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Wrong turns, jitters, vomit and lasting memories: Behind the scenes of Cleveland Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger's big league debut

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"It was definitely something that's indescribable," Clevinger said. "I won't forget it." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the daunting, white gates came into view, Monica Ceraolo turned to her boyfriend and presented him with an obvious question.

"Do you know where to go?" she asked.

Mike Clevinger had no clue. Even the most nuanced map couldn't assist him at this point on Wednesday afternoon, with his mind morphed into a mangled mess of confusion, anxiety and exhaustion.

It didn't matter, anyway. Clevinger didn't have a player ID card. The 25-year-old with a major-league debut on his itinerary that evening couldn't step foot in the ballpark even if he knew the location of the team entrance.

Ultimately, the couple crossed paths with an Indians staffer, who guided them through the Reds Hall of Fame and museum and into the visitor's clubhouse at Great American Ball Park.

Mike and Monica have grown accustomed to chaos. This day merely represented another episode in an unforgettable whirlwind of a month for the couple and their families. It was a day stocked with stress, jitters, vomit and wrong turns. It was also a day that produced lifelong memories.

"What he's waited for his whole life"

Clevinger chopped a pitch toward first base in the fifth inning of Wednesday's affair against the Reds. Joey Votto collected the baseball and stepped on the bag as Clevinger rumbled toward him.

"Why is he always hitting it to Votto?" asked one family member.

A cluster of Clevinger's relatives sat about 20 rows behind the Indians' dugout. Other relatives who didn't make the trip from Jacksonville called around to local bars to determine which watering hole could show the game.

"This is the craziest thing," Monica said. "I've never even seen him put a helmet on."

Clevinger wasn't sure how he'd fare at the plate. After the game, a reporter noted his pair of hard-hit balls to first. Clevinger, taken aback by the observation, actually thanked the reporter. The long-haired hurler -- Clevinger has sported long, brown locks since his youth, save for a stint at The Citadel -- was more concerned with his pitching.

That concern originated on Monday evening, when Triple-A Columbus manager Chris Tremie called Clevinger to inform him of his promotion to the majors. The news left Clevinger at a loss for words, which left Tremie uncertain about whether the pitcher understood the message. So, Tremie dialed Clevinger again five minutes after their first conversation, just to confirm.

"That's what he's waited for his whole life," Monica said. "That obviously takes a minute to process."

Clevinger placed his first call to Monica and his mother, Karen, who were together in Columbus. When the FaceTime call popped up on Monica's phone, Clevinger's face was red. She feared the worst.

"I thought something terrible had happened," Monica said. "I was like, 'What's going on?' He's like, 'I'm pitching against the Reds!' Then, it was just waterworks after that."

Monica and Karen shared tears, laughter and a few glasses of wine. Clevinger tossed and turned all night before he boarded an early flight to Cleveland from Indianapolis.

'Business as usual' ... kind of

Every relative received the same bulletin: Clevinger's hotel room was off limits until 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Strict orders," Karen said.

Sleep has been a foreign concept to Mike and Monica this month. Monica gave birth to their daughter, Penelope, on May 2. Mike's promotion only further hindered his ability to sleep.

At precisely 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, a horde of relatives "bombarded the door," Mike said, before they all went out to eat.

"They gently woke him up," Monica said, laughing. "Anytime he wakes up, he's in a panic, like, 'What time is it? Did I miss anything?'"

The right-hander has developed a bit of a reputation for his frenzied manner. During spring training, Tribe manager Terry Francona quipped that Clevinger, often pacing and visibly amped for an outing, looked like he was ready to pitch Game 7 of the World Series. On Wednesday, Clevinger -- outwardly, at least -- exhibited a calm demeanor.

"He looked like it was almost business as usual," Francona said. "I'm sure on the inside it probably wasn't."

It certainly wasn't before the game. About 45 minutes before first pitch, Clevinger's nerves grew so overwhelming, he started to vomit. He spent a half hour on his knees, throwing up. He nearly missed his pregame treatment session. By the time he took the mound, though, he felt confident.

"I got the nerves out of the way," he said. "That calmed me down."

Monica attempted to help with a series of encouraging texts.

"I just told him, 'No matter what happens, being here is your dream come true.'"

'Something that's indescribable'

Clevinger admits his eyes weren't on the baseball. After all, he doesn't have eyes in the back of his head. Still, he managed to reach his glove behind his back and pluck a sharp grounder bound for center field. He then threw to first for the out.

"He's so good at those plays," said Monica, who noted how Clevinger played third base at The Citadel. "He's so quick with his hands."

Clevinger breezed through the first five innings against Cincinnati, as he yielded only one run. His family chatted about his potential pitch count as he polished off the Reds in the fifth.

He offered his throng of supporters plenty of reasons to cheer. He could hear his Aunt Charlie screaming from her seat. Only Penelope, who slept through most of the game, couldn't hear Charlie.

Clevinger departed after 5 1/3 innings. He ran into trouble in his final frame, but his family greeted him with a standing ovation.

Several relatives, including Karen, sported pins on their shirts. Each pin displayed a photo of Clevinger from 1999, when the youth played for the Indians in Little League. In the photo, Clevinger, his long, brown locks resting on his shoulders, dons a Chief Wahoo cap and a white T-shirt with a script Indians logo as he showcases a four-seam fastball grip.

After Clevinger's debut -- the Indians emerged victorious in 12 innings -- he and his family ordered food at the hotel. He downed a few beers, "enjoyed the moment and soaked it in together."

It was a day -- and month, really -- full of firsts, full of apprehension, full of unknowns. Monica received advice from other players' wives, who suggested she "take a phone charger, take [a ton] of pictures and savor every single minute."

When Clevinger trotted out onto the diamond to warm up before the game, he headed toward the Reds' bullpen in center field. Tribe first baseman Mike Napoli grabbed him and pointed him to the visitor's bullpen in the right-field corner.

Clevinger tried to play it cool. "I was just checking it out," he told Napoli.

"He works so well under pressure," Monica said. "Every single time, it blows me away. That's how he was during birth. He literally had me laughing during labor."

The Clevinger clan stayed for Thursday's game. They gathered outside of the Indians' clubhouse after Cleveland completed its four-game sweep and waited for the man of the everlasting hour.

Thursday was easier for Clevinger. He visited with his family. He spent time in the weight room. He relaxed on the couch in the center of the clubhouse, phone in hand, as he kept one eye on a TV that showed the Cubs-Brewers game. He scrolled through his interactions on social media. He said all of the recent support "still gives [him] chills."

"It's been unreal," Karen said. "It's like one good thing after the other. We have to pinch ourselves sometimes. A beautiful, healthy little girl and then the call-up."

Monica and Penelope will return to Columbus. The rest of Clevinger's family will retreat to Jacksonville.

Clevinger will pitch on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, another new setting. He'll likely ride on the team bus to the ballpark to avoid any entry snafus. He'll do his best to avoid another vomiting venture. He might even have some feeling in his legs this time around.

Everything should be a bit more smooth moving forward. You only get one debut, after all.

"It was definitely something that's indescribable," Clevinger said. "I won't forget it."

Clevinger received two calls to the big leagues


AT&T Byron Nelson 2016: Live leaderboard, tee times, TV, updates from Round 2 (photos)

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Sergio Garcia takes lead with sizzling start at the PGA Tour's AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The opening round of the PGA Tour's AT&T Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas on Thursday was delayed for nearly three hours due to rain but it could not stop Sergio Garcia, the 2004 champ, who shares the lead with Danny Lee and Johnson Wagner at 7 under.

Round 2 is today and can be seen from 4-7 p.m. on the Golf Channel. You can also follow along all day on our live leaderboard (below). Click here for today's pairings and tee times.

Garcia is seeking his ninth PGA Tour title, his first since the 2012 Wyndham and just his second since the 2008 Players Championship. Garcia has been a runner-up six times since his last win.

Jordan Spieth is one shot back after just missing an eagle putt on No. 16 that would have moved him into the lead.

TODAY'S LIVE LEADERBOARD

PGA TOUR / AT&T BYRON NELSON

Site: Irving, Texas.
Course: TPC Four Seasons Resort. Yards: 7,166. Par: 70.
Purse: $7.3 million (First prize: $1.314 million)
Television: CBS Sports (Saturday-Sunday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. EDT). Golf Channel (Today, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.).
Defending champion: Steven Bowditch.
Last week: Jason Day went wire-to-wire in a four-shot victory at The Players Championship.
Next week: Dean & Deluca Invitational at Colonial.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

More golf

LeBron James and Cavs have been picture perfect -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

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LeBron James had a playground moment in the Cavaliers' Game 2 win, hanging on the rim on his way to the locker room, while Kyle Lowry needed a trip to his locker room just to collect himself. Those two snapshots tell you all you need to know about Cavs-Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Unless something comes along that better defines this Eastern Conference Finals --  or until one team takes the final walk of blame (we're looking at you, Raptors) - we have two early and telling snapshots by which to measure Cavs vs. Toronto.

The first: Kyle Lowry heading to the locker room in the second quarter. Not for an X-ray, fluids or a medical consultation of any kin. Just to gather himself. Breathe in, breathe out. 

There's one word for that: Yikes.

The second: LeBron James leaving the floor at halftime like a kid called in from the school yard. Bounding the length of the floor to follow the trajectory of a buzzer beating prayer gone unanswered. Making one last stop for a chin up on the playground equipment.

We have seen LeBron James before when he was Kyle Lowry, dejected, feeling as if he had to carry too much on his shoulders.

We have never seen James in Cleveland quite this way, knowing trusted help is all around.

There's no more talk from James about how green Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are to playoff basketball. No more need to walk into the post-game press conference, as he did last year, and declare himself "the best player in the world."

Lowry's version? "I'm going to be a lot more effective Saturday. It's as simple as that."

It's Lowry's team that's at least one scorer short as James' Cavs teams were in his first tour here (OK, two scorers short) and as they were in last year's finals minus Love and Irving.

"It's always difficult to deal with me," James said following Game 2. "I think it adds even more when you have two All-Stars with you, two guys that command multiple eyes any possession.

" They're so in such a great rhythm right now, I've been able to just pick my spots and do other things to help us try to win ballgames while those guys take the load."

James played his 10th game since the playoffs began on April 17. The Raptors' series stretched seven games twice, with overtimes thrown in for the fun of it.

James is fresh, and that not just makes him extra difficult for the Raptors to handle but for whichever team comes next.

James attempted two three pointers Thursday, one of them the heave at the first-half buzzer. An ESPN graphic gave him an average shot attempt of five-and-a-half feet.

LeBron James is hitting his playoff stride in the Eastern Conference Finals

Toronto missing Jonas Valanciunas is something of a hall pass for the Cavs but James is taking advantage in ever-changing ways, ways the Raptors didn't experience during the regular season head-to-head.

He had 23 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists on a night when he missed eight free throws. He had six assists in the first quarter, posting up, waiting for the double team and finding the open man before the Raptors rotation could.

He dunked early. He dunked often. He dunked off a steal.

"LeBron could score 40 any time he wants but he understands the bigger picture," Tyronn Lue said.

Lue meant James is feeding and nurturing the players around him.

The byproduct of that -- made more bountiful by the efficiency shown in 10 consecutive playoff wins -- is James will go into his sixth consecutive NBA Finals with another gear available.

The Cavs are a scary team for anybody these days, East or West. But that's scariest of all.

Cleveland Indians overwhelm Reds to complete four-game sweep in Battle of Ohio

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Josh Tomlin improved to 6-0 Thursday night as the Indians completed a four-game sweep of the Reds in the Battle of Ohio. Tomlin, for good measure, added two hits of his own to his linescore. Watch video

CINCINNATI -- Josh Tomlin and the Indians were meant for each other.

Tomlin improved to 6-0 Thursday night as the Indians completed a four-game sweep of the Reds with a decisive 7-2 victory at Great American Ball Park. The Tribe outscored the Reds in this four-game home-and-away series, 43-16.

The Indians, meanwhile, improved to 15-2 over the last two years when Tomlin starts. How that's for a symbiotic relationship?

When he wasn't pitching, Tomlin singled in his first at-bat, doubled and scored in his second at-bat and set up another run in his third plate appearance with a sacrifice bunt. It wasn't until the eighth inning that Tomlin did what AL pitchers are supposed to do in interleague games -- strikeout.

As for the last Tribe pitcher to get two hits in a game, that would be Tomlin on June 28, 2011 against Arizona. Regarding the last Tribe pitcher to get two hits in a game with one of them being a double that would be Steve Dunning on Sept. 2, 1972 against the Twins.

Tomlin, a former college infielder, is a lifetime .600 (6-for-10) hitter in the big leagues.  Asked if he was going to DH on Friday against Boston, Tomlin laughed and said, "No, my legs are shot."

But Tomlin did enjoy swinging the bat.

"It's fun to be a part of the whole game and impact it anyway you can," he said.

From a pitching perspective, Tomlin (6-0, 3.56) is the first Indians pitcher to start a season 6-0 since left-hander Cliff Lee in 2008. Lee won the Cy Young award that season.

Thursday night Tomlin allowed two runs on five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

"Josh is one of the better teammates I've ever seen," said manager Terry Francona. "He'll do anything he can to help you win. All he cares about is winning.

"He'll come in here on certain days when the bullpen is beat up and tells me, "I'll throw tomorrow.' We're pretty fortunate because early on he's given us a big lift coming out of the gate."

Carlos Santana led the offense with two homers and four RBI. He hit a two-run homer off rookie starter Tim Adleman (1-2, 3.72) for a 2-0 lead in the fourth following a single by Francisco Lindor. He added another two-run homer in the fifth to push the Tribe's lead to 6-2.

It was the sixth two-homer game of Santana's career.

Lindor and Rajai Davis enjoyed their four-game series against the rebuilding Reds to the extreme. Lindor collected 11 hits, including three straight three-hit games. Davis scored 10 runs, while hitting .563 (9-for-16) with two homers, six walks and nine RBI.

The veteran outfielder was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2016 Ohio Cup series. He received 30 of the 33 votes cast by the media.

Davis doubled twice, drove in two runs, walked and scored Thursday. Before the Indians opened this series Monday at Progressive Field, Francona gave Davis a day off to regroup.

"I used it to refocus," said Davis.

Indeed he did. Davis improved his batting average from .210 to .259 in the four games against Cincinnati.

"We seemed to get contributions from all over the place which is how we have to be," said Francona. "We have to keep the line moving. We did OK. Now we'll move quickly because we have a good team to play Friday."

What does it mean

The Indians climbed to four games above .500 at 21-17 for the first time since the end of the 2014 season.

The Tribe has won 11 of its last 16 games. They are 11-6 in May after going 10-11 in April.

The pitches

Tomlin threw 99 pitches, 73 or 74 percent for strikes. Adleman threw 76 pitches, 46 for strikes. He left the game in the fourth inning with a left oblique injury.

Oops, there goes another one.

Joey Votto's two-run homer in the fourth, which accounted for the Reds only runs, was the eighth Tomlin has allowed this season. Last year he allowed 13 homers in 65 2/3 innings.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Reds drew 21,173 fans to Great American Ball Park on Thursday night. The four-game home-and-away series drew 69,267 fans to Progressive Field and GABP.

First pitch was at 7:11 p.m. with a temperature of 70 degrees.

What's next?

The Indians open a three-game series against Boston at Fenway Park on Friday night. RHP Corey Kluber (2-5, 4.30) will face Boston righty Clay Buchholz (2-3, 6.11) at 7:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game.

Kluber has lost his last two starts, allowing nine earned runs and 12 hits in 9 1/3 innings. He's 0-1 against Boston this year, having lost the season opener on April 5, and is 1-3 in his career. Travis Shaw is hitting .500 (4-for-8) with one homer against Kluber.

Buchholz has won two of his last three starts. He's 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in six starts against the Indians. Jason Kipnis is hitting 3-for-5 (.600) against him.

Boston's David Ortiz batters Danny Salazar, Cleveland Indians in 5-2 victory

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Danny Salazar was no match for David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox on Sunday at Fenway Park. After winning the series opener on Friday, the Indians lost two straight to the Red Sox.

BOSTON -- On April 7, the game between the Indians and Boston was postponed because of bad weather in Cleveland. After the game Danny Salazar, the scheduled starter, said he was disappointed because he was looking forward to facing Red Sox legend Davis Ortiz.

Ortiz is retiring at the end of the season and Salazar, a native of the Dominican Republic as is Ortiz, wanted to face Big Papi before he walked into the sunset. Note to Salazar -- be careful what you wish for because it just might come true.

Salazar surrendered a single, double and homer to Ortiz in three consecutive at-bats Sunday afternoon as Boston beat the Indians, 5-2, at Fenway Park. Ortiz singled home a run in the first, doubled home a run in the second and hit a leadoff homer in the fifth before Salazar was mercifully removed from the game.

Ortiz was 1-for-5 against Salazar before Sunday. Unless they meet again on Aug. 15 when the April postponement is scheduled to be played, Big Papi left Salazar with quite a parting gift.

"Yes, I still enjoyed facing him," said Salazar. "He's a great guy, great player. Finally, I got to face him one last time before he retired. He's a guy I really respect."

Manager Terry Francona was not so thrilled with facing Big Papi.

"I wish he would have retired last year," said Francona. "He's kind of on a different level right now. He looks like he's playing softball."

Besides a lasting impression of what Ortiz can do with a bat, Salazar left Sunday's game with a sore left leg. Hanley Ramirez lined a base hit off Salazar's lower left calf in the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Salazar took several minutes to recover, but it certainly didn't help his control.

He threw a career-high 40 pitches in the first inning. It was not the kind of start manager Terry Francona was looking for from one of his top starters with Monday's doubleheader against the White Sox looming.

"He (Ramirez) got me pretty good," said Salazar. "I didn't feel it until I finished the game and came in and started getting treatment."

Salazar (4-3, 2.32) retired Mookie Betts to start the game, but walked Dustin Pedroia and gave up a single Xander Bogaerts. Ortiz followed with a single to right for a 1-0 lead. Then Ramirez lined a shot off Salazar's foot to score Bogaerts.

Jason Kipnis pulled the Indians into a 2-2 tie with a two-run, two-out single in the second off Rick Porcello (7-2, 3.47). That was the only offense the Indians could muster as they lost the three-game series after winning Friday's opener.

Ortiz put Boston ahead, 3-2, with two out in the second when lined a ground rule double to the center field triangle in Fenway Park. Betts scored from second on the play. In the fourth Ortiz homered to right for his 11th of the season and 514th of his career.

It was Ortiz's third homer against the Indians this season and 26th of his career. Ortiz came to the plate in the eighth needing a triple for the cycle. Ortiz's only chance for a cycle was to revisit Fenway's triangle. That's exactly what he did, but the ball bounced over the wall for another ground rule double.

Salazar, 2-1 against Boston, allowed four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Porcello, 10-4 lifetime against the Indians, allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The pitches

Salazar threw 109 pitches, 69 or 63 percent for strikes. Porcello threw 115 pitches, 71 or 62 percent for strikes.

Home sour home

Mike Napoli said he was excited to return to Boston where he played 2 1/2 seasons and helped the Red Sox win the 2013 World Series. But before the series opener on Friday, he told reporters, "I'm a competitor and I'm going to go out there and do my best to beat them."

Napoli went 0-for-13 in the series with nine strikeouts. Before lining out to left field in his final at-bat Sunday, he struck out eight straight times.

He also made an error, stranded six runners and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

Love ya, Boston.

"You know that's going to happen sometimes," said Francona. "For him to come back here I know was pretty special. But you can't just flick the switch and decide where you're going to hit and where you're not.

"We said all along that we knew there was some swing-and-miss in there. But he's a tough kid. He'll be right back in there tomorrow. He'll be letting it fly."

Napoli is hitting .220 (33-for-150) with seven homers, 26 RBI and 62 strikeouts.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Red Sox drew 36,021 fans to Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon. The three-game series drew 110,629.

First pitch was at 1:35 p.m. with a temperature of 60 degrees.

What's next?

The Indians open a four-game series against Chicago with a doubleheader Monday at U.S. Cellular Field. The Indians will start RHP Mike Clevinger (0-0, 6.75) and RHP Cody Anderson (0-3, 7.99). The White Sox will start RHP Matt Latos (5-1, 4.00) and RHP Erik Johnson (0-1, 7.20). The first game starts at 5:10 p.m. ET. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the doubleheader.

Josh Tomlin and Corey Kluber will start Tuesday and Wednesday for the Tribe. They'll faces lefties Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Tuesday's game features a matchup of unbeaten pitchers in Tomlin (6-0, 3.56) and Sale (9-1, 1.58).

Cleveland Indians denied by David Ortiz (4-for-4, HR), Boston Red Sox: DMan's Report, Game 41 (photos)

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Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 27 games in the Boston Red Sox' 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday afternoon in Boston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- David Ortiz went 4-for-4 with one homer, two doubles and three RBI and Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 27 games as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park in Boston. Jason Kipnis was 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Tribe.

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

Sour notes: The Indians (22-19) dropped the final two of the three-game series. They lost, 9-1, Saturday afternoon.

High-powered offense: The Red Sox (27-17) lead the majors with 256 runs and 464 hits. They had 12 hits on Sunday.

The Red Sox are 3-2 against the Indians this season. In four of those games, they have 5+ runs and 10+ hits.

Not good: Indians right-hander Danny Salazar allowed four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six. He needed 109 pitches to get his 13 outs.

Salazar, who did not resemble the pitcher who entered at 4-2 with a 1.80 ERA, does deserve credit for not exiting in the first inning after getting drilled in the left leg by Hanley Ramirez's grounder.

Early statements: The first inning told a lot about how the game would unfold.

With one out in the top half, Jason Kipnis singled against righty Rick Porcello. Kipnis advanced to third on Francisco Lindor's single to right.

Reeling Mike Napoli stepped in. Here is a pitch-by-pitch of his plate appearance:

91-mph fastball inner half, foul; 92 fastball low (barely); 94 fastball swinging strike (above belt); 95 fastball foul tip (above belt); 93 fastball outside; 87 slider, swinging strikeout (down and away).

Jose Ramirez, in a 1-0 count, popped a fastball on the inside edge to third.

Mookie Betts led off the bottom half with a grounder. Dustin Pedroia walked*.

*Pedroia should have been called out on strikes. Salazar threw a 2-2 changeup over the plate at the knees, but Marvin Hudson mistakenly thought it was low. Pedroia's reputation for having a sharp eye no doubt helped him, although Hudson never would admit it.

Xander Bogaerts pulled in the hands to shoot a changeup to left for a single, Pedroia stopping at second. Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 16 games. He finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and is batting .346.

Ortiz took a fastball (95) down and in and swung through a fastball (96). Salazar threw a slider (88) on the inner half at the shins, and Ortiz grounded it into the hole past diving second baseman Kipnis for an RBI single. Salazar made a decent pitch, but Ortiz did what Ortiz does.

It was just the 12th hit in 88 at-bats by lefties against Salazar this season.

Ramirez smoked a 2-0 fastball (96) off Salazar's leg for a single that drove in Bogaerts to make it 2-0. Bradley walked (3-2 fastball barely low).

Salazar bowed his neck and struck out lefties Travis Shaw and Blake Swihart swinging. The final pitch to Swihart was Salazar's 40th of the inning.

More from Big Papi: Kipnis hit a two-out, two-run single in the second. Ortiz answered with an RBI double to right-center to give Boston a 3-2 lead.

Ortiz stepped in with runners on first and second and two outs. Salazar opened with an off-speed pitch (87) low and fastball (96) outside. Ortiz fouled a fastball (96), took a fastball (96) high, swung through a fastball (96) and fouled a fastball (96). Tribe catcher Yan Gomes visited the mound.

From one perspective, Ortiz seemingly was set up for a changeup or slider. But Salazar didn't want to risk a walk to load the bases for Ramirez.

Salazar came back with another fastball (97) that was over the plate at the thighs. Ortiz had no choice but to hammer it.

Ortiz led off the fifth with a homer to right. He took a fastball (94) high and outside, then pounced on a fastball (94) over the plate at the knees.

Ortiz was intentionally walked by Zach McAllister in the sixth and doubled to the triangle in center off Austin Adams in the eighth (3-1 fastball/97).

Locked in for quite a while: Bradley went 1-for-3 with a walk. He singled to right off Salazar in the fifth, becoming the ninth player in franchise history with a hitting streak of 27+ games.

Hide the eyes: Napoli was 0-for-19 with 11 strikeouts in the first two stops on the Tribe's trip, which concludes in Chicago with four games against the White Sox.

Napoli went 0-for-6 with one run and two strikeouts this past Wednesday against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. He was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Red Sox.

Napoli's streak of consecutive plate appearances with a whiff ended at eight when he lined to left in the eighth on Sunday.

Napoli's timing is off to such an extent that he routinely is late against fastballs that he normally smashes.

Indy 500 2016: James Hinchcliffe keeps pole for 100th race (photos)

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James Hinchcliffe won the pole in qualifying Sunday for next weekend's 100th running of Indianapolis 500.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --James Hinchcliffe, the last driver on the track Sunday, won the pole for next Sunday's 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 with a qualifying speed of 230.760 mph.

Hinchcliffe, who was injured in Indy 500 practice last year and nearly bled to death with a punctured thigh, had one order of business for himself this year.

"I came into this month hoping we'd have a new story to talk about,'' he said. "I think we did it. We got a good starting spot, the best starting spot."

The front row in the traditional three-abreast start will have Josef Newgarden and Ryan Hunter-Reay alongside Hinchcliffe. Behind them in the second row will be Townsend Bell, Carlos Munoz, and Will Power.

Defending Indy 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya qualified 17th and will start in the middle of row six. Graham Rahal, from Columbus, Ohio, will start 26th, in the middle of the ninth row.

Hinchcliffe now joins a growing list of Indy 500 personalities with their own stories to tell.

As for the engine battle, Honda has officially served notice it will be a player for the Indianapolis 500. Hinchcliffe is on the pole in a Honda, which has not won a race this season. Four of the first five cars on the grid are Hondas, with Newgarden being the outlier racing Chevy.

Among the power teams, Team Penske has three drivers in the top nine, including Power, Simon Pagenaud (eighth) and Helio Castroneves (ninth).

But Hinchcliffe leads a trio of Sam Schmidt Motorsports drivers in the top 10, including No. 4 Townsend Bell and No. 10 Oriel Servia.

Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph have really suspended their brotherly friendship for the Eastern Conference Finals

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Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph have suspended their friendship for the betterment of their teams.

TORONTO - This Eastern Conference Finals series featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors has placed a restraining order on a friendship.

Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and Raptors guard Cory Joseph are two Canadians who played high school and college basketball together. They consider themselves brothers. They seldom go a day without communicating in some fashion.

But that dialogue has been suspended while the two are trying to help their respective teams advance to The Finals.

"I'm not calling him, texting him, nothing. It's playoff time," Thompson told cleveland.com. "Right now, it's about my guys. We're at war with them. It's nothing to talk about. He's my brother, but we're at war."

How do you feel, Cory?

"Likewise," Joseph said to cleveland.com as if he was insulted I brought Thompson's name up. "I talked to him last series. There's no reason to talk to him right now. I don't have anything to tell him right now."

The last time they spoke was before the Raptors beat the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the second round. When the game was over and the Raptors were victorious, communication was put to a halt. There were no congratulatory calls made, no "see you next round" text messages.

Just like that, they went from brothers to enemies and the dynamics of this temporary strained relationship played out on Saturday.

In Game 3, a contest the Raptors won 99-84, Bismack Biyombo and Tristan Thompson began jawing at one another near center court. Thompson took exception to Biyombo fouling Kyrie Irving too aggressively. Teammates converged to intervene. Joseph quickly rushed over and put his hands on the left arm of Thompson to separate him from Biyombo.

Thompson flung his arm to shake free of Joseph's grip. And then while walking away, Thompson swung his arm wildly and inadvertently elbowed his teammate LeBron James in the mouth. Joseph and Thompson were hit with technicals for their roles in the mini-skirmish.

"You don't see eye-to-eye with your brother every game or every day when you're out there fighting. It's competitive, we're competitive players," Joseph said. "If he gives me a little shot, I expect him to do that, but he'd better believe I'm going to do it right back. That's it. It's love at the end of the day, but we're both playing on different teams and we want to win. We're competitive people."

When asked how long will it take for them to reunite once the series has reached a closed, neither player had an answer.

"I don't know. That's to be determined," Joseph, said. Thompson said, "We'll see. That's not on my mind right now."

They also share the same agent, Rich Paul of Cleveland-based Klutch Sports. To avoid a possible confrontation, Paul has made it a point after games to meet with his two clients at different times and at different locations in the arena to ensure the two don't run into each other.

Friendships are being placed on the back burner for wins. That's how serious it is in the playoffs, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

"We'll talk later," Thompson said.


Cavaliers' Dahntay Jones suspended one game for blow to Bismack Biyombo; Raptors coach Dwane Casey fined $25,000 for criticizing officials

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Cavs guard Dahntay Jones suspended one game; Raptors coach Dwane Casey fined $25,000 for criticizing referees.

TORONTO - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dahntay Jones has been suspended one game without pay for his low blow to Raptors forward Bismack Biyombo late in Saturday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The play occurred in the closing seconds of the Raptors' 99-84 win at Air Canada Centre. Upon impact, Biyombo fell to the ground in pain and stayed there a few of minutes.

"I've never been hit like that before," he told cleveland.com. "That was the first time and that's why I was on the floor for a long time. There's not much I can say on that play."

Jones is not available to play in Game 4 on Monday.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was fined $25,000 for his public criticism of the officials following the contest. Casey on numerous occasions Saturday night said the calls haven't been consistent when it involves Biyombo, and he added that the calls mostly favored the Cavaliers.

"He's not getting the calls," Casey argued. "We shoot zero free throws in the fourth quarter. Zero. I mean, it is 73-46 in the entire three games. He's getting hit. There's one play where they almost have a brawl. He gets killed on that play and again, I've got to go back and watch it, but there's got to be some consistency.

"I said it before the game. We have the greatest officials in the league, but how you can miss fouls like that and calls like that? I can't see it. I've been in this league a long time, in college basketball a long time, but again, there's got to be consistency."

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about Jones' low-blow on Sunday morning and the coach said he hadn't seen the play. Losing Jones is not a major loss, considering he's not a rotation player.

Casey is trying to plant a seed in the officials' minds for the remaining games in hopes of evening out the foul calls. We'll see how Game 4 is officiated.

Cleveland Indians' Danny Salazar thumped by David Ortiz, but he loved the moment

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Indians right-hander Danny Salazar certainly regretted the way he pitched Sunday against Boston, but he didn't regret the three times he faced David Ortiz even though Big Papi came away a winner each time. Watch video

BOSTON - Everybody should have a hero. Someone they respect and admire.

But if you're a big league pitcher and the person you admire just so happens to be David Ortiz, it would be best to admire him from a distance much greater than the 60 feet, six inches that separate the pitcher's mound and home plate.

Otherwise what happened to Danny Salazar on Sunday could be repeated.

Ortiz, 40 and in the twilight of his career, singled, doubled and homered in three at-bats against Salazar to lead Boston to a 5-2 victory over the Indians at Fenway Park. In April when weather postponed Salazar's start against Boston at Progressive Field, he fretted that he might not get another chance to face Ortiz, who will retire at the end of this season.

Well, the chance arrived Sunday and Salazar made it memorable for his hero. As for himself, well, it took him 40 pitches to get out of the first inning. Who wants to remember that?

Still, Salazar enjoyed facing Big Papi.

"He's a great guy, great player," said Salazar. "Finally, I got to face him one last time before he retired. He's a guy that I really respect."

Ortiz hit a change up in the first inning from Salazar for a 1-0 lead. In the second, he hit fastball for a ground rule double. In the fifth he hit another fastball for his 11th homer of the year.

"He's hot right now," said Salazar. "When you get behind in the count, you have to come back to the middle of the plate. He's a guy that makes quick adjustments. I have to give him credit. He's a really talented player, who has been here a long time."

Salazar and Ortiz are from the Dominican Republic. While Ortiz's career is ending, Salazar's is still in the early stages.

"I know Salazar real well," Ortiz told Boston reporters. "He's one of the true pitchers coming out of the Dominican. We met at an embassy party that they throw from the players in the Dominican in the offseason.

"He's got a great future, unbelievable arm, great stuff. Those kids grew up watching us and I totally understand what he's trying to say."

Ortiz went 4-for-4 with three RBI in the game. He's hitting .329 (50-for-152) with 19 doubles, 11 homers and 37 RBI.

"I was wondering, why is he retiring?" said Salazar. "I know he has way more to give. I think he just wants to enjoy his family right now."

Not only did Ortiz rock Salazar, but Hanley Ramirez lined a single off his left leg, just below the calf as part of the 40-pitch first inning. To make matters worse, a run scored as the ball deflected to shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Salazar said his calf didn't start hurting until he was removed from the game. But it was clear throwing a career-high 40 pitches in the first inning bothered him.

"I hate when that happens," he said. "It means I'm not throwing strikes and getting behind in the count. It's something I just need to keep working on."

Game plan: So how do you pitch to Ortiz?

"He doesn't swing at balls and the pitches he swings at, even the ones he fouls back, you kind of take a deep breath," said manager Terry Francona. "We tried not to pitch to him whenever we could. But they've done a good job with their lineup. If you end up walking people, they're going to score. They've got a good thing going right now."

Stat of the day: Lindor, who singled in the first inning Sunday, is hitting .400 (14-for-35) in his first at-bat this season.

Columbus shuttle: The Indians are officially without a left-handed reliever. After Saturday's game, the Indians optioned lefty Kyle Crockett to Class AAA Columbus and recalled right-hander Austin Adams.

Adams, hitting 98 mph on the radar gun, pitched the final two innings Sunday. He didn't allow a run and struck out two.

Crockett struggled in his role as a left-on-left reliever. Lefties hit .385 (5-for-13) against him. In 11 appearances, he posted a 14.73 ERA, allowed six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Finally: Here's the difference between the top of the MLB food chain and the bottom. In four games against the Reds, the Indians scored 43 runs. In three games against the Red Sox, they scored seven.

Stasha Carey transfers to Rutgers women's basketball, leaves Pitt

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Rutgers women's basketball picks up Pitt transfer Stasha Carey.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Stasha Carey is leaving Pittsburgh and moving to the Big Ten for Rutgers.

Carey's decision was unknown after TribLive reported she and teammate Fred Potvin would be leaving. However, sources close to Carey confirmed the update.

Carey signed to play at Pitt before graduating from Berea-Midpark in 2014. The McDonalds All-American nominee was ranked the No. 58 overall player by Prospect Nation.

The 6-foot-3 forward averaged after 9.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season for the Panthers finished the season as the only player in the Atlantic Coast Conference to rank top-15 in rebounds, blocks and steals per game.

During her high school career, she was named Southwestern Conference MVP twice and scored more than 1,000 career points. Carey averaged 19 points and 11.8 rebounds during her senior season, when she also was named to the Division I All-Ohio second team.

This story will be updated as remarks become available.

Akron RubberDucks complete sweep of Binghamton Mets

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Eric Haase had a double, a homer and four RBI, while right-handed starter Michael Peoples (4-1, 3.40 ERA) held the Mets to five hits and one run over six innings.

eric haase.pngEric Haase 

AKRON, Ohio -- Eric Haase had four RBI and three RubberDucks pitchers combined to give up just one run Sunday as Akron won, 7-1, to complete a three-game sweep of the Binghamton Mets at Canal Park.

Haase had a double and a homer, while right-handed starter Michael Peoples (4-1, 3.40 ERA) held the Mets to five hits and one run over six innings.

The RubberDucks took control in the third inning, thanks to some control problems from Mets right-handed starter Casey Delgado (1-2, 5.52 ERA). Leading, 1-0, Ordomar Valdez started the inning with a single, but he was thrown out at second after a grounder by Todd Hankins.

Clint Frazier was hit by a pitch, then Bradley Zimmer walked to load the bases. Nellie Rodriquez struck out on a tipped pitch, but with Haase batting, a passed ball allowed Hankins to score and runners to move to second and third. Haase then doubled to make it 4-1 for Akron.

The RubberDucks added three more runs in the seventh with an RBI double from Rodriguez and a two-run homer from Haase.

Cole Sulser pitched two innings and Justin Brantley one inning of hitless, scoreless relief for the RubberDucks. 

Akron is 17-3 in May and has the best record in the Class AA Eastern League at 31-11. The RubberDucks lead the Western Division by 7 1/2 games.

Go here to see box score from the game.

Lake Erie Monsters defeat Ontario Reign for 2-0 lead in Western Conference finals

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The Lake Erie Monsters held off the Ontario Reign, 3-2, to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

ONTARIO, California -- The Lake Erie Monsters scored early then held off the Ontario Reign for a 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the AHL Western Conference finals Sunday at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The Monsters now lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0, following Saturday's 4-3 win. The series moves to Cleveland on Tuesday.

Lake Erie took a 3-0 lead into the third period, but the Reign scored twice then threatened several times in the final seconds. Monsters goalie Anton Forsberg made one dramatic save with 15 seconds remaining, then helped cover the puck again as the game ended.

Forsberg finished with 27 saves for his second win in as many nights.

The Monsters jumped on top with two goals in a 12-second span of the first period.

Markus Hannikainen scored first at 12:28, assisted by Lukas Sedlak and Ryan Craig. Sedlak then scored off the ensuing faceoff at 12:40, assisted by Hannikainen and Justin Falk.

Lake Erie made it 3-0 on a power-play goal at 4:40 of the second period, T.J. Tynan scoring on a rebound, with assists from Steve Eminger and Dean Kukan.

Paul Bissonnette got the Reign on the board off a deflected puck at 5:31 of the third period, then Kevin Gravel made it 3-2 when he scored at 12:48.

The Monsters were outshot, 29-21, but killed off three power plays.

Forsberg shines: In his first career playoff start, Monsters goalie Anton Forsberg outdueled Ontario's Peter Budaj, the 2016 Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award winner as the AHL's Goaltender of the Year. Forsberg had 27 saves in the Monsters 4-3 win in Game 1. ... Alex Broadhurst scored the game-winner on Saturday. Lukas Sedlak, Josh Anderson and Ryan Craig also scored. ... Zach Werenski had an assist to extend his point streak to six games.

Up next: The series moves to Cleveland for Game 3 on Tuesday in Quicken Loans Arena at 7 p.m. Game 4 is Thursday at 7 p.m. and Game 5 is Saturday at noon, if necessary. ... The final two games of the series are scheduled for May 31 and June 1 in Ontario.

How much 2016 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 tickets cost in Toronto

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A look at how much tickets for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Toronto will cost.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers will try to bounce back in Game 4 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals after losing to the Raptors in Game 3.

Fans trying to get into the Air Canada Centre for Game 4 will rely on secondary ticket sites like NBATickets.com and StubHub.

Here's how much tickets cost for Game 4 in Toronto as of 10 p.m., on Sunday, and how they compare to Game 3 costs.

NBATickets.com

1,282 tickets are still available for Game 4 on Monday. But getting in won't be cheap, with the least expensive tickets costing $152.28 per seat.

Lower level seats are starting at almost $255 per ticket. The most fans will pay for lower deck seats are $2,119.31 for seats, but there is a first-row listing that has tickets available for $1,441.10 each.

The game's most expensive seats are floor seats that cost $5,721.67.

Compared to Game 3

Fans trying to get into Game 4 will have to spend nearly $30 more than they did for the least expensive seats from Game 3.

At minimum cost, seats in the lower bowl for Game 4 are more than $25 more expensive than they were on Saturday.

The most expensive Game 4 seats will cost about $212 more compared to Game 3's most expensive tickets.

StubHub

Including fees, the least expensive seat is a single seat for $163.15. When it comes to multiple seats together, the cheapest tickets will cost $183.38 each.

It will cost at least $305.95 for a lower deck ticket, but at least $309.52 per ticket for a multiple-seat listing in the lower bowl. The most expensive seats in the lower deck cost $1,348.39 and are a 5 out of 5 on StubHub's value chart.

Game 4's most expensive tickets are selling for $6,250 each for courtside seats.

Monday night's best value seats are for a pair of fifth-row lower bowl seats $465.65 per seat.

Compared to Game 3

The prices on StubHub for Game 4 follow a similar pattern compared to Game 3 as NBATickets.com did.

The least expensive seats on StubHub for Game 4 will cost fans almost $24 if they are going by themselves, or about $44 more if they want more than one ticket.

Lower deck prices are up by more than $57 for one ticket, or almost $61 to get connected seats.

But it won't cost as much for Game 4's most expensive seats. Game 3's most expensive seats were more than $892 pricier than those for Game 4.

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox series preview, pitching matchups

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The second-place Indians play the first-place White Sox in a four-game series starting Monday with a doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field. The second-place Indians trail Chicago by 2 1/2 games in the AL Central.

BOSTON - Here is the series preview and pitching matchups for the four-game set between the Indians and White Sox in Chicago.

Where: U.S. Cellular Field, Monday through Wednesday.

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

Pitching probables: RHP Mike Clevinger (0-0, 6.75) vs. RHP Mat Latos (5-1, 4.00) Monday (Game 1), Monday at 5:10 p.m. ET; RHP Cody Anderson (0-3, 7.99) vs. Erik Johnson (0-1, 7.20), Monday (Game 2); RHP Josh Tomlin (6-0, 3.56) vs. LHP Chris Sale (9-0, 1.58) Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET and RHP Corey Kluber (3-5, 4.10) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (5-3, 1.98) Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. ET.

Series: The Indians and White Sox have split two games. The White Sox lead, 1,068-1,037, overall.

Monday: Clevinger made his big league debut Wednesday against Cincinnati. He struck out five and allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Anderson will be added to the roster for the second game as the Tribe's 26th man. He has a six-inning no decision against the White So this year and is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA against them in his career.

Latos, who won his first five decisions, is coming off a loss to Houston. He's 3-0 with a 4.68 ERA against the Indians. Johnson has made one start for the White Sox this season. He's 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA in six starts at Class AAA Charlotte. This will be his first appearance against the Indians.

Tuesday: Tomlin beat the Reds on Thursday to stay undefeated in seven starts. He's 2-2 in his career against the White Sox. Austin Jackson is hitting .438 (7-for-16) against him.

Sale has made nine starts and won them all this season. He's coming off consecutive complete game wins against Houston and the Yankees. He's 5-6 with a 3.69 ERA against the Indians, including a 7-3 victory on April 9 at U.S. Cellular Field. Carlos Santana is hitting .308 (12-for-39) with nine RBI against Sale.

Wednesday: Kluber beat Boston on Friday to end a two-start losing streak. He's 4-4 with a 3.66 ERA in his career against the White Sox. Jose Abreu is hitting .357 (10-for-28) with three homers and seven RBI against Kluber.

Quintana has lost his last two starts, but he's 5-1 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 career games against the Indians. Rajai Davis is hitting .317 (13-for-41) against Quintana.

Team updates: The Indians head to Chicago having lost two straight to Boston. They've won six of their last 11 games and stand 11-6 in the AL Central. The White Sox beat Kansas City on Sunday, 3-2, to avoid a sweep. They've lost eight of their last 11 games and stand 8-3 in the Central.

Players to watch: Jason Kipnis, with 12 RBI in his last 12 games, is returning home to Chicago and The Cell where he's a career .324 (48-for-148) hitter. Third baseman Todd Frazier has hit 13 homers, tying the total that White Sox third basemen hit all last year.

Injuries: Indians - LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder), RHP Carlos Carrasco (left hamstring) and catcher Roberto Perez (right thumb) are on the disabled list. White Sox - RHP Jacob Petricka (right hip) and RHP Daniel Webb (back) are on the disabled list.

Next: Baltimore visits Progressive Field for a three-game visit Friday.


Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook lead Oklahoma City Thunder throttling of Golden State Warriors: Sunday rewind of the NBA Playoffs 2016

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Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 63 points, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 133-105 win during Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 63 points, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 133-105 win and 2-1 series lead Sunday night over the Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder will try to expand on its lead with Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference finals on Tuesday, also in Oklahoma City.

Here is a look at the Western Conference finals and roundup of league-wide news in the NBA from the weekend.

THE SERIES (Oklahoma City leads, 2-1)

Game 1: Oklahoma City 108, Golden State 102

Game 2: Golden State 118, Oklahoma City 91

Game 3: Oklahoma City 133, Golden State 105

Game 4: Golden State at Oklahoma City, 9 p.m. Tuesday (TNT)

Game 5: Oklahoma City at Golden State, 9 p.m. Thursday (TNT)

Game 6, if necessary: Golden State at Oklahoma City, 9 p.m. Saturday (TNT)

Game 7, if necessary: Oklahoma City at Golden State, 9 p.m. Monday, May 30 (TNT)

WHO'S HOT

* Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City: For the second time in this series, Westbrook got the best of Stephen Curry. The Thunder point guard put up 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Wondering about Curry? Twenty-four points, including just 3-of-11 on 3-pointers.

* Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: His 33-point night came on 10-of-15 shooting. He's averaging 28.2 points in the playoffs.

WHO'S NOT

* Draymond Green, Golden State: The brash power forward from Michigan State put up just six points on 1-of-9 shooting. His plus-minus on Sunday night was negative 41.

Oh, and this happened. Watch the video below as the TNT crew discusses Green's kick between the legs of Steven Adams. Should he be suspended for Game 4? Vote in our poll following the video clip.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Here's what else went on around the association during the weekend from other newspapers and websites:

* Luke Walton is close to adding his first assistant to the Lakers' new coaching staff. Former Laker Brian Shaw played with Walton during the franchise's run of the early 2000s. ESPN reported the move will happen.

* Meanwhile, the Warriors are looking to fill the void that Walton will leave on their staff. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports Stephen Silas will interview with Steve Kerr.

* Carmelo Anthony is looking forward to Jeff Hornacek's up-tempo pace with the New York Knicks, writes Jake Becker of the New York Daily News. Daily News columnist Frank Isola agrees. He writes it's good news for Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

* Get ready. Mark Cuban says he's ready to be a vice presidential candidate for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

* Ten NBA Draft questions from SI.com's Andrew Sharp and Jeremy Woo.

* Frank Vogel was hired as the new Orlando Magic coach. He will face challenges, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

* Bo Kimble knows what it's like to lose a teammate and friend. Hank Gathers died from a heart attack while playing basketball in 1990. Kimble told Yahoo's Kelly Dwyer he wants Chris Bosh to retire.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors 2016 NBA Playoffs Guide: What to know for Game 4

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LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to bounce back from their first postseason defeat of 2016 against the Toronto Raptors.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - A physical, inspired Toronto Raptors club handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the postseason on Saturday.

How does Cleveland respond?

That question will be answered tonight. Game 4 is set for an 8:30 p.m. start at Air Canada Centre with broadcasts slated for ESPN on TV, plus WTAM 1100-AM and LA MEGA 87.7-FM on the radio. Fox Sports Ohio will carry pregame and postgame shows.

This playoff guide prepares you for the game with a look at the series, tonight's projected starters and key stats, plus the stories that are shaping the Eastern Conference finals.

THE SERIES (Cavaliers lead, 2-1)

Game 1: Cleveland 115, Toronto 84

Game 2: Cleveland 108, Toronto 89

Game 3: Toronto 99, Cleveland 84

Game 4: Cleveland at Toronto, 8:30 p.m. Monday (TV: ESPN, Radio: WTAM 1100-AM, LA MEGA 87.7-FM)

Game 5: Toronto at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday

Game 6, if necessary: Cleveland at Toronto, 8:30 p.m. Friday

Game 7, if necessary: Toronto at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. Sunday

GAME 4 PROJECTED LINEUPS (with playoff averages)

Raptors starters: PG Kyle Lowry (17.6 points, 6.2 assists, 38.2 minutes), SG DeMar DeRozan (20.7 points, 37.2 minutes), SF DeMarre Carroll (9.1 points, 29.7 minutes), PF Luis Scola (2.6 points, 13.3 minutes), C Bismack Biyombo (6.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 24.5 minutes).

Raptors key reserves: PF Patrick Patterson (7.8 points, 29.2 minutes), PG Cory Joseph (9.2 points, 24.2 minutes), SF Terrence Ross (7.1 points, 17.6 minutes), PF James Johnson (3.7 points, 9.4 minutes).

Cavaliers starters: PG Kyrie Irving (23.7 points, 4.8 assists, 35.9 minutes), SG J.R. Smith (12.5 points, 33.8 minutes), SF LeBron James (23.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.4 steals, 37.4 minutes), PF Kevin Love (17.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 32.8 minutes), C Tristan Thompson (5.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 28.5 minutes).

Cavaliers key reserves: PF Channing Frye (8.7 points, 15.5 minutes), SG Iman Shumpert (4.4 points, 17.9 minutes), PG Matthew Dellavedova (5.1 points, 14.7 minutes), SF Richard Jefferson (4.7 points, 15.1 minutes).

Injuries: Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas (questionable, sprained right ankle, 15.0 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 28.5 minutes).

LOOKING AHEAD

Here are stories from cleveland.com and other newspapers and websites covering the Eastern Conference finals.

Suspensions, fines handed out after Game 3

Thompson, Joseph put friendship on hold for conference finals

LeBron: When Love, Irving struggle, 'let me see if I can get it going'

Livingston: Irving and hero ball

Raptors punch back, Cavaliers hit themselves

Pluto: Lue must challenge team's effort

Cavaliers don't want James thinking he must protect himself

Crowquill: LeBron James and flagrant fouls

WHAT ELSE IS BEING WRITTEN

* Twenty-eight thoughts on Jay-Z, fines and the Cavaliers' first loss of the postseason from Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

* "LeBron's kindergarten teacher nailed it." Check out this column from Beacon Journal columnist Bob Dyer.

* Cory Joseph keeps the Raptors going when fouls slow Kyle Lowry, writes Chris O'Leary of The Toronto Star.

* Toronto comes up with a finger-wagging answer for Cleveland. This column from Bruce Arthur of The Star explains.

* Bismack Biyombo might be playing his way out of Toronto. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun explains why. Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas is spotted moving more comfortably, writes the Sun's Ryan Wolstat.

LOOKING BACK AT GAME 3

Biyombo leads Raptors, 99-84

Pluto: No excuse for Cavs looking distant, overwhelmed

Vardon: LeBron stood alone as Cavaliers fell around him

ESPN broadcast takeaways and Jeff Van Gundy

Fedor: Cavaliers must change approach to DeRozan, Love's struggles

Breaking down Biyombo's performance

DMan's Report

Numbers behind Cavaliers' loss

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Avon football relying on Sam Gerak, offensive line to help lead young offense, new quarterback

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Avon returns four starters on its offensive line including Northwestern commit Sam Gerak.

AVON, Ohio — Avon football coach Mike Elder isn't sure yet who will replace future Cincinnati Bearcat Jake Sopko at quarterback.

What he does know is whoever starts will have an experienced offensive line led by Northwestern commit Sam Gerak to protect him.


Avon returns five starters on offense, four of whom are offensive linemen.


The Eagles will have to replace Sopko and star RB Gerret Choat. But Elder has confidence in the talent and depth his team has up front led by Gerak, Taylor Reynolds, Vito Sikora and Michael Sustar.


"We feel like we're going to be as physical as we've ever been," Elder said. "I feel we're two-deep on the offensive line and probably (in a) better depth position than we've ever been since I've been at Avon."


That veteran offensive will be key to protecting the Eagles' next startingquarterback.


Sopko threw for 2,393 yards and 26 touchdowns to just one interception in the regular season last year and completed 66 percent of his passes.


Elder said he doesn't have a clear favorite yet but has four contenders including senior Matt Kelly, the only returning passer with varsity experience last year, junior Carson Gosselin and sophomore Ryan Maloy. Maloy brings more of a dual-threat option that Avon hasn't really had in Elder's career.


"He is more of an athlete at quarterback. He also throws it very well," Elder said. "He's a kid who's going to compete to start at safety on our football team as well. So that speaks volumes for his athleticism. But Carson Gosselin is also a good athlete, and he's worked exceptionally hard.


"By design, we don't run our quarterbacks a lot at Avon. I know a lot of other schools do. That's their philosophy. Ours isn't so much to run them a lot although we run them when we need them. So we'll see how this all pans out."



Gerak is the anchor of Avon's offensive line this season. At 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, Gerak, who will play center at Northwestern, is the No. 6 center in the country and No. 32 prospect in Ohio according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings.


With the pressure early in the season resting on the offensive line, Gerak feels he and the other returning linemen are eager to face that challenge.


"I think there is a lot of pressure on the line and there should be because we are going to the strong point of our team this year," Gerak said. "This is the strongest line I think we've had in Avon history."


That strength up front will be tested in the Southwestern Conference after five of the league's ten teams, including Avon, made the playoffs last season.


"Our goal is one to be one of the most physical teams in the league," Elder said. "That's a lofty goal because there's a lot of really good football teams who will hit you in our league. We want to be one of them."


The Eagles also have to find a replacement for Choat, who had 1,248 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns last year. Elder feels there are a few young backs who have a chance to fill that starting role as well.


Senior Jake Bauer is the team's top returning rusher with 79 yards and two touchdowns last year.


This story is part of cleveland.com's spring football series. Here are more details on the Middies for the 2016 season. 


AVON EAGLES


Coach: Mike Elder (9 seasons).


2015 record: 10-2.


2015 postseason: Defeated Highland, 49-20, in first round; Lost to Perrysburg, 48-21, in second round.


Returning starters: 5 on offense, 5 on defense.


2016 schedule:


Week 1: vs. Strongsville


Week 2: at Avon Lake


Week 3: vs. North Olmsted


Week 4: at Midview


Week 5: vs. Westlake


Week 6: at Lakewood


Week 7: at North Ridgeville


Week 8: at Amherst


Week 9: vs. Berea-Midpark


Week 10: vs. Olmsted Falls

Why did Cleveland Cavaliers forget LeBron James when things got tough? -- Terry Pluto (photos)

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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue admits it was a mistake to put the ball in the hands of LeBron James in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss. He can't do that again.

TORONTO -- How much of LeBron James is enough?

You can sense Tyronn Lue wrestling with the question as he spoke to the media Sunday. The Cavs coach had looked at the tape of his team's 99-84 loss to Toronto in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Before that game, the Cavs had rolled to 10 consecutive playoff victories. In most games, the ball was shared. Future Hall of Famer James was not even the leading scorer in the postseason. Kyrie Irving held that distinction.

But Saturday night, the Cavs offense was stalled, especially in the second half.

Irving was stuck in one of his old, destructive ruts. His answer to missing shots was to take even more shots -- many of them with a higher degree of difficulty than the ones he was missing.

And he also kept dribbling...

And dribbling...

And dribbling...

And Lue watched it all, reacting like a rookie head coach for perhaps the first time in this postseason.

Irving fired up 19 shots, making three.

That's no misprint, it's an embarrassing 3-of-19 from the field for 13 of the ugliest points in NBA playoff history.

That's because Irving had only one assist.

POINT GUARD OR ATTACK GUARD?

Irving has the title of point guard, but he really should be called "the attack guard."

That's because Lue has defined Irving's role as take the ball and attack the defense. Sprint up the court in a straight line to the rim, dare the defense to stop you.

From the moment he replaced David Blatt as head coach, Lue pushed and pleaded with the Cavs to play at a faster pace. Irving could be the leader.

"No one can stop him 1-on-1," Lue said the other day.

He was talking about Irving in fast-break situations, driving to rim.

But the reason for having Irving as the attack guard is to stop some of what we watched Saturday: the excessive dribbling that led to four of his teammates standing and watching.

That was some of the old Irving, the Irving that makes his teammates worse instead of better.

MUST BE DECISIVE

Lue is the coach. He should have called a timeout, then called plays for James to be the trigger man with the ball.

"I should have put the ball in LeBron's hands a little more and let him create," Lue told the media. "So that was more on me."

Good for the 39-year-old coach. Admitting mistakes will help his players respect him, something they do already.

If the Cavs have a point man, it's James. He leads the team in assists. He is one of the greatest passers in NBA history.

In Lue's offense, he has been more active -- either driving to the rim or passing the ball rather than aimlessly dribbling as the 24-second clock ticks down.

James took one shot in the fourth quarter.

That's right, just one. He missed it. He had two points on two free throws.

Overall, James had a good game, 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He led the Cavs with eight rebounds and five assists.

Along with J.R. Smith (22 points, 7-of-16 shooting), James was the only one who consistently made a positive impact on the offense.

Kevin Love and Irving shot a combined 4-of-28 for 16 points.

ABOUT BALL MOVEMENT

In the playoffs, the Cavs have passed the ball better than at any point in the regular season. That's why there have been so many open 3-point shots.

They came into Saturday night having scored at least 100 points in every playoff game.

But those long jumpers were clanging off the rim for most players in Saturday's loss.

And Irving was doubling-down on his dribble/dance moves.

That's how the Cavs scored only 84 points for the night, hitting bottom with a 14-point fourth quarter.

James was not part of what was happening in the fourth quarter.

"I have to do a better job of putting them in positions to isolate and be productive," admitted Lue.

He meant that when James has the ball in the low post, he either scores or draws multiple defenders. When the defense swarms him, he passes to teammates for open shots.

"With Kyrie kind of setting the offense ... the ball has kind of been taken out of my hands a little bit," said James. "I'm OK with that. But there is a point in time where some of the guys are not going (scoring). Maybe let me see if I can get it going."

It sounded as if Lue and James had already talked about this before they faced the media.

The Cavs have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series with Game 4 tonight. Let's watch to see how they handle the ball on offense -- who has it.

Lue wisely has worked for the Cavs not to be overly dependent on James, but they can't have any more games where they ignore him in crucial situations as they did Saturday night.


Chris Gimenez's spring: A freak car accident, a staph infection and a surprise trade to the Cleveland Indians

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What are the odds that he would rub elbows with death on the highway only a few weeks before a freak hospital stint, which occurred only a couple of weeks before his front office surprised him with a trade?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe Chris Gimenez's truck escapes harm if there are fewer snowflakes on the ground. Maybe he avoids peril altogether if there are fewer cars idling on the exit ramp.

Maybe Gimenez spends more time behind the dish and fewer hours in a hospital bed if he deposits that one pitch into left field instead of chopping it off of his ankle. Maybe the Indians never place that call to the Rangers and Gimenez boards his flight to Toronto if Roberto Perez isn't forced into a challenging play at the plate in Philadelphia.

Revisionist history doesn't solve much, but it makes one wonder. Gimenez has occasionally retraced his steps this year, only to be left pondering how each event could have unfolded differently.

After all, what are the odds that he would rub elbows with death on the highway only a few weeks before a freak hospital stint, which occurred only a couple of weeks before his front office surprised him with a trade?

"Like, one in a billion," Gimenez said.

Chris GimenezCleveland Indians manager Terry Francona, right, congratulates Cleveland Indians' Chris Gimenez after Gimenez hit a solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, May 5, 2016, in Cleveland.  

If anyone can handle such onerous circumstances, it's the journeyman catcher, who has bounced from Cleveland to Seattle to Tampa Bay to Oakland to Texas to Cleveland again to Texas again to Cleveland a third time. It's not a lifestyle that many big leaguers envy, but Gimenez maintains a positive disposition. How else would he have persevered through this year's misfortune?

"I don't see the point in living your life being upset and bitter," Gimenez said. "For as crappy as this year has gone, I still feel like I'm pretty lucky."

'Holy crap. What do I do now?'

Gimenez typically treks to spring training well in advance of his team's report date, but his oldest son started preschool this year. His family wouldn't be joining him in Surprise, Arizona. So, Gimenez opted to squeeze every last minute out of the offseason schedule in Reno, Nevada, where he resides with his wife and two sons.

About 10 days before Gimenez departed for the desert, he traveled along his usual morning route to the gym to work out with his best friend, who serves as his personal trainer. Gimenez sat in his pick-up truck in a long line of cars on an exit ramp, about 100 yards from the stoplight, when he was startled by "a really, really loud bang."

He glanced to his left and watched a yellow truck buzz past. Before he could survey the scene, shattered glass scattered onto the cab of his truck.

GimenezTruck.JPGThe drain grate that smashed through Gimenez's truck. 

Gimenez ducked his head, a fortuitous instinct that might have saved his life. A 36-pound metal grate spun around the cover of the truck's bed. Gimenez peeked at his rearview mirror.

"The guy's eyes behind me were [huge], like he just saw a ghost," he said. "I was like, 'Holy crap. What do I do now?'"

Gimenez exited the highway, pulled into a parking lot and assessed the damage. A snow plow truck's blade had yanked up a 16-by-8-

GimenezTruck.JPGThe drain grate caused major damage to Gimenez's truck. 

foot steel drain grate, which soared 150 feet through the air, smashed through the back window of Gimenez's truck, blew a hole through his roof and destroyed the vehicle's back cover.

"Thankfully I didn't have my kids in the car with me," Gimenez said. "That's right where my youngest son sits."

GimenezTruck.JPGThe drain grate caused major damage to Gimenez's truck. 

Fortunately for Gimenez, his truck is lifted.

"If it wasn't," he said, "it would've gone through the very thin sheet metal of the roof of my pickup and crushed me right in the back of my head."

The snow plow truck never stopped. Gimenez retreated to the scene and located the origin of the drain grate. He sent photos to his insurance company.

"I was like, 'Listen, I'm a pretty good storyteller, but I couldn't have even made this one up,'" he said.

Gimenez never made it to the gym that day.

"If I would've stopped five feet from the car in front of me, it would've gone right through my window," Gimenez said. "If it went through the roof of my truck, I wouldn't be here. So I look at it as being kind of lucky. Sort of."

A hospital room in Sun City

Over the course of a week, Gimenez's ankle had displayed most of the colors of a rainbow.

After he fouled a pitch off of his ankle during spring training, the area became black and blue and swollen and sensitive. Gimenez treated it with ice for a few days and the swelling subsided some. He continued to play through the soreness.

Then, one night, about a week after the initial infliction, Gimenez felt a burning sensation. The purple spot on his ankle had morphed into a reddish hue.

Gimenez spent the next exhibition game in the bullpen, gabbing with the Rangers' relievers. Every time he took a step, though, his leg burned. He informed the trainers the next morning and he was initially diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin. He took antibiotics for a few days, but the condition worsened.

Gimenez actually had a staph infection, which forced him to the hospital for four days. Doctors removed an abscess and cleaned out the affected area.

"I was in a hospital room in Sun City, [Arizona], where I was the youngest person by 50 years," Gimenez quipped.

He was prohibited from walking for his first two days in the hospital. His foot had swelled up. He said his toes resembled sausages.

Gimenez missed a month of action. Instead of starting the season with the big-league club and building off of his best season -- he posted an .820 OPS for Texas in 2015 -- he stayed behind and worked his way back into game shape. He finally began a rehab assignment in mid-April.

"The baseball gods say 'Just kidding'"

Gimenez scans the calendar on his phone as he reflects on the last few months of his life.

He points to the date in which the drain grate crashed its way into his life. He runs his finger across the four, miserable days he spent in the hospital. He points to a black dot on the calendar on May 4. That's his wife's birthday.

Gimenez's May 3 itinerary was pretty straightforward. He was to serve as catcher for Yu Darvish's bullpen session and then fly to Toronto to meet the big-league team.

Darvish, the crown jewel of Texas' pitching staff, underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2015. Rangers front-office members watched from afar as the right-hander threw to Gimenez. The pitcher and catcher wrapped up just after noon and club executives met Gimenez in the Rangers' clubhouse to ask how Darvish looked. General manager Jon Daniels then summoned Gimenez to his office.

He had been traded to the Indians.

"I definitely didn't see that coming," Gimenez said. "Just when you think you found a spot to fit in, the baseball gods say 'Just kidding.'"

The Indians had selected Gimenez in the 19th round of the 2004 amateur draft. He spent two seasons with the big-league club and a rejoined the organization late in the 2014 campaign.

"It's really a third homecoming," he said. "It definitely made it easier to handle."

The Indians sought a backup catcher to replace Perez, who had thumb surgery in early May. Gimenez returned home to gather his belongings. The next day -- his wife's birthday -- he flew to Cleveland.

"Hence the dot there," Gimenez said, pointing to his phone. "Can't forget that."

'No sense in being bitter'

Gimenez saw his family for only one week between mid-February and mid-May. Of course, he's grateful to see them at all, given the events of that snowy morning in Reno.

His family traveled to Cleveland for the Tribe's most recent homestand. The day they arrived, his youngest son came down with hand-foot-and-mouth disease, a contagious children's virus that causes blisters in the throat and on the face and arms.

It's one thing after another.

"It never fails," Gimenez said.

The string of adversity doesn't wear on him, though. He gained perspective after his 14-month-old nephew died about a year and a half ago.

"They haven't found a reason for it," Gimenez said. "That kind of puts things in perspective. There's no sense in being bitter about [this year]. It is what it is."

Somehow, Gimenez remains upbeat and focused on learning all of Trevor Bauer's pitches and idiosyncrasies on the mound, rather than wondering when the next disaster will strike. Somehow, he avoids acrimony.

Well, except when he's driving in the snow. Now, he's more observant and cautious and even a bit more distrusting on the roads.

He received a chilling reminder on May 15, when some spring snowfall surprised much of Northeast Ohio. Gimenez plodded along carefully on his morning commute to Progressive Field.

"Any time it snows now," Gimenez said, "especially if I'm on the freeway, I'll be like, 'You just go ahead and take your time.'"

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