CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Wednesday before the Cleveland Indians night game against Minnesota, a 14-year-old Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital patient named Anthony had an unforgettable experience. Every Wednesday home game, the Tribe's Corey Kluber and his wife Amanda partner with the hospital for their "Kluber's Kids" program. They give a lucky patient and their family a full VIP experience, letting them watch batting practice from...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Wednesday before the Cleveland Indians night game against Minnesota, a 14-year-old Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital patient named Anthony had an unforgettable experience.

Every Wednesday home game, the Tribe's Corey Kluber and his wife Amanda partner with the hospital for their "Kluber's Kids" program. They give a lucky patient and their family a full VIP experience, letting them watch batting practice from the dugout, meet Kluber and his teammates, and enjoy the game with club seats and free food. 

Watch the video above to see Anthony's experience.

The Cleveland Indians hit four homers en route to a 9-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon in Cleveland. They salvaged the finale of a four-game series.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Minnesota Twins, 9-2, Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field. Twins first baseman Joe Mauer went 2-for-3 with one walk but was erased three times on the bases.

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

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The Indians (61-45) increased their lead in the AL Central to 3.0 games over Detroit (59-49). The Tigers lost to the White Sox in Detroit, snapping their winning streak at eight.

Cooled: The last-place Twins (43-65) had won the first three of the four-game series in dominant fashion. They batted .390 (48-for-123) with 26 extra-base hits and rolled, 12-5, 10-6 and 13-5.

On Thursday, they batted .226 (7-for-31) with two extra-base hits.

Tribe right-hander Mike Clevinger hardly dazzled, but at least he gave his team a chance. Clevinger's line -- 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K -- was Madduxian compared with those of the Tribe's other starters in the series. Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer combined to log 8 1/3 innings and allow 21 earned runs on 23 hits.

Diamond cutters: The Tribe's homers came from their four infielders. Santana was at first base and Ramirez at third.

Clutch work: The Indians scored three in the third to make it 4-0 and three in the seventh to make it 7-2. Both uprisings began with none on and two outs.

*In the third, Lindor punched a first-pitch curve from lefty Hector Santiago to center for a single.

Mike Napoli had a terrific, unselfish plate appearance:

• changeup, foul
• fastball, foul
• fastball, foul
• fastball, high
• fastball, inside
• changeup, outside
• changeup, foul
• fastball, foul
• changeup, foul
• curve, outside for walk

Santana took a curve for a strike. Santiago attempted to get inside with a cutter, but the pitch did not get in deep enough and stayed up. Santana cleared the hips and belted it onto the home-run porch (No. 24). The ball bounced through the gate and onto Gateway Plaza.

*In the seventh, Rajai Davis grounded a 3-1 fastball from righty Michael Tonkin into center for a single.

The Twins knew Davis was going to steal -- and they still could not stop him. Tonkin threw to first and stepped off. On a first-pitch pitch-out, Davis easily stole second. On a 2-0 pitch to Kipnis, Davis stole third without a throw.

Kipnis fouled three times, one of which was a great spoil of a slider down and in. When Tonkin threw a slider in the dirt that rolled away from catcher Kurt Suzuki, Davis reacted immediately and slid in safely.

Kipnis fouled three more before drawing a walk. Lindor smoked a 1-0 fastball to right for a homer (No. 13).

For the series, the Indians scored 19 of their 25 with two outs.

Costly mistakes: Mauer's high baseball IQ and veteran status did not help him on the bases Thursday.

*With one out in the first, Mauer walked. Max Kepler lined toward left-center, where Brandon Guyer failed to secure the ball, which initially was in his glove. Mauer, in no-man's land after perhaps having been screened by Guyer, was forced at second.

Instead of first and second with one out, the Twins had a runner on first and two outs. Miguel Sano flied to left.

*With runners on first and second and one out in the third, Mauer singled to left to load the bases. Kepler lined to center fielder Davis, who alertly noticed Mauer far off first and threw behind him. First baseman Santana caught the one-hopper and stepped on the bag for the double play.

The Twins should have tied the score, 1-1, with a sacrifice fly and had runners on first and second with two outs. Instead, the threat ended. No question that Mauer should have stayed closer to the bag, but Davis deserves a ton of credit for game awareness. Santana also proved integral; if he had not recognized what Davis was doing, the double play could not have happened.

*After Brian Dozier led off the fifth with a homer to pull Minnesota within 4-2, Mauer singled off the right-field wall. Kepler singled to right. As Mauer trotted to second, right fielder Abraham Almonte bobbled the ball. Kepler viewed it as an opportunity to advance to second, but he did not realize that Mauer was not heading for third. Once the two Twins were in close proximity, the Indians trapped Mauer between second and third and tagged him out.

Sano walked. Disco Dan Otero replaced Clevinger and retired the next two.

Locking them down: No Tribe reliever notched a Jerome Holtzman save, but Otero and Andrew Miller combined for a practical one.

Otero and Miller each retired 4-of-4 batters, which is beyond impressive given how well the Twins were swinging. By the time Bryan Shaw took over for Miller to begin the eighth, the Tribe led, 7-2.

The fourth-round pick from 2014 has been spending time at safety in training camp.

BEREA, Ohio -- Asked to describe his first two seasons in the league and Browns defensive back Pierre Desir sees it as an education.

"First two years was definitely a learning experience for me," Desir said on Thursday. "Learned what to do, learned what not to do and learned how to correct those issues and learned how to move forward."

Moving forward is key in all this. The former fourth-round pick has had an up-and-down first two seasons in the league. He was inactive during the team's first 11 games his rookie season. He appeared in the final five games of that year, starting once, and did enough at the end of that season to merit a closer look entering Year Two. 

Following an injury to starting cornerback Joe Haden in Week 3 against Oakland last season, Desir was moved into the starting left corner spot and started five of the next seven games. Things went downhill from there. He quickly fell out of favor with the coaching staff, found himself inactive in consecutive weeks as the team turned to then-rookie Charles Gaines and Johnson Bademosi, known more for his special teams acumen, to cover the position opposite veteran Tramon Williams. Desir wouldn't start again until the final game of the season. 

Desir said he wasn't frustrated by what happened last season.

"I knew there was a lot of things I needed to work on to get better to make sure I was able to play on the field," he said. "That's what I worked on in the offseason. That's what I'm going to continue to work on each day." 

Desir is doing that work from a different spot this camp, at least part of the time. He's been working along the back line of the defense, playing safety, along with his familiar cornerback position. Head coach Hue Jackson said that trying Desir there is a case of the new coaching staff searching out new spots for players to see if they might be a better fit elsewhere. 

"We like him," Jackson said. "He's long, talented, but maybe we might find a different area where he's better suited to play. He has cover skills because he's played corner quite a bit, but boy, to see him go in there and play safety, too, is exciting to me because he gives us a different element back there." 

"We are experimenting with what works best with the player, how can he maximize his talents," defensive coordinator Ray Horton said. "We're trying to give every guy on the team an opportunity to make the team. Sometimes that may be at a different position."

The Browns current safety group includes two new starters -- second-year player Ibraheim Campbell and Jordan Poyer, in his fourth year out of Oregon State. They also added veteran Rahim Moore via free agency and drafted Derrick Kindred out of TCU. 

If nothing else, Desir sees this as an opportunity to diversify his resume. 

"I always feel that the more you can do the better," he said. 

It also puts more pressure on him from a leadership standpoint. The softspoken Desir knows being a safety means he is in a spot where the entire defensive unit is looking to him. 

"You have to be the sheriff," he said, "so you have to make those calls because everyone's looking at you to know what they're doing, so you have to be a lot more vocal, which helps me as well to be able to really feel the game and understand it a little better." 

Desir said the last time he played safety was when he was a freshman in high school, so the learning curve at this level is steep. 

"When you're at corner, mainly you're one-on-one in coverage. At safety, you need to know everything that's going on on the field," he said.

Desir has to know by now that if he wants a future in the NFL, he needs to be ready to learn quickly.

-----

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Day 6 of training camp started and ended with questions about Josh McCown's future with the Browns. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- It appears Josh McCown's future with the Cleveland Browns is safe for now. ESPN's Ed Werder reported today that the Cowboys rejected the Browns' asking price for the 37-year-old quarterback.

Still, these things never really go away and Dallas might not be the only team looking for help at the quarterback position as this preseason rolls along. Mary Kay Cabot and I talked about the rumors today, talked about what the Browns should get for McCown and talked about whether they should even trade him.

Check out the video above.

When the vise of the season tightens, every team needs its veteran players to ease the pressure. Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli did that Thursday for the Indians in their win against the Twins. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians needed one thing Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field. They needed a win.

After getting beat badly by the Twins for three straight games, the Indians tapped the brakes and beat their tormentors, 9-2. What a difference one win can make.

The Indians pushed their lead back to three games in the AL Central. The Tigers finally lost, breaking an eight-game winning streak that helped shrink the Indians' lead from 7 1/2 games on July 5 to two games following Wednesday's 13-5 loss to the Twins.

This is the time of the season where a contender leans on its veterans. The Indians did that Thursday.

The Indians held a 1-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a first-inning homer by Jason Kipnis, but the Twins had the bases loaded with one out. Max Kepler sent a line drive to Rajai Davis in center field. Davis charged the ball, caught it on the run and saw Joe Mauer halfway to second base. Now Davis had a choice.

He could throw home and try to get Kurt Suzuki at the plate - Suzuki was trying to score on what he thought was a sacrifice fly - or he could throw to first, leading Carlos Santana back to the bag to try for a couple play.

"Going home is a longer throw and a more difficult throw," said Davis, 35. "My instincts told me to go to first base."

Davis made a strong throw to Santana, who forced Mauer for the third out of the inning before Suzuki touched home. The 1-0 lead was still intact.

In the bottom of the third, with two out, Francisco Lindor singled off Twins starter Hector Santiago. Mike Napoli, with homers in five straight games, followed Lindor to the plate. It was a perfect spot for Napoli, 34, to try and go deep. Instead the free-swinger kept his power genes in check and climbed out of a 0-2 hole to draw his second straight walk.

Napoli's patience brought Santana to the plate and he hit a three-run homer for a 4-0 lead.

"We did some really good things," said manager Terry Francona. "Nap worked the 0-2 count to a walk to allow Carlos to hit. Then Rajai's play in center was huge. He's got the wherewithal to see it and Carlos to be alive enough to be there (first base). I thought that helped change the game also."

Ballplayers know when the vise of the season is tightening. The difference between a veteran and an untested player is that the vise does not feel as tight to them. They can step back and tell their teammates to take a deep breath because all it takes is one win for the storm to pass or at least subside.

The Indians entered the seventh inning with a 4-2 lead. It was not safe.

In the four-game series, the Twins outscored the Indians, 37-25. They hit .357 (55-for-154) as a team with 12 doubles, four triples and 10 homers. The Twins did that against the best pitching staff in the AL so a two-run lead was as sturdy as a feather in the wind.

Davis decided to make it bigger.

He singled with two out in the seventh. With Kipnis batting, he stole second and third base. The Twins did not contest his steal of third.

From there, Davis scored on a wild pitch by Michael Tonkin.

"I'm thinking about scoring," said Davis, 27-for-30 in steals. "If they're going to give me something there (third base), then I'm going to take it. If he bounces something there, I've got a chance to score. "

The 4-2 lead was now 5-2. In the Indians' dugout, it was time to exhale. Then Kipnis walked and Lindor hit a two-run homer. Jose Ramirez started the eighth with another homer; newcomer Brandon Guyer doubled and Davis singled him home.

Tribe add Guyer at deadline

The sky was no longer falling. The Indians, for a least one day, had caught their breath and it was not by accident.

It was the second time in franchise history that every Indians' infielder homered in the same game. It had not been done, according to STATS LCC, since June 18, 1941.

The Cowboys and Browns talked trade for Josh McCown Thursday, but the price was too high for Dallas, according to Ed Werder of ESPN. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns' asking price for quarterback Josh McCown is too steep for the Cowboys for now, according to a report.

The two clubs talked trade on Thursday, but the Cowboys' rejected the Browns' proposal, according to ESPN's Ed Werder.

Werder reported that the Browns prefer to keep McCown and attached a high price, one that the Cowboys aren't willing to pay at this time.

But as always in these situations, things could change at a moment's notice. If some of the Cowboys' other options fall through, they might be willing to give the Browns what they want. Other names that have surfaced in the search to replace Kellen Moore (broken fibula) include Mike Glennon, Michael Vick and Josh Freeman.

The Browns, in the mode of stockpiling picks, are likely seeking at least a third- or fourth-round pick for McCown, a 14th-year pro.

On Thursday, McCown, 37, made it clear that he wants to remain a Brown, despite the fact he grew up a Cowboys fan.

"Obviously the Cowboys, if you grew up in Texas, is near and dear to everybody's heart,'' McCown said. "But once you cross over into the business portion of this life, those allegiances kind of fly out the window and you have a job to do.

"For me, my job and my heart is here and doing everything I can to help the Cleveland Browns be good. So that's what I'm about. And like I've told you guys before, you spend five minutes in this city and it's easy to be all-in, because of how the people feel about this team.''

Likewise, the Browns are happy he's still here and that he wants to remain with the team. McCown has had a tremendous impact on Robert Griffin III, both from a leadership and football standpoint. He's also mentored backup quarterbacks Cody Kessler and Austin Davis, and just about everyone else on the team.

"There's nothing to it as far as we're concerned,'' coach Hue Jackson said after practice. "I've heard about it. But I feel good that he's here. He's a Cleveland Brown, and I know nothing else about the other part of it."

Jackson was happy to hear that McCown is eager to remain in Cleveland and not clamoring to play for his hometown team, where most of his extended family lives. Had McCown pushed for the trade, the Browns might have tried to accommodate him.

"Hopefully we've created an environment for all of our players to really want to be here whether it's in the quarterback room, running back, tight end, defensive backs, anywhere because again I think this is a tremendous opportunity for any football player with our ownership, with Dee and Jimmy (Haslam) and Sashi (Brown) and the rest of our executive group and myself. I would hope that this is somewhere that a lot of players want to be and want to stay."

Josh McCown: 'My focus and my heart are here'

The Browns like McCown for more than just his mentorship ability. If Robert Griffin III gets injured, he can step in and run the offense effectively. 

Last season, he finished 14th in the NFL with a 93.3 rating before a season-ending broken collarbone. He became the first Browns quarterback to throw for 300 yards in three straight games, and set the single game club record with 457 yards passing.

He went 1-7 on a horrible Browns team, but wasn't the reason they lost. He had no running game to speak of for the first 12 games, and an underperforming defense.

But the Browns are also high on third-round pick Cody Kessler, and if they feel he's ready to play, they might be more willing to part with McCown. The problem is, they won't know for sure how prepared he is until he sees significant action in a preseason game. The first one is Aug. 12 in Green Bay.

"Man, they're working their tails off and they're improving,'' McCown said of Kessler and Davis. "Especially for Cody. Austin's been through it now a few times where he's learning offenses but they're asking all the right questions. What you want to see is some consistent improvement every day and you certainly see that with those two guys for sure.''

The Browns, under no pressure to deal McCown, might also get a better offer later in the preseason or early in the season if a starter goes down. So there's no reason to settle for less than their asking price at this point.

The Browns kicking competition is real; Ray Horton wants to try guys everywhere; and puppies are getting adopted.

BEREA, Ohio -- One of the tools the Browns are using to improve their kicking game this season sounds like a character that Pixar would think up if they were making a football movie. 

"We take our net out there. We call it Ivan, Ivan the Terrible," special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. 

Ivan exists to correct the problem that kicker Travis Coons had last season -- getting enough height on the ball to not get it blocked. During practices in 2015, Tabor had linemen holding brooms while Coons kicked. 

"What we did is we took (defensive lineman) Des Bryant, and he got as tall as he could and we made (the net) the perfect height," Tabor said. "Then we've backed it up as if we have kind of got knocked back a little bit and kind of put it in the worst case scenario that we can, but his lift has been really good." 

In case Ivan isn't enough of a challenge for Coons, the Browns brought in a real person to challenge him, Patrick Murray. The third-year kicker was signed at the beginning of June after spending two seasons with Tampa Bay. He made 20-of-24 field goals and 31-of-31 extra points his rookie season but spent all of 2015 on injured reserve. 

"At that position, those guys know it's about makes and misses," Tabor said. "To have a guy like Patrick come in here and compete for the job, it's a legitimate job. If he does better than what Travis does, then obviously there's talk." 

The kaleidoscope: Defensive coordinator Ray Horton found himself scrambling for answers when he heard about the season-ending injury to defensive end Desmond Bryant while Horton was on vacation.  

"Immediately, you go into survival mode, if you will," Horton said. "What do you do? How are we going to get better? What do we do?" 

Horton said that he and his staff are working to move guys around to see what they have, going so far as to call his defense a "kaleidoscope." 

"When you turn it, you're going to get a different picture," Horton said. "I want us to have guys that are interchangeable because I don't know what we're going to be yet. ... We're going to be an ever-changing defense until we find out what we do best and put the players in that position." 

Making moves: The Browns announced today that they signed fullback Robert Hughes and running back Rajion Neal and waived fullback Patrick Skov. Defensive lineman Dylan Wynn, waived Monday, went unclaimed and reverted back to the Browns injured reserve list. 

Hughes is entering his third NFL season out of Notre Dame and spent time on Arizona's practice squad last season. He has appeared in 23 games with the Cardinals and the Colts. 

Neal, officially in his first NFL season, spent time last year on the practice squads of Green Bay, Miami, Oakland and Pittsburgh. 

Absent: Three players -- defensive lineman John Hughes, offensive lineman Michael Bowie and wide receiver Marlon Moore -- were excused Thursday for personal reasons. Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end E.J. Bibbs left practice due to the heat. 

Odds and ends: Attendance at Thursday's practice was 2,319. ... During three open practices, 19 puppies have been adopted at the Browns Puppy Pound. Puppies from the Northeast Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are available for adoption at training camp practices. ... The Browns will practice on Friday night, including a scrimmage. Practice starts at 6 p.m. They will practice at Ohio Stadium in Columbus at 3 p.m. on Saturday before a day off on Sunday. 

The Indians hit four homers and Andrew Miller made an unexpected appearance in the sixth inning Thursday afternoon in a 9-2 win over the Twins. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When the Indians traded for Andrew Miller on Sunday, it was assumed he'd be pitching somewhere in the late innings. Somehow, some way the eighth and ninth innings would bear his imprint.

So how did the sixth inning sneak into the equation?

Well, Professor Terry Francona has always believed that games are not always rescued in the ninth inning. So in an effort to prevent his club from getting swept by the rampaging Twins, and to try and hold off the Tigers for another day in the AL Central, he went to Miller in the sixth inning of the Tribe's 9-2 victory on Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Miller, who hadn't pitched that early in a game since 2014, retired four straight with the Tribe clinging to a 4-2 lead. Anyone who watched the Twins take a rubber hose to the Tribe's pitching staff in the first three games of this series knows exactly what hanging on means.

"I prefer not to use him that early," said Francona. "That won't have happen a lot. This was a little bit of a unique situations. Cody (Allen), Bryan Shaw and Miller were probably going to finish the game. So to wait, didn't seem to make an sense."

The Twins outscored the Indians, 35-15, while hitting .390 (48-for-123) in the first three games of the series. Those 48 hits included 11 doubles, four triples and nine homers.

Yes, the Indians pushed the game out of reach with three runs in the seventh on some daring baserunning by Rajai Davis and a two-run homer by Francisco Lindor, but the work Miller did against the Twins should not be overlooked. He ended the sixth with a strikeout of Byron Buxton. Then he retired Brian Dozer, Joe Mauer and Max Kepler in order in the seventh.

How tall an order was that?

Dozier hit his third homer in as many games in the fifth inning Thursday. Mauer was 10-for-15 in the first three games of the series. Kepler hit four homers and drove in 10 runs in the first three games.

The Indians rearranged bullpen has yet to make an appearance in a save situation, but when it does, from all indications, things should be interesting.

Rookie Mike Clevinger started for the Tribe and held the Twins to two runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. The fact that he made it that far compared to the efforts of the Tribe's first three starters in the series -- Danny Salazar (two innings), Carlos Carrasco (3 2/3 innings) and Trevor Bauer (2 2/2) -- is an accomplishment.

"After getting beat around the ballpark for three days, this definitely felt good," said Francona. "But every inning they were putting pressure on Clevinger so it wasn't like you could sit back and take a deep breath because there was traffic for five innings."

Francona said he saw improvement in Clevinger compared to his earlier promotions.

"I thought he started the game very well," said Francona. "He was locating his fastball and he was able to throw his secondary pitches to get back into a count much better than when we saw him early in the season."

Jason Kipnis gave Clevinger an early lead with a homer in the first. It was his 18th of the season, a career high. Carlos Santana (24), Lindor (13) and Jose Ramirez (six) also homered. Mike Napoli's homer streak ended at five consecutive games.

The Twins' Hector Santiago (10-5, 4.37), in his first start since being acquired from the Angels, allowed four runs in five innings in the loss.

What does it mean?

The Indians increased their lead in the AL Central from two games to three games after the Tigers lost to the visiting White Sox, 6-3, on Thursday afternoon. The Tribe said goodbye to the Twins and will not play them again until the end of August.

The Twins are 8-5 against the Indians.

The pitches

Clevinger threw 93 pitches, 54 or 58 percent for strikes. Santiago threw 99 pitches, 65 or 66 percent for strikes.

Run Rajai run

Davis singled with two out in the seventh. He stole second and third base and then scored on a wild pitch for a 5-2 lead.

Davis also made a heady play in center field.

The Twins had the bases loaded and one out against Clevinger in the third. Kepler lined out to center, but instead of throwing home, Davis threw to first, where Mauer had drifted too far off the bag, for a double play.

Better yet, the double play was completed before Kurt Suzuki could score from third to keep the Tribe's 1-0 lead intact.

Thanks for coming

The Twins and Indians drew 19,193 to Progressive Field on Thursday. Indians attendance for the season is 987,878 in 51 home dates.

First pitch was at 12:10 p.m. and the temperature was 85 degrees.

The four-game series drew 67,222.

What's next?

The Indians open a three-game series against the Yankees on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Josh Tomlin (11-3, 3.43) will open the series for the Indians against right-hander Michael Pineda (5-10, 5.13). SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 wll carry the game.

Tomlin, 3-2 in his last five decisions, is 3-2 with a 5.00 ERA in his career against the Yankees. New York's Mark Teixeira is hitting .318 (4-for-13) with two homers and three RBI against him.

Pineda, 2-1 in his last three starts, has never faced the Indians. Mike Napoli is hitting .286 (2-for-7) against him.

DMan will talk all things Cleveland sports with host Chris Fedor.

Talk Cleveland sports with Dennis Manoloff during his weekly podcast today at 12:30Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get your questions ready and join the Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks all things Cleveland sports.

DMan and I will talk about how the Indians did at the trade deadline, Browns training camp and the future of Josh McCown. We will also talk Cavaliers moves.

Jump in the comments to ask your questions and talk along with us.

At this time last year, Terrelle Pryor was an exciting thought, an athletic wonder and former quarterback trying to make the transition to wide receiver. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- At this time last year, Terrelle Pryor was an exciting thought, an athletic wonder and former quarterback trying to make the transition to wide receiver.

But a nagging hamstring injury forced him out of training camp for a brief period and caused him to miss one of the Browns' preseason games, which stymied his transformation. He was brought back during the year and had very little impact.

Pryor is again fighting for a roster spot this off-season.

Will he make it? Our Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot gives her thoughts on Pryor's chances of earning a roster spot and which wideout could be in the most danger.

Watch the video above.

There looks to be way a five-way battle to start at one safety spot.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A breakdown of the position battles for the starting safety spots in the Ohio State secondary. 

WHO WILL WIN THE SAFETY JOBS?

(The Buckeyes lost both starting safeties in Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell, but only one job is really open. Redshirt sophomore Malik Hooker appeared to lock down one starting spot during spring practice.)

Hooker and Booker ready to team up

Players in the mix: Damon Webb, Erick Smith, Cam Burrows, Eric Glover-Williams, Damon Arnette

What are the Buckeyes are saying?

Urban Meyer: "(Erick Smith) is ready to go, he looks ready to go, he's running around full speed. Damon Arnette is a guy who may move to safety. He might be one of our best 11 (defensive players). Damon Webb, that's a street fight right now. There's about five guys - it's a free-for-all. Cam Burrows is back healthy, it'll be interesting."

What could happen: Who knows? This should be the wildest battle in preseason camp, because it's not just two players going head-to-head for a spot. Webb, who was Ohio State's primary nickelback for parts of last season, has the most experience, but none of them have been on the field all that much.

Both Smith, who played the first five games last season before tearing his ACL, and Burrows, who played the first four games before eventually needing foot surgery, are getting back to health. And the battle goes across multiple recruiting classes.

Burrows is a fourth-year junior from the Class of 2013; Smith and Webb are juniors from the Class of 2014; and Glover-Williams and Arnette are both from the Class of 2015, Glover-Williams a sophomore who played on special teams last year and Arnette a redshirt freshman.

There was a time when the Buckeyes were thin at safety, but moving Webb, Glover-Williams and Arnette, who all came to Ohio State as cornerbacks, helped change that.

Every starting job up for grabs at Ohio State fall camp

THE CHOICE

This is a spot where the Buckeyes could lean toward the steadiest player in the fight, not the one who flashes big plays. On that choice at any position, Meyer said it "depends on the team ... depends on the guys around him," but safety may be a place to play it safe.

It's tempting to say this may come down to Webb vs. Smith, with Webb maybe a step ahead because he's not coming off an injury. But this battle is probably bigger than that.

Other battles:

Offensive line

VOTE

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Mid-season roster turnover has taken a toll on the Lake County Captains: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --It really is a tale of two halves for the Lake County Captains, the Cleveland Indians Class A affiliate.

The Captains challenged for a Midwest League first-half playoff spot before falling short in the final game of the half. But since that time, several regulars have been promoted to High-A Lynchburg, including three of the team's four All-Star representatives - 2B Tyler Krieger, C Francisco Mejia and LHP Tom Pannone. Other starters promoted were OF Connor Marabell, OF Nathan Lukes, RHP Jared Robinson, RHP Matt Esparza and RHP Brock Hartson.

The Captains are 16-23 in the second half, 10 games out of first.

Hot at the top: Since moving into the leadoff position in mid-July, Captains shortstop Willi Castro is hitting .315 over 17 games. In that span he has two homers, five doubles, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored. He hit .252 in 72 games batting in the second position. He is hitting .259 overall.

Welcome aboard: Newcomers Jodd Carter and Juan De La Cruz have made a good first impression since joining the Captains near the end of July. In eight games, OF Carter is hitting .406 (13-for-32) with two doubles and five runs scored. He hit .242 in 28 games at Mahoning Valley and .333 in two games at Lynchburg. First baseman De La Cruz is hitting .367 (11-for-30) with three doubles and five RBI in eight games with the Captains. He batted .138 in 14 games with Lynchburg.

Shane shines: Righthander Casey Shane had his best start of the season Wednesday, holding Great Lakes to one run and one hit over seven innings in what became an 8-2 Captains win. He retired the last 13 batters he faced. It was Shane's first victory since May 28. On the season he's 6-9 with a 4.79 ERA.

Captains update: The Captains return home Saturday to start a four-game homestand against Dayton. Saturday is "Cleveland Sports History Night" and will feature Eastlake native and UCF champion Stipe Miocic plus the NBA Larry O'Brien trophy. The game begins at 7.

• Captains stats
• Captains schedule

The Akron RubberDucks only have one player hitting above .259 on the roster as the team has now lost 12 of its last 13 games: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What had the look of a potentially magical season for the Akron RubberDucks has withered down to the dog days of August. The Ducks have lost 12 of their last 13 going into a weekend road series at Portland and just can't seem to slow the downward spiral. The latest loss came with Michael Peoples on the mound, and he had not lost a game since July 8.

The problem is simple, there are very few hitters in the lineup. Nobody on the roster is hitting anywhere close to .300. And after newcomer Greg Allen, nobody on the team is hitting above .259. The power numbers are there for Nellie Rodriguez (19 homers), but he hasn't homered since July 14. That's a streak of 18 games.

Greg Allen's impact: With outfielders Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier moved to AAA after the all-star break (and Frazier later traded), Allen (2014, sixth round) has moved up from Lynchburg and is making his presence felt. The switch-hitting outfielder is hitting a solid .282 in his nine games with the RubberDucks with a double, two homers and six RBI already. A noted speedster, Allen has recorded only one stolen base and one walk in the nine games.

Spotlight on the backstop: With catcher Francisco Mejia blazing a record-breaking trail in Lynchburg, one has to wonder which catcher becomes the odd man out when the sweet-swinging Mejia, now with a 46-game hitting streak, is inevitably moved up a grade.

Daniel Salters (2015, 13th round) has the prototype size (6-3, 210) but is only hitting .214 in 25 games with the Ducks. Jeremy Lucas (2012, 12th round) has the reputation for strong work with a pitching staff to go with his .253 average and occasional (10 homers) power. But will that be enough?

• RubberDucks stats
• RubberDucks schedule

Francisco Mejia of the Lynchburg Hillcats extended his hitting streak to 46 games in dramatic style on Thursday: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It seems nothing can stop Francisco Mejia from hitting. Not pitchers and certainly not trade rumors and speculation.

Just last weekend it appeared as if the Cleveland Indians had traded their prized catching prospect to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Jonathan Lucroy deal. But Lucroy nixed the trade, so Mejia is still with the Lynchburg Hillcats. 

And he's still hitting. Mejia's hit streak reached 46 games Thursday night when he doubled in the ninth inning with two strikes on him in his fifth at bat during Lynchburg's 7-3 win over Salem. 

It was the most dramatic game in his streak, the first time he needed five at bats to extend. He fouled off four pitches before taking a ball to even the count at 2-2, then he doubled down the right-field line.

His streak is now tied for the seventh-longest in minor league history and it's the longest since 1954.

Mejia, a switch-hitter, is batting .337 with five doubles, two homers and 20 RBI in 22 games with Lynchburg. He started his streak with the Lake County Captains (24 games) and hit .347 with 17 doubles, three triples, seven homers and 51 RBI in 60 games.

The Domincan Republic native is just 20.

Power plus: Bobby Bradley (2014, third round) continues to pound the ball. Bradley hits his league-leading 21st home run Thursday. It also gave Bradley a league-leading 82 RBI. His average has fallen to .248 and he's hit just .150 in his last 10 games. He also has struck out 133 times in 102 games.

The Hillcats now have 105 home runs as a team, which puts them on pace for a team-record 132.

Hillcats update: Lynchburg is 31 games above .500 (71-40) to match the high-water mark of the season. ... Lynchburg improved to a league-best 54-12 (.818) when scoring the first run of the game.

• Hillcats stats
• Hillcats schedule

DMan talks all things Cleveland sports with host Chris Fedor.

(To have this podcast delivered straight to your mobile phone or device, subscribe to our iTunes channel.)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Did the Indians' chances of winning the American League increase or decrease at the trade deadline? Should the Browns trade Josh McCown?

Dennis Manoloff discussed all of that with host Chris Fedor on Friday during our weekly podcast.

Among the other topics discussed:

Andrew Miller's role.

Hue Jackson's chances of turning Robert Griffin III around. 

Why the Tigers should be favored to win the Central.

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player above.

Be sure to follow DMan on Twitter.

The shuttle between Cleveland and Class AAA continued Friday. Shawn Morimando and Michael Martinez were added to the 25-man roster, while Ryan Merritt, Erik Gonzalez optioned to Trple-A. Morimando was recalled and Martinez was claimed on waivers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians keep moving the pieces on their big league roster.

Left-hander Shawn Morimando was recalled Friday from Class AAA Columbus and utility man Michael Martinez was officially added to the roster after being claimed on waivers from Boston. To create space for Morimando and Martinez, the Indians optioned left-hander Ryan Merrit and utility man Erik Gonzalez to Columbus.

Morimando, 23, made his big league debut on July 2 in Toronto after the Indians played a 19-inning game the previous night. Morimando, who leads all Indians minor leaguers with a 2.89 ERA, started the season at Class AA Akron. After being optioned by the Indians following his appearance against Toronto, he reported to Columbus and has gone 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA in five starts.

He has not allowed a run over his last two starts, covering 13 innings.

The Indians claimed Martinez on waivers Thursday after trading him to Boston on July 8. When they added Morimando to the roster on July 2, Martinez was designated for assignment to make room. Now they're both back with the Tribe.

Merritt was recalled Thursday and pitched one inning in the Tribe's 9-2 win over the Twins.

Gonzalez was recalled on July 14 from Columbus. The Indians see him as a utility man in training. He played right field, second base, third base and shortstop for the Tribe.

EA Sports already released who the top 10-rated rookies will be in July, and Bosa and Elliott were on the list. The rest of the ratings were released on Friday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State will start fall camp this weekend with the hopes of finding some way to replace perhaps the most impressive group of departing players in program history. 

The NFL is a different game. 

And the video game that depicts that game -- EA Sports' Madden NFL franchise -- isn't crowning any of those Ohio State rookies as elite professional players with their ratings yet. 

But a few could be the next big thing, which may be pretty obvious given Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott were both first-round selections. 

EA Sports already released who the top 10-rated rookies will be in July, and Bosa and Elliott were on the list. Elliott, the No. 4 overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys, is the highest-rated Buckeye at 80 overall. Bosa, who was picked a selection before Elliott by the San Diego Chargers at No. 3, is a 79. 

But what about the rest of the rookies? Their ratings, along with everyone else in the game, were revealed Friday. 

* Eli Apple: 76 (Best skill: 92, speed) 

* Taylor Decker: 76 (Best skill: 90, strength) 

* Darron Lee: 73 (Best skill: 89, agility) 

* Vonn Bell: 71 (Best skill: 89, acceleration) 

* Braxton Miller: 71 (Best skill: 94, agility) 

* Michael Thomas: 70 (Best skill: 91, agility) 

* Adolphus Washington: 70 (Best skill: 83, acceleration) 

* Nick Vannett: 70 (Best skill: 83, acceleration) 

* Joshua Perry: 66 (Best skill: 86, acceleration) 

* Cardale Jones: 66 (Best skill: 85, acceleration) 

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The charges, both first-degree misdemeanors, were filed in the Franklin County Municipal Court and carry a penalty of six months in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A warrant for the arrest of former Ohio State running back Brio'nte Dunn was issued Friday after being charged with domestic violence and assault, according to the Columbus Dispatch. 

According to The Dispatch, the charges, both first-degree misdemeanors, were filed in the Franklin County Municipal Court and carry a penalty of six months in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000.  

Dunn was involved in an altercation with his girlfriend on July 17, one during which his girlfriend called 911. Urban Meyer dismissed the fifth-year senior from the team the following day. 

In the past, Ohio State has kicked players off the team for similar issues but welcomed them back if charges were dropped. But Meyer dismissed the possibility with Dunn at Big Ten Media Days early last week.

Violence against women is against one of Ohio State's core program values. 

Dunn had 14 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown last year. 

Hear the 911 call from from Bri'onte Dunn's girlfriend

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The Indians make their first and last visit to Yankees Stadium this season for a three-game series starting Friday night.

NEW YORK -- The Indians and Yankees open a three-game series Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

Game 107: Indians (61-45) vs. Yankees (54-54).

First pitch: 7:05 p.m.

Broadcast info: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, Indians Radio Network

Pitching matchup: RHP Josh Tomlin (11-3, 3.43) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (5-10, 5.13).

Fact du jour: The Indians have not lost more than three straight games all season.

Columbus Clippers Giovanny Urshela and Yandy Diaz both extended hitting streaks on Thursday: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Francisco Mejia is not the only streaker in the Cleveland Indians minor league system. Giovanny Urshela and Yandy Diaz are both on extended runs for the Class AAA Columbus Clippers.

Mejia has a 46-game hitting streak through Thursday at Advanced-A Lynchburg.

Diaz pushed his streak to 23 games with a two-run single in the Clippers' 9-7 victory Thursday over Indianapolis.

Urshela had an RBI double in the game to extend his streak to 18 games. He had another double late in the game that drove in the winning run.

Both players have been discussed for possible promotion to the Indians, although that talk has quieted some after the trade deadline moves.

Diaz is hitting .439 in his streak and has his season average up to .343 with 5 homers and 31 RBI in 72 games with the Clippers. He hit .286 in 26 games at Akron. He's now played 34 games in the outfield with the Clippers after moving off third base when Urshela returned from injury.

Urshela is hitting .333 in his last 10 games and has his season average up to .266. He has 7 homers and 40 RBI in 90 games.

Good start: Bradley Zimmer is hitting .306 in his first 10 games with the Clippers. He has 1 homer and 2 RBI, although he has struck out 11 times. He has three multiple-hit games, including a 3-for-4 effort with his first homer vs. Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Zimmer hit .253 with 14 homers and 53 RBI in 93 games with Class AA Akron.

It's catchy:  Indians catcher aren't alone in their hitting woes. Over the last 12 games, Clippers catchers Adam Moore and Guillermo Quiroz has combined to hit .148 (8-for-54) with no home runs. The last homer for Moore was on July 21 and the last for Quiroz on July 17). Since starting a series at Charlotte on July 29, they have combined to bat .097 (3-for-31) and left 22 runners on base.

Clippers update: Columbus (62-51) has a five-game lead over second-place Indianapolis in the International League West Division. ... Louisville is in third place, seven games back. ... The Clippers open a four-game set in Louisville on Friday night. They then play three games at Toledo beginning Tuesday, and return home to host Syracuse next Friday.

• Clippers stats
• Clippers schedule