The RubberDucks are now 4-0 to start the Class AA Eastern League season.

Jeremy LucasAkron RubberDucks 

ALTOONA, Pennsylvania -- Outfielder Bradley Zimmer and catcher Jeremy Lucas each hit two homers, while starter Rob Kaminsky pitched five scoreless innings as the Akron RubberDucks rolled to a 9-1 victory over the Curve.

The RubberDucks are now 4-0 to start the Class AA Eastern League season.

Lucas gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead in the second inning with his first homer, and outfielder Clint Frazier added a solo shot in the third. A two-run single from third baseman Yandy Diaz during a three-run fourth inning increased the lead to 6-0.

Lucas hit a solo homer in the fifth, and Zimmer hit a solo homer in the sixth as the RubberDucks took a commanding 8-0 lead. Zimmer closed out the RubberDucks' scoring with another solo homer in the ninth.

Bradley ZimmerAkron RubberDucks 

After struggling to find power last season, the RubberDucks lead the Eastern League with nine homers in four games. They are second in team batting average at .261.

Kaminsky (1-0, 0.00) gave up just one hit in five innings. Relievers Grant Sides and D.J. Brown each pitched two innings, both giving up just one hit. Brown allowed one run in the eighth.

Go here to see a box score from the game.

Another reported positive test for marijuana should remove any doubt the Browns -- and maybe the NFL -- will move on without the troubled former All Pro receiver.

BEREA, Ohio - Josh Gordon never made it easy on defenders - the ones tasked with guarding him or the ones begging to give the Browns' most talented player in a generation another chance after numerous missteps.

But if reports of another positive drug test are true, the franchise's new regime won't have to make a tough call on whether to welcome back the mercurial receiver. Gordon must be done in Cleveland. The Browns could not possibly bring him back even if he eventually manages to gain NFL reinstatement, which seems more remote by the month.

"I always learned something a long time ago -- you never worry about something you never had," new coach Hue Jackson said recently when asked about Gordon. "I've never had any contact with him, so I'm going to plan on what's in our building now and go from there."

Will Jackson miss not getting a chance to work with a former All Pro? Of course, he will. Have you see the Browns' depth chart?

The rebuilding organization, however, was going to be win-challenged with or without Gordon in the lineup. Inserting him into the fold would compromise Jackson's "high character" pledge and risk poisoning young, influential teammates.

It would almost be like drafting a party-boy quarterback and putting him in the same environment with a receiver trying to conquer his own substance-abuse issues. Oh, wait . . .

The fact Monday's news broke on the day ESPN reported Johnny Manziel has moved in with Gordon in Los Angeles seems only fitting. Their fast friendship created headaches for the previous Browns' brain trust and nothing but trouble for Gordon.

Report: Josh Gordon fails another drug test

What a pair, Gordon and Manziel: One a waste of talent, the other a waste of a draft pick. Both, as it turns out, a waste of time and hope for Browns' fans.

Let's not hammer the club's former quarterback any more for Gordon's troubles, though. Blame falls squarely on the receiver. Suspended for the entire 2015 season by the NFL for another substance-abuse violation, Gordon needed to be smarter than to continue his dangerous dealings with Manziel. Instead, he flaunted them. Using social media, he confirmed a report the duo had attended a UFC event together in March before deleting it. The lack of good judgment is astonishing even if he thought he was just flying a middle finger in the Browns' direction.

Manizel, who comes from money, can party the rest of his life away on his endorsement deals and the roughly $8 million he earned from his Browns' contract. As for Gordon, it's unclear how much he's made due to the multiple suspensions, but it's not nearly that amount. His future paydays might need to come in Saskatchewan or Winnipeg in order to jump-start his career.

The latest failed test, if upheld, would add to his multiple violations since entering the NFL in 2012. According to Fox Sports, sources said Gordon tested positive for marijuana, and that both his A and B samples were diluted. The amount of marijuana was less than 35 nanograms - which is below the threshold -- but a diluted sample triggers a positive test.

The revelation helps explains why the league had not yet granted his reinstatement - Gordon applied for it on Jan. 20 - and why he'll probably be waiting a lot longer.

The Fox Sports report noted the positive test is a "red flag," but it doesn't necessarily mean Gordon will miss another season. Maybe, maybe not, but the Browns must move on without him. Recent comments from Jackson and team executive Sashi Brown hinted that already was the case.

Gordon is such a talent with his combination of size, speed and hands. The football lover in you wanted to see him get his life and career in order. Jackson, who's gleaned the best out of troubled receivers in Cincinnati, would have been an excellent mentor. The thought of a Robert Griffin III-Gordon reunion excited their former Baylor coach Art Briles.

But every wishful article was always tempered by one gnawing reality: Gordon has never proven reliable off the field since his arrival in Cleveland. Even during his last five-game stint with the Browns in 2014 he played like a man who wanted to be elsewhere.

Well, Gordon is free now to run as many deep posts for Manziel as he likes. It just won't be for the Browns.

Jackson is right -- he can't worry about something he never had. He's got enough problems. Gordon should no longer be one of them.  

The Indians and Rays open a three-game series Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Preview and pitching matchups for Indians-Tampa Bay Rays series in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Where: Tropicana Field, Tuesday through Thursday.

TV/radio: Fox-SportsTime Ohio will carry the series. WTAM/1100 will carry Tuesday and Thursday's games. WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry Tuesday and Wednesday's game.

Pitching probables: RHP Corey Kluber (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. LHP Matt Moore (0-0, 5.40) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 7.20) vs. LHP Drew Smyly (0-1, 6.75) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. and RHP Danny Salazar (1-0, 1.69) vs. RHP Chris Archer (0-2, 7.20) Thursday at 1:10 p.m.

Series: The Indians went 5-2 against the Rays last year, including 4-0 at Tropicana Field. The Indians lead overall, 84-54.

Tuesday: Kluber went 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA against the Rays last year in one start. In his career, he's 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA. Kevin Kiermaier .375 (3-for-8) and Evan Longoria .357 (3-for-8) have hit Kluber well.

Moore made a no-decision start against the Indians last year while he was coming back from Tommy John surgery. He's 2-1 with a 4.64 ERA in five career starts against them. Rajai Davis .333 (5-for-15) and Francisco Lindor .667 (2-for-3) have hit Moore well.

Wednesday: Carrasco went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against the Rays last year, including his near no-hitter on July 1. He's 1-2 with a 2.78 in six career starts against the Rays. Logan Forsythe (.333, 3-for-9) has hit Carrasco well.

Smyly is 2-1 with a 4.25 ERA in 13 appearances, including three starts, against the Indians. Yan Gomes (.500, 4-for-8, two homers) has hit Smyly well.

Thursday: Salazar is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in the only start of his career against the Rays. The Rays, as a team, hit .200 (2-for-25) against him last year.

Archer, a former Indians' farmhand, did not face the Tribe last year. He's 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his career against them. Carlos Santana (.500, 3-for-6) has hit Archer well.

Injuries: Indians - LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (right forearm, left wrist) and RHP Tommy Hunter (hernia) are on the disabled list. Rays - RHP Brad Boxberger (hernia), RHP Alex Cobb (right elbow, Tommy John surgery) and RHP Chase Whitley (right elbow, Tommy John surgery).

Next: The Mets visit for a three-game interleague set starting Friday night at Progressive Field.

Our fake general managers decide where Braxton Miller should go in the 2016 NFL Draft. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Picking Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2016 NFL Draft with general managers Doug Lesmerises, Ari Wasserman and Bill Landis.

Seven Buckeyes in the first round is enough, right?

Let's move on to some guys who are in some ways more interesting, because nobody is certain where they're going to land in the NFL Draft once we get out of the first round.

It's Braxton Miller time, probably the most interesting Ohio State player in this draft.

As we act as NFL general managers for the day, Ari, Doug and I are running through 14 draftable Buckeyes and ringing in when we think they should go off the board. You like a guy? You better pick him before someone else on the beat does.

But where do you select Miller? What is he going to be in the NFL?

Some like him in the first round, some like him in the third round.

Where mock drafts have Miller: Bleacher Report's Matt Miller says the Houston Texans like Miller as high as No. 22 overall.

Ohio State Buckeyes in mock drafts

Where did we pick him? Watch the video to see when we rang the bell on Miller and which one of us drafted him and why.

Then vote on how you think we did as general managers. Did we take Miller too high in the draft, or did we wait on him too long? Or did we get this one right?

Braxton Miller draft capsule

Next up Wednesday: Cardale Jones

Previous picks in our draft

Ringing the bell on: Joey Bosa, No. 5

Ringing the bell on: Darron Lee, No. 10

Ringing the bell on: Ezekiel Elliott, No. 12

Ringing the bell on: Michael Thomas, No. 14

Ringing the bell on: Eli Apple, No. 16

Ringing the bell on: Taylor Decker, No. 22

Ringing the bell on: Vonn Bell, No. 31

Ringing the bell on: Joshua Perry, Second round, No. 60

LeBron James' statistics from 2016 are nearly identical to what he posted last season, but the last month has produced an unmistakable change for the better for the Cavaliers' superstar.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The regular season is over for LeBron James.

It ended spectacularly.

Not just the 34 points, six rebounds, and six assists he collected in the Cavaliers' 109-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks Monday night.

Although those were nice.

The Cavs locked down the No. 1 seed in the East, meaning they'll hold homecourt advantage in every series until the Finals. They're going to rest several starters, including James, in Wednesday's meaningless season finale.

Cool (unless you have tickets to the game, of course).

James is healthy, feeling better than he has in years.

Super.

Ask yourself this question. How do you feel about James' game heading into the 2016 postseason, compared with your feelings at this time a year ago?

Maybe you don't remember where James' game seemed to be on the eve of the 2015 playoffs. Statistically, he stands in the same place.

Then as now, James finished the regular season averaging 25.3 points. He averaged 7.4 boards this season to 6.8 a year ago. This year, he averaged 6.8 assists to last season's 7.4.

He averaged 35.6 minutes per game (a new career low) to last year's 36.1. He shot more than 3 percentage points better this year from the field (52.0 this year), but his 30.9-percent shooting from 3-point range was the second worst of his career.

The trend line this season, however, his heading unmistakably upward.

"I'm in that mode right now," James said Monday night. "Me personally, I'm where I want to be."

Over James' last 10 games of this season, he averaged a torrid 28.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists and led Cleveland to an 8-2 mark in those contests. He shot 63 percent from the field, and get this: 51.8 percent from 3-point range (14-of-27).

Not bad for a player who at one time was the NBA's worst shooter outside the paint this season.

LeBron James' shooting chart from Cleveland's 109-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.NBA.com 

Now, at the precisely right time of year, James jumper is on line. He was 13-of-16 from the field against the Hawks and 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

"I changed a couple things from the perimeter as far as my shot," James said, mentioning balance as the biggest change. "I'm not a big golfer, but I can understand sometimes when those guys change their swing sometimes, and they can maybe even change their golf clubs, they feel like just one little switch can get them to drive that ball 400 instead of 360. That's the way I felt."

Maybe James did make "one little" change to something with his shot. The overall change in him since March 19 was much larger.

That's the night the Cavs were wiped out on the road against Miami. James was chatting it up and laughing with Heat star and friend Dwyane Wade at halftime instead of warming up.

At that time James was posting odd comments to his Twitter and Instagram accounts that were causing a stir around the organization. He'd unfollow the Cavs on Twitter and was the subject of a Bleacher Report story in which he was quoted saying he wanted to play with Carmelo Anthony, Wade, and Chris Paul - which fueled speculation that he would leave Cleveland.

So after that game on March 19 in Miami, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue addressed James' behavior. Later that week, general manager David Griffin also spoke to James.

SEE: Cavs leadership addressed LeBron's behavior

It was around then when James declared he was shifting into playoff mode earlier than normal.

James' game wasn't broken before that week. He was, after all, player of the month in the East for February. But what he's done since has been jarring -- in a good way for the Cavs.

"I hope he can keep it up," Lue said. "If he plays like this, man, we're going to be tough to beat. He's just taken it to a whole other level the last three or four weeks, playing at a very high level, shooting the ball very well, shooting it with confidence and also getting it to the basket. I like the LeBron I see right now."

Let's go back to the earlier point of comparing the James of today with the one from this time a year ago.

Then, without anyone realizing it at the time, James was preparing to turn in one of the greatest individual performances in postseason history.

Over the coming days, you're going to see oodles of statistics from James' 2015 playoff run, numbers either seldom or never before achieved until James did it last year.

For now, just keep in mind that he became the second player in history -- joining Oscar Robertson -- to average at least 30 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists over an entire postseason.

What could James possibly do for an encore, other than return the Cavs to the Finals but win it this time? Perhaps he's given us a glimpse over these last three weeks.

"I get that feel," James said. "It's ramping up a little bit more over the last week as the regular season ends. I'll be extremely excited."

Vote for Carson Wentz in our #BrownsDecision2016 primary. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns need a quarterback revolution. Clearly, what they've done since 1999 hasn't worked.

This is why you should vote for North Dakota State's Carson Wentz to be drafted by Cleveland No. 2 overall. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback is one of six candidates in the #BrownsDecision2016 campaign, which started Monday on cleveland.com.

Wentz is as anti-establishment as they come, having starred for the Bison of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA). Not only that, he started and won two national championship games.

Fans have the opportunity to share who they believe the Browns should take with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft on April 28 in Chicago.

Wentz is running in the QB Party primary along with Jared Goff (QB-Cal). The Not-QB party includes cornerback Jalen Ramsey (NQB-FlaSt.), defensive end Joey Bosa (NQB-OhioSt.), linebacker Myles Jack (NQB-Ucla) and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (NQB-Miss.).

#BrownsDecision2016 comes complete with a Super Tuesday primary (April 19), after which the poll results will identify the top candidate from each party.

Representatives for the winner of the Not-QB Party and QB Party primaries will meet Thursday, April 21 in a live debate on cleveland.com, leading into the general election a few days later during draft week.

Cast your vote in the Not-QB Party primary below:

The redshirt junior defensive lineman shouldn't earn extra credit for coming back from a problem he made for himself. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michael Hill. Dre'Mont Jones. Jashon Cornell. Davon Hamilton. Dylan Thompson. Donovan Munger. Joshua Alabi. Robert Landers.

Those are the Ohio State defensive tackles who haven't been arrested as Buckeyes.

None of them have played much. All of them could get better at football. But none of them, to my knowledge, have much redeeming to do.

Tracy Sprinkle is the defensive line redemption tale, an easy story with a familiar headline that doesn't really tell you anything. But it's a story you read all the time.

A guy never in trouble gradually improving doesn't offer much.

A guy "growing up" after an off-field "incident" offers a hook. And so often, we take it and pass it right along to you.

This is a version of it, with a caveat. There's not much to this either. Just as any college athlete shouldn't be judged on one mistake if that mistake isn't grave, no athlete should be praised more than other teammates doing the right thing just because his past includes a giant misstep.

In July of 2014, Sprinkle was arrested in Lorain after a bar brawl at The Grown and Sexy Lounge. The initial charges against Sprinkle, including one for cocaine possession, were serious, and he was indefinitely suspended and then kicked off the Ohio State football team.

Less than a month later, Sprinkle's lawyer had proven with testing that Sprinkle hadn't taken drugs, the most serious charges were dropped and Sprinkle wound up with a no contest plea to a misdemeanor that carried a $500 fine, two years probation and community service. (As the Chronicle-Telegram captured on video.)

Shortly thereafter, he was allowed back on the football team. Ohio State had evaluated the situation on its own, believed there was no drug involvement and allowed him back. If the Buckeyes had thought Sprinkle was involved with cocaine, he would have been permanently dismissed.

Having never played at that point, Sprinkle wasn't going to get any extra consideration because of his talent. 

Sprinkle answered for his actions in court, which is where it matters. But he never talked about it, not until two years later as he finds himself working at first-team defensive tackle during spring practice, in the fight to start in the fall.

What happened is already in his past, because he was off limits when it was still part of his present.

"That's in my past," is how Sprinkle started his answer last week when I told him most fans may know him best because of The Grown and Sexy Lounge, and asked how he stayed with the Buckeyes.

"I worked for it, I prayed on it," Sprinkle added (see video at top of story), just happy to be where he is now.

So it fades into the general category of "adversity" that so many fall in love with, the catch-all for anything that didn't go the way it was supposed to, from broken ankles to arrests to social media gaffes.

Forget nuance. Just talk about a bad thing that isn't bad right now, and instant story.

When talking to defensive line coach Larry Johnson, a respected veteran coach who develops strong relationships with his players, you got the feeling Sprinkle was earning extra praise because what he did wrong gave him a problem to overcome.

"What a great story about a guy who was just kind of finding his way through the program and all of a sudden, the light comes on," Johnson said. "Changed his life a little bit.

So is his transgression gone? Sprinkle had his day in court, and it was far less than what the initial stories described from police reports. He had his day with his coaches, earning back one of 85 scholarship spots that could have been taken.

Is he just another adversity guy?

Meyer said players continue in probationary status in his mind after a police issue like that, and "it's always going to be there," Meyer said (see video at top of story). "It's not just forget it. And this university doesn't forget it either. So you've got to keep straight."

So Sprinkle faces that right now, as Johnson likes his potential pass rush moves at tackle. Johnson also clearly likes a guy who did wrong and fixed it.

"His leadership right now, it's outstanding. So I'm one of those guys who's cheering for Tracy to continue to rise, because he's got a great testimony when it's all said and done," Johnson said. "He realized he made a mistake but he didn't stop, he kept pushing forward.

"I give Tracy a lot of credit that he stayed the course. It's a tough situation but he stayed the course."

Sprinkle probably does deserve credit for that.

But don't forget the guys who never left the course, the defensive tackles fighting for time without an easy story hook. Read their names again. Offer the same praise to those that make it through college life on the straight and narrow, Grown the entire time.

LeBron James shot 65.6 percent (59-of-90) from the field in five April regular-season games, capped by 81.3 percent (13-of-16) in a Cavaliers victory over Atlanta on Monday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving scored 35 and LeBron James 34 (in three quarters) as the Cleveland Cavaliers handled the Atlanta Hawks, 109-94, Monday night at The Q. The Cavs clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Ohio:

As it should be: Rebounding from a stinker against the Bulls in Chicago, the Cavs played like a top seed in improving to 57-24. They did so without rotation guard Iman Shumpert (knee).

The Hawks, No. 3 in the East, slipped to 48-33.

Accepting the challenge: The Cavs -- specifically, the starters -- had plenty of incentive to make Monday's game the last meaningful one of the regular season. Now, when the 82nd game is played Wednesday against Detroit at The Q, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue can rest his best with a clear mind because the top seed has been secured.

The Hawks also were highly motivated, in part because the third seed behind Cleveland and Toronto had not been clinched. They also were sick of losing to the Cavs; the streak was six overall, including being swept in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final and dropping the first two meetings this season.

So the Hawks, who were only missing injured center Tiago Splitter, took the court with something to prove.

The Hawks no doubt thought the six-game losing streak was traceable to having been pushed around. The Cavs don't out-muscle many teams, but the Hawks have been a relatively easy mark.

From the opening tip, the Hawks were as physical as they could be -- and played well. Kent Bazemore, alone, made it 8-0. Then it was 10-0. LeBron stopped the run with a dunk with 9:09 left in the first quarter.

As of 4:05 remaining in the first, Atlanta led, 20-10. The Cavs chipped away and trailed, 26-22, by the end of the quarter. They controlled play for the vast majority of minutes the rest of the way, including a combined 68-49 advantage over the second and third quarters.

The King and KI: The Cavs won because they have LeBron and Irving, and the Hawks don't.

LeBron shot 13-of-16 from the field and 5-of-5 from the line in 32:25. He had six rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block. He did whatever he wanted because no Hawks could check him. He made shots and distributed from all over the court.

LeBron notched three and-ones, pushing his season's total to 59, tied for fifth-most in his career. He had 42 in 2014-2015.

LeBron wrapped another terrific regular season, his 13th. Warriors guard Steph Curry will be voted MVP and will have earned it, but this reality shouldn't diminish what LeBron accomplished. King would have been MVP if not for the remarkable, record-setting seasons of Curry and the Warriors.

Irving shot 14-of-28 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line in 40:13. He had four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. After LeBron scored 19 in the third, Irving scored 13 in the fourth.

Irving finished with six turnovers, but most of them were the result of trying too hard to make plays for teammates. And one of the reasons the Hawks are a good team is, they know how to pressure opposing guards.

Even factoring in the miscues, Irving played one of his most complete games of the season. He was solid defensively and periodically dominant offensively. He was fast but not in a hurry. He was decisive with his movements, forcing the Hawks to react to him.

Irving and LeBron and other Cavs did their best to achieve isolations against Hawks big Al Horford.

Accountability: Irving's performance in a vacuum rates as special. Factor in the previous game, and it held multilayered significance.

Irving played poorly against the Bulls, scoring 11 on 5-of-17 shooting as the Cavs lost, 105-102. Based on what Irving told Fox Sports Ohio reporter Allie Clifton on the court after Monday night's game, he was not in denial.

Irving said that he sought out LeBron after the Chicago debacle.

"I told him that I've got to be better,'' he said. "I've got to do a better job of leading that second unit when he's resting on the bench, and, when we're playing together, I've got to do a better job of running the team.''

If Urban Meyer wants to have to finish with his first top-rated class during his Ohio State tenure, he'll have to get some more elite prospects. Four major studs could be roaming the sidelines Saturday.

Cal QB Jared Goff is among the candidates in #BrownsDecision2016. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're looking for the Cleveland Browns to draft a new potential franchise quarterback, look no further than California's Jared Goff.

In a division with Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton, the Browns have been last in the QB department for years. Drafting Goff will help put an end to that.

Goff is one of six candidates in the #BrownsDecision2016 campaign, starting Monday on cleveland.com.

Fans have the opportunity to share who they believe the Browns should take with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft on April 28 in Chicago.

Goff, at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, is a representative of the QB Party along with North Dakota State's Carson Wentz.

#BrownsDecision2016 comes complete with a Super Tuesday primary (April 19), after which the poll results will identify the top candidate from each party.

The winning campaign representatives will meet in an April 21 debate on cleveland.com.

More on #BrownsDecision2016

Music courtesy of Incompetech.com, "Eternal Hope" by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

LeBron James says he enjoys seeing history made during the Golden State Warriors' run to 72 wins and a record-tying (to date) season. James is at his best as the Cavs chase their own piece of history -- the city's first title since 1964 -- Bud Shaw's Spinoffs

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Until they meet in the NBA Finals, which is hardly guaranteed, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers might as well abide in parallel universes.

In part, that's why LeBron James can enjoy the Warriors' record-tying (so far) run to 72 wins. Nothing has happened at the Cavs' expense, at least not yet.

"I can say that I actually got to witness some history," James told reporters at Monday's shoot around.

"I remember the '95-96 (Bulls), but I wasn't watching every game, wasn't fortunate enough to watch every game. I kind of watched the Bulls from afar but to actually be in the league now while they're setting this record, have the opportunity to set this record, it would be something I can talk about later in life."

If James can be so diplomatic about a team that cost him a third NBA title and could stand in his way yet again, surely Cavs fans can appreciate the Warriors both for their accomplishments and how they share the ball?

Didn't think so.

* Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and head coach Steve Kerr didn't over think the chase for 73 wins, leaving it up to the players (within reason).

"The thing that's great about Steve is he's very collaborative and we have those conversations," Myers told the San Jose Mercury News. "We're true to each other and we say what we feel. When we talked about [going for 73 wins], I said the same thing. 'It's not ours. It's not our record; it's not my record.'

"I said that if I was an NBA player at the precipice of something like this, who is the GM to tell me that I can't go for it? I said I would resent that."

Makes sense. At least until the Warriors show up mentally fried in the postseason.

* Johnny Manziel told TMZ he is living with Broncos linebacker Von Miller.

But Miller, who recently stumped for Denver to sign the troubled free agent quarterback, is being housed in a separate arrangement by "Dancing With The Stars.

"We're getting our lives together, bro," Manziel said.

In a confused-man-on-the-street interview.

* A later report claimed Manziel is actually living with suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon in an apartment off Sunset Blvd.

Gordon is awaiting an answer from the NFL after applying for reinstatement on January 20.

And, in the meantime, apparently doing a passable impersonation of Von Miller.

* Manziel told TMZ he hopes to play again because he loves football and that he doesn't think his partying is a deterrent to being signed.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with partying, bro," he said in the interview. "There's a difference between partying and being out of control."

There's also a difference between partying by somebody who spent 73 days in rehab and partying by somebody who's proven they have everything under control.

Browns must know they can't count on Gordon.

* Manziel didn't state a preference about his next employer.

"Anywhere I get picked up, bro, is a blessing," he said.

Just not for the team.

* Von Miller and Aqib Talib have spoken up for Manziel. Milller says he'd sign Manziel now if he were running the Broncos.

Talib says the Broncos' veteran leaders would take Manziel under their wing and make everything OK.

As if Browns vets didn't speak up for Manziel, too. As if guys like Josh McCown didn't try to help Manziel, too.

* Miller and Talib no doubt have admirable intentions. But he needs a different kind of help.

* Gordon reportedly failed a drug test, though his "call me if you want a real story" reaction on Twitter suggests he's not all that concerned about the report.

We'll see. In the meantime, good thing those tests are confidential.

* An exchange between Bubba Watson and a fan after Watson's errant tee shot on the 10^th hole:

Bubba: "Can you back up? You're really not supposed to be back here."

Fan: "Neither is your ball."

Bubba: "I don't know about you but I have two green jackets. Thanks for coming."

I'm sure if Augusta National chairman Billy Payne read this he would not be happy.

That I called the fan a "fan" instead of a "patron."

* Announcers at Augusta over the years have famously run afoul of the club's penchant for taking itself so seriously.

Jack Whitaker was removed from the telecast for calling a surging gallery a "mob scene."

Gary McCord later referred to Augusta's slick greens as "smoothed with bikini wax" and said the fairway mounds looked to be hiding "body bags."

There haven't been any issues recently. CBS knows better. In fact, if Jim Nantz's tones get any more hushed about the place, a church service will break out.

* Golfing great Lee Trevino chided both Augusta and PGA Tour pros in a recent interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

"If you go there now and try to use a cell phone they will kick you out, even if you are using it in the parking lot or on the driving range," Trevino said.

"The players can't even use them on the driving range. Have you heard one of them complain yet? No, because they are gutless...They're scared to death..."

Stands to reason. After all, those mounds look to be hiding body bags.

* Jordan Spieth bemoaned a "lack of discipline" in the meltdown that cost him the Masters.

It certainly wasn't a lack of time spent thinking about his next shot as winner Danny Willett's brother, P.J., pointed out when he Tweeted this:

"Spieth is lining up his putt. If I'm quick, I can get a beer, go to the toilet and paint the spare room b4 he hits it."

Poor Danny Willett. He's not only going down in history as the Guy Who Won the Masters When Jordan Spieth Melted Down.

But as Twitterverse fame goes he's already know as P.J. Willett's brother.

* Kyle Schwarber is gone for the season after suffering complete tears of his ACL and LCL in an outfield collision.

You know what they say.

OIC.

Only in Cubsland.

* Terrell Owens believes the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction should be based on numbers.

"When it comes to what the Hall of Fame is all about in terms of the criteria to get in, it should be purely based on stats and obviously my stats are better than (Marvin Harrison's)."

How gracious of Owens to not include his other strength: locker room leadership.

Matthew Dellavedova air-balled a three in a last-second loss to Chicago, after which LeBron James said he wouldn't have minded if Delly had made one more pass to him.

He said it with a smile on his face.

James is famously passive-aggressive.

In other words, Delly's last three at the buzzer is his last three at the buzzer.

* An opinion growing in popularity in recent weeks said Tiger Woods would never win another major.

Then the Masters happened.

And Bernhard Langer was in contention after three rounds at age 58.

And Danny Willett won a green jacket by three shots after trailing by five shots an hour earlier.

Woods need only keep himself healthy.

Granted, that's not as easy as it sounds with a swing more violent than a UFC beatdown.

* Cavs' head coach Ty Lue on installing Tristan Thompson as his permanent starting center:

"I just wanted to," he said.

Translation: you try watching Timofey Mozgov this close-up all season.

Before Puff, the magic wide out, makes himself disappear from the Browns' roster again, they should cut him.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For both his latest and oldest trick, Puff, the magic wide receiver, will make himself disappear from the Browns' roster. 

That's if reports are true that Josh Gordon, the recidivist pothead, has failed yet another NFL drug test for marijuana.

It ls an old story for someone who just turns 25 on Wednesday. But Puff has already blown out the candles on the cake.

Knuckleheads in the News

Gordon failed three tests at two colleges, from which he was excused,  and another battery of them with the Browns, has been nabbed so often that he ought to be on one of the segments of the  "Knuckleheads in the News" feature -- "Why They Call it 'Dope'" maybe -- that made WMJI-105.7AM a must-listen when John Lanigan was at the mic. 

Gordon's career has gone up in smoke. As for his BFF, Johnny Manziel,  the alcoholic Johnny Rebel's career went down the hatch.

The Browns have already severed ties with Manziel, the most headline-grabbing draft bust of a franchise full of Macy's balloons that exploded.

As for Gordon, his career could have ranked with the best ever.

That is based only on the 2013 season, when, even after serving another time out for  smoking wacky tobaccy, he still led the league in receiving yards. Gordon had a size, hands and speed blend as rare as it turned out to be fragile.

We never saw him look like that again. In his last reinstatement in 2014, he played five uninspired games, looking as if he'd rather be elsewhere, once again giving a robust raspberry to his promises to reform.

Why was there any?

The fact that minimal amounts of marijuana were again reportedly involved, as was the case with Gordon's previous violation, and the fact that views of marijuana are changing in this country despite the professional leagues' prosecution of it -- none of that matters.

Someone on the very precipice of losing his way of earning his livelihood like Gordon had to be abstemious, in actual fact and not empty promise.

Animal House

There is not even the vaguest premise of a fresh start now, amid reports that Manziel, with his 100-proof lifestyle, and Gordon, with his stoner stupidity, have been living together on the West Coast.

On the bright side, neither has been spotted in a  toga.

The "Animal House" antics of this immature pair are so over, with the Browns, their fans, and media members who hoped the two could be a departure from the "same old, same old"  of dullness and defeat. 

I was wrong, but so were the Browns.

Amazing talent can be poured into the most fragile vessels. Saints aren't as interesting as sinners, although the New Orleans Saints were, as BountyGate sinners.

Rogues are fun to write about until you find they are too shallow and self-absorbed to have developed real character.

A confederacy of dunces

How often must this confederacy of dunces be foisted on the fans, who only want a team they can take pride in?

The 1980s Browns never reached the Super Bowl, but are as popular as ever 30 years after their string of heartbreaks against Denver because they gave their all on the field and the fans gave them all their hearts.

How often since the team returned have fans seen jerks and clowns throw away their talent or smash the bodily "vessel" in which it was poured?

Look at Kellen Winslow and the motorcycle.

Look at William Green, claiming he stabbed himself doing a Triple Lindy on the stairs, when his girlfriend held the knife instead.

They hurt themselves and, worse, others.

Look at Donte Stallworth mowing down the pedestrian in Miami.

They lack the qualities extolled on draft day for their selection.

Look at Justin Gilbert, arguably an even bigger draft bust than Johnny Reb, just not as flamboyant.

Look at "Big Money,"Gerard Warren, called "Pocket Change," in a misnomer, because he was never in the pocket as a pass rusher.

Look at Trent Richardson, taken higher in the draft than the highest previously drafted running back by the team, Jim Brown.

This is professional tackle football, not a nursury.

Time to say goodbye to "Flash in the Pan" Gordon. He can't come back, like a buzzard to Hinckley, to pick over the remains of his career.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' win against the Atlanta Hawks, one that clinched the East's top spot and locked up homecourt advantage until at least the NBA Finals, was another reminder about how important star power is this time of year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers' win against the Atlanta Hawks, one that clinched the East's top spot and locked up homecourt advantage until at least the NBA Finals, was another reminder about how important star power is this time of year.

The Hawks entered the night riding a three-game winning streak and had pushed the Cavs into overtime before losing at the buzzer in the most recent meeting.

That compelling, down-to-the-wire matchup in Atlanta led to visions of another playoff clash between the two teams. If last year's conference finals performance wasn't convincing enough then maybe Monday showed it: The Cavs appear to be too much for the third-seeded Hawks.

Led by All-Stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 69 points, Cleveland extended its winning streak to seven games against Atlanta, including all three regular season meetings this year.

"Two of their starters played amazing -- LeBron and Kyrie," Kent Bazemore said after pouring in a team-high 23 points. "They absolutely did whatever they wanted. It's tough to beat them when one of them is having a decent night, but when they're both going off, it's kind of hard for the other team to have a chance."

Over the last seven contests against Atlanta, the Cavs' margin of victory is 11.7 points.

And while it's always dangerous to make proclamations based on the regular season, Monday showed an unavoidable reality and the primary difference between the two teams. The Cavs have James and the Hawks don't. It's really that simple. 

After all, this is the time of year when stars shine brightest. 

"Zero dark thirty," Tristan Thompson said of James' stellar play recently. "It's about that time. You see it every year. It's about to go down. Let's do it."

Here are five observations following the 109-94 win:

Irving atones - Irving took full responsibility for the Cavs' loss against Chicago on Saturday, as his dreadful fourth quarter was hardly up to his standards.

Irving critical of performance against Bulls

He felt so distraught -- a night the Cavs were outscored during the fourth quarter, 26-20 -- that he sent James a text message.

"It was just a normal text message. That's it," Irving said following his sensational 35-point showing against Atlanta on Monday. "Just about being better and being a better leader for that second unit when he's on the bench. I know we expect a lot from one another. We have to hold each other accountable.

"But I know going into that fourth quarter, he gets us an eight-point lead and I come out with that second unit and just, I got to think the game better. Especially going into the playoffs when teams are zeroing in, not only on me, but coming in with that second unit. So it's just about being better and just maturing."

Irving backed up his words.

James erupted in the third quarter, scoring 19 of his 34 points and pushed the Cavs' lead to 15 heading into the fourth.

It was up to Irving, who has been asked to anchor that unit at the start of the fourth quarter, to close the game. And he did, scoring 13 of the first 14 points for the Cavs while erasing some of that bad mojo from Saturday.

"That Chicago game, I don't want to say it was close to a playoff atmosphere, but it meant something to us -- especially if we had a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed," Irving said. "I had to take that responsibility. I couldn't go home without feeling like that fourth quarter could have gone different if I would have played better. So, I just learned from it, got in the gym and continued to work on my handle, work on my game and just came out tonight."

Irving's performance let James rest for the entire fourth quarter after he logged 32 minutes in the first three. 

"Kyrie's a competitor," Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said. "He wants to win. Tonight, I think he started the game 1-for-6. I just told him to stay with it, stay aggressive and after that he was 13-for-22. LeBron went out the last two minutes of the third quarter and I told Kyrie he had to be aggressive and carry us offensively and that's what he did. I'm glad he had a great game tonight."

It was Irving's eighth game this season with at least 30 points, as he continues to search for his pre-injury form.

"Usually I'm not even trying to be the person I was from last year," Irving said. "So, it's been a different dynamic for me this year just finding that balance. Realizing that at one point I didn't walk for almost seven months and then I come into the season and try to get a rhythm with everybody. So it was a totally different dynamic for me and trying to integrate myself with the team.

"I've never had a season like this ever in my short five-year career. So, it's been an uphill battle. A lot of peaks and valleys, but one thing that's never stopped and has been a constant is my teammates' confidence as well as the coaching staff just continuing to help me learn. It hasn't been pretty at times, but the attitude I have going into every game is the same and I continue to put in the work and the preparation that I necessarily put in during the summer time, I had to put in during the season. So trying to get better at a few things and just trying to feel good about where I am as a player."

Limiting Millsap - Hours before tipoff, Paul Millsap was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

It's tough to quibble with him getting the honor, as the Hawks went 3-0 with wins against Boston and Toronto while Millsap averaged 19.0 points, 15.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 4.3 blocks and 2.0 steals.

But on Monday night, his struggles against the Cavs -- and Thompson -- continued.

"Just take the challenge," Thompson said. "Paul has done a hell of a job in his career going from an energy guy in Utah and then turned into more of an offensive player. Now going to Atlanta he's an All-Star."

The Hawks' leader in points, rebounds, steals and blocks finished with nine points on 3-of-14 from the field, including 0-of-3 from three-point range. He added eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks, but his offensive woes crippled Atlanta and that has become a trend against the Cavs.

In three games this season, Millsap averaged 17.3 points on a paltry 36.7 percent from the field, including 20 percent from three-point range. He also averaged 2.7 turnovers as the Cavs' swarming defense frustrated him. Even on Monday, the usually-calm power forward picked up a technical foul, his fifth this season, for arguing about not getting any calls.

During the conference finals, it was similar. Millsap averaged 13.8 points on 34.9 percent from the field, including 11.1 percent from three-point range.

Even after Millsap's rough night, Thompson had positive things to say.

"His work ethic," Thompson said. "He has gotten better every year. I look up to him a lot -- where I want to grow as a basketball player and where I want to get to."

Speaking of Thompson, he was back in the starting lineup again Monday night and it's no longer a matchup decision. Thompson's the starter for the remainder of the season, which means extra pressure on the team's struggling second unit. 

SEE: Thompson named starting center for rest of season

While Thompson was flourishing with the starting group, Timofey Mozgov didn't play, leaving his role heading into the playoffs unclear.

Mozgov being glued to the bench left Thompson to be the lone rim protector, something that could be a challenge moving forward with possible matchups against Andre Drummond and Hassan Whiteside.

But Thompson looked up to the task on Monday, especially after his emphatic swat against Millsap. 

Man stuff.

[?] #CavsHawks on @FoxSportsOH pic.twitter.com/zL6VAGE2fz

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 12, 2016

"Whether I'm starting or coming off the bench, bigs have to protect the rim and can't give nothing easy to nobody," Thompson said of the block. "Once I got that blocked shot, I was trying to get the rebound but kind of off balance. Glad LeBron stole it from him and went the other way."

Thompson finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. 

J.R Smith makes mark on defense - Smith usually spends most of his night camped beyond the three-point arc, trying to provide instant offense and floor spacing.

On Monday, his offense was non existent. He scored two points on 1-of-5 from the field, including 0-of-3 from distance.

But it didn't matter. James and Irving picked up a bulk of the scoring load.

The Cavs needed Smith in a different role against the Hawks. With Iman Shumpert out after having his knee drained over the weekend, Smith got the assignment on Kyle Korver, the top player on Cleveland's scouting report when playing Atlanta.

Smith chased Korver around numerous screens and rarely allowed him to have a free look at the basket. When Smith was screened, another defender invaded Korver's air space. It was a team effort, but it started with Smith.

Korver finished with three points on 1-of-5 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point range in 32 frustrating minutes.

In the previous meeting, Korver scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, as he hit a handful of big shots during Atlanta's comeback. He seems to be the Hawks' barometer, an equalizer who is capable of burning teams from downtown. 

But with Korver flummoxed and Millsap struggling, the Hawks didn't have enough firepower, being held to less than 100 points for the third time in the last 15 games. 

Forcing turnovers - Playing with a physical style, the Cavs forced 15 turnovers, including six from point guard Jeff Teague. That stingy defense helped fuel the offensive end, turning those 15 miscues into 20 points.

This season, the Cavs are 20-1 when scoring 20 points off opponent turnovers.

Playoff preview Wednesday - On Wednesday, the Cavs will get their final look at the Pistons -- their potential first-round matchup -- when Fan Appreciation Night could turn into Sasha Kaun's coming out party.

"Sasha Kaun's going to play," Lue said while laughing about which players he will use in the regular season finale. "Is that good? OK, alright."

Thompson will also play. After all, he has a consecutive games streak to keep.

"Not at all. Not tempting at all," Thompson said about resting. "Going to keep (the streak) going."

How much he plays is a separate question.  

With the top spot locked up and many players expected to be held out, very little will be gained. Instead, Lue will use Wednesday night to experiment in case they see the Pistons in the playoffs this weekend. The Cavs had their issues with Detroit, going 1-2 in the regular season. 

"I think you can try some different things that you want to work on when you're playing them in the playoffs," Lue said. "We can throw some zone at them, we can trap some pick and rolls, we can show on some pick and rolls, just kind of mix it up and see what works. Get a feel for how they're going to play against us and what works against them."

It will either be Detroit or Indiana in Round One, something that may be determined before Wednesday's game, which means the Pistons could also be resting their starters. 

The Canton Charge lose Game 1 of the D-League's Eastern Conference Finals to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 112-104, in Canton.

CANTON, Ohio - The Canton Charge fell to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 112-104, in Game 1 of their best-of-three NBA Development League Eastern Conference Finals.

Sioux Falls guard Rodney McGruder led all scorers with 30 points.

Earlier Tuesday, the Cavs assigned Sasha Kaun and Jordan McRae to the Charge. McRae scored 21 points while Kaun added 15 points and nine rebounds.

"We started to turn the ball over," said McRae, who said he was playing in his first full game in about a month, between trips to Canton and Cleveland. "The pressure got to us."

With the Cavs' regular-season finale at home Wednesday, GM David Griffin, coach Tyronn Lue and assistant coaches Jim Boylan and Larry Drew were in attendance, as were LeBron James and his wife Savannah. The game attracted 3,004 fans to the Canton Memorial Civic Center, shy of the 3,800 capacity.

The loss means the Charge must travel for games 2 and 3, if necessary.

"It's hard to win games when you turn the ball over 23 times," Charge coach Jordi Fernandez said. "I think we were still lucky to be in the game. Turnovers are part of the game, but over 14 is too much."

Fernandez also attributed the Skyforce's relentless rebounding as a contributing factor in the loss.

"We gave them second-chance points," he said.

Both teams opened the game with rocky play, combining for 23 turnovers in the first half. In the second half the Charge shook off the rust by spreading out the scoring and taking an 85-73 lead.

But the Skyforce climbed back thanks in part to the shooting of McGruder, who had 14 points in the quarter. They tied it at 87 at the 9:16 mark, then kept pushing, scoring in transition and forcing turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, Canton's Quinn Cook drove to the basket with a nifty move inside off an inbounds pass, then scored again on a two-on-one to keep the Charge close. Cook, the league's recently named Rookie of the Year, scored 25 points - 10 in the final quarter.

The Skyforce, though, would not be denied. They finished the game eating the clock in the last three minutes, gaining second- and third opportunities with rebounds.

"It's an honor," Cook said of the award, "but we let one get away tonight."

The series moves to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, either Sunday or Monday night for Game 2 depending of the outcome of the Reno-Los Angeles game in the West late Tuesday.

Notes

* The Charge shot 2-of-14 from the three-point line in the first half.

* When asked if his players had any comment about James sitting courtside, Fernandez said, "I don't even think they realized he was there."

* Sioux Falls - an affiliate of the Miami Heat - set a league single-season wins record, finishing 40-10. The Charge ended the regular season 31-19.

* Canton advanced to the finals by sweeping the Maine Red Claws.

* Sioux Falls and Canton know each other well; this is the third consecutive year they have met in postseason. Sioux Falls beat Canton in the 2013-14 playoffs while the Charge won last year's matchup. Less than a month ago, the Skyforce won both games of a back-to-back series against the Charge in South Dakota, winning 113-93 and 116-109 on March 18-19.

* Canton guard Michael Stockton hit his head in the first half and probably will have a CAT scan Wednesday, team officials said.

A triple play in the seventh inning put an end to an Altoona Curve rally.

Clint FrazierAkron RubberDucks 

ALTOONA, Pennsylvania -- Triple plays are rare, but the Akron RubberDucks dug one out at the right time Tuesday night.

A triple play in the seventh inning put an end to an Altoona Curve rally, and the RubberDucks held on to win, 7-6, and remain undefeated to start the Class AA Eastern League season.

The Ducks entered the seventh inning leading, 7-3, but the Curve put together a string of hits off reliever Antonio Romero to close the gap to 7-6, with runners on first and second and no one out.

Reliever J.P. Feyereisen replaced Romero and got Curve batter Jonathan Schwind line into a triple play. With the Curve in a hit-and-run, right fielder Clint Frazier  made the catch in shallow right field on Schwind's shot, then threw it to shortstop Eric Stamets for the second out, and he threw to first baseman Joe Sever for the third out.

Frazier had three RBI and catcher Jeremy Lucas had three hits and two RBI to lead the RubberDucks.

The RubberDucks built a 5-0 lead through four innings. Designated hitter Nellie Rodriguez hit a solo shot in the second, and Lucas added an RBI single.

In the fourth inning, the RubberDucks loaded the bases with one out on singles by Lucas and Sever, then a walk from Stamets. Frazier brought in all three with a double to center field.

The Curve closed it to 5-3 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth off Akron right-handed starter Dace Kime (1-0, 4.76 ERA). But an RBI single from Lucas and Altoona error brought in two more runs in the seventh to make it 7-3.

Closer Ben Heller pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to end the game.

Lucas is off to a hot start in the Class AA Eastern League season, batting .538 with two homers and six RBI in four games.

Go here to see a box score from the game.

Matt Moore and two relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Indians, 5-1, Tuesday night. Francisco Lindor homered for the Tribe.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lefty Matt Moore allowed one run in seven innings and Logan Forsythe and Evan Longoria hit two-run homers as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Indians, 5-1, Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Fla.

Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio:

Stingers: The Indians (2-3) have lost two in a row -- both when leading after 6 1/2 innings.

On April 9 in Chicago, the Tribe led the White Sox, 3-2. The White Sox scored five in the seventh and won, 7-3.

On Tuesday, the Tribe led, 1-0. The Rays scored one in the seventh and four in the eighth.

Back on track: The Rays (3-4) had lost two in a row, both in Baltimore and with a total output of four runs.

Streak busted: The Rays had lost five straight to Cleveland.

Sharp: Moore and relievers Xavier Cedeno and Alex Colome gave up a combined five hits and one walk.

Moore, who was an effective starter for the Rays in 2012-2013, is working his way back from injuries that limited him to a combined 14 starts the previous two seasons.

In his first start this season, Moore allowed three runs on five hits and walked two in five innings.

The Indians managed three singles, one double, one homer and one walk against Moore, who threw 65 of 104 pitches for strikes. Moore located his fastball well enough and mixed in breaking pitches and changeups. He rarely was predictable.

The Tribe staggered Moore in the fourth. Francisco Lindor led off with a homer to center (0-1 changeup) to make it 1-0. Mike Napoli singled to left.

Carlos Santana pounced on a first-pitch fastball and narrowly missed barreling it. Tampa Bay left fielder Desmond Jennings caught the ball on the track near the corner and erased Napoli attempting to tag. The bang-bang play was upheld after video review.

Napoli is not the fleetest afoot, but he should not be blamed for this decision. He pressured Tampa Bay's defense into making a play, and Jennings delivered with what might as well have been a perfect throw.

Yan Gomes sent a 2-0 fastball to center for a double. Marlon Byrd grounded a first-pitch fastball to second baseman Forsythe, who was on the shortstop side.

Gomes had the Indians' final hit. The only runner the rest of the way was Rajai Davis, who walked with two outs in the fifth. Jason Kipnis struck out swinging.

Moore needed to keep Indians off first base -- or second -- because Tampa Bay's catcher was Hank Conger, who is a neon-green light for runners thinking about stealing. The four Indians who reached first (three singles, walk) did not attempt to steal in part because Moore did an excellent job of varying delivery times and pickoff moves.

Not sharp enough: Indians right-hander Corey Kluber (0-2, 4.85 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits in 7 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.

From one perspective, Kluber deserved a better fate. He pitched well and his offense supplied just one run.

The first run against him was tough-luck. With two outs and none on in the seventh, lefty Corey Dickerson sent a full-count breaking pitch over left fielder Jose Ramirez's head for a double. Credit Dickerson for dropping the barrel on a quality pitch at the shins, with movement. Jennings, a right-handed batter, fought off an 0-1 fastball and dumped it into center for an RBI single to tie the score, 1-1. Again, more credit to the hitter than blame on the pitcher.

From another perspective, Kluber faltered when he needed to at least keep the score tied.

With one out and none on in the eighth, Kluber was ahead of lefty Kevin Kiermaier, 1-2. But after a fastball outside, fastball inside and foul, Kluber missed high and away with a fastball and Kiermaier drew the walk.

As Conger struck out swinging, Kiermaier stole second -- barely. Shortstop Lindor's slap-tag on the body occurred at basically the same time that Kiermaier's hand touched the base on a head-first slide. The call was upheld after crew review. So Kluber was an inch from being out of the inning.

Right-handed Forsythe stepped in. In his previous three plate appearances, he lined to center (1-2 cutter); struck out swinging (1-2 fastball up and in); and struck out swinging (1-2 breaking pitch).

The fourth plate appearance appeared headed for another out. Kluber threw a fastball for a called strike and got Forsythe to flail at a cutter in the dirt.

Somehow, Forsythe went from being in jail to hitting a two-run homer. He checked on a tantalizing cutter low and outside, then took a fastball inside and a cutter outside. Kluber's full-count pitch was a fastball over the plate at the belt, and Forsythe socked it deep to left-center.

Corey Kluber's 3-2 fastball to Logan Forsythe in the eighth inning was available to smash.Fox Sports Time Ohio screenshot 

Forsythe had a professional approach, especially after being down, 0-2. Regardless, Kluber is too good of a pitcher, and was too good Tuesday, to get tagged by Forsythe for a two-run homer after being ahead, 0-2. 

Cody Allen relieved. Allen walked Logan Morrison and gave up a homer to Longoria (full-count fastball down and in).

Corey Kluber, facing Logan Forsythe for the fourth time in Tuesday night's game, allowed a two-run homer with two out in the eighth inning to turn a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 Tribe loss.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Corey Kluber was facing Logan Forsythe for the fourth time Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. Usually that's a good sign for a starting pitcher because if he wasn't pitching well he'd never get the chance to face a batter that many times in one game.

The Indians and Rays were tied, 1-1, with two out in the eighth inning and a man on second base. Forsythe was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts headed into that at-bat. Kluber had him set up for a third strikeout when he jumped ahead 0-2 in the count, but Forsythe came back to run the count full.

That's when it happened.

"I made a bad pitch at the biggest point of the game," Kluber told reporters covering the Indians at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Forsythe turned the bad pitch - a four seam fastball that rode high in the strike zone - into a two-run homer to left field. When closer Cody Allen relieved and gave up a two-run homer to Evan Longoria the Indians' 5-1 loss was sealed.

Kluber allowed three runs on four hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out six, walked two and threw 66 percent of his pitches (72-for-109) for strikes.

Asked if he was tired, Kluber said, "No, I felt fine. I walked a guy (Kevin Kiermaier) and it came back to hurt us. Then I made a bad pitch. That's what it boils down to. There's not too much to read into it. I didn't execute a pitch."

Tribe, Corey Kluber come in from the cold

Well, Kluber was leaving out a few paragraphs. Such as the Indians have scored three runs in his first two starts of the season. Last year they scored two or fewer runs in 21 of his 32 starts.

Francisco Lindor gave Kluber a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the fourth inning off Matt Moore. Kluber protected it until the seventh when Corey Dickerson doubled and Desmond Jennings singled to tie the score.

"He was very good," said manager Terry Francona of Kluber. "There was no wiggle room. He got 3-2 count to Forsythe and tried to throw four-seamer away and got it up and caught too much of the plate.

"He made Lindor's homer stand up for seven innings. It's a hard way to pitch. We'll take that outing."

Just about every starting rotation has one pitcher that is consistently abandoned by his offense. Usually the virus hits a different pitcher ever season, but could this be happening to Kluber again?

"He's a smart kid," said Francona. "He can't hit. You start worrying about things like that . . . each game is its own game. You pitch according to the scoreboard. He does that very well."

Francona had Allen warming in the eighth, but he didn't bring him in until Kluber surrendered the two-run homer to Forsythe. Allen walked Logan Morrison and gave up the homer to Longoria.

"He hadn't pitched in a week," said Francona. "That's why we had him up in the eighth. I'm sure he didn't want to give up the two-run, but he'll be better tomorrow because of it."

The Indians began play Tuesday night having played just four games this season, the fewest in the big leagues, because of three weather-related postponements. They had an extended workout Tuesday afternoon, but they were held hitless for the last five innings against the Rays.

Tribe's weird, frozen first week of season

"When they call the games, we can't really do anything," said Francona. "We're at the ballpark and we can take batting practice and stuff like that. That's the nature of being a Midwest team. I haven't figured out to change the weather.

"Now that we're here for three days, we're pretty sure we'll play. We'll show up tomorrow and try to do a little better."

The Cleveland Cavaliers wrap up the regular season against the Detroit Pistons: Crowquill

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers play their last game of the regular season tonight against the Detroit Pistons in Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavaliers finished first in the Eastern Conference and won more games than last year, despite firing coach David Blatt at midseason and playing without Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert for several games at the beginning of the season.

This weekend, Cleveland's quest for a NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors begins with a possible first-round series against the Pistons.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

It was 100 years ago that the Cleveland Indians traded for Tris Speaker, and it was all about money.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was 100 years ago this week that Tris Speaker was traded to the Cleveland Indians.

And I love the story about the deal. It's about money.

It's about a future Hall of Famer who was being disrespected by the Boston Red Sox.

It's about money.

It's about that same future Hall of Famer not wanting to play for the Indians.

It's about money.

It's about how that future Hall of Famer eventually did come to Cleveland -- and stuck it to the Red Sox in the process.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT MONEY

In 1915, Tris Speaker was a star center fielder for Boston, which won the World Series. Speaker hit .322 with 69 RBI. He had an on-base percentage of .416. He was considered the best center fielder in the game. He was 27.

And the Red Sox wanted to cut his salary from $14,000 to $9,000!

Speaker had been "overpaid" according to the Red Sox owner Joe Lannin. He received a higher salary to keep him from jumping to the new Federal League, which started in 1913. But the Federal League folded after the 2015 season.

SPOKE is a Tris Speaker biography written by Charles C. Alexander. He wrote: "The championship Red Sox drew only 60,000 more fans than in 1914. Lannin spent much of the off-season complaining publicly about his big payroll, although he acknowledged that he cleared enough to make a small profit -- enough to cover this year's expenses and last year's deficit."

The World Series winners slashed their budget. Lots of players received a shock when their contracts showed up in the mail. Speaker was at home in Hubbard, Texas, where he lived with his mother. He opened a letter from the Red Sox.

"I'm sending this back, Mother," he said. "They offered me $9,000 and I was going to ask for $15,000."

This bit of information and others that I'm using comes from a wonderful book called The Cleveland Indians. It was written in 1949 by Franklin Lewis, a sportswriter with the old Cleveland Press. It's a fascinating account of the first five decades of the franchise.

MEETING IN A HOT TUB

OK, it's wasn't exactly a hot tub. It was a mineral bath resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Boston had its spring training in Hot Springs, and Speaker traveled north from his Texas home to Arkansas. He and manager Bill Carrigan soaked in the mineral baths, traded stories and talked a little money.

Carrigan hinted the Red Sox could raise their offer to $10,000. Speaker wanted $15,000. Period!

Along with being cheap, Lannin thought Speaker was regressing as a player. After all, his batting average had dropped from .383 to .363 to .338 to .322 in the last four years. If only the current Indians had players whose production was falling like that!

Anyway, Speaker wouldn't sign.

But Carrigan convinced him to play a spring training barnstorming trip through the South and up the East Coast as the team prepared to open the season in Boston. Speaker would be paid by the game.

According to the book by Lewis, Lannin was telling people, "I'm not going to pay him any $15,000. ... I'll trade him first."

YOU CAN THANK A SPORTSWRITER

Ed Bang was a sportswriter for the old Cleveland News. He saw a wire story about Speaker's contract problems, and how the Red Sox wanted to trade him. Speaker had no idea that was Boston's plan. Remember, this was 1916. It was not the high-information age.

It turns out the Indians weren't even aware of the possibility of the trade until Bang called Bob McRoy, the team's general manager.

Lewis wrote that Bang told McRoy: "Bob, I think we can get Speaker and I think we ought to grab him. I know Lannin, and I know he'll sell any player for enough money. Besides, he's mad at Speaker. I suggest you get a hold of Jim Dunn and have him call Lannin."

Dunn had just become the new owner of the Indians. McRoy relayed the message to his boss, and Dunn called Lannin.

They were talking more than trade. They talked money. Big... BIG ...MONEY!

LIES AND MORE LIES

Lannin also was trying to sign star Boston pitcher Joe Wood. According to Alexander's SPOKE, Lannin told Wood: "Speaker will be with us next season and for several seasons, too. I feel we will not have any trouble in coming to terms with him."

But that was a minor indiscretion compared on what was to come. According to Lewis, near the end of spring training, Speaker hit a game-winning homer off star pitcher Rube Marquard. After the game, Lannin approached Speaker and said, "That was great, Tris. And I'll tell you this now, your terms are OK. We'll sign when we get to Boston tomorrow."

But that night, Speaker received a call at his hotel room. It's was McRoy, the Tribe's general manager. He was in the lobby and wanted to talk to Speaker. They met. Speaker was clueless about what was to come.

"Tris, how would you like to come to Cleveland?" asked McRoy.

Speaker was stunned. According to Lewis, he said: "I think you've got a bad ball club... Cleveland isn't a good baseball town, either. Boston is great and it looks like we might win another pennant. I don't want to go to Cleveland."

The Indians were 57-95 in 1915. There was a long pause, then McRoy said: "Well, we've made a deal for you. We bought you."

Speaker said: "But Lannin told me this afternoon we'd get together in Boston tomorrow."

Too late, the deal was done.

Speaker threatened to retire. He was outraged.

SPEAKER'S REVENGE

The Indians sent $55,000, pitcher Sam Jones and infielder Freddie Thomas to the Red Sox. At that point, $55,000 was the most ever paid for a player as part of a trade.

McRoy tried to convince Speaker to go with him to Cleveland. Speaker refused. McRoy said the Indians would gladly pay him the $15,000 that he wanted. But Speaker had another idea. He wanted a $10,000 bonus ... not from the Indians.

He demanded the $10,000 be paid to him from the $55,000 the Tribe sent to Boston as part of the deal. Boston refused.

The Indians offered to give Speaker the $10,000 bonus. Speaker refused. According Alexander's book, Lannin said: "Speaker has been well paid for his work and I will do nothing more for him."

The Indians again offered to give Speaker the $10,000 bonus. Speaker demanded that the money come from Lannin. Here's where the two books take different roads.

Alexander's account says Speaker settled for a $2,500 bonus and the outfielder signed a two-year deal worth $15,000 annually.

The other account by Lewis is more fun. It probably came from Speaker, because Lewis knew him personally. Lannin kept saying he wouldn't pay. Speaker kept saying he couldn't play.

If Speaker didn't play, then no $55,000 for Lannin.

Lewis reported that American League president Ban Johnson stepped into the mess. He convinced Lannin to give him the $10,000, and he gave it to Speaker. The deal was done. He played his first game for the Tribe on April 12, 1916.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Speaker became a huge star with the Tribe. He batted .386 in 1916. In his 11 years with the Tribe, Speaker was a .354 hitter. He played a sensational center field. Some sportswriters said when Speaker was in the outfield, "That's where triples went to die."

He was the player-manager of the Tribe in 1920 when they won the World Series. In 1947, Bill Veeck brought Speaker to spring training to teach young Larry Doby how to play the outfield. Speaker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939. He died in 1958 at age 70 of a heart attack.

Lannin started as a bellhop at a hotel, entered the business world, got rich and bought the Red Sox. He was the sole owner from 1914-16, selling the team after the 1916 season. He also brought Babe Ruth to Boston.

Lannin died in 1928 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Originally from Canada, a story in the Toronto Sun had this to say about his death:

"Lannin fell from a ninth-floor window of a hotel he owned, the Hotel Grenada. He was worth $8 million at the time.

"The New York Times worded its coverage carefully: 'The window through which he fell is a French one ... the aperture was only 15 inches wide. There was a heat register in front of it. (The medical examiner) said it was difficult to see how a man of the size of Mr. Lannin could have gone through the window without turning sidewise and squeezing the body through.'

"He either 'fell or jumped,' it quoted the examiner as saying."

Our fake general managers decide where Cardale Jones should go in the 2016 NFL Draft. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Picking Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2016 NFL Draft with general managers Doug Lesmerises, Ari Wasserman and Bill Landis.

If Braxton Miller is the most interesting Ohio State player in the NFL Draft, then this guy is No. 2.

Today we're drafting Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones.

As we act as NFL general managers for the day, Ari, Doug and I are running through 14 draftable Buckeyes and ringing in when we think they should go off the board.

You like a guy? You better pick him before someone else on the beat does.

Jones is pretty polarizing as a pro prospect. This time last year, he could've cashed in his national title for second-round selection. Now? Jones is anywhere from third round to the sixth round. He's a mystery.

Where mock drafts have Jones: It's tough to find Jones in mock drafts, because most only do one or two rounds. Here's a mock draft from SB Nation that has Jones going in the third round to the New York Jets. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had Jones in the sixth round of his seven-round mock draft back in February.

Ohio State Buckeyes in mock drafts

Where did we pick him? Watch the video to see when we rang the bell on Jones and which one of us drafted him and why.

Then vote on how you think we did as general managers. Did we take Jones too high in the draft, or did we wait on him too long? Or did we get this one right?

Cardale Jones draft capsule

Next up Thursday: Nick Vannett

Previous picks in our draft

Ringing the bell on: Joey Bosa, No. 5

Ringing the bell on: Darron Lee, No. 10

Ringing the bell on: Ezekiel Elliott, No. 12

Ringing the bell on: Michael Thomas, No. 14

Ringing the bell on: Eli Apple, No. 16

Ringing the bell on: Taylor Decker, No. 22

Ringing the bell on: Vonn Bell, No. 31

Ringing the bell on: Joshua Perry, Second round, No. 60

Ringing the bell on: Braxton Miller, Third round, No. 79