Join beat writers Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes for a live chat and updates as the Indians and Royals continue their series at Progressive Field.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Join beat writers Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes for a live chat and updates as the Indians and Royals continue their series at Progressive Field.
Game No. 143: Indians (71-71), Royals (84-59)
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM, WMMS
The Cleveland Indians have a 22-12 record since their trade with the Atlanta Braves.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On the day that the Indians made their huge trade with Atlanta, they lost.
That was nothing new. The Indians had lost 10-of-14 on Aug. 7. Their record was 49-59. In a salary dump for both teams, the Tribe sent Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher to the Braves for Chris Johnson. Millions of dollars were part of that deal.
In the end, the Tribe saved about $4 million over the next three seasons. They no longer had to talk about Bourn and Swisher trying to come back from their various injuries.
"At that point, we wanted to give some younger players a chance, play better baseball and try to learn what we could going forward," said Chris Antonetti.
The Tribe general manager expected the team to be more interesting to watch. But he never thought this would happen -- the Tribe going 22-12 heading into Tuesday's game against Kansas City.
Now consider this. Only four players from the opening day lineup are in their original position: Yan Gomes (catcher), Carlos Santana (first base), Jason Kipnis (second base) and Michael Brantley (left field).
In a two-week span between July 28-Aug. 7, the Tribe traded veterans Brandon Moss, David Murphy, Marc Rzepcyznski, Swisher and Bourn. From those deals, only Abraham Almonte and Chris Johnson joined the Tribe roster. But as Antonetti explained, the trades opened spots for younger players.
LINDOR EMERGES
Suddenly, this team that was playing with next year in mind is on the edge of this year's playoff race.
"It started when we brought up Gio (Urshela) and Francisco (Lindor)," said Kipnis. "Lindor always has a smile on his face. That rubs off on people. He and Gio really play good defense. Then we got some more young guys, and here came more energy and enthusiasm."
When the Tribe promoted Lindor on June 14, they believed he'd be a defensive upgrade at shortstop. The same with Urshela (promoted five days earlier) at third base. But the Indians had no idea if they would hit.
As one baseball executive told me, "Lindor is only 21. We are signing guys out of the June draft at 21."
Lindor was batting only .223 at the All-Star break. Since then, he's a .351 hitter (.931 OPS) with 6 HR and 28 RBI. Houston's Carlos Correa will probably be the American League Rookie of the Year, but Lindor is in the discussion.
His defense is superb. He's 8-of-10 in stolen bases. He leads the American League with 12 sacrifice bunts, but he also has power.
"He has tremendous bat speed," said manager Terry Francona. "He hits home runs by mistake."
Francona wants it to stay that way -- the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder swinging to make solid contact. He said when Lindor starts thinking about homers, his swing "gets long," and can be easily fooled by off-speed pitches.
"We've been playing different in the last few months," said Kipnis. "We bunt more. We look to create runs by stealing bases, taking extra bases. With our pitching, we just need to score some runs. We don't have a lot of power, so we don't play that way."
Lindor and Urshela have helped the Tribe rise from having the American League's worst defense a year ago to No. 3 this season in fielding percentage.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE
On the day he was traded to the Tribe, Johnson was batting .235 with 2 HR and 11 RBI.
"I really needed a fresh start," he said. "I came here, and everything was positive from the first day."
Johnson knew the Braves had been trying to trade him for at least a year. Like Swisher and Bourn, he began to represent a lousy, expensive contract. The man who batted .321 (12 HR, 68 RBI) in 2013 had injuries. His confidence sagged.
Since coming to the Indians, he's batting .329 with 1 HR and 6 RBI in 46 at-bats. He was the Braves' third baseman. The Indians have him at first.
"I'm working hard to learn the outfield," he said. "I played it in college (at Stetson with Corey Kluber), but not since then. Tito was up front about how I needed to learn different positions. I'm doing that."
Francona is mostly using the righty batter against left-handed pitching.
"It's been so much fun since I came over here," said Johnson.
Meanwhile, back in Atlanta, the Braves also were 10 games under .500 (50-60) when the trade was made. Since then, they are 6-28. That's no misprint.
Swisher is hitting .235 with 3 HR and 15 RBI. Bourn is batting .181 with 0 HR and 6 RBI.
IT'S YOUR TEAM
After the Tribe traded Murphy, Moss, Swisher and Bourn, Antonetti and Francona had meetings with Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes and Kipnis.
The message came down to this: "It's your team." They were now the veterans. They were expected to lead and hold the younger players accountable. The Indians believed those four and some others were capable of leading, but had deferred to the older players. It was a respect factor.
Now, the team belonged to them. They were encouraged to speak up.
STAYING POSITIVE
Kipnis credited Francona and his coaching staff with "staying upbeat." The All-Star second baseman also mentioned bench coach Brad Mills and Sandy Alomar as being very important in that area.
"A lot of these young guys have come up wanting to make a statement," said Alomar. "It's kind of like a tryout for them. They know it. They are so coachable. They've been working on their base running, their fielding -- little things like that."
There's Lonnie Chisenhall, who was sent to the minors in June to learn the outfield. He has returned as one of the AL's best defensive right fielders, according to various websites that rate fielding.
"Lonnie is a really good athlete," said Kipnis. "I'm not surprised he's played well out there. I'm really not. He's got a real hose for an arm."
Kipnis was signed as an outfielder and moved to second base after his first year of pro ball. He knows how a position change can positively impact a career.
Chisenhall was batting .209 when sent to Class AAA Columbus on June 7. He returned on July 30, and is batting .333 since. Just as Francona is being careful how he uses Johnson (mostly against lefties), he is playing the lefty-hitting Chisenhall primarily against right-handers.
"These kids can really field and they care about defense," said Alomar. "Look at how Jose (Ramirez) has played second base since he came back from the minors."
Ramirez was sent with Chisenhall to Columbus on June 7. They were the opening day left side of the infield. Lindor took over at short, and Ramirez is recreating himself as a utility man. He was batting .171 when demoted, .250 since he returned.
THE QUIET ONE
Ask Alomar about Brantley, and the former All-Star catcher quickly says one word: "Phenomenal."
Alomar dealt with injuries throughout his career. He talked about how Brantley has been playing with a bad back and other problems.
"What he's done this year is not easy," said Alomar. "When you're hurting, it's hard to stay in the middle of the lineup and drive in runs like he's doing."
"He could have missed a lot more games and no one would have said a word," said Francona. "His year is just as impressive as last season (when Brantley was an All-Star)."
Alomar raved about Brantley being "such a smart player. He does what's needed to stay in the lineup. As a hitter, he knows how to stay out of slumps."
Brantley is batting .320 with 15 HR, 81 RBI. Since the All-Star break, he's a .365 hitter.
ALL HAIL ALMONTE
The biggest surprise has been Abraham Almonte. In his ninth year of pro ball, he's only 26. He has been in the Yankees, Mariners and Padres farm systems. He was a .239 career hitter in 279 MLB at-bats when he came to the Tribe in the July 31 trade for Rzepczynski.
Francona raves about how Almonte "has not missed a cutoff man all year. He's always in the right spot."
Almonte has been a significant upgrade in center field over Bourn.
"Attention to detail," said Francona.
Alomar talked about all the work that Almonte does in the video room and with hitting coaches Ty Van Burkleo and Matt Quatraro. Since coming to the Tribe, Almonte is batting .277 (.841 OPS) with 4 HR and 16 RBI in 32 games. He is 5-of-5 in stolen bases.
"They talk about guys who do little things to help you win," said Alomar. "Almonte does that."
THEN THERE'S THE PITCHING
The Tribe's pitching -- especially the starting rotation -- has been consistent all season. It ranks No. 3 in the American League with 3.79 ERA.
The rotation is deep with Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Cody Anderson and Josh Tomlin. During the 22-12 streak, Carrasco and Kluber each missed three starts because of injuries. Bauer is 3-7 with a 6.32 ERA since the All-Star break.
That makes their revival even more impressive.
Do the Indians have enough time to make the playoffs with only 19 games left? It may take something like the 10-game winning streak that they turned in to conclude the 2013 season.
But the remarkable part of this story is that the Tribe is now close enough to at least talk about it. Something that never was even whispered back on Aug. 7.
Ross Atkins, a veteran of 15 years in the Indians front office, interviewed with the Angels for their general manager's job.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ross Atkins, Indians long-time executive, has interviewed for the general manager's job with the Los Angeles Angels. Jerry Dipoto resigned in July after butting heads with manager Mike Scioscia.
Bill Stoneman, former Angels GM, has served in an interim role since Dipoto's resignation.
Several teams, including Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Seattle, are looking for general managers. Besides Atkins, 41, Indians assistant GM Mike Chernoff is believed to have received inquiries from teams.
This is Atkins' 15th year with the Indians. He spent his first five as a pitcher in the Tribe's minor league system. Atkins has run the Tribe's farm system from 2007-14. He was promoted to vice president of player personnel after last year.
Atkins was the Tribe's assistant farm director under John Farrell from 2001-03 and director Latin American operations from 2004-06.
Stamp of approval: Corey Kluber cleared his last hurdle and is scheduled to start Thursday night against the Royals.
"He did position specific stuff ... covering first base, things like that," said manager Terry Francona. "That was the last step in the medical guys signing off on him pitching."
Kluber's last start was Aug. 29. He's been sidelined since with a strained right hamstring suffered during a bullpen session.
September magic, April blues: The Indians, in three years with Francona as manager, are 42-24 in September and 29-44 in April.
Asked why his teams have played better in September, Francona said, "I wish I had a better answer because then we would apply it to April and May because we haven't done it there. If I had my choice, I'd rather play good late, but ultimately I'd like to do both."
While the Tribe has struggled in April under Francona, it is 50-37 in May.
Change in plans: The Indians' winter development program has become the September development program.
The team will bring 32 prospects to Progressive Field next week during the Tribe's last trip of the season. The prospects will be able to work out on the field with minor-league instructors on hand.
Mark Shapiro, the outgoing president, started the winter development program in 1996 to help the organization's top prospects get to the big leagues faster. It always took place in January, but now players will actually get to play at Progressive Field to get familiar with the ballpark.
The Indians open a six-game trip against the Twins and Royals starting Tuesday night at Target Field.
Top prospects Brad Zimmer, Clint Frazier, Bobby Bradley and Mike Papi will participate. Pitching prospects attending include Justus Sheffield, Rob Kaminsky and Adam Plutko. Sheffield was the Tribe's first-round pick in 2014. Kaminsky, a first-round pick of the Cardinals, was acquired for Brandon Moss.
Gone, but not forgotten: TJ House, who pitched well last year and opened this season with the Indians, didn't pitch in a game after June 5 and could be facing surgery on his left shoulder this winter.
House made four starts for the Tribe this year, going 0-4 with a 13.15 ERA. His last start was April 30. He pitched in five games for Class AAA Columbus and Class A Lake County and went 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA.
On Aug. 13 the Indians rescinded House's option to Columbus and reinstated him on the big-league disabled list to avoid a grievance. He has not pitched since.
Reinforcements: Columbus advanced to the finals of the International League's Governor's Cup with a victory over Norfolk on Monday night. They play Indianapolis (Pittsburgh) for the championship starting Tuesday night in a best-of-five series.
Francona said the Indians will promote "a couple more guys" after the series. He added that if the Indians need help before that, players could be recalled during the Clippers' championship series.
Finally: The Indians have received no official word from MLB that they will have to play Saturday's rainout against Detroit before the end of the regular season as part of a three-team doubleheader. They have talked about such a possibility internally should they stay a factor on the wild card race. The Indians played a three-team doubleheader against the White Sox and Twins near the end of the 2000 season when they fell a game short of the wild card. ... Former Tribe pitcher Steve Karsay was in the Progressive Field dugout before Tuesday's game. Karsay, who just finished his second year as pitching coach for Class A Lake County, is here for some organizational meetings and the September development program.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kris Medlen allowed five hits in 6 1/3 innings and Alex Rios homered as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians, 2-0, Tuesday night at Progressive Field. The Tribe wasted a four-hitter by Josh Tomlin that was even better than the line. The Indians put runners on first and second with none out in the...
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kris Medlen allowed five hits in 6 1/3 innings and Alex Rios homered as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians, 2-0, Tuesday night at Progressive Field. The Tribe wasted a four-hitter by Josh Tomlin that was even better than the line.
The Indians put runners on first and second with none out in the ninth inning, only to fizzle.
Here is a capsule look at the game:
Uncomfortable at .500: The Indians (71-72) slipped to 1-3 after having achieved the .500 mark this season. They went from 1-1 to 2-1 but lost after 2-2, 70-70 and 71-71.
Figuring it out: The Royals (85-59), in first place by miles in the AL Central, had lost two straight and eight of 10.
Goose eggs aplenty: Medlen, a finesse right-hander, walked one and struck out none.
That is not a misprint: The Indians were shut down by a starting pitcher who struck out none. And Medlen threw just 52 of 94 pitches for strikes, including nine of 25 on the first pitch.
Only Tribe batters know for certain whether Medlen was positively Madduxian or they simply had a bad night.
Of the 19 outs recorded by Medlen, 11 came via grounders.
Stingy: Medlen and three relievers benefitted from an assortment of scintillating defensive plays. That the Royals were exceptional defensively should come as no surprise, but they outdid themselves Tuesday -- at least until the ninth inning.
No grounder or fly was out of their reach for eight innings.
The best of the best robberies came in the fourth. Carlos Santana led off with a low liner into short right field, where shifted second baseman Ben Zobrist secured the wicked hop, bounced to his feet and erased Santana by a step.
Little Cowboy dazzles: Tomlin walked none and struck out six in his second complete game in three starts. He threw 75 of 110 pitches for strikes.
Tomlin (5-2, 2.70 ERA) had won his previous five starts.
Tomlin relied on a fastball/cutter/curve/changeup combination. He and catcher Yan Gomes kept the Royals off-balance throughout.
Gift-wrapped: The Royals should not have scored their first run.
With two outs in the second, Mike Moustakas popped high into the air in foul territory near the plate. Gomes never picked up the ball and it dropped near him for a "no play.'' (Moustakas had been walking back to the dugout to get his glove.)
Moustakas flied to deep center, where Abraham Almonte -- in the midst of easily his worst game as an Indian -- misjudged where he was in relation to the wall, or lost sight of the ball. It led to a double that Moustakas never should have achieved.
Moustakas advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Salvador Perez's soft single to center.
The only legit run: Rios homered to left with two outs in the fifth. As Rios trotted around the bases, fireworks went off. Oh, well.
The Royals entered the night batting .280 with two outs.
Making a mess: Lonnie Chisenhall led off the Tribe ninth with a walk against Royals closer Greg Holland. Gomes's low liner eluded shortstop Alcides Escobar for a single.
Mike Aviles pinch-hit for Jerry Sands with one job: Bunt the runners over. Aviles popped to Holland, who dropped the ball but recorded the force at third.
Almonte fouled to third. He finished 0-for-4 with four brutal at-bats.
With Giovanny Urshela batting, the runners moved up on a wild pitch. Holland overmatched Urshela, who struck out swinging.
Check out high school sports highlights from Tuesday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Tuesday. See below for information on how you team’s accomplishments can be recognized in these daily roundups.
BOYS GOLF
North Royalton 162, Cuyahoga Falls 185
With the win, the Bears have a one point lead in the Suburban League National Division over the Explorers with the regular season ending this Thursday and the conference championship beginning Sept. 24 at Akron Goodpark.
Rocky River 151, Elyria Catholic 175
Roni Shin, Brian Tucci and Ben Brej each shot 37, one over par, to lead Rocky River to victory and an undefeated finish in the Great Lakes Conference regular season.
BOYS SOCCER
Brunswick 10, Euclid 0
Kyle Wolf earned a hat trick in the Blue Devils win against the Panthers. Ben Clouse, Antonio Demonte and Nick Felician each scored twice for Brunswick and Nick Felician scored once. Euclid goalkeeper Nate Kohler had six saves.
Max Hayes 13, Collinwood 1
Sileye Djigo and Ryan DeLeon scored four and three goals, respectively, for Max Hayes. Valery Jahome and Jose Ortiz each scored twice to help the Lakers improve to 5-0.
Orange 3, Hawken 2
The Hawks led 2-0 at halftime but the Lions rallied and Adam Wisnieski netted the winning goal with 40 seconds left. Orange took 13 shots on goal.
GIRLS SOCCER
Mayfield 4, Willoughby South 0
Four Wildcats scored in Mayfield's shutout against the Rebels. Marissa Handel, Tyler Klika, Olivia Casey and Kristen Blanchard each scored. Handel and Klika also had one assist apiece as did Cassie Lewis. Goalie Chimamaka Palmer had five saves for Mayfield and Willoughby South goalkeeper Kamryn Belknap had seven.
TENNIS
Avon 4, Kenston 1
The Eagles swept the Bombers in singles plays thanks to Ana Lopez, Madison Nakon and Julie Lorincz, who defeated each of their respective opponents in two sets.
Parma 5, Lincoln West 0
Redmen singles player Desiree Bell and the second doubles team of Kristina Akovic and Mackenzie Archibald help their opponents scoreless during Parma's win on Tuesday.
North Royalton 3, Brunswick 2
The Bears trailed 2-1 after three singles matches but swept doubles thanks to the play of Camryn Kidd and Leah Panigutti in first doubles and Jenny Capka and Jessie DeLap in second doubles. Cassie Shokles won in second singles for North Royalton.
Solon 3, CVCA 2
The Comets came back after losing their first two singles matches against Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Solon singles player Hannah Caplin and the doubles team of Lindsay Blashka and Sammie Rosen both had sets go to tiebreakers before coming out on top. Sydney Bolomey and Sasha Graber clinched the victory for Solon by winning in second doubles (6-1, 6-3).
VOLLEYBALL
Brooklyn 3, Oberlin 0
Julia Walz led the Hurricanes with 10 digs, five aces and three kills. Alli Vincent had nine assists, five kills and four digs for Brooklyn and Cheyenne David tallied five aces and five digs. Aszure Chamberlin paced Oberlin with 10 digs, seven kills, three aces and a solo block.
Hawken 3, Cuyahoga Heights 0
Alex Blake led the Hawks with 11 aces and Bailey Hagedorn had 15 kills in Tuesday's three set shutout of Cuyahoga Heights.
Independence 3, Orange 0
Maura Collins served up seven aces, 11 kills and 10 digs to help the Blue Devils defeat the Lions. Hallie Zumack led Independence in assists with 33 and Mallory Trombetta led in digs with 14 and Emily Magas had 12 kills and nine digs.
Lutheran West 3, Clearview 1
The Longhorns remained undefeated in conference play at 4-0 and are 6-3 overall with the win against Clearview.
Wadsworth 3, Nordonia 0
Grizzlies senior outside hitter Jodi Johnson had 10 kills against the Knights to give her 1,000 in her career. She is the first player to achieve that milestone in Wadsworth's volleyball history.
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.
Yan Gomes, Josh Tomlin, Abraham Almonte lose two costly fly balls in the twilight Tuesday night at Progressive Field in 2-0 loss to Kansas City.. Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Twilight at Progressive Field has left a lot of players staring into the sky at nothing. It happened to Kenny Lofton and Marquis Grissom in the postseason and Tuesday night it happened again.
This time catcher Yan Gomes, pitcher Josh Tomlin and infielders Chris Johnson and Giovanny Urshela had no idea where Mike Moustakas' two-out, second-inning foul pop was.
When it landed it was about 12 feet to Gomes' right. It fell just behind Moustakas as he walked back to the Royals dugout thinking he'd just ended the inning. Given a second chance, Moustakas hit Tomlin's next pitch on a line to center field and this time Abraham Almonte lost the ball.
It seemed to be catchable, but it sailed over Almonte's head and banged off the wall for a double. Moustakas took third on a wild and scored on a single by Salvador Perez for the only run the Royals would need in their 2-0 victory over the Indians.
Here's what Tomlin, who threw a complete-game four-hitter in defeat, said about the play.
"It was kind of a crazy hour of the night that the ball gets kind of lost up there every now and then. I saw Yan didn't see it and looked up, and then I lost it. Neither one of us had a shot at that point."
On giving up the double to Moustakas on the next pitch.
"It's tough. I mean, you execute a pitch and that happens and you want the out. Obviously it's something that neither one of us could control, we just couldn't see the ball. But it's still my job to go out there and execute a pitch and get Moustakas out."
On pitching well and losing.
"It doesn't feel good. I'm glad I was able to keep the team in the game, don't get me wrong, but we need wins, and that's the bottom line. It doesn't matter how well I pitch, if their guy does better than me on the other side then it's still a loss. And that's not what we need right now."
Explanation: Tomlin allowed two runs on four hits in his second complete game in seven starts since joining the rotation on Aug. 15. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter while throwing 110 pitches.
Manager Terry Francona on Tomlin and the twilight.
"He was so good. The first run, a pop up that nobody could find. Then even on the double, Abe (Almonte) lost that one, too. Going back to the wall, once he couldn't pick it up, you could see there was trouble between the ball and the wall."
On Alex Rios homer for the Royals second run.
"He (Tomlin) tried to go in to Rios and didn't quite get it there. But other than that he just had such a good feel for everything - fastball, cutter, breaking ball. His breaking ball really got better as the game went on."
Explanation: Rios homered with two in the fifth. Fireworks, used to celebrate home runs by the Indians, were accidentally ignited.
On the Royals making at least six great plays on defense.
"They're very good defensively. That's part of what they do. They made some very good plays."
Pitching coach Mickey Callaway on Josh Tomlin's pitching since he was added to the rotation in mid-August.
"It seems like he's back to where he was a few years ago. He has supreme command and he's getting the ball where he wants to and not making as many mistakes. Anytime you're battling through soreness and things like that you're going to leave the ball in bad spots at times.
"I think that's what has been happening to him the last couple of years. He feels pain free now. He's driving the ball exactly where he wants it to go."
Explanation: Tomlin had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2012. This year he had surgery on his right shoulder in March. He joined the Tribe's rotation on Aug. 15 and is 5-2 with a 5.70 ERA.
On Tomlin, who is not a hard thrower, having 44 strikeouts in 50 innings.
"I think it's what we just talked about. The one thing I would say is his breaking ball is probably better than I've seen it. He's got a lot of really good spin on it. He's been able to bury it and been able to throw it for first-pitch strikes like we saw later in the game tonight. "
Josh Tomlin throws a complete game in a losing effort as Royals ride Kris Medlin and their defense to victory.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A lot of things make the Kansas City Royals a difficult team to play.
They lead the AL in hitting and they're second in stolen bases. On the pitching side of things, they might have the best bullpen in the game. Manager Terry Francona pointed to another aspect of the Royals game before the start of this four-game series - defense.
In the Royals' 2-0 win Tuesday night that defense was on display as it made at least six good plays to shut out the Indians for the 11th time this season.
The slumping Royals didn't do much against Josh Tomlin, who threw a complete game in defeat, but what they did do their defense protected.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the second on a gift from above. Mike Moustakas, with two out and a 3-0 count, skied a pop up behind the plate. Yan Gomes lost it in the twilight. Tomlin, first baseman Chris Johnson and third baseman Giovanny Urshela seemed to lose the ball as well.
It fell about 12 feet to the right of Gomes and surprised Moustakas, who was on his way back to the dugout. Moustakas, who loves to hit against the Indians, took advantage of the second chance and doubled to deep center on Tomlin's next pitch. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Salvador Perez's single to center for a 1-0 lead.
Alex Rios made it 2-0 with a two-out homer in the fifth. It was the 11th homer Tomlin has allowed since joining the rotation on Aug. 15.
Those two runs, along with the Royals' defense, were all Kris Medlen needed to throw 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Medlen (4-1, 3.92) missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He allowed five hits, one walk and didn't strike out a batter. He threw 94 pitches, 52 for strikes.
It was Medlen's fifth start for the Royals and his 13th appearance. The only other time Medlen faced the Indians, he threw six scoreless innings with Atlanta in 2013.
The Indians pressured him in the seventh on consecutive singles by Gomes and Johnson with one out. Ryan Madson relieved and struck out Abraham Almonte and Urshela.
Tomlin (5-2, 2.70) allowed two runs on four hits in the loss. He struck out six as his five-start winning streak came to an end.
Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his 31st save, but not without some theatrics. Lonnie Chisenhall walked and Gomes singled to start the inning. The inning short-circuited for the Tribe when Mike Aviles sent a sac-bunt attempt back to the mound as Holland threw to third to force Chisenhall.
Holland retired Almonte and Urshela to end it.
What it means
The Indians (71-72) missed their chance to post a winning record for the first time since April 9 when they were 2-1. They are 6-8 against the Royals this season.
The Tribe has still won 13 of its last 19. The Royals (85-59) won for just the third time in their last 11 games.
Bad timing
When Rios gave the Royals a 2-0 lead with his homer in the fifth, the guy who runs the fireworks at Progressive Field pushed the wrong putting setting off some celebratory explosions.
The crowd showed its displeasure by booing.
Good glove work
It was another night of good defense by Chisenhall in right field.
Alex Gordon started the game with a long drive to the wall. Chisenhall tracked it down for the first out.
In the third, Alcides Escobar sent a drive to the right field corner that Chisenhall caught. Before the game GM Chris Antonetti was asked about Chisenhall's conversion from third base to right field and said, "He's become a force. Think of all the game recently that might have ended differently if he didn't make the plays he did."
Thanks for coming
The Royals and Indians drew 10,516 fans to Progressive Field on Tuesday night. The Indians have drawn 1,212,518 fans in 67 home dates.
What happens next?
Indians right-hander Danny Salazar (12-8, 3.57) will face Kansas City lefty Danny Duffy (7-7, 4.14) Wednesday night at 7:10 in the third game of this four-game set. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.
Salazar, making his 27th start, is 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA in two starts against the Royals. He is 3-4 in his career against Kansas City.
Duffy, making his 24th start, is coming off a five-inning no-decision against Baltimore. Duffy, 0-1 against the Indians this season, will be making his second start against them in 2014. Overall, he 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA against the Indians.
Get predictions from Northeast Ohio Media Group staffers on 15 high school football games for Week 4 in 2015.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are staff predictions from the Northeast Ohio Media Group on 15 area Week 4 high school football games.
High school sports manager Kristen Davis increased her lead in the standings with a 14-1 effort in Week 3. Davis correctly picked wins by St. Xavier against Mentor and Perry against Madison. Staffer Matt Goul jumped back into second place with a 13-2 week by correctly picking St. Joseph Regional to defeat St. Edward.
This week, the staff is split 4-3 in favor of Avon in the Eagles' marquee matchup with Midview. And a similar 4-3 split has St. Edward holding off Cincinnati Elder on Saturday. Kirtland, Bay, Strongsville, Chardon, Mentor and Solon are among the unanimous picks by the staff this week.
Log into the comments section below the grid and tell us which staff member made the right picks this week.
Note: You may need to scroll to the right part of the grid to see all 8 picks.
 Kristen Davis |  Matt Goul |  Tim Bielik |  Robert Rozboril |  Joe Noga |  Scott Patsko |  Nate Cline | Consensus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last week | 14-1 | 13-2 | 12-3 | 11-4 | 11-4 | 11-4 | 12-3 | 12-3 |
| Season | 39-6 | 36-9 | 35-10 | 33-12 | 32-13 | 32-13 | 30-15 | 35-10 |
| North Ridgeville vs. Olmsted Falls | NR | NR | NR | NR | OF | NR | NR | NR, 6-1 |
| Richmond Hts. vs. Kirtland | K | K | K | K | K | K | K | K, 7-0 |
| Bay vs. Holy Name | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B, 7-0 |
| Chardon vs. Eastlake N. | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C, 7-0 |
| Shaker Hts. vs. Strongsville | SV | SV | SV | SV | SV | SV | SV | SV, 7-0 |
| Riverside vs. Kenston | K | K | K | K | K | K | K | K, 7-0 |
| Copley vs. Barberton | B | B | C | B | B | C | B | B, 5-2 |
| Hudson vs. Nordonia | H | N | H | H | H | H | H | H, 6-1 |
| Brunswick vs. Solon | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S, 7-0 |
| Euclid vs. Mentor | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M, 7-0 |
| Medina vs. Elyria | E | E | E | E | E | E | M | E, 6-1 |
| Midview vs. Avon | M | A | A | M | A | A | M | A, 4-3 |
| Cin. Elder vs. St. Edward | CE | SE | SE | CE | CE | SE | SE | SE, 4-3 |
| St. Ignatius vs. St. Joseph Prep (PA) | SI | SI | SI | SJP | SJP | SI | SI | SI, 5-2 |
| Trinity vs. Gilmour | G | T | T | G | T | T | T | T, 5-2 |
This will be the third time since his forced resignation in May 2011 that Tressel has been honored as part of an Ohio State game.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim Tressel will be back around Ohio State football again. The Buckeyes are used to the former coach stopping by now. His visit on Saturday, when he'll be honored during the first quarter of the Buckeyes' game against Northern Illinois, will take care of a Hall of Fame double dip.
Tressel in June was announced as one of 14 new members to Ohio State's Athletics Hall of Fame, with those selections made by the Varsity O group of former athletes.
* How Tressel made the OSU Hall of Fame
"I expect that he will receive a rousing ovation," Varsity O president Stephen Chappelear told the Northeast Ohio Media Group in June.
Tressel also was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in January. He was nominated for the hall in the lower-level FCS coaches division by Youngstown State, where he won four Division I-AA titles. But his selection was based on his combined record of accomplishments at Youngstown State and Ohio State.
Youngstown State will honor Tressel for that accomplishment on Oct. 10. It's pretty easy for Youngstown State to find a time to do that since Tressel is now the president there.
Schools have the option to honor a college football hall of famer on campus if they so choose, and almost all of them do. It was easy for Ohio State to tie this in with Tressel's university honor. He will be recognized with the OSU Hall of Fame class at a dinner Friday. On Saturday, the rest of the honorees will be honored at halftime, but Tressel will have his moment separately during the first quarter because Ohio State said Tressel needs to get back to Youngstown State.
The Buckeyes are used to honoring Tressel by now, less than four years after he was forced to resign in May 2011 because of NCAA violations.
He was back to be honored with the 10-year anniversary of the 2002 National Championship team during the Michigan game in 2012.
Tressel also was at the National Championship in Dallas in January when the Buckeyes beat Oregon, honored then before the game for his recently announced College Hall of Fame selection.
Who will become No. 1 now that Floyd Mayweather has "retired" from boxing?
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Floyd Mayweather's bout with Andre Berto was everything many of us figured when Mayweather picked his sacrificial lamb for the finale of his six-fight deal with Showtime.
Despite Berto's brief flashes of exertion, Mayweather cruised to his 49th victory against no defeats in what Mayweather said was his final fight.
Many athletes don't know when to say when, and Mayweather's gesture is courageous ... but at least one more bout fits into his style of calling the shots and making the optimum amount of cash for his services.
Mayweather could not put himself into prime position until he fulfilled his contractual obligation with Showtime. Now that deal is done and Mayweather can sell his comeback fight to the highest network bidder.
No matter how much criticism Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao received for their last fight (and rightfully so), a rematch is likely in May of 2016 because not only does that fight fit into Pacquiao's timetable of coming back from shoulder surgery, but it's when the new Las Vegas Arena will open.
There would be nothing bigger to open the new arena than Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is doing his part to raise doubt about his loss to Mayweather. He claims his shoulder, which required surgery, hampered him in the fight, although he could have rescheduled instead of making excuses. Recently, Pacquiao told reporters that he wants a rematch because of reports of the intravenous vitamin injection Mayweather had prior to their fight in May.
Mayweather received a retroactive therapeutic use exemption for the IV several weeks after the fight. Without an exemption the IV is against the anti-doping guidelines.
Plus, Pacquiao made fun of Mayweather during his fight with Berto.
Let the Mayweather-Pacquiao II hype machine begin.
Rest in peace
Super featherweight Davey Browne Jr, 28, died this week from injuries after he was knocked out by Carlo Magali of the Philippines toward the end of a 12-round bout last Friday. Browne's life support was turned off after he failed to recover from his injuries. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for a ban on boxing following Browne's death.
Other boxing news
This week in boxing history
On Sept. 17, 1954 at Yankee Stadium, Cincinnati native Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano fought for the second time. In this fight, Charles knocked Marciano down twice and split Marciano's nose. Marciano regrouped and knocked out Charles in round 8.
Boxing schedule
Friday
BounceTV.com, 9 p.m.
Saturday
AztecaTV, 10 p.m.
The Indians are only 32-36 at Progressive Field this season, but they've won 13 of their last 17 home games.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups for Wednesday night's game between the Indians and Royals at Progressive Field.
INDIANS
2B Jason Kipnis.
SS Francisco Lindor.
LF Michael Brantley.
1B Carlos Santana.
C Yan Gomes.
DH Chris Johnson.
RF Jerry Sands.
CF Abraham Almonte.
3B Mike Aviles.
RHP Danny Salazar, 12-8, 3.57.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
LF Alex Gordon.
2B Ben Zobrist.
CF Lorenzo Cain.
1B Eric Hosmer.
DH Kendrys Morales.
3B Mike Moustakas.
C Roberto Perez.
RF Alex Rios.
SS Alcides Escobar
LHP Danny Duffy, 7-7, 4.14.
UMPIRES
H Ben May.
1B Chris Guccione.
2B Jeff Nelson, crew chief.
3B Cory Blaser.
The Indians will try to climb back to .500 Wednesday night when Danny Salazar faces Kansas City's Danny Duffy at Progressive Field.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Join beat writers Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes for a live chat and updates as the Indians and Royals play Game 3 of their four-game set Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
Game No. 144: Indians (71-72), Royals (85-59)
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM, WMMS
Browns offensive guard is ready to put the Jets loss behind him and move on to the Titans.
BEREA, Ohio -- Count Browns left guard Joel Bitonio among the people who can't wait to put the loss to the Jets behind them and move on to Tennessee.
"Oh, it's miserable," Bitonio said on Wednesday after practice when asked about the week following a loss like the one the team suffered in their season opener. "Anytime you don't win, you want to play the next week."
Bitonio and the offensive line are coming off of a game in which they have faced criticism for their play, especially in the running game. He called the line's performance "not good enough to win."
"I think the offensive line to a man will tell you that was not the performance that they envisioned having," head coach Mike Pettine said on Monday. "Some of it was due to them, but we left some yards out there."
"It was kind of frustrating that we didn't do good enough," Bitonio said. "We were prepared, I thought. We saw a lot of the good looks that we were going to see in there. (The Jets) did a really good job. They loaded the box up. I mean, that's what teams are going to do, too. We should know that. They had eight guys in the box and it was a lot of one-on-one matchups and our offense, it's usually predicated on double teams, but kind of the way they set it up it was a lot of one-on-one matchups and we didn't win enough of them."
The Jets, along with stopping the Browns' rushing attack, also registered three sacks on Sunday.
"I thought we did pretty well overall," Bitonio said of the team's pass protection. "There were a few sacks. A couple of them were just extra blitz guys were hot off things, or scrambling or things like that. I don't think an O-lineman necessarily gave up a sack in our grade room."
Bitonio said that, even though the Jets have a good front and they did some good things, that doesn't make the performance easier to take.
"That's what you gotta thrive on," Bitonio said. "You gotta win those matchups."
The good news is that, despite his appearance on the injury report with a knee injury, Bitonio isn't likely to miss Sunday's game.
"Nothing major," Bitonio said. "I just came in and got some treatment on it. ... I'm good to go."
Bitonio said the good thing about football is there's another chance the next week.
"You want to get out there and put your best foot forward," Bitonio said. "So the people know, you know and we know that we're still a good team and have a chance to win some games."
Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell both acknowledged they left yards out on the field.
BEREA, Ohio -- Browns rookie running back Duke Johnson knows he didn't blow into the NFL like a hurricane.
Miami's all-time leading rusher, Johnson mustered only 22 yards on seven carries for a 3.1-yard average during his NFL debut against the Jets.
"It was okay,'' he said. "I did some good things. I did some bad things. Overall average. Nothing spectacular. Nothing stands out. Just another body on the field.''
Johnson, who's long gain was 8 and who didn't have a pass thrown his way, acknowledged that he could've done more against the Jets' premier run defense, one that's held runners to a league-low 3.56 yards per carry since 2013.
"Yes, I know for sure I left some yards out there,'' said Johnson.
Johnson said he's confident the run game will be better Sunday against the Titans. The three backs, including Shaun Draughn (one carry 4 yards), combined for 46 yards.
"Last week was a lot on ourselves, things we didn't do within the team,'' he said. "We have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. We've just got to go out there and show it. We can't just talk about it. We know what we need to do to get it done.''
Johnson, who missed much of training camp with a strained hamstring, acknowledged it was good to get that first one under his belt.
"(It's) always a chance to get out there and really run and get acclimated to the speed and things like that,'' he said. "The first game is always important just to see where you're at and the things you need to change.''
He said another week removed from the hamstring should help. He also said he's not frustrated by not having the immediate success he had in college.
"It's a long season and I still have a chance to make plays,'' he said.
Isaiah Crowell, who averaged 1.7 yards on his 12 carries (20 yards) also admitted he could've done better.
"I feel like I left a couple yards out there myself, but I feel like as a whole we've just got to go out there and do better,'' said Crowell.
Coach Mike Pettine said Monday called for the backs to step it up.
"Some of it was due to the (offensive line), but we left some yards out there,'' said Pettine. "I thought Duke did a good job in the limited reps. He hit a couple runs. There were a couple runs that Crow missed. We need to break more tackles. We can't be one and done with our backs.
"It is going to be rare where it is going to be blocked and a gaping hole and you are running untouched for a while. We are going to have to make some guys miss. We are going to have to break some tackles. That needs to be a point of emphasis for us. Overall, the running game, we knew it was going to be tough against that front given their history and scheme wise with what they play, but we should have run the ball better."
Crow agreed with Pettine.
"I missed some (holes),'' he said. "People missed some blocks. I missed a couple blocks myself (in pass protection). But all of us just got to go out there and get better as a whole."
As for the Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown leading the Brown in rushing with 35 and 23 yards respectively, Crowell said, "I don't have anything to say about that. It is what it is. I don't know why it was like that but it was so we've just got to do better.''
In a few weeks, help will be on the way. New running back Robert Turbin, claimed on waivers from the Seahawks, is aiming to return from his sprained ankle Oct. 4th against the Chargers. He said the Browns, however are expecting him back a week later against the Ravens.
Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed report on what happened in Berea Wednesday as the Browns prepare for the Titans. Also, two videos on Johnny Manziel. Watch video
BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed report on what happened in Berea on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015 as the team begins preparations to play the Tennessee Titans in the home opener at FirstEnergy Stadium.
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When an mistaken barrage of fireworks exploded following a Kansas City home run on Tuesday night at Progressive Field, manager Terry Francona was startled. Then he learned a startling fact -- when an Indians player hits a home run, fireworks are ignited. Francona, in his third year with the Tribe, didn't hadn't noticed that before.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - When fireworks went off in the fifth inning Tuesday night to celebrate a home run by Alex Rios of the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field, home grounds of the Indians, manager Terry Francona was surprised.
"It definitely jolted you," said Francona on Wednesday afternoon. "I put my head down to look at the lineup card and all of a sudden I said, 'Shoot man, somebody is shooting.' I was trying to get behind Millsie."
Millsie is bench coach Brad Mills, who never strays far from Francona's side during games.
The man who ignited the fireworks at the wrong time sits on top of a parking garage outside Progressive Field on the other side of Larry Doby Avenue. SportsTime Ohio cameras caught his reaction to the miscue as he threw down his clipboard, hid his head in his hands and then buried his head in his hat.
His reaction went viral, hitting social media and every national sports show.
"It shocked the hell out of me," said Francona. "It made me jump. I hope that guy isn't in charge of the Fourth of July fireworks. It might be in August.
"In a moment when you probably weren't really happy, that was a little levity."
The homer gave Kansas City its second run in a 2-0 victory over the Indians.
The Indians had a different person manning the fireworks Wednesday night. A club spokesman said that two men share the job.Then Francona revealed something interesting about his relationship with fireworks and home runs.
"The funny thing about that, and this is the damnedest thing, I didn't know they shot off fireworks when we hit a home run," said Francona, in his third year as Indians manager. "I didn't even know. That's unbelievable.
"I get so excited . ... I didn't know. I looked at Millsie and said, "Do they do that when we hit a home run?' He (just) looked at me. But I don't ever remember seeing it or hearing it. You learn something new every day."
Night off: Third baseman Giovanny Urshela did not start Wednesday against lefty Danny Duffy. Urshela is hitting .284 against lefties, but overall he's hitting .179 (20-for-112) since Aug. 1.
Urshela has been playing with a sore right shoulder since just after the All-Star break.
"I think he's been a little frustrated at the plate," said Francona. "We've also talked about the physical things he's had to fight this year. When he plays a lot that's when he necessarily hasn't had his best at bats."
Urshela injured his left knee in winter ball last year. In spring training, he was slowed by a swollen disk in his back and did not start playing at Class AAA Columbus until April 23.
He will not play winter ball this year.
"I'm going to stay with Francisco (Lindor) this winter in Tampa and work out," said Urshela.
Pitch count: It doesn't sound as if Corey Kluber will be on a strict pitch count Thursday night against the Royals, but he won't be on his own either.
"The way Kluber is pitching will dictate," said Francona. "When Carlos Carrasco came back in that first game, he was a little bit winded. Sometimes that just happens. It's not because guys don't work hard, it's the adrenaline of pitching."
Kluber will be making his first start since Aug. 29. He strained his right hamstring during a bullpen session preparing for a Sept. 6 start against the Tigers.
Carrasco came off the disabled list Sept. 8 and lasted just 2 2/3 innings in a 7-4 loss to the White Sox.
To bunt or not to bunt: Francona was asked about his decision to have Mike Aviles bunt in the ninth inning Tuesday.
Royals closer Greg Holland walked Lonnie Chisenhall to start the inning. Yan Gomes followed with a single. Holland's velocity was down and manager Ned Yost visited the mound with a trainer.
That's when Francona pinch-hit Aviles to advance Chisenhall and Gomes with a bunt. Aviles, however, bunted the ball back to Holland. He caught it, dropped it and then threw to third to force Chisenhall.
Holland retired Abraham Almonte and Urshela for his 31st save.
"I felt our best chance to tie that game and keep playing was to get a bunt down and have runners on second and third," said Francona.
If Aviles advanced the runners, Francona was going to left Almonte hit and pinch-hit switch-hitting Jose Ramirez for Urshela.
"I wanted a left-handed hitter up there to face Holland," he said.
Johnny Manziel is 0-2 in his career, and couldn't pull out the victory against the Jets last week because of his three turnovers. Watch video
BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel hopes to earn his first career victory Sunday against fellow Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and if he gets the nod against the Titans.
"I'm just trying to go out and play better football than I have in the past,'' said Manziel, who's awaiting word on whether or not Josh McCown will be cleared from his concussion to play. "I've been disappointed in the way I've performed, especially ending the season last year. It didn't end on a very good note.
"Was it better on Sunday? Sure, it was better. Did I feel more comfortable? Sure. But did I do some things that looking back that I would have like to have back? Absolutely.''
Manziel started off with a bang Sunday against the Jets, firing a 54-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin down the left side on his opening drive to put the Browns up 7-0. But he spoiled the great beginning with three second-half turnovers, including an interception on a poorly-thrown sideline pass to Brian Hartline and two strip-sacks en route to the 31-10 loss.
"Moving forward it's 'don't make those same mistakes again,''' Manziel said. "I need to learn from what I did, see the field and just trust what's gotten me to this level, trust what's gotten me in this locker room.''
Manziel has also sworn off listening to talk radio or reading about himself.
"There was a time I was talked about every single day on every station around the entire country,'' he said. "There were days where I was talked about good. There were days I was talked about bad. Now it's for me block all that out, do what I need to do in this locker room, make sure I'm prepared and go out on Sunday and try to do better than I did last week."
Coach Mike Pettine, who will make his decision on a starting quarterback sometime after McCown returns to practice Friday, noted Manziel's progress, especially in the first half. But he lamented the giveaways, two of which the Jets converted into touchdowns.
"The turnovers, the interceptions, the two fumbles were the disconcerting part,'' said Pettine. "We know that you turn the ball over that many times - you have to protect the football - you minimize your chances of winning. But as far as just looking at what he had just come off of and the limited reps that any No. 2 two gets, let alone him coming off the arm, I thought he made some good throws.
"We didn't limit the plan at all, and he didn't flinch. He went right in there and was good in the huddle, good getting guys lined up and he knew the plan. It's not like he went out there and was just playing street ball because he wasn't prepared. He prepared himself to be the starter, and in some instances, it showed. The biggest issues were just the turnovers."
Pettine delivered the same message to Manziel as he did to McCown, who suffered the concussion diving into the end zone on the 17th play of his first drive.
"Johnny on a couple plays did a nice job of sliding and on a couple plays he didn't,'' said Pettine. "He exposed himself to a big shot that wasn't necessary, and then the one he fumbled on was a situation where he just has to be a better decision maker there. That comes with experience. Sometimes you can tell a kid that the stove is hot, but sometimes they have to touch it first before they figure it out."
Manziel acknowledged that he must work harder on ball security at this level, where NFL defenders are skilled at punching it out.
"I can't be careless with it,'' he said. "The one time step up, we're in third-and-forever, try to get it out of your hands. It didn't look like we were going to get a first down there anyways. Play for the punt a little bit. The next time, it's hard to get a backside end that rushed around to even feel that. That's tough, but at the same time, get it out of my hand and then move on and we won't have anything like that happen."
On his interception on the pass intended for Brian Hartline, he learned to throw it to the outside where only the receiver can get it.
"You know I think on those, especially with the third-down throw, it's got to be outside regardless, no matter what, our ball or nobody's,'' he said. "So that was really on me. I wouldn't blame it on the reps. That's the life of a backup. I need to stay mentally ingrained, get the throws that I do and be happy about that.
"So I wouldn't blame it on (a lack of reps with the starters), but this week by making sure none of those balls are left inside, none of those balls are left where anybody else can get it."
Manziel realizes that he could work hard all week only to find out on Friday that McCown will be back under center.
"That's part of it,'' he said.
But he'd love a chance to face Mariota, whom he's known since they were both in high school and attending an Oregon recruitment camp together. They've remained in touch over the years and throughout the Heisman Trophy festivities, and Mariota's amazing debut was not lost on Manziel.
En route to a 42-14 victory over the Bucs, Mariota threw four touchdown passes in the first half and earned a perfect 158.3 rating. Meanwhile, Manziel's career numbers in his two starts and two relief appearances are as follows: 31 of 59 (52.5%), one TD, three interceptions, two lost fumbles, 55.5 rating.
"Yeah, I think (Mariota) did really well,'' said Manziel. "Obviously he's doing things well and a lot of things went right there. So hopefully for us moving forward we'll go out 7-0 and put them in a little bit of a hole.''
Manziel, who was limited in practice Wednesday but said his elbow feels really good admitted he "was a little nervous, a little shaky'' against the Jets until he completed the TD pass to Benjamin. But he's eager to get back out there, especially at home.
"I want to go out and get a win,'' he said. "That's the biggest thing. Obviously two disappointing starts last year that we didn't get the win. I want to go out and play my part, turnover free. I look forward to hopefully giving (the fans) something to cheer about. We want to put points on the board. We want to be solid all around offensively and make sure we come out of there with the end result that everybody in this locker room wants."
Browns rookie understands that being inactive against the Jets is just life in the NFL.
BEREA, Ohio -- Xavier Cooper got his first taste of the NFL on Sunday. It wasn't necessarily in the way he would have liked though.
Cooper, selected in the third round (96th overall) by the Browns in the draft last May, was a starter for most of his final three years at Washington State and performed well during the preseason. He was inactive, though, during Sunday's loss to the Jets.
"I'm always expecting to get on the field and do my best," Cooper said after practice on Wednesday. "But we got a lot of depth on the D-line and I'm never going to question our coaches. They know what they're doing. They've been doing this for a long time, so I trust them."
"Cooper was just a function of our depth," head coach Mike Pettine said Wednesday. "You would love to have them all up. You have to put seven names down and, given the gameplan, that he would have likely been the next guy up."
"Sometimes, in your job, you know there's only certain things you can control," Cooper said. "So I'm just going out here and just continue to practice hard and play hard and do things I need to do, and when my number's called I'm gonna be ready."
"If we were allowed 47 (active players), it probably would have been him," Pettine said. "It is just the nature of it."
Injuries: Quarterback Josh McCown (concussion), linebacker Karlos Dansby (foot), defensive lineman Randy Starks (rest) and offensive lineman Joe Thomas (rest) did not participate in practice on Wednesday. Offensive lineman Joel Bitonio (knee), wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (hamstring), defensive lineman Desmond Bryant (shoulder), cornerback Justin Gilbert (hip flexor) and quarterback Johnny Manziel (elbow) were limited. Running back Robert Turbin (ankle) and linebacker Scott Solomon (ankle) were out.
Solomon will be out at least a couple of weeks, according to Pettine. Bitonio told Cleveland.com that he's good to go on Sunday.
MIke Pettine would not say if he fined Justin Gilbert for his road rage incident. He did talk to him and the team about behavior.
BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine said he handled Justin Gilbert's discipline internally regarding his road rage crash.
"I have spoken with him,'' Pettine said Wednesday. "It led to talking to the team, as well, about acting the way we expect when they are out of the building. That matter has been addressed internally."
Pettine did not say if he fined Gilbert -- who was still limited Wednesday his strained hip flexor -- or considered suspending him for Sunday's home opener against the Titans.
Last season, Gilbert was suspended for the season finale in Baltimore for being late to a team meeting the night before, the last in a long line of missteps throughout the season.
Gilbert, last year's No. 8 overall pick, was inactive for Sunday's opener against the Jets with the hip injury, and not because of the incident on Friday, in which he crashed his car into ditch after a confrontation with another driver. According to the police report, Gilbert threw tobacco juice and it landed on the man's windshield.
Pettine acknowledged that the incident was a red flag considering that Gilbert had shown good progress this season.
"Well, it is certainly troubling,'' Pettine said Monday. "When he had not been injured, he was coming in and stacking good days of work together. As always, it was his playing at a consistent level and also carrying it from the practice field to the game. Some of the struggles that he had in the preseason games were not indicative of how he was practicing. That is what this league is all about. You have to be able to take it from the meeting room to the practice field and then it has to carry over to the game."
Prior to the hip injury, Gilbert had fallen behind other backup cornerbacks, including 2014 fourth-rounder Pierre Desir, for playing time. He said the coaches wanted him to prove that he really wants to be a part of the team.
Browns hoping someone other than Paul Kruger can give them production at the position. Watch video
BEREA, Ohio - Here's all you need to know about the Browns' state of affairs at outside linebacker:
They have invested as heavily in the position as any over the past three years, yet find themselves needing to overcome the loss of a fourth-year journeyman who's never started a regular-season game.
Mike Pettine announced Wednesday that Scott Solomon will miss "at least a couple weeks" with an ankle injury. In the same news conference, the coach matter-of-factly made this observation about Barkevious Mingo - the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
"To me, he will always be mismatched from a weight standpoint so he has to better with his pad level," Pettine said.
Lost in all the chatter about the Browns' issues at quarterback and skill positions is their lack of quality depth at outside linebacker, one of the most athletic and important positions on the field. Paul Kruger is solid, but after him the club isn't sure on whom it can depend. Coaches hope it's rookie Nate Orchard, the second-round pick expected to make his regular-season debut against the Titans after recovering from a back injury late in training camp.
"I think I can help out a lot, but at the end of the day it takes all 11 (players on the field) to do their job," Orchard said.
Fans bemoan the organization's perceived lack of commitment to finding play-making receivers. The same can't be said about outside linebackers. And yet the club is Mingo-thin in proven players at the vital position group.
Since the start of 2013, they signed Kruger to a five-year, $40 million free-agent deal, drafted Mingo in the first round and Orchard in the second round. Still, the Browns entered the season counting on Solomon - the Titans' seventh-round pick in 2011 -- to get ample reps opposite Kruger. A month ago, they also moved defensive lineman Armonty Bryant - a homegrown 2013 seventh-round pick - to outside linebacker after saying he would only "moonlight" at the position.
Following a subpar first year, Kruger responded with a career-best 11 sacks last season. He had little help in this category from the other outside linebackers, who combined for five. The unit also had difficulty setting the edge - the act of funneling the play back inside against the run. The Browns owned the league's worst rush defense in 2014.
The same problems were apparent in Sunday's 31-10 opening-day loss to Jets. The Browns neither registered a sack nor applied much pressure to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. As the game unfurled, they again were gutted by the run as the Jets' amassed 154 yards rushing, most of it coming in the second half.
"I think it was a variety of things," Pettine said of the run-defense woes. "We missed some tackles. Schematically, we got ourselves in less than ideal scenarios, gave up some edges. If I had to pinpoint it, giving up some edges would probably be the No. 1 culprit."
That's not exclusively on the outside backers, depending on the defensive call, but in general terms it's their main responsibility. It's also one of Solomon's strengths - and he was injured after just two snaps Sunday.
The 240-pound Mingo earned just 13 reps and spent his afternoon primarily dropping into coverage, deflecting one pass. Pettine said the LSU product played "OK," despite a few mistakes.
The 2013 draft is nobody's idea of a great one, especially at edge rusher, but there's no question the Browns expected more. The coaching staff thought enough of him last spring to pass on Khalil Mack, the 2014 fourth-overall pick who appears destined for stardom with the Raiders.
Enter Orchard. The Browns need the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder to deliver. He recorded 18 sacks a season ago at the University of Utah, including a strip sack against Marcus Mariota, who faces the Browns this weekend fresh from a record-setting debut.
The outside backer called the versatile Mariota the best player he faced and spoke of the need for staying in pass-rush lanes to prevent him from getting outside and running. Orchard thinks he's ready for the challenge against the rush.
"It's one of the reasons they brought me here to set that edge and help the run defense before getting to the quarterback," Orchard said. "It's something I loved doing in college."
Bryant remains on the learning curve as he makes the transition from defensive lineman to outside backer.
"My gap used to be right there," Bryant said of the confined area on the line. "Now, my gap runs to the sideline."
Kruger believes the youngsters will thrive with increased responsibility. The Browns need either Orchard and/or Bryant to evolve for their high-priced defense to finally meet expectation.
The franchise has made a massive investment in the group. It's time for a bigger payoff.
