Chicago rallied for five runs in the ninth inning Wednesday against closer Cody Allen, but did they have some help?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - There was speculation that Todd Frazier might have been relaying the Indians' signs to Chicago hitters Thursday night while he was standing on second base in the ninth inning.

"They seemed to be taking some good swings off Cody (Allen) and taking some good pitches," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "When I went out to see Cody, we talked about it and changed the signs."

The White Sox rallied for a 10-7 victory over the Indians by sending eight men to the plate in the ninth inning and scoring five runs. Adam Eaton's grand slam off Allen was the game-winning hit.

Callaway said the Indians did the same thing earlier in the game when starter Carlos Carrasco would get a runner on second base.

Manager Terry Francona, when told of the speculation, said, "If it's on the Internet, you know if has to be true. I think a lot of that goes on - more than people realize. Just because it gets written about doesn't mean you react all of a sudden.

"We watch for that stuff all the time. Teams watch us. We watch them. It's common. Some teams are better at it than others."

Francona said his goal for giving signs to his players is to keep them simple enough that they understand them, but complicated enough that the opposition can't intercept them.

"The worst thing is when your guys don't know what's going on," said Francona. "Often times simplicity is better than when you get real crazy."

Tomlin update: Look for Josh Tomlin to rejoin the Indians on Friday and start against Toronto on Saturday night at Progressive Field.

The Indians placed Tomlin on the Family Medical Emergency List on Wednesday when he went home to Texas to tend to a family matter.

Tribe puts Tomlin on Family Medical Emergency list

"I told him that he has our blessing, all of us, if he's not comfortable coming back to let us know," said Francona. "As of right now he's planning on coming back Friday."

Danny Salazar, Thursday night's starter, was activated before the game. He took Tomlin's spot on the 25-man roster.

Good idea: Francona started seriously thinking about hitting Carlos Santana in the leadoff spot in spring training. The thoughts turned into action as Santana hit leadoff during Cactus League play.

But would he do it in the regular season?

It took a while, but on April 22 Francona rolled Santana out as the Tribe's leadoff hitter. Santana celebrated by hitting a homer off Justin Verlander in his first at-bat in his new role.

Santana has started five games with a homer this season to tie a club record. In the third inning Wednesday night, he hit his MLB-high 14^th homer to start an inning this season.

When Santana leads off an inning, he's hitting .248 (36-for-145) with seven doubles, 14 homers, 14 RBI and a .926 OPS. It would seem Francona's idea is paying off.

Changes: MLB owners were given a presentation Thursday of changes that could be made in baseball such as pitch clocks, limiting defensive shifts and pitching changes and altering the strike zone at their quarterly meetings.

In discussing the subject Francona told reporters that the Indians player who receives the most warnings about not getting into the batter's box on time is rookie Tyler Naquin.

"We get stuff every week about (pace of game) violations and Naquin is our worst offender," said Francona. "It's just for getting to the box late and wandering around."

Francona predicted that in the future there could be a limit on how long a team can take to challenge an umpire's call on the field.

"At some point you'd think they'd put a 30-second limit or whatever on it," he said. "It does seem to lag at times. If we're putting that split-second decision on the umpires, we shouldn't have all day to make up our mind."

Finally: Michael Brantley, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery Monday in Dallas, has already returned to Cleveland. ... The Indians honored Cleveland's RBI senior girls softball team who finished second to the Dominican Republic in the softball World Series in Cincinnati before Thursday's game. Francisco Lindor did an autograph session for the team. John Carter, former Tribe minor league pitcher, is one of their coaches. ... Lindor is hitting .356 (79-for-222) at Progressive Field. It is the top home batting average in the AL.

The Browns and Falcons played on Thursday night. Here's a timelapse of pregame festivities. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons played on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. It was the second preseason game for both teams.

Check out a timelapse of the pregame festivities from the stadium. It starts about 45 minutes prior to kickoff and features warmups, player introductions, appearances by Chomps and the Elf (try and spot them) and, of course, the national anthem. Oh, and some people walking in front of the camera.

Get complete coverage of the game tonight and Friday from Mary Kay Cabot, Scott Patsko and me at cleveland.com/browns.

RG3 threw his first touchdown pass as a Brown on Thursday against the Falcons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It took four drives, but Robert Griffin III finally threw a touchdown pass for the Browns.

Griffin and the Browns' first-team offense was scoreless last week in Green Bay, but the unit reached the end zone Thursday in their second series against the Falcons.

Griffin threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Terrelle Pryor on a play very similar to the Browns' first offensive play last week against the Packers. Pryor beat his defender down the home sideline and jogged into the end zone to tie the game 7-7 with 7:45 left in the first quarter.

.@RGIII finds @TerrellePryor for a 50-yard TD!#ATLvsCLEhttps://t.co/EtrBkViXZT

-- Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 19, 2016

Check out this touchdown catch by Browns tight end Gary Barnidge.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - After you catch a touchdown pass mostly with your butt, it's hard to impress. But Browns tight end Gary Barnidge still manages.

On Thursday, Barnidge had a finger-tip catch along the sideline from Robert Griffin III, then dove into the end zone to give the Browns a second-quarter lead against the Falcons.

Barnidge finished the first half with two catches for 26 yards. The Browns led the Falcons 13-10 at halftime.

.@garybarnidge doing Gary Barnidge things.#ATLvsCLEhttps://t.co/lSslV9KYzw

-- Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 19, 2016

What grade would you give Robert Griffin III after his performance against the Falcons?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fans got to see more of Robert Griffin III in Thursday's preseason game against the Falcons. The first home game of the year for the Browns featured the No. 1 offense playing into the second quarter.

Griffin was on the field for four drives in the first half. He was 6-of-8 passing for 96 yards and touchdown passes to Terrelle Pryor (50 yards) and Gary Barnidge (29 yards). He was not intercepted.

Griffin also rushed three times for 36 yards, with a long run of 22 yards.

A number of wide receivers were watching from sideline due to injury. Corey Coleman, Andrew Hawkins, Josh Gordon, Dennis Parks and Ricardo Louis did not play.

Eleven plays last week against the Packers were enough for 46 percent of voters to say Griffin's play was satisfactory.

How would you grade Griffin's performance against the Falcons? Vote in the poll below, and you can explain your answer in the comments section.

Watch RG3's first TD pass as Browns QB

Robert Griffin III celebrated two touchdown passes and ran for two big gains in his debut at the lakefront Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - So even if the earth didn't quite move for you Thursday night -- as Hue Jackson said it did for him during Robert Griffin III's workout a few months ago -- the chains certainly did.

For all of you watching at home - and judging by the lakefront crowd that's most of you -- Griffin's Cleveland debut was an enticement that suggested the season opener in Philadelphia might not leave you cursing yourself for sitting inside on an otherwise perfect late summer day after all.

We saw more of the RG3 package than we saw in Green Bay last week: a beautiful touch on two long touchdown passes, patience in checking down and in throwing one away into the third row. But also a glimpse of the open-field sprinter who gashed defenses as a rookie.

Griffin finished 6-of-8 for 96 yards and two TDs. He rushed for 36 yards. One was a designed run for 22, another turned 14 yards up field when nothing better presented itself. (Think Johnny Manziel with gobs more speed and a much clearer head.)

It's only August. NFL defenses don't dial up much this time of year. But it's also Hue "Trust Me" Jackson's first August as Browns head coach, so we can fairly award Thursday night more weight as early evidence why Jackson wanted to whisper into the earhole of a quarterback who didn't take a single snap in 2015.

RG3's "goodnight everybody" moment could've been a 29-yard rainbow to Gary Barnidge over traffic at the pylon after finding Terrelle Pryor loose for a 50-yard score earlier.

The only problem is he played on. The next series was a sobering reminder of how much the Browns will be asking of an offensive line missing Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz. Granted, Joe Thomas also missed this game.

Center Cam Erving's misfired shotgun snap had more hang time than some punts. A missed assignment on the next play exposed RG3 to an unblocked sack.

The reading-defenses, staying-healthy part of the schedule begins in September. But in a city jazzed over the Cavs and getting there over the Indians, even the earliest hint of progress is important for this new regime and for the new head coach and his quarterback reclamation project.

If you let your mind wander to Week 5 and Josh Gordon's possible return, and allow yourself to project the best of Corey Coleman's training camp into the regular season, things don't seem so bleak.

But try not to do that for your own sanity. For one thing, Week 5 brings Tom Brady and the Patriots. For another, we should know by now not to put much trust in the preseason.

The argument all along has been that if Hue Jackson truly threw his QB job open to competition, Josh McCown would be his starter. The same McCown who's been successful only if you don't count wins.

Thursday suggested it not only made sense to go with RG3 to see what Jackson can get out of him, but that they're might be something actually worth getting excited about.

The Indians tracked the White Sox relentlessly Thursday night before beating them in the ninth inning, 5-4, for the sixth walk-off win of the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are hoping Danny Salazar did his best pitching in the bullpen Thursday night because he certainly didn't do it in the game.

Salazar, fresh off the disabled list, looked out of sorts and out of whack as he lasted just one inning against the White Sox in an appearance that would suggest he wasn't ready to be activated or that he needed at least one rehab start after going on the disabled list Aug. 2 with a sore right elbow.

The Indians, despite Salazar's false start, rallied to beat the White Sox, 5-4, on Tyler Naquin's sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. It was the Tribe's sixth walk-off win of the season.

Abraham Almonte started the ninth with a double off Jacob Turner. Roberto Perez was at the plate when catcher Dioner Navarro couldn't handle Turner's next pitch for a passed ball as Almonte advanced to third. Manager Terry Francona sent Naquin up to pinch hit for Perez and he laced a sacrifice fly to center on the first pitch he saw.

"I've never been a part of something like that," said Naquin, when asked about pinch-hitting for Perez. "I thought they might send me up there to bunt (for Perez). 

"But then there was the passed ball, but I saw Tito talking to Millsie (bench coach Brad Mills) and I said, 'Oh, no.'"

After walking three of the first four hitters he faced, Salazar gave up a three-run double off the left field wall to Justin Morneau. By that time Francona had double-barrel action in the bullpen with lefty Kyle Crockett and righty Mike Clevinger.

Salazar retired the next two batters, but his night was over. . .at least in the boxscore. He then went to the bullpen and started throwing again as if it was a spring training game and he was trying to build arm strength while reaching his pitch limit.

"I was wild," said Salazar. "I couldn't find my release point."

Salazar, who was hitting 96 and 97 mph, said he was healthy.

The Indians spent most of the night trying to negate Chicago's early lead, but Carlos Rodon did not make it easy.

Jose Ramirez made it a 3-1 game with an RBI single in the fifth following Carlos Santana's leadoff double. It brought Ramirez's batting average with runners in scoring position to .383 (38-for-99) .

The Indians made it 3-2 in the sixth as Perez scored on Francisco Lindor's single to right. The Tribe was not fortunate in the sixth.

Perez opened the inning with a single and should have scored on Jason Kipnis' double to the wall in left center. But the ball got stuck in the wall and was ruled a ground rule double, meaning Perez had to stay at third.

The Indians still had a chance for a big inning with Kipnis at third, Lindor at first and one out. But Rodon struck out Mike Napoli and hit Santana with a pitch to load the bases. Ramirez, who came into the game hitting .500 (3-for-6) with the bases loaded, sent a hard grounder to the hole at short.

Rookie Tim Anderson made a nice pick and throw to get Ramirez on a close play at first to end the inning.

Chicago pushed the lead to 4-2 with a run in the seventh on catcher Omar Narvaez's single to score Anderson from third. Anderson opened the inning with a double off Clevinger, who pitched four strong innings in relief.

The Indians, however, would not stop scoring.

Rajai Davis made it 4-3 game with a two-out double in the seventh. In the eighth, Napoli walked and Ramirez delivered him with a two-out single to right to tie the score at 4. Forty-two of Ramirez's 53 RBI have come with a runner in scoring position.

That set the stage for the ninth.

The win went to lefty Andrew Miller (7-1), who pitched a scoreless ninth. It was Miller's first win as an Indian.

What it means

The Indians maintained their six-game lead in the AL Central over Detroit. The Tigers beat Boston on Thursday afternoon.

The Indians are 6-2 on this 11-game homestand. They are 9-3 against the White Sox this season.

The pitches

Carrasco threw 34 pitches, 16 or 47 percent for strikes. Rodon threw 100 pitches, 61 or 61 percent for strikes.

Double your pain

Through the first five innings, the Indians hit into four double plays. Napoli, Ramirez, Lindor and Brandon Guyer did the honors.

Thanks for coming

The White Sox and Indians drew 12,982 to Progressive Field on Thursday night. The Indians' attendance this season is 1,141,320 for 59 home dates.

Last season the Tribe's attendance after 59 home dates was 1,085,497.

First pitch was at 7:10 p.m. and the temperature was 79 degrees.

What's next?

The Indians open a three-game series against Toronto on Friday night at Progressive Field. It will be a meeting of first-place teams with the Blue Jays atop the AL East and the Indians on top of the AL Central.

Tribe right-hander Trevor Bauer (9-5, 3.97) will open the series against lefty Francisco Liriano (6-12, 5.46) at 7:10. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 wll carry the game.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III had a very promising second preseason game Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons, showing a strong arm and quick feet.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Now we know why Hue Jackson is intrigued with Robert Griffin III.

The Browns' Griffin experiment is still in the early stages, but the quarterback showed enough in Thursday's 24-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at FirstEnergy Stadium that fans should be excited to see more.

Griffin's job is not on the line in the preseason. Jackson wisely treated him like the starter from the moment he was signed, and then gave him the job officially early in veterans training camp.

That's how you do it. You pick a quarterback and make sure that you treat him as your main guy ... until he's not. Build as much continuity as possible. And if you're a Browns fan -- or coach -- you want to have a reason to believe Griffin can do a credible job as quarterback.

Two touchdown passes later...

Doesn't that sound good? Especially when one of those throws was a beautiful 50-yard strike to Terrelle Pryor. Another was a superb 29-yard lob down the right sideline to Gary Barnidge. The tight end made an excellent catch, but the pass also was in the right spot. It was a nice spiral thrown where only Barnidge could catch it.

After two preseason games and three quarters, this much is evident: Griffin has a strong arm. His first pass of the preseason was a 49-yarder to Pryor in the loss to Green Bay.

Think about that for a moment. Pryor has caught a 50-yard pass and a 49-yarder from Griffin. Jackson's other experiment -- Pryor the receiver -- shows real promise.

It was Jackson's idea to turn the former Ohio State quarterback into a wide receiver. That was early in 2015 when Pryor was in camp with Cincinnati, where Jackson was the offensive coordinator. Pryor didn't make the Bengals, but Jackson was anxious to have another training camp with him.

Pryor looks like the real thing as a big-play threat.

There obviously is an asterisk next to everything Griffin does because the defenses are very bland, not much in the way of blitzing. But you have to be in total denial to simply dismiss what Jackson can do with an elite athlete such as Griffin.

Twice, Griffin dropped back to pass and then saw the defense break down. He bolted once for 22 yards and sprinted another time for 14 yards. Both times, he slid before he was tackled, something the Browns have been demanding. They want to keep him healthy.

There are some weaknesses in his game. He tends to focus on his first receiver. He still needs to deliver the ball a little faster on some short pass plays. But there are many reasons to be encouraged.

Griffin was 6-of-8 for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, it's the preseason -- but it's also real football where the quarterback is being tackled and tested.

So far, Griffin is passing this test very well -- with his arm and legs.

Nellie Rodriguez hits a homer and has three RBI.

Nellie RodriguezAkron RubberDucks 

TRENTON, New Jersey -- Akron right-hander Michael Peoples pitched six scoreless innings, retiring 10 in a row, while Nellie Rodriguez drove in three runs Thursday as the RubberDucks defeated the Thunder, 5-0.

The RubberDucks only had six hits, but Rodriguez had two of them, and he made them count.

Leading, 1-0, in the third inning, Todd Hankins led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from Greg Allen. With one out, Jordan Smith walked, then Rodriguez made it 4-0 with a two-run homer to center field.

Rodriguez brought in the RubberDucks first run in the first inning with an RBI single.

Peoples (9-6, 3.89 ERA) gave up four hits, struck out five and walked two in six innings. Robbie Aviles pitched two innings and Casey Weathers one of scoreless, hitless relief.

Akron (63-60) has won five in a row and is now tied for second place in the Western Division of the Class AA Eastern League, five games behind the Altoona Curve.

Go here to see a box score from the game.

The Browns offense showed up on Thursday night, and everyone can breathe easy for now.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You know what Hue Jackson and Robert Griffin III seem to really understand? They have guys that can go catch the deep ball. Three long touchdown passes in two preseason games for the starters. That's not too shabby.

If you were wondering if Terrelle Pryor really had taken a step forward as a receiver, you got your answer when he caught a touchdown pass over Desmond Trufant. It's also a stark reminder that Mike Pettine and his offensive staff had no use for this guy.

We also got a glimpse of Gary Barnidge making a beautiful catch down the right sideline for a touchdown. It was good to see for any number of reasons, not the least of which was Barnidge making a big play.

It's not hard to let your mind wander to what will happen when Corey Coleman gets back. Talk about a downfield threat.

It's only preseason game No. 2, but it went much better than preseason game No. 1 and that means we can all take a sigh of relief in regards to the Browns offense, at least for now.

Tyrelle Pryor just ran by a guy who ran a legit 4.36[?] [?] [?] https://t.co/MJ7ExBeguQ

-- NFL Draft Insider (@NFLDraftInsider) August 19, 2016

Here are more of my instant observations from Thursday night's game:

* Third down is a real problem for the defense. The Falcons converted three on their opening drive, including Devonta Freeman's 19-yard touchdown run. The Falcons' first-teamers failed to convert their final two, but the last one was a clear drop by Nick Williams on a good ball from Matt Ryan. There were some real flashbacks to third downs from a year ago.

* I don't know when it's time to start worrying about Danny Shelton, but the first two preseason games haven't been encouraging.

* Same goes for Cam Erving. If Griffin's your quarterback, you better have a guy that can snap the ball in the shotgun at center.

* Cam Johnson got snaps outside before Barkevious Mingo. Dominique Alexander and Tank Carder got them inside before Mingo. That's not good for Mingo.

* If you're scoring at home, Mingo got in at inside linebacker at the end of the third quarter.

* If you're still scoring at home, Mingo started making plays, too. Got through the line on a run and had a tackle for loss. Then he had a pass defended. Of course, I would hope a first-round pick could perform well in the fourth quarter of a preseason game.

* It's really nice to see Carl Nassib making plays. He was one of the draft picks I wasn't completely sold on after the spring, but he's been good so far in the preseason.

* Generally speaking, it's good to see young players making plays in the preseason. Derrick Kindred did a nice job in spots, too.

-----

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Tyler Naquin's sacrifice fly in the ninth inning gave the Cleveland Indians a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night in Cleveland. Abraham Almonte scored.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tyler Naquin's sacrifice fly drove in Abraham Almonte in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians walked-off the Chicago White Sox, 5-4, Thursday night at Progressive Field. Tribe reliever Mike Clevinger allowed one run in four ginormous innings.

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

Staying hot: The first-place Indians (69-50) won two of three in the series and have won six of eight overall.

Compartmentalizing: The Indians rebounded from a particularly painful loss the previous night, when Adam Eaton's grand slam capped a five-run ninth inning as the White Sox prevailed, 10-7.

Scratching and clawing: The Tribe rallied from deficits of 3-0 after one inning -- against lefty Carlos Rodon, no less -- 4-2 after 6 1/2.

One at a time: The Indians scored once in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Overcoming themselves: The Tribe won despite grounding into three double plays and lining into one.

Walk this way: Almonte led off the ninth with a double to right-center off righty reliever Jacob Turner. With Roberto Perez showing sacrifice bunt, Turner threw a high pitch that popped out of catcher Dioner Navarro's mitt. Almonte scooted to third on the passed ball.

Perez was lifted for Tyler Naquin. After a ball, Naquin lined to left-center, where Eaton made the catch but was unable to throw out Almonte. The Indians, having employed the rare two-player at-bat, secured their sixth walkoff of the season.

Naquin's first career walkoff RBI came in his first walkoff plate appearance.

So much for that: Tribe right-hander Danny Salazar made his first start since Aug. 1, when he allowed six hits and six runs in two innings against the Twins. The Tribe lost, 12-5.

On Aug. 2, Salazar was placed on the disabled list because of elbow inflammation.

Salazar's return went like this:

Eaton walked in five pitches; Tyler Saladino walked in eight pitches; Melky Cabrera popped to left; Jose Abreu walked in five pitches; Justin Morneau hit a three-run double to left; Todd Frazier lined to right (Morneau to third); Tim Anderson struck out swinging.

Salazar was unable to throw the fastball for enough strikes against Eaton and Saladino. He missed three times with changeups against Abreu. Morneau drilled a 1-0 changeup off the left-field wall.

Salazar struck out Anderson with a good changeup -- his 34th pitch. He threw 18 balls.

Tribe manager Terry Francona was not moved by the outcome of the Anderson at-bat. Francona not only removed Salazar from the game, he signed off on Salazar going to the bullpen to get his work in, spring-training style. When lefty Kyle Crockett began the second, Salazar and Clevinger were pitching in the bullpen.

Fantastic stuff: Crockett, Clevinger and fellow relievers Dan Otero and Andrew Miller made the Tribe's comeback possible. Especially Clevinger.

Crockett worked a 1-2-3 second, all the outs coming against left-handed batters.

Clevinger took over and did not allow a hit until Jose Abreu's infield single with one out in the sixth. Clevinger struck out Morneau swinging at a low tracer and got Todd Frazier to pop to second.

Clevinger gave up a double to Tim Anderson to lead off the seventh. Otero replaced him and, after a sacrifice by J.B. Shuck, gave up an RBI single to Omar Narvaez. Eaton singled, Narvaez stopping at second. Saladino grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Otero retired the side in order in the eighth.

Miller allowed a two-out double to pinch-hitter Jason Coats in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Navarro flied to deep right-center, where center fielder Rajai Davis ran it down.

The Indians received contributions from all over, including two RBI singles by Jose Ramirez, an RBI single by Francisco Lindor and an RBI double by Davis. But this game belonged to Clevinger.

If Clevinger had not been so stingy, the Tribe likely would have lost. Clevinger did a terrific job of throwing his fastball at the knees or just below, and keeping it on the outer thirds or off the plate with a purpose.

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III threw two big TD passes --including a 50-yarder to Terrelle Pryor -- in a loss to the Falcons in the second preseason game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robert Griffin III accomplished in his second preseason game what he couldn't do in the first: score the football, as Hue Jackson likes to say.

And boy did he.

With all the dynamic flare that Jackson loves, Griffin launched a 50-yard touchdown pass to Terrelle Pryor and a 29-yard TD strike to tight end Gary Barnidge in the first half of Thursday night's 24-13 loss to the Falcons.

It was a big step forward from last week in Green Bay, when Griffin started off with a bang -- firing a 49-yard pass down the right side to Pryor -- but ended that drive with an interception on the goal-line.

In Green Bay, he came away with no points on his two drives, and against the Falcons, he threw two TD passes on his five series for a 13-10 halftime lead.

By halftime, Griffin was done, but he had an impressive pitching line to show for it: 6-of-8 for 96 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 154.2 rating.  He also rushed three times for 36 yards with a long gain of 22 -- eight more yards than Isaiah Crowell had in the first half.

On the TD to Pryor, Griffin hit Pryor in stride with a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw after he got behind Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Truant. No one's ever accused Griffin of not having an amazing long ball. It was almost all air, and Pryor skated in easily with Trufant trailing behind.

On the pass to Barnidge,  Griffin took the shotgun snap and launched into the outstretched fingertips of Barnidge at the right side of the goal-line, where he got behind Keanu Neal and dove into the end zone.

But it wasn't just the touchdown passes by Griffin that were impressive.

He had two long runs on the first play of each of his two touchdown drives, a 14-yarder on the Pryor TD and a 22-yarder on the Barnidge TD drive. What's more, he slid at the end of both runs -- something he was reluctant to do in the past.

The promising performance came with his former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan looking on. Shanahan, the former Browns offensive coordinator now with the Falcons, got the most out of Griffin when he ran a play-action, read-option offense with him as a rookie in 2012. Griffin earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors that year.

One of the most encouraging things about Griffin's performance was the fact that some of his biggest weapons were on the sidelines during the game in streetclothes. Five receivers out the game, including No. 1 pick Corey Coleman, Josh Gordon, slot receiver Andrew Hawkins and rookie Ricardo Louis.

After watching Coleman, Gordon and Pryor practice together for the first time last week, Jackson imagined the possibilities of an explosive offense.

"There are a lot of thoughts that go through my mind,'' Jackson said. "I can't tell you all of them, but they are a talented trio. We have some other guys, too, but they are [talented]. Those guys have size, they have speed, they have length, they have the ability to make plays on the ball.

"That's exciting, but we haven't had them all out there together yet really. Hopefully we can in the future and that all works out, get all these guys out there playing together for our offensive football team."

In addition, Griffin didn't have left tackle Joe Thomas (back) protecting his blindside  When everyone is healthy, the Browns have the potential to be an explosive offense.

One of the only drawbacks was a failure to convert any of his four third downs.

Terrelle Pryor called his shot

Pryor's TD catch followed last week's 49-yarder from Griffin on their opening play of the 17-11 loss to Green Bay. During the week, Pryor chose not to dwell on that catch and focus on the task ahead instead.

"(Head) Coach (Hue) Jackson always says every game that we have to get a touchdown a quarter," Pryor said at halftime according to a Browns release. "Me and (Falcons DB Desmond) Trufant, we were battling and mouthing back and forth. It was good because he hit me on the first play and it was good to get back at him. I'm a competitive guy. The Browns deserve it. The Browns fans, Dawg Pound, all they're going to get from me is energy."

Griffin and Pryor have developed tremendous chemistry, and Griffin has the gun to get him the ball. It could be a big season for the Griffin-to-Pryor express. And remember, Coleman and Gordon aren't even out there yet to take some of the coverage away.

Things to be encouraged about

* Gary Barnidge's fingertip catch was vintage Barnidge. With Griffin's big arm, it could be another exciting year for the big tight end. This season, Barnidge will have plenty of weapons around him to draw attention. But Barnidge continues to make difficult, acrobatic catches, and if he could match or exceed his total of nine touchdowns last season.

*  Third-round pick Carl Nassib had a sensational game, getting good pressure on Matt Schaub in the second quarter to force the Falcons to settle for a field goal, and strip-sacking Matt Simms in the third quarter. Nassib got some first-team reps in the first half, and undoubtedly earned more playing time with his spirited performance.

* Emmanuel Ogbah also got some playing time with the first team early on, including a turn at outside linebacker. He combined with Nassib to force the second-quarter field goal and showed good explosiveness.

* Nickelback Jamar Taylor made back-to-back plays in the third quarter to blow up a drive, including breaking up a third-down pass to Mohamed Sanu. The Browns need Taylor to start at nickelback, at least for the time being. K'waun Willliams has been told he needs ankle surgery, and is currently in a battle with the Browns over not playing in Green Bay. He's appealing his two-game suspension and one game-check fine.

* Safety Derrick Kindred broke up a pass in the end zone in the second quarter and made several other plays.

* Cornerback Justin Gilbert broke up a second-quarter pass and looked more focused than he has in the past, except for a missed tackle on a long TD run.

Things to be concerned about

* Cam Erving is still airmailing those shotgun snaps. He sailed one far over Griffin's head on the first play of a second quarter drive, and the Browns were forced to punt a few plays later. Griffin scrambled back to recover the fumble, and drew a facemask call. But it put the quarterback in undue harm's way. Other shotgun snaps were high, but Griffin fielded them cleanly. The problem is, Erving didn't shotgun snap much at Florida State, where he played in a pro-style offense.

"Snaps are snaps,'' Erving said this week. "I don't really focus on that. That's just something that happens pretty naturally. You definitely have to be locked in because the play can't start unless I get the quarterback the ball, but of course I snapped the ball in the shotgun in college. I only did it for a few games. It was never really an issue. There was a couple that were a little high, but, just bring it down, take a little bit off of it, just communication between me and the quarterback has to be on point, that's it.'''

Erving is making progress in every other way, but has to get this corrected.

* Travis Coon missed an extra point and his job is in jeopardy. Patrick Murray kicked a 46-yarder last week and is pressing him for the job. The missed chip shot didn't help his cause at all.

* The Browns' tackling was awful. On a third-quarter drive, they surrendered runs of 13 and 11 yards, and then 32 for a touchdown. Ray Horton will make the players go back to basics on tackling. They'll work against the Bucs for two days this week before their preseason clash in Tampa on Friday.

Gilbert missed a tackle on Devonta Freeman's 19-yard TD run near the goal-line.

"Defensively, we need to freshen up some things, some missed tackles," linebacker Christian Kirksey said. "We have to freshen that up, but we're flying around and getting to the ball. We held them to 78 rushing yards [in the first half]. We have to bring that down because we want to keep them under 100."

* Thanks in no small part to bad tackling, the Browns lost the time of possession battle by a mile.

* The Browns were outrushed 225 yards to 102.

"We have to stop the run better,'' Jackson said at halftime. "We did a better job on offense of taking care of the ball, but third down is still one of our Achilles' heel. Right now, we just have to work through it. We're getting better the more we understand what we're doing and the guys keep working at it."

* The Browns couldn't convert on third down, going 1-for-8 on the night.

* Fullback Malcolm Johnson whiffed on a block and allowed Griffin to be sacked for a 7-yard loss. He had no chance. Johnson might deserve a little bit of a pass because he's missed time with a concussion. But the Browns can't let Griffin to be hit like that.

Inactives

The following players did not play:  QB Austin Davis (concussion), CB Trey Caldwell (hamstring), WR Corey Coleman (hamstring), WR Josh Gordon (quad), CB Joe Haden (ankle), WR Andrew Hawkins (hamstring), DE John Hughes III (scheduled to return to practice on Sunday), DL Nile Lawrence-Stample (shoulder), WR Ricardo Louis (hamstring), WR Dennis Parks (knee), LT Joe Thomas (back), RB Glenn Winston (shoulder).

Next

Browns play in Tampa Bay Friday night at 8 p.m.

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 -- Which players stood out during the Browns' second preseason game? Who is the Indians' MVP?

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

Among the other topics discussed:

Does Corey Kluber deserve the American League Cy Young?

How much does Corey Coleman need to play in preseason?

Robert Griffin III's improvement.

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

Be sure to follow DMan on Twitter.

The club optioned Kyle Crockett to Triple-A Columbus on Friday and recalled right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Danny Salazar's one-inning cameo on Thursday night forced the Indians to add a fresh arm to their bullpen.

The club optioned Kyle Crockett to Triple-A Columbus on Friday and recalled right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong.

Crockett has appeared in three of the Tribe's last four games. Since rejoining the big-league roster after the All-Star break, the southpaw made 13 appearances, in which he posted a 2.53 ERA. In 10 2/3 innings, he allowed eight hits and issued five free passes. Overall with the Indians, he has compiled a 5.65 ERA in 24 outings this season.

Armstrong owns a 1.96 ERA in 44 appearances with the Clippers. He has pitched in a pair of games with the Indians. In 46 innings at Triple-A, he has tallied 69 strikeouts. He has limited the opposition to 26 hits, but has walked 28.

Armstrong has not allowed a run since July 1, a string of 17 scoreless outings. All but one have come for Columbus. During that stretch, he has held the opposition to seven hits and five walks -- to go along with 26 strikeouts -- across 19 innings.

The time Armstrong thought he was traded

The Indians' bullpen pieced together eight innings in relief of Salazar on Thursday. Salazar lasted one shaky inning in the 5-4 victory. He allowed three runs on one hit and three walks in his return from the disabled list. Crockett, Mike Clevinger, Dan Otero and Andrew Miller covered the remaining frames. 

Salazar's one-inning blunder

Lake County Captains are on a four-game winning streak while closing in on .500 for the season: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report 2016.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Lake County Captains are fighting and working their way back to .500 on the season, but it has not been easy. A 6-5 victory earlier this week over the Western Michigan Whitecaps only came after four hours and 49 minutes of action covering 16 innings.

There was a stretch of 11 innings from the bottom of the fifth to the bottom of the 16th when the game was scoreless.

It was the longest game of the season both in time and innings for the Captains, topping the 12-inning 4:02 game played against the Whitecaps on Aug. 1. The Captains won that game as well, 2-1.

Going into the weekend, the Captains stand at 24-28 for the second half of the season, sitting fifth in the low Class A Midwest League East Division.

'Czech' that: Catcher Martin Cervenka, 24, a product of Prague, Czechoslovakia has been on a bit of a roll the last two weeks. The 6-1, 175-pound backstop has hit .316 the last 10 games. And for the season, while hitting .276 overall, he has displayed very good bat control with just 67 strikeouts in 79 games played.

Work horse: Consider the Captains Shao-Ching Chiang the team workhorse for this season, and despite his 8-10 record, the righthander has been productive. He has a 3.89 ERA on the season in 136.1 innings pitched.

The amazing stat for Chiang is that he has only walked 21 batters this season. He has never walked more than three in a game and has only done that twice. He has pitched 12 games when he has not walked a batter.

• Captains stats
• Captains schedule

The Bowling Green Falcons have no proven contenders in the weak MAC East Division football race. Here's a look at how the East stacks up for 2016. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- To understand how weak the MAC's East Division is, recognize that the clear No. 1 team in the division, Bowling Green, has a new coach who is completely unfamiliar with the league and has no skill position starters back from a MAC Championship 2015 season.

The most likely challenger, Akron, is a yearly unknown until coach Terry Bowden gleans the transfer wires to fill in his talent gaps. Ohio is usually good enough to contend, when healthy, but starting senior QB JD Sprague recently hung up his cleats due to injury, leaving a void at that premium position for the Bobcats.

After that, Buffalo, Miami and Kent State are in perpetual rebuilding mode, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for a .500 season or better. Which brings the circle back to BG, where new coach Mike Jinks is expected to keep the Falcons playing fast and furious with a new cast of players on offense, including quarterback James Knapke, who spent the bulk of 2014 as the starting QB for the first of two straight championship seasons.

MAC PRESEASON POLL (first place votes in parenthesis)
MAC West
1. Western Michigan (19) 144
2. Toledo (2) 113
3. Northern Illinois (3) 112
4. Central Michigan (2) 98
5. Ball State 44
6. Eastern Michigan 35

MAC East
1. Bowling Green (12) 136
2. Ohio (10) 134
3. Akron (4) 107
4. Buffalo 75
5. Miami 52
6. Kent State 42

MAC Champion -- WMU (19); Toledo (2); NIU (2); CMU (1); BG (1) and Akron (1).

BOWLING GREEN
Coach: Mike Jinks (first year)

Last season: 10-4, 7-1
Offense: Four starters return, all on the line as the skill positions were depleted by graduation and transfers. But QB James Knapke is a starter in 2014 and led the Falcons to the first of two straight division titles.
Defense: Six starters return, including potential Player of the Year in linebacker Austin Valdez.
Players to watch: Knapke (2014 - 3,173 yards, 15 TD); Austin Valdez (144 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT); DB Alphonso Mack (56 tackles, 6 INT).
Non-conference schedule: At Ohio State, North Dakota, Middle Tennessee, at Memphis.
Key MAC game: at Toledo, Oct. 15; since BG, Toledo and Akron all play each other it's mandatory not to go 0-2. The Falcons, however, play both games on the road. So while UT is a rivalry, it's probably an easier game to win early than late.
Overview: Jinks is putting some extra emphasis on defense, which should bode well, particularly down the stretch when they begin November at Northern Illinois and at Akron. But if BG looks to maintain its pass-happy offense, then Jinks would be well served to have as many wins as possible before the frost hits the pumpkins. Or have a "jumbo" offense ready to roll.

AKRON
Coach: Terry Bowden, fifth season (19-30, 12-20)
Last season: 8-5, 5-3
Offense: Three starters return, including QB Tommy Woodson, WR Jerome Lane and TE Newman Williams, but no offensive linemen.
Defense: Four starters return, led by DE Jamal Marcus and DB DeAndre Scott, although experienced backups are set to step in.
Players to watch: Woodson (2,202 yards, 16 TD); Lane (39 receptions, 8 TD); Marcus (30 tackles, 5.5 sacks); Scott (32 tackles, 6 INT).
Non-conference schedule: VMI, at Wisconsin, at Marshall, Appalachian State
Key MAC Game: vs. Western Michigan, Oct. 15; defeat the Broncos at home and Akron can put a lot of pressure on division favorite Bowling Green, not to have a mis-step before the two teams meet late in the season.
Overview: The Zips keep catching the breaks. Along with another year with a cupcake MAC schedule -- opening with Kent and Miami, a cross-division game with rebuilding Ball State, then a season-ender with Ohio, which just lost its QB, could pave the way for a bowl bid. Then the three toughest MAC games on the schedule -- Western Michigan Toledo and Bowling Green -- are at home.

MIAMI
Coach: Chuck Martin, third year, 5-19, 4-12
Last season: 3-9, 2-6
Offense: Ten starters return, including QB Billy Bahl and four of five offensive linemen.
Defense: Six starters return, but the defensive line must be shored up at every position.
Players to watch: Bahl (1,409 yards, 8 TD); WR Chris Hudson (18 receptions, 4 TD); LB Paul Moses (71 tackles, 3 sacks).
Non-conference schedule: at Iowa, Eastern Illinois, Western Kentucky, at Cincinnati.
Key MAC game: at Eastern Michigan, Oct. 29: This is an absolutely, positively must-win game for Miami, even on the road, if the RedHawks have any hopes for a .500 season.
Overview: This is an extremely young football team, but the talent level is improving by the class under Martin, now in his third season. If the RedHawks are finally able to lock in with one QB and the defense is able to hold its own, then a .500 season or maybe even a bowl berth is not being too optimistic. Miami has to beat OU, Kent, Ball State and Buffalo to get that done, but three of those four games are at home.

BUFFALO
Coach: Lance Leipold, second year, 5-7, 3-5
Last season: 5-7, 3-5
Offense: Six starters return, but the Bulls will be looking for a new QB for the first time in four years.
Defense: Eight starters return, mostly on the line and the secondary. But the linebacker unit must be rebuilt.
Players to watch: RB Jordan Johnson (811 yards, 12 TD); WR Marcus McGill (50 receptions, 4 TD); DB Boise Ross (52 tackles, 2 INT).
Non-conference schedule: Albany, at Nevada, Army, at Boston College
Key MAC game: vs. Ball State, Oct. 15: the second of three home games in a four-game stretch where UB can define its season.
Overview: The mystery team in the MAC that on paper should be good enough for a winning season and a bowl game, but perhaps isn't quite ready, particularly with a new QB. The schedule helps with Kent, BSU, Akron and Miami at home. But lose any of those and south of .500 becomes a real possibility.

OHIO UNIVERSITY
Coach: Frank Solich 12th year, 80-61, 53-35
Last season: 8-5, 5-3
Offense: Seven starters return, primarily at the skill positions, but loss of veteran QB JD Sprague to preseason injury is a major blow.
Defense: Seven starters return, including one of the more veteran linebacker units in the conference.
Players to watch: RB AJ Oullette (692 yards, 6 TD); LB Quentin Polling (69 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INT).
Non-conference schedule: Texas State, at Kansas, a Tennessee, Gardner Webb.
Key MAC Game: at Miami, Oct. 1: Bobcats need to have their quarterback question answered and be getting production at this point, or it will be a very long season.
Overview: OU never over-schedules in the non-conference, so a new QB can grow into the offense. This is a proud program, so it should be tough at home (BG, Buffalo and Akron). To have a winning season, OU must take care of business on the road. While Miami and Kent look like road breathers, Miami is a rivalry and KSU has traditionally been a snake pit for Bobcat teams. A .500 season is doable, with a bowl game reward, but it will not be easy.

KENT STATE
Coach: Paul Haynes, fourth year, 9-26, 6-17
Last season: 3-9, 2-6
Offense: 11 starters return, but QB position is unsettled and best player (Antwan Dixon) is injured and out for the season.
Defense: Eight starters return including a veteran secondary and productive defensive line.
Players to watch: SB Raekwan James (261 yards rushing, 286 yards receiving); DE Terrance Waugh (57 tackles, 9 sacks); DB Nate Holley (141 tackles, 1 INT); DB Demetrius Monday (35 tackles, 6 INT).
Non-conference schedule: at Penn State, North Carolina A&T, Monmouth, at Alabama.
Key MAC game: vs. Akron, Oct. 1: To have any success winning home games is a must, and this is the MAC opener.
Overview: Until Kent State finds an offensive personality and production, it's destined to be picked at the bottom of the MAC. The defense is good enough to hold most teams to 21-24 points. But remember, this team scored one TD or less six times last season. Phil Steele says KSU has the toughest schedule in the MAC and one of the toughest in the country, so even a .500 season, just in MAC play, might be asking a lot.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's series opener between the Indians and Blue Jays.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's series opener between the Indians and Blue Jays.

Pitching matchup: RHP Trevor Bauer (9-5, 3.97 ERA) vs. LHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. CF Rajai Davis

2. 2B Jason Kipnis

3. SS Francisco Lindor

4. 1B Mike Napoli

5. DH Carlos Santana

6. 3B Jose Ramirez

7. LF Brandon Guyer 

8. RF Abraham Almonte

9. C Roberto Perez

Blue Jays

1. 2B Devon Travis

2. RF Michael Saunders

3. DH Edwin Encarnacion

4. C Russell Martin

5. LF B.J. Upton

6. CF Ezequiel Carrera

7. 1B Justin Smoak

8. 3B Darwin Barney

9. SS Ryan Goins

Cleveland sports fans wonder about Justin Gilbert's tackling, Robert Griffin III's TD celebrations and Cody Kessler's awareness in the pocket -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

The Indians and Blue Jays will play the first contest of a three-game series at Progressive Field on Friday evening. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians and Blue Jays will play the first contest of a three-game series at Progressive Field on Friday evening. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

Game 117: Indians (69-50) vs. Blue Jays (69-52)

First pitch: 7:10 p.m.

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

Pitching matchup: RHP Trevor Bauer (9-5, 3.97 ERA) vs. LHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

Fact du jour: The Indians have spent 76 consecutive days atop the American League Central.

No. 1 pick Corey Coleman and No. 1 cornerback Joe Haden are slated to make their preseason debuts in Tampa Friday night, and practice against the Bucs during the week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No. 1 pick Corey Coleman and No. 1 cornerback Joe Haden are both expected to make their preseason debuts Friday night in Tampa, and coach Hue Jackson stressed how important that is.

"It's a huge week for both,'' Jackson said on a conference call Friday. "We've got to make sure these guys have some playing time under their belt before we get ready to go into the season because we haven't had an opportunity to see them versus live competition. So this will be a big week for both of them."

Both players have missed the first two preseason games, Coleman because of his tweaked hamstring and Haden because he's coming off ankle surgery in March.

Coleman first injured the hamstring Aug. 5 in the intrasquad scrimmage in Berea and hasn't practiced much in pads since. The padded joint practice against the Bucs next week in Tampa will be one of the first times he's had contact since the scrimmage, during which he caught three long passes from Robert Griffin III.

Coleman's presence on the field is imperative, because it's the dress rehearsal game for the season, and typically last time the first-team offense will play in a live game situation until the opener Sept. 11 in Philadelphia.

Fortunately for Coleman, he's been able to work on the mental side of the game during the layoff.

"I can still get with Griff,'' he said. "He tells me what's going on, what he's seeing out there, what someone did that they should have did better, just stuff like that."

The game will also mark the first time that Coleman, Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon will be on the field together. Gordon, who was activated last week from his quad injury, will see live action since game 15 of the 2014 season.

"It's hard not to imagine it,'' Griffin said after Thursday's 24-13 loss to the Falcons. "It brings a smile to your face but we have to make that a reality. Everyone can have potential but you have to actually make it happen.''

Pryor on his TD over Desmond Trufant: 'I knew I was going to beat him'

As for Haden, he'll see live action for the first time since Nov. 1 against Arizona. He was mostly out of commission after the third week of the 2015 season because of broken ribs, a broken finger, an ankle injury and a concussion that caused him to miss 10 games.

"(The team is) doing a really good job of just taking their time,'' Haden said. "A lot of it is precaution, just making sure that they know there is no rush right now to get back. I'm trying to get back as soon as possible, and whenever I'm ready at like full percent to be able to go, then they'll put me back in there."

Justin Gilbert has been starting in his place, but Jackson wasn't pleased with Gilbert's performance against the Falcons, where he struggled in run support.

"He didn't play as well as Justin can play,'' Jackson said. "He'll continue to work in practice and clean up some of the things he needs to get better at.''

Jackson mum on K'Waun Williams

Jackson wouldn't say if he'll welcome Williams back once his dispute with the Browns is resolved. Williams is appealing a two-game suspension and game-check fine for his refusal to play in Green Bay. Williams' camp contends he told the Browns he couldn't play because of an ankle injury, and the Browns' position is that Williams told them he wanted to retire and didn't mention the ankle.

He now needs to have surgery to remove bone spurs.

"Right now it's a little early to even talk about K'Waun and that situation,'' Jackson said. "We all know he's suspended, so when that's done, we'll take it accordingly from there.''

In the meantime, Jamar Taylor has been starting at nickel back.

Jamie Meder didn't get the start

Meder worked at first-team right end during the practice week, but Xavier Cooper got the nod again at the start of Thursday's game. However, with the ongoing tackling issues, it's anyone's guess who will start where next week.

"We'll again continue to evaluate it because obviously we didn't have the success that we anticipated, but obviously Jamie in Green Bay did a great job,'' said Jackson. "Last night again I don't think our whole unit,  they'd all be the first to tell you, there are some things that we need to improve on.''