Kevin Love was forced to be a spectator during the Cleveland Cavaliers' sweep against the Atlanta Hawks last year -- a bittersweet moment.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Love was forced to be a spectator during the Cleveland Cavaliers' sweep against the Atlanta Hawks last year -- a bittersweet moment. 

Love, of course, was happy for his teammates who were advancing to the NBA Finals, but crushed that he couldn't be a part of it, a dislocated left shoulder ending his season -- and his first ever playoff appearance -- early. 

On Sunday, Love was at the center of the celebration.

The versatile power forward, who re-upped with the Cavs in free agency this off-season following a poolside chat with LeBron James in Los Angeles, starred in Cleveland's hard-fought 100-99 win against Atlanta.

His aggressiveness and on-target perimeter shooting helped the Cavs close out the series in four games and advance to conference finals for the second straight year. 

Love led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-25 from the field, including 8-of-15 from three-point range. He also pulled in 13 rebounds, including three on the offensive end, to go with four assists.

Cleveland's blistering three-point shooting was the story of the lopsided matchup, as the Cavs made 16-of-37 (43.2 percent) from long range on Sunday and finished with 77 total in the four games, tying the second-most triples in a postseason series in NBA history.

Following the game, the Hawks spoke about their defensive strategy, elaborating on the challenges of dealing with Cleveland's capable outside shooters. The goal was to cut off driving lanes, choosing to trap ball handlers on the perimeter. That led to an abundance of outside shots and floor spacing the Hawks were never able to solve. 

This time, Love was the primary beneficiary.

With Atlanta's bigs -- Paul Millsap and Al Horford -- too slow to recover, Love camped beyond the arc after setting a screen and tied his career-high with eight threes. Four of those triples came during an explosive third quarter, one of his best with the Cavs, as he scored 15 points and helped them take a four-point advantage heading into the final period.

Love scored zero points in the fourth quarter, missing all four of his shot attempts. By that time, however, he had already put his imprint on the outcome. 

James recognized it.

As soon as the buzzer sounded, James and Love shared a lengthy embrace.

The two were all smiles -- a sight that wasn't possible at this time last year when Love's left shoulder was in a sling.

Kevin Love started slow on both offense and defense, but his big third quarter was a huge factor in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 100-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks for a 4-0 series sweep.

ATLANTA -- LeBron James has taken over playoff games for years and turned box scores into records of greatness in agate type.

Kyrie Irving has taken over games in his first healthy playoff season, turning 3-pointers into layups and layups into contortionists' tricks.

But Sunday was the day when Kevin Love, knocked out of his first playoffs last season much earlier than Irving,  turned a chilly start into a combustible game. Even as the third-wheel  in the Cavaliers' Big Three, Love had perhaps the biggest part in making an early summer possible in Atlanta.

Cold at first

The Cavs survived, 100-99, and sent the Atlanta Hawks into the off-season Sunday afternoon. 

In the first quarter, Love played 8 1/2 minutes and finished with one more field goal (at least it was a three) and a single more rebound than Jim Chones got doing the analysis over the team's radio network.

With Tristan Thompson on the bench with two early fouls, Love seemed overmatched as the defensive big in the paint. Paul Millsap poured in 15 points in just the first quarter, victimizing Love and almost anyone else sent to guard him.

Millsap would finish with only 19 points, however. Love would finish with 27, a game high, to go with 13 rebounds, 10 of them defensive. Rebounds are part of defense, of course.

Confidence

But Love's biggest contribution is usually to make opponents pay at the other end of the court.

This is why the Cavs speak a lot about their confidence in Love, which itself probably shows they suspect it is a fragile quality with him. 

Repeatedly, they tell him to keep shooting because, as the players say, the ball don't lie, and he has found his stroke too often before.

Knockdown, "drag"-out game

"We knew they were going to punch us in the mouth and give us everything they had," said Love.

"We knew they were going to throw some punches. If you're going to be a champion, you've got to get hit and keep moving forward," said coach Tyronn Lue.

In this case, neither Love nor Lue was channeling his inner Charles Barkley, although the TNT entertainer/analyst recently gave a ringing endorsement of violence on the part of the Hawks against the Cavs' 3-point shooters.

Lue, in particular, was talking about persistence, which rhymes with resistance and which, if diligently applied, becomes just that.

In the last game of the Detroit series and the first of the Hawks series, Love shot a combined 7-for-32. If he could come out of that funk, he could come out of this one.

What got Love untracked was a spur of the moment improvisation using a double
"drag" screen that was designed to confuse the Hawks on their defensive switches.

Usually, big men "drag" behind the ball-handlers in transition, then set angled screens that lead to pick and roll or pick and pop finishes. The new wrinkle was that both Irving and Love screened, then the big, Love, popped outside and Irving, the small, rolled to the hoop.

Third quarter torrent

By the time the Hawks figured it out, Love was on his way to a day's work in only a quarter. He scored 15 points in the third quarter, making 4 of 7 threes, and he grabbed seven rebounds.

"Kevin Love was on fire. He did exactly what we dared him to do," said the Hawks' Kent Bazemore.

His time had come

Without the ball-handling chops of Irving and the Full Pamplona mode of James' bull rushes to the rim, Love is at the mercy of the Cavs' ball movement. Luckily, in the playoffs what was often garble has become poetry and what was once  isolation (at least most of the time) has expanded into group involvement.

Waiting is a larger theme with this team than just the intervals in which Love waits for a catch-and-shoot chance, of course.

"I know the guys have been waiting for this opportunity, being part of the postseason after what happened last year with injuries," said James. "Obviously, I can't say I haven't waited for them to get back to this moment because it's something we all envisioned when I came back and Love was traded, and, obviously, Kyrie was already here."

The Big Three have had a short wait compared to the 52 years since the last championship team in Cleveland in 1964. The clock is ticking on that one, too.

Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer break the game open in the ninth inning.

Clint FrazierAkron RubberDucks 

BINGHAMTON, New York -- Clint Frazier hit a two-run double and Bradley Zimmer followed with a two-run homer to break open a tie game in the ninth inning and lead the Akron RubberDucks to a 9-6 win over the Mets.

The Mets tied the game, 5-5, in the eighth inning with an RBI single from catcher Colton Plaia off Akron reliever Perci Garner.

But the RubberDucks answered in the ninth. With one out, Eric Stamets doubled off Mets reliever Luis Mateo, and Yhoxian Medina reached base on a fielding error, moving Stamets to third. 

Frazier then doubled to bring in two runs. Bryson Myles lined out to center field for the second out, but Zimmer launched a ball over the right-field fence to give the RubberDucks a 9-5 lead.

The Mets managed to score once in the ninth before Garner (3-0, 0.89 ERA) closed the game out.

Akron starter Rob Kaminsky gave up three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. Reliever Robbie Aviles pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings, giving up one unearned run. Garner gave up two runs, one earned, and three hits in three innings of relief.

The RubberDucks (20-9) are 8-2 over their past 10 games.

Go here to see a box score from the game.

LeBron James has closed out innumerable playoff games in his career, but none quite like the final 81 seconds he endured in Game 4 against the Atlanta Hawks.

ATLANTA - LeBron James has won so many playoff games and series, they run together.

This latest one, a 100-99 clincher over the Atlanta Hawks that completed the sweep in this Eastern Conference semifinal series for the Cavs, stands out for, if nothing else, the strangeness of the final 81 seconds in which several game-turning plays all revolved around James.

A closer like James, who now has 123 playoff wins and 27 in games that can end a series, is used to having the ball in his hands when it matters most. James, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, inarguably closed out this game and series.

But his method was unique.

A game-saving jump ball?  A go-ahead basket on a goaltend that was hotly disputed? A 3-pointer taken too early in the shot clock, that clangs off the iron?

Each of those plays, again, all involving James, marked a crazy finish in which James scored Cleveland's last four points, gave the Hawks a chance to win the game, then took it away with a brilliant defensive play that forced, of all things, a jump ball that needed some quick strategy from James to make sure Atlanta wouldn't get a final shot.

Starting with 1:21 to go and the Cavs trailing 97-96, James missed three shots from point-blank range in a span of about three seconds, but the Hawks had fumbled the ball out of bounds.

The Cavs went back to James for another crack and he laid one off the glass that Paul Millsap pinned and was called for a goaltend.

Millsap was still upset about the call after the game, saying: "I thought it was a clean block, I still think it was a clean block. I'll think it was all summer."

But James said in the locker room afterward that he knew the ball had hit the glass first, and as you can see below, the ball did indeed touch the backboard before Millsap got to it. The play was confirmed by an officials' video review.

LeBron James lays the ball off the glass before Paul Millsap gets to it late in the fourth quarter of Game 4.Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com 

On the Cavs' next possession, out of a timeout, they again looked to James, who hit a stepback jumper just before the shot clock expired for a 100-97 advantage.

And this is where the game got strange.

Dennis Schroder cut the Hawks' deficit to a point with a layup with 34.4 seconds remaining. The ball was again in James' hands. With about 6 seconds on the shot clock - and 16.8 left in the game, James fired up a 3-pointer that was heading left of the mark as soon as it left him. 

LeBron James takes an ill-advised 3-pointer late in Game 4 when there were still 6 seconds left on the shot clock.Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com 

Not only did he miss the shot, but Atlanta was out of timeouts. James had 6 seconds to kill, and could've gone to the hole or penetrated and kicked to a teammate for yet another 3 (the Cavs only set a record for 3s in a four-game series with 77).

"I took the long 3. I was going for the dagger to put us up four and I missed it," James explained.

Atlanta's Kent Bazemore rebounded James' miss and gave it Schroder, who had to hurry because the Hawks were indeed out of timeouts. Schroder dribbled into the lane, but he stopped when he ran into Tristan Thompson, who is about 9 inches taller.

As Schroder tried to spin in an attempt to shoot, James was standing right there and perfectly timed his maneuver, tying up the ball with 2.8 seconds left for a jump ball.

LeBron James times his steal attempt perfectly, tying up Dennis Schroder with 2.8 seconds left in Game 4.Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com 

"He did a great job of getting into the paint as he's done all season," James said of Schroder. "But once he went to the pump fake and he spun, he lost sight of me and I was able to get my hand in and tie it up."

Now comes the part that several players and coaches said they couldn't remember having seen before - a game decided by a jump ball.

The jump between James (who is 6-8) and Schroder (who is 6-1) was going to be won by the Cavs' superstar, of that there was little doubt. But the jump was taking place in the circle near the Hawks' basket, and where it landed would decide whether Atlanta would get one last look.

James, who spent several seconds re-positioning Thompson and J.R. Smith so that Smith could run where James thought he might tip the ball, could've tried to blast it past the Hawks and into the backcourt, milking the clock down to zero.

But, James said, "Bazemore, being the athlete that he is, it's kind of hard to gauge tip balls that time, and I didn't want to tip it, he jump out in there and grab it and shoot it."

James intended for Smith and Kevin Love to form a "pocket" in the left corner, essentially prohibiting the Hawks from chasing down the ball there. That's where James tipped it, and Smith did get to the ball, but he had to save it from going out of bounds.

Smith tapped it to Millsap, but it was too late for Millsap to get off a shot.

Series over.

"It's fun to watch but it was a little nerve-wracking being out there," Smith said of the game's frenetic ending.

"It started to be like chess on a jump ball, which you very rarely see. Fortunately it worked out in our favor."

The sweep marked the second time in 11 postseasons for James in which his team won its first eight playoff games. It's the sixth consecutive trip to the East finals for James.

He said a sweep wasn't any sweeter than simply winning a playoff series. Even this closing game ended more strangely than most.

"If you're fortunate enough to win any playoff series, I think it's sweet," James said. "No matter if it happens in seven or if it happens in four, five or six. You're fortunate."

The pieces to the Cavaliers' puzzle are starting to fit like never before, and all that's standing in their way is eight more wins.

ATLANTA - The Cavaliers knocked down down 77 3-pointers in their four-game sweep of the Hawks, but that didn't just happen because of superb ball movement. It also came from movement from behind the scenes.

It was a nice, pleasant afternoon Saturday in The ATL. The temperature was hovering around 80 degrees with a slight cozy breeze. The team was a day removed from an emotional 121-108 Game 3 victory over the Hawks in which they took a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Members of the Cavaliers gathered in the hotel lobby of the Four Seasons before venturing out for lunch. LeBron James emerged from his room and upon entering the lobby, he was greeted by an unexpected surprise.

"Look who's here," James shouted. He was referring to Channing Frye. Frye, who is always punctual, was late arriving this time around. They laughed and embraced. James then went around the room carrying out choreographed handshakes with his teammates.

For approximately 10 minutes, James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Frye, James Jones, Dahntay Jones and Richard Jefferson just stood in place talking.

General Manager David Griffin was off to the side watching. "This is special," he told me. "This wasn't there before." He was alluding to the team camaraderie that has blossomed of late.

James was finally ready to chow down. He gave his teammates the word and they headed out for the revolving doors toward the sunlight. However, there were no taxis, Ubers or limo services waiting out front. And that was by design.

In broad daylight, they started strolling down Crescent Avenue in search of a restaurant. Team security did accompany them along the walk, but this stroll was far from routine.

First of all, Love is known throughout the league as an introvert. That's just the way he rolls. He has described himself as a homebody, but over the last few months, he's been extroverted with his teammates.

"He's just getting out of his shell, getting more comfortable," Thompson told me. "Kevin, he's full of jokes too now. Now he'll lead the roast. He'll start the roast."

Second of all, it's not every day that you see Love and especially James promenading the streets without a sweater hoodie covering their heads. On this afternoon, if you happened to be roaming the midtown area of Atlanta and came across a bunch of random tall guys grouped together, they weren't bouncers.

You witnessed a rare sighting of James and Co. out on the town taking in the scenery. These guys are relishing the moment of the difficult challenges the postseason presents, but they're also relishing the moment of building unity and continuity.

It's no coincidence they're playing at an all-time high level.

"I think we all understand what type of situation this is and what type of opportunity we have, and to be honest, there is just cool dudes on this team," Frye said. "Everybody has their friends on this team and we all enjoy each other's company."

James has made it a tradition of periodically inviting the team over to his house for dinner where they enjoy fellowship, play cards and watch movies and games. Love hasn't missed a visit, I'm told. On most occasions, players say there are so many good vibes and energy flowing from those get-togethers that there are always a couple of players reluctant to leave on time.

"That says a lot about our leader," Thompson said. "He's welcoming and wants people to come to his home and wants to be around us and wants us to be in his space. It's great. It's beautiful."

The solidarity this group has displayed on and off the court during this postseason stems from seeds that were planted throughout the course of the regular season. Those seeds consisted of players stepping out of comfort zones, breaking down barriers, being willing to listen, expressing interest in their upbringing and understanding what makes each unique.

"We're playing good basketball and I think that's because we trust each other," Frye said. "We've built a bond and we're going out there doing the best we can in not only just playing basketball, but to getting to know each other."

On the basketball side, the Cavaliers know each other extremely well, and it has manifested itself through an 8-0 playoff mark and record-breaking long ball accomplishments.

The Atlanta Hawks aren't really that bad of a team after being swept and losing their 12^th straight playoff game to the reigning Eastern Conference champions on Sunday. They just caught the Cavaliers at the wrong time when everything is aligning mentally, physically and spiritually.

At times last season, Love looked miserable after games. Now, the joy is glued to his face. James has learned how to nurture Love and bring out his best. The personality clashes from a year ago that resulted in disconnect, have transformed.

The pieces to the Cavaliers' puzzle are starting to fit like never before, and eight wins are all that's standing in their way of completing the puzzle. Like it or not, this team is for real and their budding relationship is a vital ingredient why.

"We're a team that enjoys each other's company," Jones said. "We're a team that is unified and cohesive. We're all comfortable around each other. We enjoy working with each other. We have a genuine concern for each person's individual success and well-being. It's like a real brotherhood."

It was déjà vu for the Cleveland Cavaliers, sweeping the overmatched Atlanta Hawks out of the postseason for the second straight year and breaking records in the process.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was deja vu for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept the overmatched Atlanta Hawks out of the postseason for the second straight year and broke records in the process.

Sunday's game was tougher, a win that wasn't decided until the final buzzer. But the story was the same.

The Cavs once again had too much firepower, were able to make the necessary plays in crunch time and came up with key stops when needed. It all added up to a one-point win, 100-99, and a return trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here are five observations:

Kevin Love bounces back - This is what General Manager David Griffin envisioned when he assembled the league's most expensive roster. It's also what LeBron James was craving when he bolted Miami in the summer of 2014.

OK, maybe not early, when Love was misfiring repeatedly and looked lost on the defensive end. 

But credit to Love. Borrowing one of head coach Tyronn Lue's favorite phrases, Love "stayed with it."

Putting a slow start (three points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first quarter) behind him, Love had his best ever playoff game. 

James was the closer. Love was the star.

Aggressive, confident and bursting with emotion, Love scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-25 from the field, including 8-of-15 from three-point range. The Hawks kept sagging off him, allowing open looks (14 of his 25 shots were uncontested) and Love made them pay, especially during a brilliant third quarter.

Love scored 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the third. That scoring burst had the Hawks defense scrambling and led the Cavs to a four-point edge going into the fourth quarter.

"Kevin Love was on fire," Kent Bazemore told reporters after the game. "He did exactly what we dared him to do."

Of course, this is what the Cavs thought they were getting in the summer of 2014 when they traded away promising youngster Andrew Wiggins. It's why James placed that call to Love, letting him know how much he wanted the versatile power forward to complete James' newest trio.

James envisioned plowing his way to the basket, drawing the defense and kicking it out to Love, one of the best shooting bigs in the NBA.

That's what happened on Sunday. The Hawks couldn't stop it. 

Depth on display - Unlike last year's NBA playoff run when the bulk of the burden was placed on James' broad and capable shoulders, this surge by the Cavs, eight straight wins to open their title quest, has been defined by balance, depth and teamwork.

Sure, James hit the go-ahead shot, made the game-winning play on the defensive end and won the jump ball. But he had plenty of help from his teammates throughout the four-game sweep and Sunday was no exception. 

It wasn't just Love either.

Kyrie Irving scored 21 points and dished out eight assists. Iman Shumpert reached double figures for the first time since April 1, chipping in with 10 points off the bench, including two big threes in the second quarter, a time when the Cavs were crawling out of a double-digit deficit. 

It was a theme of the series.

On Friday, it was Channing Frye's turn. The team's leading scorer in Game 3 had 27 points on 10-of-13 from the field, including 7-of-9 from three-point range.

In Game 2, James was the leading scorer, but J.R. Smith's three-point shooting buried the Hawks quickly. He finished with 23 points, hitting a team-high seven three-pointers, as the Cavs set an NBA record for triples in a game with 25. 

Going into the series, the Cavs' advantage was star power. The Hawks, meanwhile, had to rely on a team approach. But Cleveland showed its much more than just James or a talented Big Three.

Against Atlanta, the Cavs used numbers, someone different stepping up every night, providing plenty of help for James.

That's something he didn't have enough of last year. 

Millsap stopper - The Hawks' lone All-Star got off to a terrific start, looking motivated to avoid a second straight sweep against Cavs.

In the first quarter, Millsap scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with five rebounds and two assists. More importantly, his aggressiveness, a willingness to attack the basket, put Tristan Thompson in early foul trouble.

The Cavs' best interior defender picked up two fouls in the first three-plus minutes, heading to the bench for the remainder of the quarter. At that time, Millsap had three points and the Hawks were trailing by five.

Millsap scored 12 of his 15 first quarter points with Thompson on the bench and the Hawks finished the quarter on a 28-14 flurry.

After that fast start, Millsap fizzled, scoring four points on 1-of-6 from the field in the final three quarters. Thompson stayed out of foul trouble and pestered the power forward the same way he did last year and the three other games in the series. 

In the last two series against Thompson and the Cavs, Millsap averaged 15.5 points on 37-of-99 (37.3 percent), including 4-of-22 (18.1 percent) from beyond the arc to go with 9.0 rebounds.

In early April, a game played in Atlanta, Lue was asked about Thompson's dominance against Millsap. Lue didn't want to ruffle feathers or provide any bulletin board material so he sidestepped the inquiry like a veteran.

But as Thompson walked by and overheard the topic of conversation, he got a big smile on his face. He knew what he did to Millsap and the Hawks in last year's conference finals.

After this series, there's enough of a sample size: Thompson's defense and relentless approach on the boards is too much for Millsap.

Fourth quarter defense - The Cavs' defense slipped during the second half of the regular season and that has continued in the playoffs, ranking last in opponent's field goal percentage (46 percent) of the team's still alive in the playoffs.

The Cavs are reminded of that stat every home game when they walk into the locker room, as the white board, showing those numbers, hangs prominently.

While they still need to get better at that end of the floor, they have locked down opponents when it matters most -- in the fourth quarter.

The Cavs are holding foes to a playoff-best 21.6 points on 41.3 percent from the field (4th), including 27.1 percent from three-point range (2nd) in the final 12 minutes.

Cleveland has another goal on defense: Keep teams under 24 points in a quarter.

In the fourth quarters of the conference semis, the Hawks topped that mark once. That was Game 2, as the Cavs played their bottom-of-the-roster players the entire final period.

On Sunday, the Cavs held the Hawks to 22 points and got two stops in the final minute, including Thompson's blocked shot against a driving Dennis Schroder, which likely impacted Schroder's final drive when he stopped to fake out Thompson before getting tied up by James. 

The timely stops helped. But consistency is the next step. 

Slowing Korver - Prior to the series, Lue was reminded of the Cavs' recent success in slowing down sharpshooter Kyle Korver.

"Don't do that, man," he said to a reporter. 

He didn't want to jinx anything, especially with a player as important as Korver. 

"We just try to stay glued in on him," Lue said. "We know he's dangerous. I think in the last series, his plus/minus when he's on the floor was +78. When he was off the floor, they were -24. We know how important he is, how important the three-point shot is. He kind of gets them going, making shots in transition and making open three's." 

Korver tends to be the Hawks' barometer, which is why James mentioned the importance of always having the "antennas up" when Korver is on the court. Limiting Korver was the focus of the team's game plan. 

Mission accomplished. 

In the four games, Korver averaged 7.5 points on 43.5 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. 

The percentages are good, but dig deeper.

Korver averaged just 5.8 shots per game, including 3.5 per game from three-point range. Seven players averaged more shot attempts than Korver. With J.R. Smith and Shumpert chasing him around, Korver rarely got free looks at the basket. He never found his rhythm.

Sunday's game helps highlight his struggles, as he scored two points on 1-of-4 from the field. He only had one game against the Cavs with double-digit shot attempts. In the previous series against Boston, he had at least that many in three of the games. 

LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers clipped the Atlanta Hawks, 100-99, Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. They swept the Eastern Conference semifinal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James nearly notched a triple-double, Kevin Love made 8-of-15 3-pointers and Tristan Thompson "protected the rim'' in the final minute as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 100-99, Sunday afternoon at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The Cavs swept the Eastern Conference semifinal.

Here is a capsule look at the key aspect(s) of the game, which was televised by ABC:

Broom service, times three: The Cleveland franchise is 12-0 against Atlanta all-time in the playoffs. The Cavs also swept the Hawks in a 2009 conference semifinal and 2015 conference final.

Yikes: Atlanta's Mike Budenholzer, NBA coach of the year in 2014-2015, has managed to get swept by different Cavs coaches in back-to-back seasons.

David Blatt -- remember him? -- guided the Cavs last season. Blatt was fired in late January of this season and replaced by his lead assistant, Tyronn Lue. All Lue has done is go 8-0 in his first NBA playoffs as a head coach; the Cavs swept the Detroit Pistons in the first round.

Budenholzer's Hawks went 0-3 against the Cavs in the regular season, meaning their overall losing skid in the series is 11. It is difficult to fathom that, for as well as the Cavs played, the talented Hawks would not have been able to scratch out at least one victory in that span.

Remarkable stat: For the series, the Cavs shot 77-of-152 (50.1 percent) from 3-point range and 81-of-191 (42.4 percent) from inside the arc.

The Cavs shot 16-of-37 from 3-point range in Game 4.

King's English: LeBron amassed 21 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and one block in 38 minutes. He shot 10-of-23 from the field and committed six turnovers, did not feature his typical hops, and appeared to be somewhat tired -- yet still played superbly, on balance. If he had been unavailable for some reason, the Cavs likely would have lost big.

With 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter, LeBron drilled a step-back jumper over Paul Millsap on the right wing to give the Cavs a 100-97 lead. The release occurred with 1.6 on the shot clock.

Hawks backup point guard Dennis Schroder quickly answered with a layup.

LeBron missed a deep 3-point attempt topside with 14 seconds left. Atlanta's Kent Bazemore rebounded, dribbled over the timeline and handed to Schroder on the right wing. Schroder drove but was tied up by LeBron with 2.8 seconds remaining. LeBron's tap led to a scramble that resulted in Millsap shooting, and missing, after the final horn.

Love in the air: Love went 1-of-10 from two-point range but made up for it with his triples. He had 13 rebounds and four assists and posted a +14 in 37 minutes.

Love's most important scoring occurred in a 107-second span early in the third quarter, when he made three 3-pointers and another jumper for all of Cleveland's points. The Cavs led, 70-66 with 8:00 left.

Late in the third, Love drilled a 3-pointer and was fouled. He completed the four-point play to give the Cavs a 79-75 lead with 2:16 left.

For one of his assists, Love fired an outlet from the restricted area to LeBron, who made the layup. Credit Love with yet another "touchdown'' pass.

KI in beast mode: Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving scored 21 and had eight assists in 42 hard minutes. He posted a +7.

The power of TT: Thompson was one member of the Big 3's supporting cast who made victory possible. He had five points, 10 rebounds and two blocks and posted a +9 in 29 minutes.

With the Cavs leading, 98-97, and 1:03 left, Thompson switched onto Schroder and shadowed him on a drive from left to right. When Schroder finally attempted the layup, Thompson rejected it cleanly with the left hand. Irving rebounded, and the possession turned into LeBron's jumper over Millsap.

When Schroder drove from right to left in the final seconds, he wanted to shoot but feared Thompson would block that one, too. Schroder stopped and changed direction in the paint, but in doing so, created a blind spot for LeBron to swoop in and cleanly tie him up.

If there were such a thing as a defensive assist, Thompson would have earned it there.

Shaw's third pitch proved to be one of the most critical offerings of the afternoon. His 93-mph cutter on the outside part of the plate induced a timely double play off the bat of Alcides Escobar. That helped the Indians maintain their slim advantage en route to a 5-4 victory against the Royals on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bryan Shaw stood behind the pitcher's mound, his back turned to home plate as he watched his team's middle infielders go to work.

Jason Kipnis gathered the ground ball, flipped it to his right and Francisco Lindor stepped on second base and tossed the ball to first.

Shaw's third pitch proved to be one of the most critical offerings of the afternoon. His 93-mph cutter on the outside part of the plate induced a timely double play off the bat of Alcides Escobar. That helped the Indians maintain their slim advantage en route to a 5-4 victory against the Royals on Sunday.

Kansas City had trimmed Cleveland's lead to one run in the seventh on a trio of hits to start the inning against Josh Tomlin and Zach McAllister. Lindor nabbed Cheslor Cuthbert at the plate on Jarrod Dyson's chopper to short for the first out of the frame. Escobar then bounced into the twin killing as Shaw registered two crucial outs upon his entrance into the game.

Shaw also factored into a double play in the eighth. He struck out Kendrys Morales and catcher Yan Gomes nailed Eric Hosmer at second on a stolen base attempt to end the inning.

The Indians wielded some powerful pink lumber to match their Mother's Day attire, which included pink socks, cleats, umpire mask and special uniforms and hats. Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli each clubbed a solo home run.

Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer tagged Tomlin for a two-run shot to the bullpen in center field in the fourth, but the Tribe responded with Napoli's blast in the bottom of the fourth and three more runs in the fifth.

Lindor singled and stole second to start the fifth inning. Michael Brantley drove him home with a single. Lonnie Chisenhall and Marlon Byrd delivered run-scoring knocks later in the frame.

Tomlin (5-0, 3.72 ERA) logged six innings of work. He allowed four runs on seven hits. He did not issue a free pass. The right-hander moved to 12-0 with a 2.82 ERA in his last 13 starts following an Indians loss.

For the final out of the contest, Cuthbert lined a Cody Allen offering into Lindor's glove. The Tribe shortstop squeezed the baseball and pumped his fist, as the Indians completed a 5-1 homestand against the Tigers and Royals.

What it means

The Indians' 15-13 record places them at their high-water mark for the season, at two games over .500. They never reached two games above .500 last year. The Indians stand alone in second place in the division, behind the Chicago White Sox.

First things first

Santana socked a home run to right field in the first. He is 3-for-8 with a walk and two home runs when leading off a game. The Indians are 8-1 with him in the leadoff spot.

The Indians are 13-4 when they score first this season.

Mother's Day attire

All starters but Lindor used pink bats in their first plate appearances.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 14,463 watched the affair at Progressive Field.

What's next

The Indians will spend their next three days at Minute Maid Park in Houston before they return to Cleveland for a homestand. Right-handers Corey Kluber (2-3, 3.35 ERA) and Mike Fiers (2-1, 5.35) will duel in Monday's series opener. Kluber tossed a complete-game shutout against the Tigers in his most recent effort. Trevor Bauer (2-0, 5.14) and Danny Salazar (3-2, 1.91) will start the final two games against the Astros. The Indians won five of seven against Houston in 2015.

Get live coverage from FirstEnergy Stadium as the Browns announce an initiative with CMSD.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam today will announce, along with Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon, the launch of a major project that will benefit students and communities throughout Cleveland. The announcement is expected to begin at 2:30 p.m.

Browns giving artificial turf to Cleveland school football fields

Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns' goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.

Cleveland.com will cover the event today live. Scroll down to the comments to see tweets and get updates from FirstEnergy Stadium. Mary Kay Cabot and I will also be there after as well as this will be our first opportunity to talk to either of the Haslams since the hiring of head coach Hue Jackson.

The city of Cleveland will receive artificial turf for five football fields from the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns on Monday announced a multimillion-dollar initiative with the city of Cleveland that will see the team install artificial turf on five city football fields.

The Browns made the announcement at FirstEnergy Stadium in a 2:30 p.m. press conference. Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam were in attendance, along with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon.

Also there for the announcement were coaches and 100 athletes from the Cleveland schools; and former Brown Roman Oben, the NFL's senior director of football development.

"The kids are excited, and I think they're kind of awestruck and not sure what's happening," said deputy commissioner Vince Marquard Jr. from the School District's Senate Athletic League. "I think once they saw that picture on the scoreboard they knew it was for them."

Well, here's the list. #give10 pic.twitter.com/wTmu9p9eMM

-- Nathaniel Cline (@nathanielcline) May 9, 2016

The fields that will receive the new turf are:

John Adams Field, Roye Kidd Field, James F. Rhodes Field, John Marshall Field and Bump Taylor Field.

The Rhodes and Kidd fields will be ready for the start of the 2016 high school season, the Browns said. The Adams and Marshall fields will be completed by the 2017 season; and the timeline for Bump Taylor is being finalized.

John F. Kennedy coach Chris Hubbard was pleased with the news. Roye Kidd Field, which is the home field for JFK, was named after Hubbard's longtime coach who died last year.

"It was great when I saw it on the jumbo-tron and see Roye Kidd Field up there," Hubbard said. "It gave me goosebumps because he was like my father. He coached me, coached so many young men from that community and to be the first ones to get it means everything to us."

The Browns revealed the plan as part of the organization's community impact project. The move is expected to help trim costs for field conditioning and provide long-term durability.

"To have a state of the art facility paid out of the generosity of the Browns, we couldn't be more excited," Rhodes soccer coach Sean Stewart said. "It's an amazing opportunity not just for our kids, but all the kids that will get to come there."

Last year, the Browns partnered with the city to renovate Dwayne Browder Field, which is used by such groups as Cleveland Muny Football League and East Tech High School.

Follow live coverage of the press conference.

Earlier: City Council, Browns met at 1 p.m. to discuss the project

One of Carter's most controversial comments came a few years ago when he suggested that rookies and younger players should have a "fall guy" in place in case they ever run into trouble with the law.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There has been some major turnover with on-air personalities at ESPN this year, and the latest wave of changes includes former Ohio State wide receiver Cris Carter. 

According to multiple reports, Carter and former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis are on their way out and former NFL receiver Randy Moss is on his way in. 

Carter and Lewis are two of the best ever to play in the NFL, and both drew back on their experiences with bold, controversial on-air opinions. Those opinions will no longer be a part of ESPN's NFL coverage.

One of Carter's most controversial comments came a few years ago when he suggested that rookies and younger players should have a "fall guy" in place in case they ever run into trouble with the law.

Carter isn't the only former Ohio State football player who is leaving ESPN. 

Last week, former Buckeyes running back Robert Smith left ESPN and took a job at rival FOX as an on-air college football personality. Smith will also appear on the Big Ten Network, which is partially owned by FOX. 

Moss is headed to ESPN after spending time at FOX as an NFL analyst. 

What a Big Ten deal with FOX could mean for OSU

From Pittsburgh Central Catholic's C.J. Thorpe to Cincinnati St. Xavier quarterback Sean Clifford, here are Penn State's football recruits for the class of 2017.

Corey Kluber will start for the Tribe at Minute Maid Park.

HOUSTON -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Monday's series opener between the Indians and Astros.

Pitching matchup: RHP Corey Kluber (2-3, 3.35 ERA) vs. RHP Mike Fiers (2-1, 5.35 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. DH Carlos Santana

2. 2B Jason Kipnis

3. SS Francisco Lindor

4. LF Michael Brantley

5. 1B Mike Napoli

6. 3B Jose Ramirez

7. C Yan Gomes

8. RF Lonnie Chisenhall

9. CF Rajai Davis

Astros

1. 2B Jose Altuve

2. RF George Springer

3. SS Carlos Correa

4. LF Colby Rasmus

5. 1B Marwin Gonzalez

6. DH Preston Tucker

7. CF Carlos Gomez

8. 3B Luis Valbuena

9. C Jason Castro

Jimmy Haslam was comfortable with his new top brass trading down from No. 2 and passing up the big-name QBs in the draft. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The night Jimmy Haslam fired Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer, he stressed the importance of the quarterback position and pointedly reminded folks, "we do have the second pick in the draft.''

Fast forward almost four months later and the Browns traded that No. 2 to pick to the Eagles for No. 8, and then traded down again with the Titans to No. 15.

In the process, they picked up a boatload of picks but passed on all the big-name quarterbacks in the draft such as Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch and Connor
Cook. Ultimately, they settled on unheralded USC quarterback Cody Kessler at No. 93, whom Sashi Brown cautioned that an aspiring Browns starter shouldn't sleep on Kessler. Hue Jackson also asked the doubters to "trust me on this one.''

There's at least person who isn't raising an eyebrow: Haslam.

"His track record's been pretty good,'' Haslam said. "You all understand as well as we do the importance of that position. You just look at the teams that are really good in the NFL and for the most part they're really good at that position.

"I think we have a head coach who understands talent at that position but equally as important how to coach them. You're all at practice, and he's coaching the quarterbacks hard every day, and I think that'll make a difference over a period of time."

Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who spoke after a press conference at FirstEnergy Stadium to announce they are refurbishing five Cleveland Metropolitan School District football fields with synthetic turf, did not have to be sold on trading the No. 2 pick -- despite Haslam's "we do have the No. 2 pick'' remark.

 "No, we had been talking about various opportunities since the end of the season and I think the guys did a really nice job of working through it and thinking things through,'' he said. "You all know the math as well as I do and when you trade out of the No. 2 pick, you get value and I think we turned the No. 2 pick into the No. 8 and then quickly the No. 15 pick into tremendous value and now the key thing is to use that value."

Dee Haslam, who sat in the war room during the draft and has assumed a more active role in the team over the past year, was pleased with the results.

"I thought it was terrific,'' she said.  "I'm extremely excited. I'm very pleased, very excited."

USC coach Clay Helton says Hue Jackson will be the smart one about Cody Kessler

Haslam agreed that the trades were the right thing to do for a rebooting team. On the trip down down from No. 2 to No. 15, with a layover at No. 8, the Browns picked up an extra first-rounder in 2017, two extra second-rounders and two extra third-rounders.

"We got a lot of players,'' he said.  "When you count the defensive back (Jamar Taylor) we got from Miami, we got 15 players and I think what's equally important is that we positioned ourselves well for the next two drafts, so we're excited."

The Browns will have quality picks for at least the next three seasons with two No. 1s in 2017, two No. 2s in 2017 and two No. 2s in 2018.

"The most important thing, and we had several more members of our broader family here, is that we all noted just how well everybody worked together,'' he said. "The chemistry was good. There was lots of debate, vigorous healthy debate but the group worked together extremely well, that's what made us feel best.

"They followed the process, they followed the plan and time will tell how good our draft is. You guys have seen a lot of drafts and some are rated high and don't' end up so well and vice versa. But we felt good how everybody worked together and how they followed the process and stayed on plan."

Haslam was thrilled with the teamwork after a two-year stretch where Farmer clashed with some of the coaches and Farmer and Pettine didn't always believe former Browns President Alec Scheiner was in their corner.

In fact, by the end of the season when he knew he was gone, Pettine admitted "If you're going to be successful, your building has to be unified. It's hard to be at this point. I can't sit here and say, 'Absolutely, we're all on board, 100 percent.'''
Haslam noticed no such tension during the pre-draft process among his newly-assembled top brass of Sashi Brown, Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry and Hue Jackson.   

"I think they're all working toward a common goal, and that is to turn this from one of the weakest franchises in the NFL to one of the strongest franchises,'' he said. "Everybody in the building, coaches, scouts, etc., are focused on that every day.''
He said the difference is palpable on the field under Jackson, who has the players feeling hopeful again and practicing with renewed energy. He's also looking forward to rookie camp this weekend.

 "We're really excited about the progress that Hue and his staff are making on the field,'' Haslam said. "You guys were at practice a couple weeks ago. You can't help but notice his energy and his staff's energy when they're working with the guys. So it'll be really exciting on Friday to get 25, 26 new players, to welcome them to the team and see those coaches work this young talent that's so important to our future.''

 

The Cavaliers set a three-point record and Michael Reghi believes they were right to do it. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers set a single-game three-point record last week against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of their playoff series. Some players and members of the media weren't thrilled about the team's approach to chasing the record.

That's the topic of Michael Reghi's weekly Riled Up video. See what he has to say in response to those critical of the Cavaliers and other teams who chase records or run up scores. Check back every week for a new Reghi's Riled Up segment on cleveland.com.

Tyler Naquin, the hit of spring training, played his way onto the Indians opening day roster. The rookie center field was optioned to Class AAA Columbus on Saturday despite hitting .315 in 22 games in his first big-league season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie.

Hey, Hoynsie: Was the demotion of Tyler Naquin last week another management decision to add more years of control over his contract? They did it last year with Frankie Lindor and the team never recovered from all the early season losses. - Mike Suntala, Berea.

Hey, Mike: I don't think that was the driving force. If it was why put Naquin on the opening day roster? The Indians had enough outfielders in camp to find someone else to share the spot with Rajai Davis coming out of Arizona.

Manager Terry Francona said he had one too many outfielders and was having a hard time coming up with a rotation. If that's the case, don't you make sure the outfielder hitting .315 is part of your rotation? Still, here's what the Indians were facing: Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall, who is out of options, were recently activated from the disabled list. The Indians wanted to make sure Jose Ramirez continued to get time in the outfield because of his offense. They also had to find at bats for Davis and Marlon Byrd.

Combine that with Naquin's relatively soft .315 (17-for-54, two RBI) average and on-the-job-training in center field and that made him a candidate to be demoted. They could have optioned lefty Kyle Crockett and kept Naquin - the way Francona uses lefty relievers it's not like he would have been missed - but they didn't.

Hey, Hoynsie: I like Tyler Naquin's defense. It seems like he just glides to fly balls. Now the Indians don't have a center fielder just one old man and a third baseman to back him up. The Indians just started playing great baseball. The manager just ruined the team chemistry. Just watch the Tribe start to lose. And the fans will stop going to the games. You would think the owners would step in. - Roger Wozney.

Hey, Roger: Rajai (the old man) Davis has played a lot of center field so I think the Indians will be all right there. I do have concerns about the backup situation. How many times can the Indians just point a finger at Chisenhall and say you're our next (fill in the blank). It worked well last year with right field, so there is a precedent.

As for turning off the paying public, Roger, I've got a secret for you - nobody is coming to Progressive Field anyway. Babe Ruth, in his prime, could be playing right field and pitching for the Indians and Cleveland would hardly notice.

Hey, Hoynsie: Tito is full of it. The Indians could not cut bait and eat a salary. Instead they sent Tyler Naquin down for a few weeks so they can extend keeping him for another year. - Bob Earnest, Mansfield.

Hey, Bob: You're probably right to a certain degree. They weren't going to cut someone like Chisenhall and eat his $2.725 million contract. But I don't think they would have had a problem dropping Byrd and his $1 million contract if that was the way they wanted to go.

Hey, Hoynsie: I'm not happy with the Tyler Naquin demotion. Don't you think Tito set him up to be sent down by making him a platoon guy when he hits .254 from his 'weak side?' Isn't that what Rajai Davis is hitting from his 'strong' side? Bad move. - James Wagoner, Alexander, Va.

Hey, James: I think Francona was putting Naquin in the best position - facing mostly right-handers - to have success in his first year in the big leagues and help the Indians win games. Why would a manager put a player in position not to succeed? He'd be hurting himself and the team, right?

Hey, Hoynsie: With Cody Anderson continuing to struggle do you see the Indians giving Mike Clevinger a shot soon? - Patrick Kenney, Tonawanda, N.Y.

Hey, Patrick: Anderson has made five starts this season, counting Saturday's loss to Kansas City. I thought it was premature when they sent him down on April 26, but that was because the Indians were able to go with a four-man rotation while he was able to make a start at Class AAA and work his mechanics.

Anderson gives it up early

Now Anderson is back and I think he's going to get an extended look before the Indians consider making another move with him. Still, as you know, things happen fast in baseball and Clevinger has certainly done his part. He's 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA in six starts at Class AAA Columbus.

The Indians are going to need a spot starter on May 23 when play a doubleheader against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Clevinger or TJ House are the leading candidates.

Hey, Hoynsie: I have been following Steven Wright since he made the move to a knuckleballer. What was the rationale for this ridiculous trade? Wright was pitching well in the minors. The time I looked Lars Anderson was back in Double-A and not even in the Tribe's organization. -- Scott Mantyla, Atlanta.

Hey, Scott: When the Indians traded Wright to Boston on July of 2012, it was a minor-league deal. Wright was working on a knuckleball and Anderson, a left-handed hitting first baseman, never made a contribution to the Tribe's big league club. In fact, Wright was headed for minor league free agency at the end of the 2012 season if he had stayed with the Indians.

The Indians brought in Tom Candiotti to work with Wright when he decided to concentrate on the knuckleball, but they never received a dividend from the move. Boston zeroed in on Wright because they had Tim Wakefield as a special assignment instructor. Wakefield threw the knuckleball for 17 years with Boston. Wright made his big league debut in 2013 and this season is 3-3 with a 1.52 ERA. On Sunday, threw a three-hitter against the Yankees.

Tom Candiotti helps Steven Wright with knuckler

Hey, Hoynsie: I always thought Josh Tomlin was a lot like Cliff Lee. Average fastballs that were effective thanks to pinpoint control, a potential game changing curveball, and early in their careers they seemed to win games without being truly dominant. Now Tomlin seems to be breaking out after injury like Lee before him. Do you think Tomlin has the potential to turn into a number 1 starter like Cliff Lee did? - Andrew Ciccolini, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hey, Andrew: Besides Lee being a lefty and Tomlin a righty, I always thought Lee had No.1 starter's stuff. He had a fastball that he threw consistently at 91 mph or a tick above, excellent control and was durable, pitching 180 or more innings for five straight years before injuring his elbow.

Tomlin improves to 5-0 for Indians

Tomlin, while making better use all of his pitches than Lee, doesn't throw that hard and, for me, doesn't have Lee's stuff. Tomlin's fastball averages about 88 mph and while he does have great control, injuries and durability have held him back. He's never pitched more than 165 1/3 innings in a big league season

Then again, Tomlin has never been 5-0 or this healthy before. Could a career season be unfolding for him?

The Indians and Astros will begin a three-game series at Minute Maid Park on Monday evening. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat in the comments section as Cleveland attempts to move to a season-high three games over the .500 mark.

HOUSTON -- The Indians and Astros will begin a three-game series at Minute Maid Park on Monday evening. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat in the comments section as Cleveland attempts to move to a season-high three games over the .500 mark.

Game 29: Indians (15-13) vs. Astros (12-20)

First pitch: 8:10 p.m.

Broadcast info: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100, Indians Radio Network

Pitching matchup: RHP Corey Kluber (2-3, 3.35 ERA) vs. Mike Fiers (2-1, 5.35 ERA)

Fact du jour: In April 2015, Kluber posted a 4.24 ERA in 34 innings. In April 2016, Kluber posted a 4.24 ERA in 34 innings.

Some thoughts as to why Ash would want to team up with Meyer for a satellite camp despite the fact Rutgers and Ohio State are divisional rivals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Rutgers coach Chris Ash credits Urban Meyer for a good portion of his success, so of course the two remain close friends after Ash left to take the head coaching job at Rutgers. 

But Ash and Meyer have to be friendly enemies. 

Ash didn't just leave for a head coaching job, he left for one in the same division of the same conference. That means Ash will face his former program on the field every single season. 

So it was kind of strange when Ash announced on his public Twitter account that Rutgers is hosting a camp in New Jersey on June 8 called the "Tri-State Showcase," and Meyer is one of the coaches invited. 

It may not be as strange as it sounds.

Here are a few thoughts: 

* It's happening on the same day that Michigan is having a satellite camp at Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, so it makes sense that Rutgers would fire back by having a big camp of their own less than 10 miles away. Michigan has been very successful in taking New Jersey talent, and Ash's biggest initiative at Rutgers is to keep top talent home.

The dream scenario for Ash is that prospects like five-star Paramus Catholic recruits-turned-Wolverines like Rashan Gary and Jabrill Peppers will go to Rutgers from now. 

So take a shot back at Michigan. That makes sense. 

* What doesn't make sense is that Meyer has been doing the same thing to New Jersey. It's been an Ohio State-Michigan-Penn State battle for New Jersey prospects, and Ash himself help bring four-star prospect Jordan Fuller to Ohio State. So giving Meyer more face time in New Jersey isn't necessarily helping Ash's cause. 

* But having Meyer at his camp may be necessary. Rutgers has landed a few four-star prospects out of New Jersey in the first few months under Ash's direction, but the Scarlet Knights haven't arrived yet. Ash understands that he needs a big name like Meyer's to steal some of Michigan's thunder. 

Ways Ash is turning Rutgers into OSU East

* Though technically Ohio State and Rutgers are competing for New Jersey talent, they aren't direct competitors yet. Ash still has so much to do before it can out-recruit Ohio State for the elite of the elite, even in New Jersey. So Meyer probably figured that it makes a ton of sense to team up with his old friend to try and slow down Harbaugh's roll in New Jersey.

* It's a win-win for Ohio State and Rutgers right now, but if Ash has the success he wants to have, something like this probably won't happen in three or four years. For now, it's fine for both sides. 

Come join us at the best camp on the East Coast. Get coached by 3 great coaching staffs. pic.twitter.com/wzVv4k2dVB

-- Chris Ash (@CoachChrisAsh) May 9, 2016

Shaw surrendered nine runs in 3 1/3 innings in his first four appearances. In 10 outings since, he has limited the opposition to one run on four hits over 9 1/3 innings. He has tallied 12 strikeouts during that stretch.

HOUSTON -- There seems to be a consensus throughout the Indians' clubhouse about Bryan Shaw.

The right-hander certainly struggled early in April -- and in a profound manner. But last week, Indians manager Terry Francona said, "This is as good as we've seen him throw the ball." Catcher Yan Gomes said that might be a result of Shaw having a "chip on his shoulder" stemming from his early miscues. Shaw said he has stopped missing his spots and that his mechanics have been in sync since the get-go.

The numbers indicate Shaw is throwing harder than he has at any point during his major-league career.

So, what has changed? Shaw surrendered nine runs in 3 1/3 innings in his first four appearances. In 10 outings since, he has limited the opposition to one run on four hits over 9 1/3 innings. He has tallied 12 strikeouts during that stretch.

"He's really going out there with conviction and confidence and letting it fly," pitching coach Mickey Callaway told cleveland.com.

Callaway agreed with Francona's assessment. Shaw's velocity has reached new bounds and his pitches possess plenty of movement. The 28-year-old's cut fastball is measuring 95.3 mph in May. It averaged 94.0 mph in April. Last year, the pitch checked in at about 92 mph in those two months.

Velocity not the issue for Shaw in April

"It's the power to the cutter, obviously the [velocity] helps," Callaway said. "It's just power. It's late. His breaking ball has really improved, so he has a shorter, quicker slider this year instead of a loopier, [easier-to-track] slider."

Cleveland Indians reliever Bryan Shaw coming into the game against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on May 5, 2016. Chuck Crow/PD 

Improved command has fueled the rebound. In the two outings in which he yielded the nine runs, Shaw totaled 56 pitches, only 31 for strikes.

"The first spring training we had him," Callaway said, "we keep a command chart and he was the best guy on our team at commanding the ball at that point. He's getting back to that point. When he's trying to go down and away, it's down and away, and when he's going up and in, it's up and in. When a guy with his kind of stuff that moves all over the place and nothing is straight, to have that kind of command, you're going to be an elite pitcher, no matter what role you're pitching in."

Shaw has logged six consecutive scoreless appearances. He recorded five outs in Sunday's narrow victory against the Royals. He benefitted from a pair of double plays, including one in his first encounter of the afternoon, which preserved Cleveland's one-run advantage.

"When you have a late-inning guy," Callaway said, "he's your late-inning guy and you're going to stick with him no matter what happens, through thick and thin, for as long as you can until it doesn't make any sense anymore. A couple games is never going to waver what you're thinking. Shaw as a person is like the best guy it could ever happen to. Two minutes later, he probably wasn't thinking anything about it. That's just his personality. He shrugs it off and he's worried about the next day."

Opposites attract: The Astros struck out more than any American League team in 2015, and more than any big league club except for the Cubs. The Indians' pitching staff racked up more strikeouts than any other AL club, and more than any big league club except for the Cubs.

So, does that play into the Indians' hands? In seven meetings last season, Tribe hurlers tallied 69 strikeouts.

"The way our guys throw matches up pretty well with their hitters," Callaway said. "[But] it's not just we strike out a lot of guys and they strike out a lot. It's really the makeup of our pitchers' pitches and where they throw them and where their weaknesses are. Their weaknesses in the past have lined up with our strengths. That usually makes for a pretty good combo in our favor."

The Indians claimed the season series with the Astros, 5-2, last year, by a 20-15 composite score.

Minor matters: The Indians traded catcher Anthony Recker to the Atlanta Braves for cash. Recker, who was playing at Triple-A Columbus, will report to Triple-A Gwinnett. The 32-year-old hit .246 with an .821 OPS in 19 games for the Clippers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As part of the Browns' dedication to education, youth and high school football and Cleveland, Dee and Jimmy Haslam announced a commitment to provide five Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) fields with high-quality synthetic turn during the next two years.  "This project provides opportunities to our young people, and partners like the Cleveland Browns help us...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As part of the Browns' dedication to education, youth and high school football and Cleveland, Dee and Jimmy Haslam announced a commitment to provide five Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) fields with high-quality synthetic turn during the next two years. 

"This project provides opportunities to our young people, and partners like the Cleveland Browns help us invest in and provide the resources our students need to succeed," said Mayor Frank G. Jackson.

Check the video above to see the highlights from the press release.