Check out highlights from Northeast Ohio high schools in action on Monday, Aug. 31, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Monday. See below for information on how you team’s accomplishments can be recognized in these daily roundups.

FIELD HOCKEY

Hudson 5, Western Reserve Academy 0: The Explorers scored five times in the first half to defeat the Pioneers.

BOYS GOLF

KIELY CUP: For the fourth time in the 11 year history of the Kiely Cup, Walsh Jesuit prevailed at Canterbury Golf Club. Walsh was led by junior Zak Supelak, with rounds of 70-68 for a 6-under par total of 138. That earned him individual medalist honors ahead of Michael Denner of Toledo Ottawa Hills. Denner had rounds of 78-71 for a total of 149. St. Ignatius’ Round 2 team total of 311 was the best on the second day of competition. Patrick Devine’s scores of 75-80 for a total of 155 paced the Wildcats. St. Ignatius finished with a two-day team total of 625.

Hawken 170, Cuyahoga Heights 208: Scott Hill led the Hawks with a 41 while Patrick Nesiol added a 42. Nate Schroeder led the Redskins with a 47.

GIRLS GOLF

Hawken 171, Geneva 206: Isabella Joseph fired a 38 to lead the Hawks while Ryan Covitt added a 41. Alexa Hutchinson's 44 paced Geneva.

Mentor 188, Medina 209: Kathryn Cassidy's 41 led the Cardinals while Megan Towne's 45 paced the Bees.

Padua 174, Beaumont 206: Michaela Thomas carded a 38 to lead the Bruins to victory. Erin Adams led the Blue Streaks with a 45.

BOYS SOCCER

Lakewood 5, Lutheran West 0: Chris Kafley netted two goals and Yani Mocka added two assists for the Rangers. Goalkeeper Max Kasputis had 14 saves for the Longhorns.

GIRLS SOCCER

Aurora 1, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 0: The Lady Greenmen scored in the first half and held on to defeat the Royals.

Buckeye 6, Ashland Crestview 2: Corrine Phillips and Fallon Joyce scored two goals apiece for the Bucks.

Magnificat 6, Amherst 1: The Blue streaks scored five second-half goals to pull away from the Comets.

Medina 3, Westlake 2: The Bees let a 2-0 lead get away, but a late goal from Loren Sefick on an assist from Olivia Sency provided the winning margin.

Trinity 4, Cardinal Mooney 3: Anna Hawersaat scored two of the Trojans' four first-half goals as Trinity survived a three-goal rally by the Cardinals.

Westlake 2, Brecksville 1: Westlake erased a 1-0 deficit with goals by senior Maya Bauer and sophomore Adalee Ratycz. The Demons got assists from Michelle Appel and Rebecca Essig, while goalkeeper Katarina Jamsek recorded six saves.

TENNIS

Avon 5, North Ridgeville 0: The Eagles won three of five matches without surrendering a game.

Elyria Catholic 3, Parma 2: No. 1 singles player Kathryn Scarvelli defeated Desiree Bell in three sets to lift the Panthers.

Kenston 5, Willoughby South 0: Ellen Model and MacKenzie Bush won in straight sets at No. 1 doubles for the Bombers.

Laurel 3, Green 2: Hannah Lauster and Priya Khadilkar earned a three-set decision against Emily Capeta and Sophie Kestner at No. 1 doubles for the Gators.

Medina 5, Mentor 0: Abby Raitano and Shelby Cook picked up a straight-set victory at No. 1 doubles for the Bees.

North Royalton 4, Nordonia 1: Alexa Baldari and Cassie Shokles won their singles matches in straight sets for the Bears.

Solon 5, Elyria 0: Alexis Ratner of Solon defeated Delaney Geib of Elyria at No. 1 singles.

Shaker Heights 4, Brunswick 1: Blue Devils No. 2 singles player Kayla Webb remained unbeaten with a straight-set victory against Lizzy Cole of Shaker Heights, but it was not enough to overcome the Raiders, who got singles wins from Allison Kao and Katrina Cassell.

Strongsville 5, Euclid 0: The Mustangs won all five matches by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores.

VOLLEYBALL

John Adams 3, John Hay 0: The Rebels won an exciting second set 29-27 and went on to sweep the Hornets.

How your team can be included in these roundups

These roundups are based on box scores and game notes entered in cleveland.com’s database by school or team representatives. If your team is not participating in the box score program please contact your athletic director or coach and encourage them to do so. They can obtain instructions and database login information from High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis at kdavis@cleveland.com.

Cleveland Indians rally late against David Price en route to 4-2 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday night in Toronto. The Tribe is within 4.0 games of the second AL wild card.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Right-hander Danny Salazar gave up two runs and struck out 10 in seven innings and Cody Allen notched another four-out save as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2, Monday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion extended his hitting streak to 26 games and finished 2-for-4.

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

Rank it No.1: The Indians secured their most impressive victory of the season, all factors considered.

Francona's Fun Bunch: Manager Terry Francona's Indians (64-66) have won six straight and nine of 11. Albeit still below .500, they suddenly have become legitimate players in the race for the second AL wild card.

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The Tribe is 4.0 games behind the Texas Rangers, who occupy the second wild card. Later Monday night, the Rangers (68-62) lost to the Padres, 7-0, in San Diego.

Three teams are between the Rangers and Indians: Minnesota (67-63), L.A. Angels (65-66) and Tampa Bay (65-66).

Divided loyalties: The Blue Jays are 0-1 since Mark Shapiro's news conference in Cleveland to officially announce that he will become the Blue Jays' next president and CEO after the season.

Defying the odds: Major sports books in Las Vegas pegged Toronto as heavy favorites to win Monday. The reasoning was sound, even in light of the Tribe's hot stretch.

The Blue Jays, first place in the AL East, were 74-56 overall and 43-23 at home. They had gone 21-5 in August. They were coming off a three-game home sweep of Detroit, a series in which they held a 29-6 advantage in runs.

They led the majors in runs (718), on-base percentage (.336), slugging (.452) and homers (184).

And their starting pitcher was lefty David Price, a former AL Cy Young Award winner in the midst of a superb season. Oh, by the way: Price has been terrific against Cleveland in his career.

Yet the Indians prevailed -- with a late-inning comeback, no less. They trailed, 2-1, through six.

On the level: The Indians' (run) "Diff'' is 0. They have scored and allowed 534 runs.

(Toronto is a ridiculous, and MLB-best, +191. They have scored 720 and allowed 529.)  

Stone-cold closer: Allen worked in and out of traffic in the eighth and ninth in order to secure his seventh save of four-plus outs this season.

Allen relieved Bryan Shaw with Jose Bautista on first and two outs in the eighth. Encarnacion ripped a first-pitch fastball to left for a single, Bautista advancing to third. Encarnacion snuck into second on the throw.

Allen fell behind Troy Tulowitzki, then intentionally walked him. Lefty Justin Smoak, in a 2-2 count, swung and missed at a fabulous curve under the hands to end the threat.

With one out in the ninth, Kevin Pillar singled and advanced to second on Ryan Goins' soft single. Ben Revere fouled to third, bringing AL MVP candidate Josh Donaldson to the plate with everything on the line and most of the Rogers Centre crowd (46,643 paid) on its feet. Donaldson was sitting on a mere 36 homers and 108 RBI.

In a 1-2 count, Donaldson fouled a fastball that stayed over the plate but had just enough on it. Tribe catcher Yan Gomes shifted and rubbed his glove in the dirt as if the next pitch were headed inside, the hope being that Donaldson might sense it. Gomes knew, of course, that Allen would be aiming away. Allen unleashed a wicked curve that bounced in the left-handed batter's box, and Donaldson was fooled into  missing badly with a three-quarters swing.

Allen having worked over a hitter the caliber of Donaldson, in that spot, was worth three saves. As it stood, Allen bagged No. 28. Yes, he has encountered rough patches along the way, but he always wants the ball and will do whatever it takes to try to help his team win.

Straight-up dominant: Based on quality of repertoire and potency of the opposition's offense, Salazar authored the best start of his three-year career.

Salazar had not pitched since Aug. 22 because of illness. He undoubtedly seemed healthy to Blue Jays batters but admitted to reporters in Toronto that he tired relatively quickly.

Salazar (12-7, 3.27 ERA) allowed six hits, walked one and struck out 10. He threw 63 of 103 pitches for strikes.

The outing easily could have been scoreless if Salazar had been able to field his position. With none on and two outs in the fifth, Goins hit a grounder that Salazar basically whiffed on, the ball glancing off his glove on its way up the middle for a single.

Ben Revere hit a chopper headed for second baseman Jason Kipnis and a routine out -- until Salazar stuck out his glove and deflected the ball. Revere reached on an infield single as Goins stopped at second.

Donaldson, in a 3-2 count, sent a changeup deep to right-center. Center fielder Abraham Almonte ran a long way and reached for the ball at the track, only to have it glance off his glove. Donaldson's triple pushed the Blue Jays in front, 2-1.

In what turned out to be an enormous at-bat, dangerous Bautista stranded Donaldson with a fly to left.

Revere also managed an infield single in the third on a grounder that eluded Salazar. It meant that three Toronto hits against him should have been outs and a fourth, the Donaldson triple, qualified as a near-miss. (Salazar threw a good changeup to Donaldson, down and off the outside corner; credit Donaldson with excellent plate coverage and strength.)

The only "clean'' hits off Salazar were Tulowitzki's two-out double in the fourth and Encarnacion's leadoff single in the sixth.

Salazar, as usual, relied on a fastball/split-changeup combination. He used a slider and curve sparingly.

The changeup was periodically cartoonish. Nobody can attest more emphatically than Pillar, who struck out flailing at it in the fifth and seventh. Those strikeout pitches need to be seen to be believed.

Salazar owns seven career 10+ strikeout games, including five this season. Tribe starters have struck out 10+ on 19 occasions this season.

Scratching and clawing: Tribe bats took Salazar off the hook in the seventh.

With one out, Carlos Santana drew a walk in arguably the best plate appearance of the game. Down in the count, 1-2, Santana took a curve (78 mph) low and away. Santana fouled a nasty fastball (96) off the outside corner at the knees; spit on a nasty cutter (91) barely low on the inside corner; and fouled a nasty changeup (86) on the outside corner below the knees. Santana trotted to first when Price's cutter (91) ran too far inside.

Ryan Raburn socked a first-pitch fastball on the outer half off the right-field wall for an RBI double. The RBI was made possible because Bautista fumbled the carom ever so slightly; when Tribe third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh saw it, he pinwheeled Santana. Making up for his lack of speed, Santana rounded the bag efficiently and beat the throw with a head-first slide. Raburn advanced to third.

Raburn improved to 10-for-30 (.333) in his career against Price.

Yan Gomes struck out swinging.

Jerry Sands stepped in. Price threw a first-pitch fastball that tempted Sands into a half-swing -- or so it appeared. First-base umpire Jerry Meals, on appeal, made Sands and the Indians happy by deciding it was not a swing. Replays confirmed what the eyeballs saw in real time: Sands caught a break, especially against a pitcher with the resume of Price.

(Given how many times Tribe pitchers have been on the short end of bad check-swing calls this year, nobody on the Cleveland side needs to apologize.)

Sands fouled a cutter, then Price got too cute for his own good. Instead of staying with power against Sands and coming inside, Price threw a changeup away. Sands got on top of it enough to pull a grounder past shortstop Tulowitzki for an RBI single and 3-2 Tribe lead.

After Abraham Almonte singled Sands to second, Mike Aviles flied to center.

Price (13-5, 2.47) allowed the three runs on six hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out nine. He threw 77 of 109 pitches for strikes.

Price was plenty good enough to defeat a lot of teams. 

The Tribe made it 4-2 with an unearned run off LaTroy Hawkins in the ninth. With two outs, Gomes singled to right. Lonnie Chisenhall, pinch-hitting for Sands, chopped toward the hole at short. Third baseman Donaldson cut in front of Tulowitzki and had the ball glance off his glove and roll away. As Gomes aggressively raced for third, Donaldson retrieved the ball and fired it into the Toronto dugout.

A good throw would have erased Gomes, but that isn't the point: Gomes, with his team in the lead, forced Donaldson to make a play, and Donaldson was unable to do so.

Danny Salazar, in his first start in nine days, struck out 10 in seven innings to out-pitch David Price in the Tribe's victory over Toronto.

TORONTO - Manager Terry Francona was asked about left-hander David Price before Monday's game against Toronto and how he has dominated the Indians during his career.

"We're not the only ones he's done that against," said Francona.

Price entered the game at 9-1 with a 2.04 ERA against the Indians. Asked how his team could counter those kind of numbers Francona said, "Like any good pitcher, you have to make him work for everything he gets."

The Indians batters made Price work and Danny Salazar out-pitched him in a 4-2 victory over the streaking Blue Jays and their ace left-hander at rocking Rogers Centre.

Cody Allen earned his 28th save and seventh of more than one inning, but it was not easy. He struck out Justin Smoak to end the eighth with the bases loaded. Then he struck out Josh Donaldson with two on in the ninth to end it.  

Donaldson, with the chants of MVP, MVP ringing in his ears, gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with a two-run triple in the fifth. The triple gave Donaldson 108 RBI for the season.

Salazar started the fifth with a 1-0 lead when he ran into some two-out trouble. Ryan Goins bounced a single through the middle and Ben Revere reached on an infield hit to second to bring Donaldson to the plate.

Donaldson drove a full-count pitch deep into the gap in right center that went off the end of center fielder Abraham Almonte's glove. Goins and Revere scored easily for a 2-1 lead.

The Indians came right back to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh. After Carlos Santana walked, Ryan Raburn doubled off the wall in right center to score Santana and tie the game. When the ball bounced away from Jose Bautista, Raburn advanced to third.

Price struck out Yan Gomes, but Jerry Sands singled through the left side of the infield for 3-2 lead. Price was facing the Indians for the fourth time this season. In his previous three starts, he held them to one earned run in 21 1/3 innings.

The Tribe added an insurance run in the ninth as Gomes scored from first on a single by Lonnie Chisenhall and a throwing error by Donaldson. Gomes reached on a two-out single.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first when Jason Kipnis hit a leadoff double, took third on a Francisco Lindor ground out and scored on Michael Brantley double play grounder.

What it means

The Indians (64-66) won their sixth straight game Monday night to match their longest winning streak of the season. It's the first time the Indians have been within two games of breakeven since July 10 when they were 42-44.

The Jays (74-57) lost for just the third time in the last 11 games. They are still an impressive 21-6 in August.

Start to remember

Salazar (12-7, 3.27) held the powerful Blue Jays to two runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out 10 and walked one on 103 pitches.

It was Salazar's first start since Aug. 22. He missed Friday's start due to illness. Salazar is 5-1 against the AL East this year. 

Toronto hit 11 homers over the weekend in a three-game sweep of the Tigers.

They said it couldn't be done

Here's Price's line against the Indians: seven innings, six hits, three runs, one walk and nine strikeouts. Price threw 109 pitches, 77 for strikes.

In his previous 12 starts against the Tribe, Price (13-5 2.47) allowed 18 earned runs. It was his first loss in since being acquired by the Blue Jays from Detroit at the trading deadline. 

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Jays drew a sellout crowd of 45,643 to Rogers Centre on Monday night. It was their 14th sellout of the season.

What's next?

Rookie right-hander Cody Anderson (2-3, 4.30) will face Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada (11-8, 3.19) on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre at 7:07. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

This will be Anderson's 10^th start and his first appearance against Toronto. He's 1-0 with a 0.57 ERA against the AL East this year.

Toronto acquired Estrada from Milwaukee for Adam Lind in November. The deal has worked out well for the Jays. Estrada is 4-2 in his last six starts.

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel confirmed Tuesday that he's had tendinitis in his elbow since his freshman year at Texas A&M. He said it won't hurt his career and that surgery has not been recommended. He reached out to noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel confirmed Tuesday that he's had tendinitis in his right throwing elbow since his freshman year at Texas A&M.

"It's something I've dealt with ever season since my freshman year at  A&M,'' he said.

He acknowledged that he's reached out to noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion. He said at this time, the prescribed treatment is rest and other non-invasive approaches. He said none of the doctors he's consulted with in the past one and half weeks have recommended surgery.

Manziel said he'll be ready when called upon and will begin throwing next week in the days leading up to the opener Sept. 13 in New Jersey against the Jets.

He said lately he's been "doing really well'' and the elbow is making progress.

He said he wishes he could play in Thursday's preseason finale in Chicago, but there's still been some pain in the elbow. Manziel said he's disappointed that his momentum was stopped by the elbow, which flared up in practice Aug. 23.

He said he's confident the soreness will dissipate once he starts throwing less, and that he doesn't think it will negatively impact his career. Manziel added that teams did MRIs on his elbow at the NFL Combine, but he doesn't think the tendinitis sent up any red flags.

He acknowledged that he suffered from soreness and tightness in this elbow last year as a rookie too.

More to come soon from the Manziel interview.

Los Angeles agreed to officially bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. L.A. also was the host for the 1984 and 1932 Olympics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Los Angeles will bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, filling in for Boston, which abandoned its bid in July.

A 15-0 vote Tuesday by the L.A. City Council in support of the bid was endorsed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and the United States Olympic Committee board of directors, ending several weeks of negotiations.

Budapest, Rome, Paris and Hamburg, Germany, have said they will submit bids to the IOC. Toronto, which just hosted the Pan American Games, is debating whether or not to bid.

L.A. also was the host for the 1984 and 1932 Olympics.

"Los Angeles loves the Olympics. It's long overdue,'' Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "Today we feel like we won our heat of the prelims and we're ready to compete globally. The Olympic movement is in our blood.

"We're over the moon about being selected. We feel like the luckiest gal at the dance.''

The L.A. bid launch comes two weeks ahead of the Sept. 15 deadline for cities to be submitted to the International Olympic Committee. The IOC will issue new guidelines to bid cities ahead of the deadline.  

That's not much time, but one factor on L.A's side is its organizing committee has been in continuous operation since the city hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics. It assembled bids for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. The USOC chose to submit New York for the 2012 Games and Chicago in 2016. Both bids failed miserably when presented to the IOC and finished fourth, respectively, to London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro, which will host in 2016.

According to the USOC, LA2024's plan is based on the core principles of the IOC's "Agenda 2020" with 85 percent of proposed venues in place or planned and five primary venue clusters all within 30 minutes of the proposed Athletes' Village.

"We did not take the most direct route to get here today. We would be the first to admit that,'' USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said. "But we are beyond thrilled with the cooperation we recreived from the city of Los Angeles under trying circumstances.''

The question now becomes, will the USOC face a third embarrassing defeat or can Los Angeles save the organization with at least a respectable bid?

The USOC did not seek to bid the 2020 Olympics because of an ongoing controversy over sharing American television revenue with the IOC. That was resolved last year, clearing the way for ending a long U.S. Summer Olympics drought. Atlanta in 1996 was the last U.S. city to host a Summer Olympics.

Los Angeles has a strong Olympic history and would seek to join London as the only city to host three Olympics.

IOC executive board member Sergei Bubka of Ukraine told the Associated Press in July he believes it's important for the United States to bid.

"Los Angeles has great history, lots of experience. We will respect their decision," Bubka said.

Los Angeles recently hosted the Special Olympics.

Washington and San Francisco briefly considered resubmitting their bids after  public sentiment in Boston turned against its bid.

"We feel fortunate,'' Blackmun said "Because Los Angeles has hosted before and because of the 81 percent approval level we receive in a poll a few weeks ago, we moved forward with (Los Angeles).''

Players and coaches at Akron are looking to improve upon a disappointing 5-7 record for the 2014 season with a run toward a MAC title in 2015. Watch video

AKRON, Ohio -- Everything seems to be in place for the Akron Zips to have success in 2015 -- from veteran coach Terry Bowden to an experienced defense, and an offense that should hit the ground running, especially if senior quarterback Kyle Pohl remains at the helm.

Are the Zips capable of a championship season? Absolutely. But this is a fragile program with a history of sporadic success at best, playing for an administration hoping success on the football field not only clouds the financial woes hounding the university, but also helps clean up those money matters.

Just becoming bowl eligible, which means a .500 season, would be cause for fireworks. A winning season would mean better days ahead. This team seems capable of any of these scenarios. 

Here are five things I think about the Akron Zips:

1. Why Pohl is fighting for his job is an absolute puzzle. In brief glimpses at practice, Tra'Von Chapman is different, with his ability to run, but not clearly better. I just can't see sitting a senior QB who has played well at Michigan, Penn State and Pitt for a QB whose biggest game to date was while playing at Ashland.

2. Whatever shortcomings any QB may have, it would be minimized greatly with more emphasis on running. By all accounts that is exactly what fans can expect to see. That also makes it likely that Chapman is going to get some snaps, either as a starter or reserve.

3. If the defense holds up, this opening game Saturday at Oklahoma could be much closer than the current 31.5-point spread. That defense should get even better as the season wears on.

4. The Zips have suffered an upset loss at some point in each of the last two seasons, which led to a losing streak. That can't happen for a successful 2015.

5. At some point this season, probably the home opener with Pitt on Sept. 12, the Zips will have their first-ever sellout at InfoCision Stadium.

Elton Alexander's Akron Zips outlook: This should be an eight-win team at the least. But that is a delicate prediction based on depth and health holding up over the course of the season. Fact is, the Zips have hurt themselves more than the opposition, particularly last season, and can't afford to let that happen again.

The first rule for consistent success is "beat the teams you are supposed to beat." If the Zips accomplish that, plus a little extra, 2015 could be the turning point for Akron football.

• Akron Zips 2015 season schedule
• Akron Zips 2015 roster
• Akron Zips 2014 statistics

Defensive lineman Phil Taylor had his contract terminated by the Browns on Tuesday as part of the team's roster cuts. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns said farewell to another recent first-round pick in defensive tackle Phil Taylor, who's contract was terminated during Tuesday's roster cutdown to 75.

"Just given the depth that we had in that room, we knew we were going to have to make some difficult choices,'' said coach Mike Pettine. "You can group Kitch (defensive lineman Ishmaa'ily Kitchen) in along with Phil. In (Taylor's) state of rehab, he was well on his way to being back, but just given the current circumstances of us needing to trim the roster down and how we felt about the room, we just felt it was the right decision for all involved."

Pettine said the fact that Taylor's 2015 salary of $5.477 million became fully guaranteed when he was on the roster at the start of the league year in March did not deter them. The Browns still owe him that money even if he gets picked up by another team -- and all indications are that he will.

"It's something that we're obviously very well aware of, but did not factor that in,'' said Pettine. "When we talk about the roster, the contractual stuff to me is a secondary thing, especially given where we are financially.''

Taylor, who was coming off two knee surgeries, becomes expendable when the Browns drafted nosetackle Danny Shelton with the No. 12 overall pick. The Browns have been ecstatic with Shelton, who was voted the 2015 Maurice Bassett Award winner Tuesday for the team's best rookie in camp.

"We feel real good about where Danny is,'' said Pettine. "That his learning curve , characterized by not just how he is playing, but the questions he is asking, to me he is already at a level where we were with (guard) Joel Bitonio a year ago. If you spent time around him and watched him play and how he carries himself in the meetings and the questions that he asks, it would come as a surprise to you that it is his first year."

 In addition to cutting Taylor, the Browns confirmed that they waived Kitchen and announced they've cut fullback Luke Lundy and kicker Carey Spear in trimming to 75. Earlier in the day, they placed quarterback Connor Shaw (right thumb) and offensive lineman (Michael Bowie) on injured reserve, and placed four players on the reserve non-football injury list. 

Taylor joins the list of recent first-round picks who are no longer with the club, including 2012 No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson -- cut Monday by the Raiders -- and 2012 No. 22 overall pick Brandon Weeden, now with the Cowboys.

Ironically, Taylor's selection factored into the drafting of both of those subsequent first round picks. Taylor was part of the blockbuster trade with Atlanta in 2011 that enabled the Falcons to draft receiver receiver Julio Jones with the sixth overall pick that year.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Jones signed a five-year contract extension on Saturday worth $71.25 million, including $47.5 million guaranteed. The Browns meanwhile, got Taylor, the No. 21 overall pick in 2011; receiver Greg Little (now with the Bengals), fullback Owen Marecic (out of football),  Weeden (a backup with the Cowboys) and a 2012 fourth-round pick used to move up a notch to draft Richardson.

Taylor, however, may have lived up to his No. 21 overall status if not for injuries. As a rookie, he started all 16 games, recording 59 tackles and four sacks. By all accounts, it was a fine rookie season and he appeared on pace for future Pro Bowls. But those plans were foiled in 2012 when suffered a torn pectoral in the offseason and missed the first eight games. He rebounded in 2013 to start 15 games and finish second among Browns defensive tackles with 57 stops. He also tied for second with 12 quarterback harassments.

In 2014, he suffered a knee injury in October at Tennessee and underwent a scope. He returned in November in Cincinnati, but suffered another injury to the same knee, this one more serious. He underwent another surgery, which Taylor described as a scope, but Pettine characterized it Monday as "a serious knee injury.'' All told, he missed 11 games.

Taylor, who loved it here and recently said 'Cleveland will be my forever home,' was being worked in slowly during preseason, but occasionally appeared on the field alongside Shelton in inside run drills. 

"Danny's a great rookie, a great guy,'' Taylor said recently. "He has energy, he just brings a different type of player to the d-line. We love Danny. We're all embracing him, his attitude, he's got that motor. He's kind of like the big version of Rube (Ahtyba Rubin). He has that motor and we miss Rube and Danny's got some shoes to fill, but he'll do it.''

With Taylor and Kitchen gone, John Hughes and Parma Heights native Jamie Meder will likely back up Shelton.

"We feel the defensive line is going to be the strength of what we do defensively,'' said Pettine. "We're confident with the youth in that room. We were able to add (DL) Randy (Starks) this offseason. John Hughes is back healthy. Jamie Meder has stepped up and proven that he can play at a high level in this league. Shelton and (DL Xavier) Cooper and Des (DL Desmond Bryant) are playing at a high level. We're very confident in the group that we have."

The fans are what makes Cleveland, Cleveland! Gonna miss you guys!! #AlwaysADawg #GodhasAPlanForEveryone https://t.co/uBUN4RlkYR

-- Phil Taylor (@PhilTaylor98) September 1, 2015

I know it's a Business but when you lose a brother off the team like @PhilTaylor98 it hurts!!! Whoever gets you is getting a BEAST!! [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] [?]

-- Joe Haden (@joehaden23) September 1, 2015

Indians rookie right-hander Cody Anderson has the daunting task of facing Toronto's potent lineup Tuesday night in the middle game of this three-game series at Rogers Centre. Right-hander Marco Estrada will start for the Blue Jays.

TORONTO -- The Indians and Blue Jays meet Tuesday night in the middle game of this three-game series at Rogers Centre. Get updates and chat with beat writer Paul Hoynes.

Game No. 131: Indians (64-66), Blue Jays (74-57).

First pitch: 7:07 p.m.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio WTAM, WMMS.

Jack Griffith's quirky #buttpunt play landed him on SportsCenter and made him a social media sensation for a day.

AKRON, Ohio -- When video of Archbishop Hoban Jack Griffith's touchdown return of an errant Canton McKinley punt went viral after Thursday night's game, the senior linebacker said he was not prepared for the overwhelming response he received.

"I'm not going to lie, I was a little shocked," he said.

Video of the play, dubbed the #buttpunt on social media, reached several national sports programming affiliates and websites, including ESPN's SportsCenter, FoxSports1 and CBSSports Network.

Sports media sites including SBNation and Bleacher Report also re-posted the play, which Griffith amazingly repeated later in the game when he returned another errant McKinley punt for a score.

Two #buttpunt plays, two touchdowns and thousands of views later, Griffith said everything seems a little surreal.

"It's always been my dream to be on (SportsCenter)," he said "I never thought it would be like this. It's a great feeling."

Griffith said afterward Hoban's coaches put the defense in the right position and he simply filled his gap and the ball bounced his way.

"Circumstances happened and I got lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time," he said. "I'll take it any way I can get it."

In the aftermath of the video going viral on Friday, Griffith said attending class the following day was a memorable experience. Classmates and teachers congratulated him and his teammates in the halls.

"It was nice because it was such a big game opening up on Thursday and 4,000 people there," he said. "Everyone at school was so supportive."

Griffith said the viral response to the video garnered him a multitude of new Twitter followers. Coaches even told Griffith that an overseas website listed the play among its top 10 craziest of all time.

The exposure might also lead to more beneficial consequences for Griffith. He said college coaches have reached out to him regarding his recruiting.

Griffith said he is very interested in schools such as Kenyon, Butler and DePaul, and has also been talking to Ivy League schools like Cornell, Dartmouth and Brown.

"This is ten times better than a Hudl clip," he said. "When your name is on ESPN, it helps."

But none of that is as important, Griffith said, as getting that first win of the season against McKinley. The Knights head into Friday's showdown against Buchtel looking to take a stranglehold on the Division III, Region 7 playoff computer points chase.

"It was a great way to open up," he said.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Joe Noga on Twitter (@JoeNogaCLE), by email (jnoga@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Indians have three players who rank in the top 10 among AL batters since the All-Star break: No.1 Lonnie Chisenhall .405, No.3 Michael Brantley .385 and Francisco Lindor No.8, .359.

TORONTO -- Here are the lineups for Tuesday night's game between the Indians and Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. First pitch is at 7:07 p.m.

INDIANS

DH Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

LF Michael Brantley.

1B Carlos Santana.

RF Lonnie Chisenhall.

C Yan Gomes.

LF Abraham Almonte.

3B Giovanny Urshela.

2B Jose Ramirez.

RHP Cody Anderson, 2-3, 4.30.

BLUE JAYS

LF Ben Revere.

3B Josh Donaldson.

RF Jose Bautista.

DH Edwin Encarnacion.

SS Troy Tulowitzki.

1B Justin Smoak.

C Dioner Navarro.

CF Kevin Pillar.

2B Ryan Goins.

RHP Marco Estrada, 11-8, 3.19.

UMPIRES

H Jerry Means, crew chief.

1B Andy Fletcher.

2B Clint Fagan.

3B Paul Emmel.

Tianna Bartoletta, Shawn Barber, Emily Infeld and Jessica Beard won medals at the IAAF Track World Championships 2015 while Team USA had its worst showing in 22 years.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The headlines have been ugly this week for U.S. track and field following its disappointing IAAF World Championships in Beijing. Team USA's 18 medals were its fewest at a world championship, including Olympics, since 2003.

"Is America on the wrong track?'' asked the Wall Street Journal.

"Underwhelming,'' opined the Chicago Tribune.

But in Northeast Ohio, there is reason to celebrate. It was a banner championship meet. Greater Cleveland and Akron sent six athletes to Beijing, one of them a last-minute replacement, and they won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze.

Take that, Tracktown USA.

It wasn't just the hardware. Three of the medals were among the top moments at of the World Championships.

Medaling in Beijing were:

• University of Akron junior Shawn Barber won the pole vault.
• Elyria native Tianna Bartoletta won the long jump.
• University Heights native Emily Infeld captured a stunning bronze in the 10,000 meters.
• Euclid native Jessica Beard earned a silver medal for running a prelim of the eventual, second-place 4x400 relay.

Youngest champ in 32 years: Granted, one of those golds belongs in part to Canada, but we're claiming Barber as one of our own. Barber has dual citizenship and represents Canada at international meets. He does all of his training under the eye of Akron track coach and pole vault guru Dennis Mitchell.

Barber announced Tuesday he is turning pro and signed an endorsement contract with Nike. He will continue to train with Mitchell in Akron.

"The opportunity to continue my professional career training along side Dennis Mitchell and the Akron Zips this year, while completing work on my degree is very exciting for me," Barber said in a statement released by the school.

Barber was ranked third in the world going into the championships and had been busy and consistent all summer, so his victory was not a surprise. That does not make it any less remarkable because Barber is just 21, the youngest world or Olympic pole vault champion since legendary Sergey Bubka won the world championship at age 20 in 1983.

The average age of a pole vault champion since then is 26. Westlake native Tim Mack was 31 when he won the 2004 Olympics.

Barber cleared the winning height, 5.90 meters (19 feet, 4 1/4 inches), in his first attempt. Defending champion Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany finished second, clearing the height in his third attempt. Both failed to clear six meters.

Ten years later: Bartoletta, whose maiden name is Madison, had one of the more remarkable achievements of the world championships. She won her second long jump title 10 years after winning her first, at age 19, at the Helsinki World Championships.

The Elyria High grad had many ups and downs in between. Among the highlights was her leg on the world-record setting, Olympic-champion 4x100 relay at the 2012 Olympics.

She returned to the long jump full-time last year and was ranked No. 1 this season heading into Beijing.

Now 29, Bartoletta's victory was ripe with drama. She fouled on her first attempt and sat third until her final jump, when unleashed a world-leading and personal best 23-5 1/4 to win by 23/4 inches over Shara Proctor of Britain.

Infeld won bronze and hearts: She produced perhaps the video highlight of the meet for Team USA. While U.S. champion Molly Huddle slowed near the finish and raised her arms to celebrate finishing third, the sprinting Infeld chased her down and leaned past to steal away the bronze medal, only the second medal the U.S. has ever won in the women's 10,000.

Infeld, 25, a Beaumont High School graduate, earned even more admirers for her humility in the post-race celebration and comments. She practically apologized to Huddle for beating her, saying she felt "a little guilty.''

Beard's fourth medal: Beard, 26, earned her fourth world championship medal to go with two golds and another silver, all in the 4x400. She did not run in the final, as she did in 2011, but prelim runners also receive medals.

The Euclid High grad ran a 50.51 split in the prelim. She and teammate Phyllis Francis were replaced by 400-meter champion Allyson Felix and Natasha Hastings in the final.

The Indians entered Tuesday night's game against Toronto on a six-game winning streak and four games out of the second wild-card spot.

TORONTO - There has to be an explanation.

The Indians traded David Murphy, Brandon Moss, Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn and Marc Rzepczynski just before or right after the July 31 trading deadline. What followed was supposed to be two months of extended spring training.

But when the Indians awoke Tuesday morning, they were only four games behind Texas for the second wild card after beating sizzling Toronto, 4-2, Monday night for their sixth straight win.

They entered Tuesday night's game two games under .500 at 64-66 after going 16-12 in August. The rotation was 9-2 with a 2.67 ERA in the previous 11 games. Offensively, the Indians registered a +35 run differential in August (137 scored, 102 allowed). That outburst gave them a 0 run differential (534 scored, 534 allowed) for the season.

"We did the same thing last year," said manager Terry Francona. "It goes to show that when you pitch, have guys who are catching the ball very well and swinging the bats a little better than we had been (good things can happen)."

GM Chris Antonetti and Francona, after cleaning house, met with the players who were left to tell them what they were trying to accomplish.

"This is what we hoped for, but it doesn't always work out the way you hope," said Francona. "The first four months of the season we tried every bit as hard as we are right now. We just couldn't get it going.

"We have a good thing going now, but we still have a lot of work to do, but it beats the alternative."

He's ready: Closer Cody Allen, after going 1 1/3 innings Monday to earn his 28^th save, was available Tuesday night.

"He's worked so hard to make himself available and after what he did Monday we don't want to take that away from him," said Francona. "If he pitches tonight it won't be like last night. It would only be a strict save situation and then we'd give him the next day off."

Allen leads the big leagues this season with seven saves in which he's pitched more than one inning.

Ouch: When Carlos Santana came into the dugout after tying Monday's game, 2-2, in the seventh inning on Ryan Raburn's double, he accidentally stepped on Francona's foot during the celebration.

"The biggest run of the game and I couldn't enjoy it," said Francona.

Suit up: Francona said right-hander Shawn Armstrong and infielder Chris Johnson will see playing time in September. Armstrong was recalled Tuesday from Class AAA Columbus and Johnson came off the disabled list.

Right-hander Gavin Floyd was also activated after undergoing surgery on his right elbow in spring training. Francona said he'll be careful on how he uses Floyd.

Prospect watch: The Indians will send outfielders Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, third baseman Yandy Diaz and catcher Jeremy Lucas to the Arizona Fall League. They will also send three to four pitchers who have not been named.

Frazier and Zimmer, the Tribe's No.1 picks in 2013 an 2014, respectively, have had good seasons. They are both center fielders and the Indians believe they can continue to play that position as they work their way toward the big leagues.

Frazier is hitting .282 (134-for-475) with 33 doubles, 15 homers and 70 RBI in 126 games at Class A Lynchburg. The Indians were especially impressed with his second half when his work habits improved. He scored 83 runs and posted a .829 OPS.

Zimmer is hitting a combined .287 (128-for-446) with 26 doubles, four triples, 16 homers and 63 RBI in 120 games at Class AA Akron and Lynchburg. He's scored 84 runs, stole 43 bases in 50 attempts and posted a .852 OPS.

Diaz, who defected from Cuba, is hitting .312 (147-for-468) with 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 54 RBI in 130 games at Akron. He made 20 errors at third, but the Indians consider him a good defender with a line-drive approach at the plate.

Lucas is hitting .241 (54-for-224) with one homer and 21 RBI in 64 games for Akron.

Finally: Some visiting players have complained about the new turf at Rogers Centre, but shortstop Francisco Lindor said it was fine. "It's slow, but it's not a problem," he said. "On the second or third bounce, the ball dies a little bit."

Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed report on what happened in Berea Tuesday as the roster is cut to 75. Also, video with Johnny Manziel and his sore elbow. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed take a look what happened in Berea during practice onTuesday, Sept. 1, 2015 as the team gets their roster down to 75. 

Topics include:

• Defensive lineman Phil Taylor, drafted in the first-round of 2011, was cut by the Browns to help get the roster down to 75.
• When the Browns play the Jets in the season opener, they will have only 4 first-round selections since 2007 on the roster.
• The play of rookie nose tackle Danny Shelton, drafted in the first-round this year, probably made Taylor expendable.
• Quarterback Johnny Manziel confirmed that he has had tendonitis in the elbow since his freshman year at Texas A&M. 

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Johnny Manziel confirmed he'd had tendinitis in his right elbow since his freshman year at Texas A&M, but that it shouldn't hurt his career and won't require surgery. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel confirmed that he's had tendinitis in his right elbow since his freshman year at Texas A&M, but he's confident it won't hurt his career and even noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews has assured him he doesn't need surgery.

"We reached out to a lot of people definitely during this process to make sure we were all handling it (properly)'' said Manziel. "The Browns, (trainer) Joe Sheehan, we asked a lot of second opinions and I think Dr. Andrews was one of those people we reached out to to make sure this was the route we wanted to go as far as giving it some rest.

"We got an MRI just to be cautious and make sure there wasn't anything serious, which there wasn't."

None of the Browns team doctors or independent specialists felt Manziel would need surgery.

"No, this is an injury that no matter what the case it wouldn't require that,'' said Manziel. "More than anything it's just sore, (from) just a little bit of overthrowing and make sure I'm icing and doing what I need to do."

Manziel is confident he can manage the pain and that it won't negatively impact his career.

"A hundred percent,'' he said. "I think this organization has done a good job of, 'hey, we'll give you a day off here, we'll give you a day off there' and just making sure next time we'll know it won't get to a point where we overthrow to where we have to take four or five days off or whatever the case is. I'm really not concerned about it at all."

Manziel, the No. 22 overall pick in 2014, revealed that he suffered the same discomfort last year during his rookie season.

 "Yeah, probably just a little bit of soreness and some forearm tightness but, you know, it's really something I've dealt with every football season from the time I was a freshman at A&M,'' he said. 

Manziel said teams examined him thoroughly at the NFL Combine and must have known about the tendinitis.

"I went and got MRIs, teams kind of poked on me and prodded on me while I was at the Combine, but for the most part, to the best of my knowledge, it didn't really raise any red flags,'' he said. "I don't think it necessarily hurt where I was drafted or where I ended up, so it would probably be more of a question for the Browns. But I'm sure they  -- and every other team -- did their history before using a first-round pick."

Manziel acknowledged that his three-quarter release is part of the problem, but that he can't change it.

"I've thrown like this since Day One,'' he said. "I can definitely tell when I do have my elbow like this (demonstrates the three-quarter angle) it puts a little bit more stress on it, but going into the game even when I rolled to the left and threw a 40- or 50-yard pass to Darius (Jennings), that play didn't hurt it, just sometimes stepping up in the pocket and throwing a regular ball."

 Manziel admitted that aggravating the elbow three days after engineering a crowd-pleasing 11-play, 96-yard touchdown drive against the Bills was tough.

"I wanted to be out there last week bad,'' he said. "I would've gotten half of the third quarter and then the whole fourth and this is a game where I would probably get a full start, so that's frustrating. I wanted to be out there.

"I tried to leave the option on the table, 'hey maybe I can come back and try and get ready for the Chicago game,' but coming off a short week and wanting to be ready for the regular season, that was the big thing --  kind of tone it down and get extra time, maybe even more than needed, just to get it back to the right spot."

Coach Mike Pettine said he's confident that Manziel will be able to throw by the end of next week leading up to the opener Sept. 13 in New York against the Jets.

"Whoever our two quarterback is - right now we're hopeful that it's going to be Johnny - he has to be able to throw,'' he said. "We're not going to roll the dice and go into a game, especially after (QB) Josh (McCown) showed us that he can be a little bit on the reckless side sometimes. No, Johnny, we're confident that he'll be where ne heeds to be, and like I said before, if we're not, then we'll address it appropriately."

Manziel said the elbow is doing "really well, really well. I think the past couple days have been good progress getting it back to where it needs to be.''

He said he's confident it won't bother him during the season.

"Throwing during the year is nothing like it is during camp, so I'm very confident that it's not going to creep back and there won't be other problems,'' he said. "I think it's just mixed with camp and the amount of days that we were going out. I don't expect it to go away completely because this is kind of an injury that I'll feel a little bit of tightness. Your elbow will get sore just from being a quarterback and throwing, but that's not anything out of the ordinary.''

Manziel confirmed that it's tendinitis -- or inflammation of the tendon in the elbow -- and that he's had it since his freshman year in college, when he became the first freshman to the win the Heisman Trophy. It's the same condition that 1999 No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch had when he was here, and he attributes two shoulder surgeries to trying to compensate for the pain in his elbow.

"It kind of comes and goes,'' he said. "In the offseason, it's really not usually much of a problem. OTAs wasn't much of a problem, and then, as we get into camp, it's a little bit of a grind. We're throwing every day, but it kind of comes and goes. As I get a little bit more rest, it gets back to normal, so it just got to the point where I felt like we were throwing a lot and then, with talking with Coach Pett and Joe, they just wanted to shut me down for a little bit and give me a little bit of a break, which was nice.''

Manziel said he'll be ready if called upon to play against the Jets and that he'll throw next week.

"I've been taking a lot of mental reps, making sure that I'm really, really ingrained to everything we've doing these past couple weeks,'' he said.

As for how the elbow would hold up in the event he's name the starter, he said,

"Going through that during the season is nothing like it is during camp. There's still a count that we're going to have during the week that's not near as many throws as we're having out here. It's always a lot more elevated during training camp. It'll be a lot easier to manage throws and easier to manage the situation in its entirety.''

Manziel said heading into the third preseason game "it felt like it was still a little more painful even after getting a day off, so that was kind of the only thing there. But I'm doing what I need to do for the most part, taking care of it and I will be good."

The Browns certainly hope so.

The Browns have nothing left from the decision to trade away the rights to Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - The Browns released 2011 first-round pick Phil Taylor on Tuesday -- three days after the Falcons and Julio Jones agreed on a five-year, $71.25 million contract extension.

The timing is fitting seeing as you can't mention one name to Browns fans without bringing up the other. Taylor and Jones are forever linked. The memory of that draft night four years ago and the thought of the receiver who got away continue to haunt the franchise.

Simply take Jones at No. 6 overall and receiver Greg Little never menaces our roadways. Select the 6-foot-3 Alabama wideout and the Browns don't need to gamble on the character issues of receiver Josh Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft. Instead, the Browns traded down and received a bevy of picks who they converted into Taylor, Little, fullback Owen Marecic and quarterback Brandon Weeden. They're all gone, each one of them cut, while Jones has developed into a two-time Pro Bowler.

The release of Taylor offers the latest reminder of how poorly the club has fared in the first round since their 1999 return and most acutely from 2011-2014. Taylor, Trent Richardson, Weeden, Barkevious Mingo, Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manziel. That's six picks, none of them lower than No. 22 overall. Three are no longer with the organization. Three others are backups.

Is there a franchise in the NFL, NBA, NHL or Major League Baseball with a worst first-round haul in that span?

Although it's nice to find a Tashaun Gipson and K'Waun Williams, a pair of undrafted hidden gems, they are not enough to overcome repeated failures at the top of the draft board. When the Browns open against the Jets on Sept. 13 just four of their first-round picks since 2007 (Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Joe Haden, Danny Shelton) will be starters.

Mingo was serviceable last season and Manziel showed promise in his second training camp before his elbow pain flared up again. Neither may ever live up to his draft status, though. Gilbert looks lost while Raiders' edge rusher Khalil Mack, who the Browns could have selected No. 4 overall, appears on the cusp of stardom along with Madden cover boy Odell Beckham Jr.

The Browns might have finally gotten one right with Shelton, the No. 12 overall pick in May. His rapid development - coach Mike Pettine likened it to that of guard Joel Bitonio a year ago - helped make Taylor expendable. So did Big Phil's history of injury. The club had hoped to use Shelton and the Baylor product together at times in obvious run situations. Yet Taylor's slow recovery from a pair of knee surgeries and the fear of re-injury likely prompted the Browns to release him despite having to eat his $5.477 million guaranteed salary this season.

Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) has blossomed into a star since Atlanta traded up for his rights in 2011.Associated Press 

Just a guess, but owner Jimmy Haslam would have rather shelled out $71.25 million for the Jones' extension.

Taylor's problem was never his ability - he had a strong rookie season and a solid 2013 campaign - but his availability. He appeared in just eight contests in 2012 and five in 2014. Ironically, his final game as a Brown, a 24-3 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 6, was his best. Taylor was a 6-foot-3, 335-pound disruptive beast that night before re-injuring his knee, leading to season-ending surgery.

If not for a torn pectoral muscle three years ago and the knee ailments last season he might have fulfilled the franchise's visions for him. He's a funny, engaging personality off the field and an intimidating presence in the middle of a defense when healthy.

Taylor's biggest shortcoming was out of his control. He wasn't Julio Jones. Few run stoppers can compete with elite wideouts for the affections of fans. Especially when their offense is as bad as the one on the lakefront. Since the 2011 draft, the Browns have finished 30^th, 24^th, 24^th and 27^th in scoring.

That's not Taylor's fault, but the people in charge of procuring talent.

The Browns are deep enough on the defensive line they can overcome the loss of Taylor. Just as they are deep enough in the secondary to survive the struggles of Gilbert. It doesn't make it right, however, not by a long shot.

Four years ago, the Browns outsmarted themselves on draft night. It's happened way too often to this franchise, and it's why sad days like Tuesday are a recurring theme in Cleveland.

The fourth-round pick is fighting for a roster spot after an uneven training camp.

BEREA, Ohio - Browns coach Mike Pettine said he hasn't ruled out keeping eight receivers on the 53-man roster. That statement, however, probably won't make rookie Vince Mayle sleep any better between now and the weekend.

The fourth-round pick is clearly on the bubble, which makes Thursday's preseason finale in Chicago a critical game for the Washington State product.

Mayle, who had thumb surgery in the spring, has had an uneven training camp. He's struggled with consistency and drops and has three catches totaling 35 yards in the first three games.

"Vince has had some adjustment issues," Pettine said Tuesday. "I know I have said it before, but going through the spring with the thumb and not catching anything ... a lot of it is confidence. Vince just has to play. He has done a good job. It has just been inconsistent. No different to me than any other rookie dealing with the growing pains and the adjustment to life in the NFL, dealing with an NFL route tree and an NFL playbook."

The Browns appear to have five locks at receiver: Brian Hartline, Dwayne Bowe, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin. They also are likely to keep special-teams ace Marlon Moore.

The wild card is converted quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who tantalizes with size and potential, but is yet to appear in a game because of a hamstring injury. The former Ohio State standout might have the nod over Mayle because he could serve as an emergency quarterback at a time when Johnny Manziel is ailing with tendonitis in his right elbow.

"(Mayle) needs to continue to improve," Pettine said. "I think Thursday will be a big night for him.

"Yeah, I would say (keeping eight receivers) is not out of the realm of possibility. There are certainly teams that have kept that many and teams that have kept a lot less. Thursday is part of it, and we will see how it all shakes out at that position."

Alive and kicking

Travis Coons might be the only placekicker left in camp after the team cut Mayfield's Carey Spear on Tuesday, but the University of Washington product isn't acting like the job is his.

"Nothing is set in stone yet," Coons said. "I need to get better in my kickoffs, in my field goals. Just making one field goal is not going to seal anything. I need to keep competing like every day's my last."

Coons has converted his lone field-goal attempt of the preseason, a 41-yarder, and made all three of his PATs. Meanwhile, Spear was 2-of-2 on field goals, connecting from 47 and 36 yards, and went 4-of-4 on extra points.

When asked what separated the kickers, Pettine said Coons has "a slightly bigger leg."

Coons knows, however, any miscues against the Bears could prompt the Browns to add a veteran kicker, especially as several figure to hit the open market in the coming days.

The youngster said no guarantees have been made.

"No, I haven't heard anything," Coons said. "I am just trying to focus on myself and do the best I can."

Meder made?

The surprising release of Phil Taylor might be enough to earn defensive lineman Jamie Meder a spot on the roster. The Valley Forge High product has enjoyed a terrific preseason with seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery, while playing in a reserve role.

A 2014 undrafted free agent was originally signed by the Ravens, but finished last season with his hometown Browns.

"Jamie Meder has stepped up and proven that he can play at a high level in this league," Pettine said.

Award time

First-round pick Danny Shelton was named the winner of the Maurice Bassett Award, given by the Browns media to the top rookie in training camp since 1985. Shelton has enjoyed a strong preseason and will start this season at nose tackle.

Injury update

Receiver Brian Hartline, as impressive as any player in Browns' camp, finally took a day off Tuesday. Pettine said the veteran wideout "got stepped on" against the Buccaneers.

Others missing practice were: linebacker Nate Orchard (back), defensive backs Pierre Desir (concussion), Charles Gaines (hamstring), Justin Gilbert (hip flexor) and running back Duke Johnson (concussion). Left tackle Joe Thomas received a veteran rest day.

Cleveland Indians waste a strong start from Cody Anderson and two homers by catcher Yan Gomes in losing to the Blue Jays, 5-3, in 10 innings in Toronto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ryan Goins hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians, 5-3, Tuesday night at  Rogers Centre in Toronto. Tribe catcher Yan Gomes hit solo homers in the seventh and ninth innings.

Toronto designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion's hitting streak ended at 26 games. He went 0-for-2 with one sacrifice fly and one walk.

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

Fantastic theater: The Indians and Blue Jays put on a show the past two nights with well-played, exciting games in a playoff-type atmosphere.

And to think: It was an inter-division matchup on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

On Monday, the Tribe scored twice in the seventh off David Price to take a one-run lead and went on to win, 4-2.

On Tuesday, Gomes tied the score in the seventh and ninth, and the Tribe had opportunities for more in the ninth and 10th but fizzled. No. 9 batter and lefty Goins, who entered with four homers this season and seven in his three-year career, sent a 1-0 breaking pitch from righty Bryan Shaw over the right-field wall. Goins also drove in pinch-runner and former Indian Ezequiel Carrera, from first.

Holding serve: The Blue Jays (75-57) continue to lead the AL East by 1 1/2 games over the Yankees, who won in Boston.

Bitter pill: With the top half of the hourglass short on sand, the Indians (64-67) are playing with minimal margin for error in pursuit of the second AL wild card. As such, they cannot afford to let eminently winnable games slip away.

It happened Tuesday, snapping their winning streak at six.

The Indians received a terrific performance from fifth starter Cody Anderson, who could not have been expected to limit MLB's highest-scoring offense to two runs on three hits in six innings.

While Anderson was up to the task, Tribe bats encountered too much difficulty against Marco Estrada, a finesse righty. Estrada and his high-80s fastball and high-70s changeup gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings. The runs off Estrada came on solo homers by Michael Brantley and Gomes.

Yes, Shaw is responsible for being walked off by, of all Blue Jays, Goins. But it never should have gotten to that point. The Indians lost primarily because they missed hittable fastballs from Estrada and were baffled into bad swings at his changeup.

Estrada needed just 90 pitches to secure 21 outs. His stuff is not nearly good enough for him to enjoy that type of efficiency, especially against an offense that has been clicking. He walked one and struck out two.

Extra-painful: Even with the relative lack of offense through seven innings, the Tribe should have been in a tie game (2-2) through seven. Instead, the Blue Jays led, 3-2, thanks to a too-easy run allowed by righty reliever Ryan Webb.

Left-handed batter Justin Smoak led off the seventh and fell behind, 0-2. Smoak fouled. Webb threw a sinker with just enough comeback action to the inside corner -- or so it seemed in real time. Plate umpire Jerry Meals called the pitch a ball. Replays were inconclusive; the call could have gone either way.

The inexcusable part for Webb came when he missed with the next three pitches and walked Smoak, who was replaced by pinch-runner Dalton Pompey.

Dioner Navarro flied to left. With Kevin Pillar at bat, Pompey went to work. Capitalizing on Webb's slow delivery, Pompey stole second and third in a span of three pitches. Webb never gave catcher Yan Gomes a chance in either case.

Pillar lined a 2-1 fastball to center for a sacrifice fly. At that point, all of Toronto's runs had been scored via sacrifice fly (Encarnacion, Jose Bautista).

In a game of this magnitude, Webb simply cannot allow a runner to steal his way from first to third with ease.

Yanimal flexes twice: Gomes' homer leading off the seventh made it 2-2. Estrada threw a 2-2 fastball over the plate at the knees, and Gomes belted it to center.

Gomes' homer with one out in the ninth tied the score, 3-3. Toronto closer Roberto Osuna threw a 3-2 fastball over the plate at the knees, and Gomes belted it to center.

Eight of Gomes' 11 homers have occurred in the seventh inning or later.

Abraham Almonte kept the pressure on Osuna by tripling to right-center. However, pinch-hitter Chris Johnson grounded to pulled-in second baseman Goins and Jose Ramirez lined to right fielder Jose Bautista. Off the bat, Ramirez's swing at a 2-0 fastball seemed like it might work out well for Cleveland, but Bautista made a routine play. 

The Indians finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Blue Jays, thanks largely to the stingy Anderson, were 0-for-1. Anderson retired the final 10 he faced.

The RubberDucks have lost 12 of their past 14 games, and 10 of their last 11 home games.

Erie scored four runs in the seventh inning to break open a tie game, handing the RubberDucks their fifth straight loss with a 6-4 victory Tuesday at Canal Park in Akron.

The RubberDucks have lost 12 of their past 14 games, and 10 of their last 11 home games.

The game was tied, 2-2, entering the seventh when the SeaWolves took control. With one out and a runner on second, Harold Castro drove in a run with a single to right field off RubberDucks reliever Zach Nuding. With two outs, Jeff McVaney hit a three-run homer to left-center field to give Erie a 6-2 lead.

Akron scored once in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from first baseman Nellie Rodriguez, and in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from outfielder Jordan Smith.

Smith finished 1-for-3 with three RBI, hitting a two-run homer in the second inning to give the RubberDucks a brief 2-1 lead.

Akron right-hander Adam Plutko gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, striking out four. Nuding (1-2, 3.58 ERA) took the loss.

Erie reliever Calvin Drummond (1-0, 1.08 ERA) got the win, giving up just one hit in three innings of relief.

The Indians saw their six-game winning streak come to an end Tuesday against Toronto at Rogers Centre on a walk-off homer by Ryan Goins in the 10th inning.

TORONTO - The Indians have handled Toronto's powerful offense well in the first two games of this three-game series.

They out-scored them in Monday's 4-2 victory and out-homered them Tuesday night, 3-1, at Rogers Centre. That's an accomplishment since the Blue Jays lead the AL in homers after hitting 49 in August.

But the Blue Jays could be held down for only so long. No.9 hitter Ryan Goins hit a two-run, walk-off homer against Bryan Shaw in the 10th inning to give Toronto a 5-3 victory.

Goins hit a 1-0 pitch from Shaw (3-3), who was in his second inninbg of work.

Former Blue Jay Yan Gomes pulled the Indians into a 3-3 tie with a homer in the ninth. It was his second homer of the game and 11th of the season. Gomes, with one out, drove a 3-2 pitch over the fence in right center off closer Roberto Ozuna. The homer ended Ozuna's streak of 16 straight saves.

The Indians had a golden chance to take a lead when Abraham Almonte tripled immediately after Gomes' blast. But pinch-hitter Chris Johnson grounded to Goins, who was playing in, and Jose Ramirez flied harmlessly to right to end the threat.

In the 10th, Francisco Lindor's second double of the night offered another scoring opportunity, but Michael Brantley bounced to third and after an intentional walk to Carlos Santana, pinch-hitter Jerry Sands grounded out against winner Mark Lowe (1-2).

The Blue Jays used speed instead of power to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh. After rookie Cody Anderson gave the Tribe six solid innings, Ryan Webb started the seventh deadlocked, 2-2. Webb, making his first appearance since Aug. 25, walked Justin Smoak to start the inning. Dalton Pompey, recalled Tuesday from Class AAA Buffalo when the rosters expanded, pinch ran.

Pompey stole second and third base and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Pillar.  

The Indians, outhomered by Toronto, 185-109 this season, homered their way into a 2-2 tie against starter Marco Estrada. Brantley made it a 2-1 game in the fourth as he drove an Estrada pitch over the right field fence for his 12th homer of the season and eighth since June 24.

Gomes pulled the Indians into a 2-2 tie against his old team with a leadoff homer in the seventh.

Anderson, in his second start since coming off the disabled list, allowed two runs on three hits in six inning. He threw 83 pitches, striking out two an walking two.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the first. Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista singled with one out. Edwin Encarnacion scored Donaldson from third with a sacrifice fly.

Toronto made it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly in the third by Bautista. Ryan Goins, who drew a walk to start the inning, scored.

Three of Toronto's five runs came on sacrifice flies.

What it means

The Indians (64-67) had their six-game winning streak broken. After going 16-12 in August, they start September 0-1.

The Blue Jays (75-57) won for the ninth time in 11 games. They are 19-14 against the AL Central, while the Indians are 15-14 against the AL East.

Big play

Anderson was in a jam in the third inning. The Blue Jays had runners on first and and third base with no one out and Donaldson at the plate.

Donaldson, who entered the game with 108 RBI, for some reason tried to squeeze home Goins. Anderson fielded the bunt, looked back Goins at third and threw  Donaldson out at first.

Bautista followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0, but the inning could have been a lot different if Donaldson swung away.

Good D

Ramirez, playing second as Jason Kipnis was DH, stole a hit from Goins with a diving stop on the outfield grass. Ramirez righted himself and made a nice throw to first to retire his opposite number.

In the sixth, Lindor stole a hit from Encarnacion with a diving catch to his left for the second out of the inning.

A tip of the hot goes to Goins as well. In the second he raced far behind first base and to catch Lonnie Chisenhall's pop fly while sliding on his knees near the foul line.

Nice move

Lindor beat out a hustle double in the eighth that survived a replay challenge by the Blue Jays. While belly-flopping into second base on a hit to left center, Lindor turned on his side to avoid the tag of Goins.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Blue Jays drew 41,356 fans to Rogers Centre.

What's next?

The Indians end their three-game series here on Wednesday night when RHP Trevor Bauer (10-10, 4.31) faces Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (8-10, 4.26) at 7:07 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Bauer leads the AL with 67 walks, but is coming off a strong start against the Angels. He walked seven, but held the Angels to one run on five hits in eight innings. This will be his second start against Toronto this season.

Dickey is 6-0 in his last eight starts. He's 3-2 with a 3.54 ERA in 12 appearances, including six starts, against the Indians.

James, who will appear during season two of the show, airing now, is a co-executive producer. So is his long-time friend and business partner, Maverick Carter.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James' "Survivor's Remorse" is coming back for a third season, Starz cable network announced Wednesday.

The TV show, a fictional portrayal of a basketball star's life away from the court, is production of James' SpringHill Entertainment.

James, who will appear during season two of the show, airing now, is a co-executive producer. So is his long-time friend and business partner, Maverick Carter.

"We are thrilled to renew 'Survivor's Remorse' for a third season," said Carmi Zlotnik, managing director of Starz, in a news release.

"Since it began, the critics instantly embraced the show, and now we've seen its fans grow season over season. This all-star creative team, led expertly by Mike O'Malley, boldly tackles the most topical of issues with heart and humor as the Calloway family deals with 'pro-money and pro-problems' off the basketball court. We are very happy and proud to have them return to STARZ for another season."

According to Starz, "Survivor's Remorse" continues to grow its audience, with a series-record 1.34 million viewers last weekend.

Season two debuted Aug. 22.