, from Nike commercials to Uninterrupted (athlete testimonials, for which he has an undisclosed financial arrangement with Bleacher Report) and Survivor's Remorse, it's always about connecting with people of all ages and providing unique content they can all enjoy," James said. "And I've always loved movies, which makes Warner Bros. the ultimate partner to help us continue to push the envelope. I can't wait to see what we come up with."  

SpringHill was already working with "Average Joe" creator Andrew Glassman on a prime-time game show for NBC. The TV show "Survivor's Remorse" will enter its second season on Starz next month, and Disney XD ordered a full season of Springhill's "Becoming," in which athletes recount their childhoods.

"In everything we do, we think long and hard about how we want to grow and partners that can help us bring our content to the next level," Carter said. "And we're always looking for new, creative ways to explore ideas that haven't been done before, and this partnership with Warner Bros. will open a lot of doors for that."

On Wednesday, Starz released the Season Two promo poster for "Survivor's Remorse," about a fictitious basketball player and the people around him in his personal life.  

Jessie T. Usher and RonReaco Lee star. James will make a cameo appearance this season.

Bowling Green: An explainer on the cost of intercollegiate sports at Bowling Green State University, and the source of the money that pays the bills.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University uses less money from student fees and other non-athletic school sources to pay for sports than nearly every other Mid-American Conference school in Ohio.

Yet it still added up to $14.7 million in 2013-14, according to the school's latest financial filings with the NCAA. That averages out to $934 a year per student on campus.

In comparison, Akron subsidized sports with $22.7 million and Miami did so with $21.1 million. Only Toledo at $12.9 million contributed less than BG in sports subsidies.

The college sports bill

This is one in a series of summaries detailing the finances of Division I sports at Ohio's 11 public universities, based on a Northeast Ohio Media Group analysis of the most recent five years of NCAA reports for each school. Private schools Dayton and Xavier declined to share their reports. Read also:

• Spending across Ohio up faster than overall college costs; trends and issues examined.
• School-by-school summaries published to date.

How does Bowling Green pay for sports?

Sixty-three percent of the money in 2013-14 came from the $14.7 million subsidy to the athletic department - $12.7 million from student fees and $2 million through the value of making facilities or services available at no charge.

Sports-related revenue made up the rest.

Bowling Green State University's athletic program covers most of its spending bill with student fees.Mid-American Conference

At BG, this included $2 million in postseason, conference and NCAA distributions; $1.9 million from ticket sales; $1.5 million in donations; $1.2 million from payments to play away games; $661,333 in royalties, licensing and advertisements; and $438,485 from programs and concessions.

These numbers are for the school year in which BG won the MAC football championship at Ford Field in Detroit and returned three weeks later to play Pitt in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.  

BG spent $5.8 million on full or partial scholarships for 335 athletes in 18 sports during 2013-14.

Salaries and benefits for coaches, administrators and staff totaled, $7.7 million, including $4.7 million for the coaches.

The biggest chunk of the coaching portion was for football, with $545,762 for the head coach (the school transitioned from Dave Clawson to Dino Babers during the school year) and $1.3 million for his nine assistant positions.

Head coaching pay and benefits also topped $200,000 each for men's basketball ($338,146), ice hockey ($221,288) and women's basketball ($216,558).

Total athletic spending for 2013-14 was $23.3 million, up 31 percent since 2009-10 but still the lowest amount among Ohio's six MAC schools.

Overall, student fees for sports leveled off somewhat after a jump three years ago. They totaled $9.5 million in the year ending in 2010, $10.7 million in 2011, $12.2 million in 2012, $12.4 million in 2013 and $12.7 million in 2014.

However, typical surpluses of $2 million to $3 million a year were nearly wiped out in 2013-14, the last year NCAA report data is available. Revenue topped expenses by $160,000 in the most recent year.

One thing that will help revenue this year is that the football schedule includes away games at Maryland and Purdue of the Big Ten, and Tennessee of the Southeastern Conference.

The Sept. 5 game at Tennessee was a late add, after South Carolina State officials said they wanted out of their commitment to visit BG this year. BG will have only five home games.

"Philosophically, that's not what we want. We want six home games every year," spokesman Jason Knavel said. "But we're getting $1.2 million to go to Tennessee, which is a good alternative to not having a football game at all."

Bowling Green's athletic teams

Men's sports (7): Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey and soccer.

Women's sports (11): Basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track, outdoor track and volleyball.

 

Madsen played at West Virginia and has spent time with the Steelers and Packers.

BEREA, Ohio - The Browns made a series of minor roster moves Wednesday as rookies reported to training camp.

The Browns signed free-agent offensive lineman and Chardon native Joe Madsen, who spent three weeks on the Packers' practice squad a season ago. They also placed seventh-round pick Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (cornerback) and sixth-round pick Randall Telfer (tight end) on the active/non-football injury list.

Neither move involving the injured players is surprising. Expre-Olomu (knee) is expected to miss the entire season as he recovers from a serious knee injury suffered prior to the Rose Bowl and Telfer might not be ready until late into the year with a foot injury. The tight end sustained a left mid-foot fracture involving the Lisfranc joint late last year while playing for USC and had it repaired Feb. 26 when doctors inserted three screws into the foot.

Both players count toward the active roster and are eligible to be activated upon passing physicals.

The club also announced undrafted defensive lineman Tory Slalter is being placed on the active/physically unable to perform list.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Madsen joins the Browns weeks after undrafted lineman Tyler Loos, 25, notified the team of his retirement. Madsen played at West Virginia University and was signed by the Steelers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent.

Madsen, who also played arena ball in Los Angeles, was on the Packers' practice squad during last season's playoffs.

The Browns' roster stands at a maximum 90. Veterans report to camp next week and the first full practice is set for Aug. 30.

On Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park, the Indians snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Brewers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Center fielder Michael Brantley went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and four RBI as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-5, Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wis. Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis was 2-for-5 -- his fourth consecutive multi-hit game.

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

Impressive performance: The Indians (45-48 overall, 26-22 on road) easily could have conceded defeat, at least mentally. The Brewers, who entered on a serious roll, had eight hits and led, 4-1, after two innings.

The Brewers (42-53 overall, 20-29 at home) are averaging six runs over their past 18 games (13-5).

This brew's for them: The Indians snapped an eight-game losing streak to Milwaukee, the eighth coming Tuesday night in the series opener (8-1). It had been their longest active losing streak against any opponent.

Back on track: Brantley notched his second-four hit game of the season (4-for-4 @ Detroit, April 25).

With runners on first and third and one out in the third, Brantley delivered the swing of the game. He ripped a 1-0 split-changeup from righty Kyle Lohse deep to right for a homer to tie the score, 4-4.

Brantley's ability to handle the bat was on display throughout. He turned on another inside pitch for a double to right and stayed on two outer-half pitches for singles to left. The out was sharply hit to first.  

Brantley has been playing through back discomfort the entire season, and it was clearly affecting his mechanics by the end of the first "half.'' He went 0-for-3 in the final game before the All-Star break and was hitting .292.

After four days off, Brantley resumed swinging the way he did as an MVP candidate last season. He has hit safely in five straight, combining to go 9-for-19 with three doubles, two homers, nine RBI and five walks. His average is back above .300, at .302.

How long the back will allow him to swing free and easy is the question. As one way to help mitigate jolts, Brantley appeared to be wearing shoes with more padding in the soles Wednesday.

Kip it and rip it: Kipnis also has hit safely in five straight games. In his past four, he is a combined 8-for-17 with three walks. He has 35 multi-hit games in a season in which he is batting .329 with 63 runs. He scored twice Wednesday.

Matter of RISP: The Indians were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They had been in a 4-for-28 slide.

Bullish: Indians righty relievers Austin Adams, Ryan Webb, Zach McAllister, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen combined to allow one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Adams stranded two runners in the third. He earned his first MLB victory.

Allen allowed one run on three hits in the ninth.

Superb bounce-backs: Tribe shortstop Francisco Lindor and McAllister put their bad games of Tuesday behind them.

Lindor went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and a walk. Lindor lined a 3-2 slide piece from Lohse over the right-field wall in the first inning to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead.

McAllister allowed one hit and struck out three in two scoreless innings.

Operation shutdown: With the game on the line in the Milwaukee ninth, Tribe third baseman Giovanny Urshela made a superb play. In real time, it seemed routine -- but that is only because Urshela is a major leaguer who can handle the glove.

The Brewers scored once and had runners on first and third with one out against Allen. Khris Davis grounded toward third, and the last hop was not as true as it first appeared. Urshela adjusted seamlessly, fielded and fired to Jason Kipnis, who threw to Carlos Santana for the game-ending double play.      

Difficult to do if they tried: The Indians hit into four double plays Wednesday, their fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth of the series.

The Indians hit into eight double plays in a two-game series -- and  managed a split. Let it marinate.

Here are the four from Wednesday:

*With runners on first and second and none out in the second inning, Brandon Moss lined into a 4-6. Carlos Santana was doubled off second.

*With a runner on first and one out in the third, Santana grounded into a 3-6. The ball was hit sharply; first baseman Adam Lind gloved with the backhand.

*With runners on first and second and one out in the fourth, Adams bunted into a 2-6-3. Adams bunted the first pitch, which was outside and down. It bounced into the glove of catcher Jonathan Lucroy near the plate.

Adams batted because Tribe manager Terry Francona did not want to go to his third pitcher by the beginning of the Milwaukee fourth.

*With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Yan Gomes grounded into a 6-4-3.

Skinny: He was ahead in the count, 3-0. The GIDP came in a 3-2 count, after three straight fouls.

The Tribe's season-long ineptitude with the bases loaded continued.

Anderson's line Wednesday: 2 2/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, K

He exited with runners on first and second. Adams struck out sizzling Gerardo Parra in what turned out to be a ginormous at-bat in the game.

Anderson simply didn't have it, as evidenced by five hits allowed at/after 0-2 or 1-2 counts:

*Adam Lind -- two-run homer to right-center in first inning (0-2 changeup).

Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "It looked like a nothing changeup to me. It didn't really have any movement to it. It just stayed right there.''

*Khris Davis -- single to center in first inning (0-2 cutter). Bad break for Anderson because Davis hit a decent pitch.

*Jean Segura -- RBI single to right in first inning (3-2 fastball after being down, 1-2).

*Adam Lind -- RBI single to center in second inning (2-2 fastball after 1-2 count). No wrinkle to it.

*Kyle Lohse -- single to center (0-2 pitch). Francona had seen enough and signaled for Adams.

Make pitchers pay: If the Indians are going to make the opposition nervous in the final 2 1/3 months, their hitters need to perform better when ahead in counts. Here is what they did Wednesday where 2-0 and 2-1 counts are concerned:

At/after 2-0 count

First inning

Michael Brantley -- grounder to first (2-0 fastball).

Skinny: Tough luck for Brantley, who hit the ball hard. First baseman Adam Lind made a quality play behind the bag.

Second inning

Yan Gomes -- walk (3-1 breaking pitch).

Fifth inning

Carlos Santana -- intentional walk (3-0 pitch).

Skinny: Loaded the bases with one out for Gomes.

Yan Gomes -- GIDP 6-4-3 (3-2 fastball).

Skinny: Gomes was ahead in the count, 3-0. He took a strike, fouled three times and got jammed into the GIDP.

Ninth inning

Yan Gomes (vs. LHP Neal Cotts) -- intentional walk (3-0 pitch).

Brandon Moss (vs. LHP Neal Cotts) --  fly to right (2-2 fastball).

Skinny: Moss put a good swing on it; Gerardo Parra made catch on the track.

At/after 2-1 count

First inning

Jason Kipnis --  called strikeout (2-2 changeup outside).

Skinny: Eight-pitch AB. Plate umpire Mark Carlson gave Lohse 1-2 inches off the corner.

Second inning

Carlos Santana -- bunt single (2-1 breaking pitch).

Skinny: Beat the shift by pushing it to left side.

Brandon Moss -- LODP 4-6 (3-2 changeup).

Skinny: Moss worked count to 3-1 and fouled an 86-mph cutter. He hooked the changeup to Scooter Gennett, who doubled off Santana.

Giovanny Urshela -- fly to right (2-1 fastball).

Skinny: Urshela needed to do more with a pitch over the plate.

Sixth inning

Ryan Raburn (vs. RHP Michael Blazek) -- walk (3-2 breaking pitch).

Skinny: It would have been easy to chase the 3-2 pitch.

Ninth inning

Francisco Lindor (vs. LHP Neal Cotts) -- fly to center (2-1 fastball).

Skinny: Quality swing produced flyout near track.

Michael Brantley (vs. LHP Neal Cotts) -- single to left (2-2 slider).

Skinny: Brantley was not happy with the strike call on the previous pitch, and rightly so: The fastball was outside. He lined the slider into the hole.

The amazing success of three-year-old pacer Wiggle it Jiggleit has been a family affair for owner-trainer George Teague Jr. and his son, young driver Montrell Teague.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - George Teague Jr. has owned and trained a long list of outstanding harness horses. The oddly-named Wiggle It Jiggleit leads the pack, if only because the superstar sophomore pacer's incredible win streak this season is a family affair.

It's a reason why Teague isn't giving the three-year-old pacer much rest this year. And why Wiggle It Jiggleit will be the premier pacer entered in the $400,000 Milstein Memorial Stakes on Aug. 14 at Northfield Park.

Wiggle It Jiggleit has done it all this season, winning 14 of 15 with Teague's son, Montrell Teague, in the sulky. It's not easy for a young black reinsman to get to a lot of work, especially in stakes races.

Harness racing is an overwhelmingly white sport.

Not since the legendary Lew Williams, a driving star who began his career at Northfield Park star, has a black reinsman had such success. No black trainer in the history of harness racing can match George Teague Jr.

"Having Montrell do the driving makes this success so much better for me," said Teague, 51, in a telephone call from his stable in Harrington, Delaware. "If Montrell wasn't a top-notch driver, he wouldn't be there (behind Wiggle It Jiggleit).

"But Montrell has great talent. He has plenty of patience and has earned his success. I've always said greatness comes with opportunity. If Montrell gets the opportunities, he'll be as great as any driver out there."

Wiggle It Jiggleit is a homebred gelding connecting some of Teague's past successes, and there have been many. This year's explosion of three-year-old stakes victories with Wiggle It Jiggleit include a stunning victory Saturday night in the $706,000 Meadowlands Pace at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Montrell Teague (left) is congratulated by his father, owner-trainer George Teague Jr., after the young driver guided superstar sophomore pacer Wiggle it Jiggleit to victory in the $706,000 Meadowlands Pace on Saturday night. Mark Hall / U.S. Trotting Association 

In avenging their only loss of the season to Wakizashi Hanover, Montrell Teague and Wiggle It Jiggleit looked their rival in the eye late in the mile and paced off a 13/4-length victory in a sizzling 1:47.4 mile, a career best.

Wakizashi Hanover had beaten him by a half-length on June 20 in the $1 million North America Cup. After the loss, Teague said his son thought their horse was having problems seeing his rivals. The horse's blinkers were altered, and in the rematch Wiggle It Jiggleit saw Wakizasha Hanover coming. He responded with the win, boosting his career earnings to just shy of $1 million.

Teague isn't afraid to keep Wiggle It Jiggleit racing against this best this year. He's made the supplemental payment to race him in the $400,000 Cane Pace at Meadowlands on Aug. 12, the first step of harness racing's Triple Crown, and head for Northfield Park and the Milstein Memorial. The 70^th Little Brown Jug classic at the Delaware County (Ohio) Fairgrounds on Sept. 24 is also on his dance card.

Teague loves the atmosphere of The Jug even though great horses ranging from Somebeachsomewhere to Captaintreacherous avoided the tight half-mile oval, and the format of heat racing. Teague almost won the Delaware classic when his I'm Gorgeous finished second to Rock N Roll Heaven in a world record mile in the 2010 Little Brown Jug.

"The Little Brown Jug's two heats don't scare me, and neither does the half-mile track," said Teague, a director of the Delaware race. "I was hooked the first time I went to the Jug. Everyone was so nice, and there's no better place for horse racing fans."

If Wiggle It Jiggleit stays sound, he's going to be busy.

"We'll probably race Wiggle It Jiggleit 25, maybe 27 times this year," said Teague. "I want to race him all of the way to November. He has unbelievable stamina, a lung capacity superb to any horse I've owned. He's the fastest horse I've ever trained, and the smartest."

Teague knows where that comes from. He campaigned his sire, Mr. Wiggles, a winner of $1.2 million. And his dam, Mozzi Hanover, who won $140,682.

Best of the best: Northfield Park's head of racing, Dave Bianconi, is still pinching himself.

"To get Wiggle It Jiggleit, the best pacer on the planet right now, for the Milstein Pace is incredible for us. He's the best that's ever raced here, and we're keeping our fingers crossed he stays sound."

To make the race even more exciting, Wakizashi Hanover's owners have committed to the Milstein Pace, though they will skip the Little Brown Jug.

Northfield track mark: Credit Fashion set a track record for four-year-old trotters on Monday with Aaron Merriman in the sulky. Credit Fashion stopped the clock in 1:53.3 in a conditioned race, a fifth of a second off the overall track trotting record of 1:53.2.

Owned by Martin Yoder of Kidron, Credit Fashion ($3.20) is trained by Jeff Heochstetler. He won by more than 11 lengths to win his sixth of 14 career races, pushing his earnings to $304,137.

The Indians have been in a team-wide slump when it comes to clutch hitting. The slump, however, does not include Michael Brantley, who is hitting .364 (32-for-88) with runners in scoring position this season. Watch video

MILWAUKEE - Under different conditions Michael Brantley could have been playing against the Indians instead of with them Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park.

The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Brantley with their seventh pick in 2005. Three years later they sent him to the Indians as the player to be named in the CC Sabathia deal.

Brantley has played against the Brewers in spring training, but not in the big leagues until this two-game series. In Tuesday's 8-1 loss, Brantley bounced a single off first base. Wednesday he gave the Brewers a deeper look into his game.

In a 7-5 victory, Brantley went 4-for-5 with four RBI. He hit a game-tying three-run homer in the third and a go-ahead single in the fifth. Then came a double in the seventh and a single in the ninth.

Brantley said he wasn't trying to show the Brewers what they were missing.

"Absolutely not," he said. "I've got the utmost respect for those guys over there. The first base coach (Mike Guerrero) and the third base coach (Ed Sedar) were my managers in the minors.

"I love seeing them. It put a smile on my face. They taught me a lot. Anytime you get to see them and play in front of them, it gets you excited."

The Indians have been fighting a team-wide epidemic of hitting with runners in scoring position since the start of the season. Brantley has been immune.

He's hitting .364 (32-for-88) with runners in scoring position. Forty-five of his team-high 55 RBI have come that way.

"I try to get the runners in . . . point blank and simple," said Brantley. "I do whatever I can to get the runners in. The more runs we score, the better chance we're going to have to win. It's no secret."

Last year Brantley led the AL with a .346 average with runners in scoring position.

"I try to have a good approach and stay on it," said Brantley. "There's no secret. Get a good pitch and hit a good pitch. Don't try to do too much."

Brantley has deal with back problems since the start of spring training. He said the All-Star break helped physically and mentally.

"You get to relax your mind and spend time with your family away from the grind of baseball," said Brantley. "It's going to help."

Manager Terry Francona agreed.

"He's back to doing what he does," said Francona. "He can hit the ball out of the ballpark. He can hit the ball to left field. When he had the base hit in the fifth and (Jason) Kipnis scored and Francisco Lindor went to third on the bobble, he showed a burst going to second base. That was nice to see."

Brantley hit a 1-0 change up by Kyle Lohse for the three-run homer in the third. The swing looked smooth and effortless.

When asked if it felt that way, Brantley, nicknamed Dr. Smooth, said, "I wish. It's one day at a time, one at-bat at a time. I hope I can build on this and keep this good feeling that I have going."

He stopped and added, "We've still got a lot of work to do in the second half. We've got two big series at home against out division."

The Indians open a four-game series against Chicago on Thursday night at Progressive Field. First-place Kansas City follows the White Sox on Monday for a three-game set.

Check out photos, tweets and videos of all the teams who participated in Wednesday's high school football media days sessions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 20 local schools converged on the Northeast Ohio Media Group's offices on Wednesday to kick off six days of high shcool football media days. 

Teams from Stow, Hudson, Kenston, Mogadore, Mentor and Medina participated in photo sessions, interviews and interactive games hosted by cleveland.com's high school sports staff. 

Check back for more coverage of tomorrow's media days session and follow along with our live coverage.

The RubberDucks begin a seven-game homestand Thursday night.

Bradley ZimmerPD file photo 

The RubberDucks fought back from a 3-0 deficit, but the Flying Squirrels still sent Akron to its third straight loss, 5-3, in Class AA Eastern League play in Richmond, Va.

After another night struggling at the plate, the RubberDucks entered the eighth inning trailing, 3-0. 

But after outfielder Bradley Zimmer was hit by a pitch, designated hitter Anthony Gallas hit a two-run homer to quickly make it 3-2 with no one out. An RBI single with two outs by pinch-hitter Bryson Myles tied the game.

The Flying Squirrels answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs off Akron reliever Josh Martin. It was Martin's first loss of the season (6-1, 1.86 ERA).

Gallas doubled in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but outfielder Carlos Moncrief flew out to end the game.

Zimmer, the Indians' top draft pick in 2014, was 2-for-3 with a run scored. He's batting .333 in seven games with the RubberDucks after being called up from Class A Lynchburg, Va., earlier this month.

Gallas, a graduate of Strongsville High School and Kent State, finished 2-for-5 with a double, homer and two RBI.

Akron starter Mike Clevinger gave up two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The RubberDucks return home Thursday night against Altoona, the beginning of a seven-game stretch at Canal Park.

Rookie right-hander Cody Anderson got knocked out of Wednesday's game early, but Michael Brantley and the bullpen came to the Indians rescue.

MILWAUKEE - It has been one strange trip for the Indians.

They earned a series split Wednesday with a 7-5 victory over Milwaukee despite hitting into eight double plays in the two-game set. Before arriving in Milwaukee, they won a series in Cincinnati with a 5-3 victory Sunday by drawing four walks with the bases loaded.

When the Indians weren't hitting into four double plays Wednesday, they were watching Michael Brantley swing the bat. Brantley never made it to the big leagues with Milwaukee because they traded him to the Indians in 2008 in the CC Sabathia deal. On Tuesday, Brantley showed them what they missed.

Brantley pulled the Indians into a 4-4 with a three-run homer off Kyle Lohse (5-11, 6.29) in the third. He hit a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for his seventh homer.

In the fifth, Brantley put the Tribe ahead, 5-4, with a single following a bloop single by Jason Kipnis and a walk by Francisco Lindor. In the seventh, Brantley doubled and scored on a two-out single by Yan Gomes for a 6-4 lead.

Brantley completed his four-hit day with a single in the ninth. He's hitting .302 with seven homers and 54 RBI.

While Indians hitters have been lost in the desert this season when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position, Brantley has been an oasis. He's hitting .364 (32-for-88) with runners on second and third base.

Carlos Santana padded the Tribe lead with a RBI double in the ninth.

The Indians missed a chance to break the game open following Brantley's go-ahead single. David Murphy grounded out to first, Santana was intentionally walked and Gomes grounded into the fourth double play of the game for the Tribe.

Lindor put in the Indians in front 1-0 with a first-inning homer off Lohse's 3-2 pitch. Milwaukee came right back to take a 3-1 lead in first against rookie Cody Anderson on Adam Lind's two-run homer and Jean Segura's RBI single.

Milwaukee made it 4-1 on Lind's single in the second, but that was before Brantley started to swing the bat.

Anderson, after four strong starts, allowed four runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. He was making his first start since July 9.

What it means

The Indians (45-48) went 3-2 on this five-game interleague trip to Cincinnati and Milwaukee. They're 26-22 on the road and 10-7 in interleague play.

The Brewers (42-53) had their four-game winning streak broken. Their eight-game winning streak against the Indians also came to an end.

Short stuff

Anderson, working on 12 days rest, turned in the Tribe's shortest start since June 17^th when Shawn Marcum went two innings in a 17-0 loss to the Cubs at Progressive Field.

The Brewers took a 3-1 lead with two outs in the first. It was as many runs that Anderson had allowed in his first 30 1/3 innings in the big leagues.

Bounce back

Lindor showed resolve Wednesday.

After making a critical error in the Tribe's 8-1 loss Tuesday, Lindor opened the scoring for the Tribe with a first-inning homer. It was his fourth of the season.

Lindor reached base in his first three players appearances with a homer, single and walk.

What just happened?

Tribe reliever Austin Adams attempted a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and one out in the fourth. He made contact, but thought the ball was foul and didn't run.

Plate umpire Mark Carlson called it a fair ball and catcher Jonathan Lucroy immediately tagged Adams. Carlos apparently missed the tag so Lucroy threw to third to start what was scored as a 2-6-3 double play.

Actually, there was no force at third because Adams had been tagged out, but that's the way it was scored.

Good day for the pen

Tribe relievers pitched the final 6 1/3 innings after Anderson's early exit. Adams (1-0) earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of work. Cody Allen earned his 20th save.

The only run the bullpen allowed came on in the ninth off Allen when Lind doubled home Lucroy.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Brewers drew 32,588 fans to Miller Park on Wednesday. The two-game series drew, 66,967.

What's next?

The White Sox visit Progressive Field on Thursday to open a four-game series. Trevor Bauer (8-6, 4.03) will face Chicago RHP Jeff Samardzija (6-5, 4.08) at 7:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Bauer is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA in three starts against the White Sox this season. He opened the second half with a 6-1 loss to Cincinnati on Friday night.

Samardzija, a free agent at the end of the year, has been the subject of trade rumors with the July 31 non-waiver deadline approaching. He's 1-0 against the Indians this year and has pitched seven or more innings in his last eight starts.

James Jones and the Cavaliers have reached a deal on a one-year deal, NEOMG has learned.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Small forward James Jones has reached an agreement on a one-year deal to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources informed Northeast Ohio Media Group.

The contract, according to one source, is for the veteran's minimum. The paperwork was faxed Thursday to Jones, who is in Florida with family. The contract is expected to be signed and finalized as early as Friday.

Jones, 34, appeared in 57 games for the Cavaliers last season and averaged 4.4 points while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range. Last week in Las Vegas at the Players Awards Show, he told NEOMG, "I'll be back in Cleveland for sure."

He's one of the veteran players LeBron James trusts and vouched for in the summer of 2014. He's a rock inside the locker room, and his long-range catch-and-shooting ability blends well with Cleveland's cast of talented players.

The addition of Mo Williams, Richard Jefferson along with Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova -- assuming they're back - will dramatically enhance the Cavaliers' second unit this upcoming season.