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Cleveland Indians' Abraham Almonte is already playing his postseason games

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Abraham Almonte is ineligible for the postseason because of his PED suspension so he's trying everything he can right now to help the Indians reach the promised land.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The postseason is now for Abraham Almonte and he's playing like it.

Almonte entered Saturday night's game against Toronto hitting .284 (25-for-88) with 11 doubles, one homer and nine RBI in 31 games. If the Indians make the postseason, Almonte will be ineligible because of his 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance enhancing drug.

"There's nothing I can do about that," said Almonte, concerning his ineligibility. "The only thing I can do is do the best I can to help my team get to the playoffs.

"I've never been to the postseason. So it won't be good if we make it because I won't be playing, but if we win that will be good. I just want to help my teammates have the opportunity to experience being in the playoffs."

The Indians entered Saturday night's game with a seven-game lead in the AL Central with 42 games left on the schedule.

"My goal is to help this team win as many games as it can," said Almonte.

Almonte could have planted the seed for Friday's dramatic walk-off win over Toronto on Thursday night against Chicago.

With the score tied, 4-4, Almonte started the ninth with a double. He took third on a passed ball and scored on Tyler Naquin's pinch-hit sacrifice fly for a 5-4 win. Friday night Jose Ramirez and Naquin hit consecutive homers off closer Roberto Osuna in the ninth to beat the Jays, 3-2.

It's the second time this season the Indians have had consecutive walk-off wins. They beat Texas on June 1 and Kansas City on June 2.

Tribe's Almonte suspended for 80 games

When asked about Friday's win, Almonte said, "Unbelievable. I would like to see more nights like that for us."

Almonte was suspended in February for the first 80 games of the regular season after testing positive for Boldenone. He rejoined the Indians on July 3, but said he was unaware of being ineligible for the postseason until a few weeks ago.

"To be honest, I heard about the rule a few weeks ago," said Almonte. "It's a little tough, but it is what it is."

Almonte was hitting .143 (3-for-21) in his first 11 games after being reinstated. In his last 21 prior to Saturday night, he's hitting .386 (22-for-67) with 13 runs, eight doubles and nine RBI.

"I think it took Abe a while to figure out how he fit on the team," said manager Terry Francona.

Almonte said he joined the Indians at a great time.

Almonte confident Tribe would stand by him

"When I first came here, I found a club in an unbelievable situation," he said. "They were winning and had a really good clubhouse. Everything was so good."

Almonte tried too hard to join the party and struggled. Then he relaxed and joined the flow of the team.

"I think the reason I'm playing like I am now is that's how I saw everyone was playing like when I came here," said Almonte. "That kind of energy, that kind of enthusiasm, my brain picked that up right away."

Roster move: The Indians activated Josh Tomlin from the Family Medical Emergency List on Saturday so he could start against the Blue Jays.

Right-hander Shawn Armstrong was optioned to Class AAA Columbus. Armstrong was recalled before Friday's game with lefty Kyle Crockett being optioned to Columbus.

Thumbs up: Ramirez has a fan in Mark Shapiro, Toronto's CEO and president.

"He's a good baseball player, extremely competitive," said Shapiro. "He's got good energy, versatility, loves to play. He has that one thing you really can't teach - the swagger. He rubbed his teammates the wrong way when he first came up, now it contributes to a championship environment."

Mark Shapiro man in the middle

Ramirez entered Saturday's game hitting .311 (128-for-411) with 31 doubles, nine homers and 54 RBI. He has a .824 OPS and is hitting .382 (39-for-102) with runners in scoring position.

Shapiro, before joining the Blue Jays late last season, spent 24 years with the Indians.

Finally: Last year the Indians had two walk-off wins. This year they have seven, second most in the big leagues behind Houston's nine. ... Naquin is the first Indians' player since Albert Belle to have consecutive walk-off RBI. Belle did it on Aug. 30-Aug. 31, 1995 against Toronto. ... The Indians have 26 come-from-behind wins this year.


Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte again changes hair color -- and story about Rio robbery

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Lochte, in a portion of an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer that aired Saturday , continued backtracking from a story that he initially described as an armed robbery.

NEW YORK -- American swimmer Ryan Lochte said he over-exaggerated what happened at a Rio de Janeiro gas station and acknowledged it was his "immature behavior" that got him and three teammates into a mess that consumed the final days of the Olympics.

Lochte, in a portion of an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer that aired Saturday , continued backtracking from a story that he initially described as an armed robbery. Police have said the swimmers vandalized a bathroom after a night of partying and armed guards confronted them and asked them to pay for the damage.

"It's how you want to make it look like," Lochte said. "Whether you call it a robbery or whether you call it extortion or us just paying for the damages, we don't know. All we know is that there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money."

But he admitted that he understood that he was being told that the Americans had to pay for the damages or the police would be called.

At that point, Lauer said, "You're striking a deal. Is that fair?"

"We just wanted to get out of there," Lochte said, adding the swimmers were frightened.

Lauer told Lochte that his story had morphed from one about "the mean streets or Rio" to a negotiated settlement to cover up dumb behavior.

"That's why I'm taking full responsibility for it, because I over-exaggerated the story," Lochte said. "If I had never done that, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Lochte, who dyed his hair white for the Games and had it turn a light shade of green from the pool, had changed his hair back to its regular color for the interview. As Brazilian police investigated his robbery claim, and eventually held his teammates for questioning while they sorted out his story, he had tweeted he intended to dye it back.

Ryan Lochte issues apology for behavior in Rio gas station incident

Toronto Blue Jays ride three homers to victory over Cleveland Indians: DMan's Report, Game 121

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Russell Martin, Melvin Upton Jr. and Edwin Encarnacion homered as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians, 6-5, Saturday night at Progressive Field. Tribe right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall hit a three-run homer and doubled. Here is a capsule look at the key aspect(s) of the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio: Good...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Russell Martin, Melvin Upton Jr. and Edwin Encarnacion homered as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians, 6-5, Saturday night at Progressive Field. Tribe right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall hit a three-run homer and doubled.

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

Good matchup: The Indians (70-51), first place in the AL Central, and Blue Jays (70-53), first place in the AL East, have split the first six games of the season series. The finale is Sunday afternoon. 

Each team won twice at Rogers Centre, June 30-July 3.

Redemption came quickly: On Friday night, Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna entered the ninth with a 2-1 lead. Osuna retired Carlos Santana on a foul pop but allowed a homer to Jose Ramirez and inside-the-park homer to Tyler Naquin. Just like that, the Indians won, 3-2.

On Saturday, Osuna entered the ninth with a 6-5 lead. He retired Ramirez on a fly to left, struck out Chisenhall swinging and got Naquin to chop to third. Osuna notched his 28th save in 31 opportunities.

The pitch sequences to Naquin were telling.

On Friday, Osuna threw a 1-2 changeup that Naquin fouled. Osuna came back with a changeup on the inner half, and Naquin knocked it off the right-field wall and ran all night. The rookie Naquin has shown he can hit off-speed pitches down and in with power, so it was a surprise that Osuna doubled-up with the changeup, especially because Osuna possesses a crisp fastball.

On Saturday, Osuna and catcher Russell Martin did not mess around. Osuna threw two fastballs for balls (96 mph, 96 mph); Naquin swung threw a fastball (96) and fouled a fastball (96); and Naquin took a defensive swing at a fastball (97) away that went routinely to third.

Not this time: Naquin had come off the bench the previous two games and delivered walkoff RBI, including a sacrifice fly to beat the White Sox, 5-4, Thursday at Progressive Field. He started in center field Saturday and was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Problematic: Tribe right-hander Josh Tomlin allowed six runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five. He gave up the three homers.

Tomlin went 9-2 with a 3.51 ERA before the All-Star break. In seven starts since, he is 2-5 with a 7.30 ERA. His post-break composite line:

37 IP, 52 H, 30 R, 30 ER, 7 BB, 33 K, 11 HR

Tomlin is not the only member of the Tribe's rotation in a rut since the break. Danny Salazar has been ineffective and injured, with the following line in four starts (1-1, 9.88):

13 2/3 IP, 20 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 8 BB, 16 K, 4 HR

Small and large: The Blue Jays handled Tomlin in two ways.

*Toronto took the relatively soft route to score two in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.

With two outs, Darwin Barney blooped a single to right-center and advanced to third on Ryan Goins' double off the right-field wall. Devon Travis, who had been down in the count, 0-2, emergency-hacked at a 2-2 cutter away and dribbled it toward third. Ramirez moved from the dirt to the grass and attempted to pick it with the barehand but missed. Goins alertly followed Barney home as the ball rolled behind Ramirez.

*Toronto made hard contact to score three in the third for a 5-0 cushion.

With one out, Martin socked a 2-1 cutter (84) to right-center for his 14th. (In the first inning, Martin had a better 2-1 cutter to hit and popped to short.)

Troy Tulowitzki ripped a 1-1 cutter (86) to right-center for a double. Tulo was erased between second and third on a grounder by Michael Saunders. Upton smoked a first-pitch cutter (84) to center for his second as a Blue Jay and 18th overall this season. Toronto acquired Upton from San Diego in late July.

Battling back: The Indians trailed by five after 3 1/2 innings against a nasty pitcher, right-hander Aaron Sanchez. True to form, they refused to fold.

Chisenhall capped a five-run fourth by launching a 10th-pitch fastball (95) to right. Chisenhall's eighth homer of the season was just the 11th allowed by Sanchez.

The Indians helped force Sanchez to throw 40 pitches in the fourth. Joe Biagini replaced Sanchez to begin the fifth.

Oh, well: The Indians' joy from having rallied to tie did not last long. Encarnacion led off the fifth with a moon shot into the bleachers for his 35th homer and the 32nd allowed by Tomlin. Encarnacion attacked an 0-1 pitch that was 86 mph and over the plate.

Yes and no: In one sense, Tribe bats did their job. Five runs should have been enough to win, especially because the Blue Jays lineup was without injured Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar.

At the same time, Tribe bats left plenty to be desired after Chisenhall's homer with one out in the fourth. They basically were overmatched by Biagini (2 IP, H, K), Joaquin Benoit (IP, K), Jason Grilli (IP, H, K) and Osuna (IP, K).

Josh Tomlin hit early and often as Cleveland Indians fall to Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5

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The Indians, after two straight walk-off wins, had no magic left Saturday night at Progressive Field as they lost to Toronto, 6-5. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Key parts of the starting rotation are sputtering for the Indians.

Those parts are named Josh Tomlin and Danny Salazar. Tomlin, just back from a family emergency in Texas, allowed six runs on nine hits Saturday night as Toronto beat the Indians, 6-5, at Progressive Field.

Tomlin (11-7, 4.39), who has lost four straight, allowed three more homers to boost his AL-leading total to 32. The Toronto onslaught include the game-winner by Edwin Encarnacion to start the fifth inning.

"The solo (Encarnacion's homer) hurt even though we had a lot of game left to play because both bullpens did a good job," said manager Terry Francona. "It was tough night for him to pitch because he's a fly ball pitcher, and they're a very good hitting team. He probably didn't get the ball in as much as he would have liked."

Salazar came off the disabled list Thursday and lasted one inning against Chicago in what can only be called a mistake instead of a start. He then went to the bullpen and threw three more innings. What his next start holds is anybody's guess.

The Indians beat the White Sox and Toronto in walk-off fashion Thursday and Friday night. The best they could do Saturday was a game-tying five-run fourth inning, but it was not enough.

Tyler Naquin, who accounted for the winning runs Thursday and Friday, made the final out Saturday against closer Roberto Osunam, victimized Friday night by consecutive homers by Jose Ramirez and Naquin. Osuna avoided off-speed pitches this time around, going with his 97-mph fastball to overwhelm the Tribe for his 28th save.

Toronto hit Tomlin early and hard on the way to a 5-0 lead. Well, not all of the hits were struck hard.

They took a 2-0 lead on a slow roller down the third-base line in the second. Ramirez tried to barehand the ball, but missed it as Darwin Barney scored from third. The ball rolled behind Ramirez as Ryan Goins alertly scored from second.

The Blue Jays did their heavy hitting in the third as Russell Martin and Melvin Upton homered for a 5-0 lead. Martin's homer made it 3-0. Upton hit a two-run homer to center on Tomlin's first pitch. It was his second homer since being acquired by Toronto from San Diego on July 26.

Aaron Sanchez didn't allow the Indians a hit through the first three innings. Things changed dramatically when the Indians scored five times in the fourth, three of the runs coming on a Lonnie Chisenhall homer.

Not only did the Indians make Sanchez pitch out of the stretch for much of the inning, but they took advantage of an error. After Carlos Santana drew a leadoff walk, Jason Kipnis sent a double-play ball to second, but Devon Travis threw to the inside of the bag and Goins had no chance to make a play.

Francisco Lindor sent a single through the middle that should have scored Santana, but he slipped going around third and hustled back to the bag. Mike Napoli made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly for his 87th RBI.

Ramirez made it 5-2 with a single through the middle. It raised his average to .388 (40-for-103) with runners in scoring position.

Chisenhall followed, and after a 10-pitch at-bat, drove a low inside pitch into the right field seats to tie it. It was Chisehall's eighth homer of the season and second in the last four games.

"After chasing early, it was nice to settle down there," said Chisenhall. "To see that many pitches in a row, I was able to solve that. It was a good swing and it was nice to answer back right there after they put up a few runs."

Tomlin came out after the Tribe's long inning and promptly surrendered a leadoff homer to Encarnacion to put Toronto on top, 6-5.  Encarnacion hammered Tomlin's 0-1 pitch 439 feet into the left field bleachers for his 35th homer and 101st RBI.

"It was very disappointing because the offense put up a fight, ties the score and makes it a game," said Tomlin. "For me to go out there after that big inning and give up a home run to the first batter of the inning to erase that five-run inning stinks."

Tomlin was activated from the Family Medical Emergency List before the game.

"There was no distraction," he said. "When I step between the lines, it's time to play. It's about baseball.

"When I'm on the mound I don't think about anything else that's going on in my life. I just try to compete and give this team a chance to win."

The bullpens for each team took over after Encarnacion's homer and didn't allow a run the rest of the way.

What it means

The Indians fell to 7-3 on this 11-game homestand which ends Sunday.

Keep it close

Ramirez kept the Indians within one run at 6-5 in the sixth when he threw out Barney at the plate for the second out. Barney, who singled and went to third on Ryan Goins' single to right, tried to score on Travis' bouncer to Ramirez.

The pitches

Tomlin threw 85 pitches, 55 or 65 percent for strikes. Sanchez threw 77 pitches, 51 or 66 percent for strikes.

Thanks for coming

The Blue Jays and Indians drew a sellout crowd of 33,604. Indians attendance for the season is 1,205,585 in 61 home dates. Through 61 home dates last year, the Indians drew 1,120,822.

First pitch was at 7:10 p.m. and the temperature was 85 degrees. It was the Tribe's fourth sellout of the season.

What's next?

Right-hander Corey Kluber (13-8, 3.15) will face Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (9-5, 4.63) on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game.

Kluber has won five straight decisions and is 9-2 in his last 13 starts. He's 0-1 against Toronto this year and 1-3 in his career. Josh Donaldson is hitting .385 (5-for-13) with one homer and four RBI against Kluber.

Stroman is 3-1 in his last seven starts. He has faced the Tribe twice in his career with two no-decisions and a 5.63 ERA. Lonnie Chisenhall is 2-for-4 against him.

Ohio State football: Watch Buckeyes assistant Zach Smith mic'd up at practice

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Smith needs to bring an inexperienced group of receivers along quickly in camp.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith is takes with bringing an inexperienced group of receivers along quickly leading up to the 2016 season.

The Buckeyes have a deep receiver room, but it's without any returning starters. Get an idea for how Smith is working with that group in the video below.

Ohio State on Sunday released a video of Smith mic'd up during Buckeyes training camp.

See other Ohio State coaches mic'd up at practice

Watch SAF coach Greg Schiano mic'd up at practice

Watch RB coach Tony Alford mic'd up at practice

Watch DL coach Larry Johnson mic'd up at practice

Watch QB coach Tim Beck mic'd up at practice

Watch LB coach Luke Fickell mic'd up at practice

Watch CB coach Kerry Coombs mic'd up at practice

-- Subscribe to the Buckeye Talk podcast channel on iTunes

-- Follow cleveland.com's Ohio State coverage on Facebook and Instagram

-- Follow cleveland.com writers Doug LesmerisesAri Wasserman and Bill Landis on Twitter

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Cleveland Indians reliever Cody Allen and the art of forgetting about a ninth-inning meltdown

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"If I come into the game and I'm thinking about it, I'm already dead. I'm already done. You just have to force yourself to flush it."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sometimes, the car ride home is pivotal for Cody Allen.

If the Tribe reliever pitches poorly, he aims to flush it out of his mind by the time his head hits the pillow. That leaves the trek home as Allen's last chance to dwell on any mishaps.

Allen surrendered five runs against the White Sox in the ninth inning on Wednesday night. Adam Eaton's grand slam -- on an 0-2 breaking ball on the inside part of the plate -- supplied Chicago with a 10-7 win. Throughout the night, once Allen got home, visions of the blown save popped into his mind.

By the next morning, however, Allen had turned the page. It's a necessary procedure for any reliever. When Allen visited Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital on Thursday morning, the ninth-inning nightmare wasn't on his mind.

"I'm not walking around thinking about how bad I've got it," Allen said. "I'm walking around and I see a kid [going through] chemo. It gives you perspective."

Allen had allowed one earned run in his previous 18 appearances when he entered Wednesday's affair. He had lowered his season ERA to 2.29. Then, the White Sox tagged him for a career-high five runs. It was, suffice it to say, an outing to forget.

"You really don't have a choice," Allen said. "If I was still thinking about it and I come into the same situation, I'd be screweed. I would not be ready to pitch if I'm still thinking about it.

Adam Eaton, Cody AllenCleveland Indians relief pitcher Cody Allen heads back to the mound after giving up a grand slam to Chicago White Sox' Adam Eaton during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, in Cleveland. Chicago won 10-7. 

"If I come into the game and I'm thinking about it, I'm already dead. I'm already done. You just have to force yourself to flush it. [Otherwise], you're crippling yourself. You'll be out there, over-thinking absolutely everything."

Allen entered Sunday's action with 23 saves in 26 chances this season.

"I guarantee you it was hard for him to flush it, but he did," said manager Terry Francona. "And that's good. ... One of the things that impressed me so much when I first got here was his ability to compete. And part of that is not beating yourself up so much that you can't compete the next day."

Day of rest: Francona omitted Mike Napoli from his starting lineup on Sunday. They had discussed the day off earlier this week.

"You give a guy a little bit of a [heads up]," Francona said. "I think it helps. He's playing a lot and it's a big body. He's been throwing that body around a little bit lately."

Napoli played in 114 of the Indians' first 121 games. He is on pace to establish new career highs for games played and plate appearances, so Francona has slotted him in at designated hitter on occasion.

"Originally, I don't think he was really hot on the idea of DHing," Francona said. "And then as you get into the grind of the season, I think he's welcomed it at times, which is good."

On the road: Catcher Yan Gomes will travel with the club to Oakland and Texas this week as he continues to recover from a separated shoulder. Gomes suffered the injury in Minnesota a few days after the All-Star break in mid-July. He was initially prescribed a six-to-eight-week recovery timetable.

The Indians' Yan-Gomes-inspired sacrifice

Stat of the Day: The Indians are 50-29 in night games.

Rio Olympics 2016: Ohio State's Kyle Snyder takes wrestling gold

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Ohio State's Kyle Snyder won a gold medal in men's freetyle wrestling Sunday at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyle Snyder of Ohio State won the gold medal in the wrestling men's freestyle 97kg Sunday at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Wrestling in the last bout of the tournament, Snyder captures the only gold for the U.S. when he defeated Khetag Gazyumov of Azerbaijan, 2-1.

Snyder is the first OSU wrestler to represent the United States in the Olympics in 24 years. At 20, he's the youngest U.S. gold medalist ever.

Snyder is the second straight American wrestler to win Olympic gold in his weight class. Jake Varner, who Snyder beat at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April, won in London four years ago.

Snyder won the NCAA championship and World Championship in the last year, before gaining his spot on the U.S. team by defeating Varner.

Jose Ramirez saves the day again, as Cleveland Indians come from behind to beat Blue Jays, 3-2

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The seven-game series between the teams, at least the regular-season version, has reached its conclusion. If a postseason matchup pits Cleveland against Toronto in October, it promises to provide entertainment and drama. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jose Ramirez took a few steps, one foot over the other. Those steps turned into a half-dozen hopeful hops down the first-base line as the baseball soared toward the stands.

When it finally flew to the right of the left-field foul pole, Ramirez commenced his trot.

He did it again. Of course he did.

Ramirez's two-out, two-run blast onto the home-run porch vaulted the Indians to a 3-2 victory against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.

The seven-game series between the teams, at least the regular-season version, has reached its conclusion. If a postseason matchup pits Cleveland against Toronto in October, it promises to provide entertainment and drama.

The clubs completed their third consecutive one-run game, one that seemed poised to go Toronto's way until Ramirez lifted Brett Cecil's first offering over the fence.

"We won two out of three and I think we had the lead for, like, 10 minutes," said Tribe manager Terry Francona.

Ramirez has thrived in the most crucial situations for the Indians all season. He entered Sunday's action with a .388 batting average with runners in scoring position this season. Six of his 10 home runs have come in the eighth or ninth inning. He swatted a game-tying homer in the ninth inning on Friday night.

"Those high-pressure moments are always enjoyable, they're always good," Ramirez said, via team interpreter Anna Bolton. "It helps you learn how to focus better. It's great to enjoy those moments."

On Sunday, he rescued Corey Kluber from potential defeat. The right-hander limited Toronto to a pair of third-inning runs. Melvin Upton slugged a Kluber pitch into the left-field bleachers to start the third. Josh Donaldson later tacked on a two-out RBI single. Kluber exited after 6 2/3 frames, having allowed six hits and four walks, to go along with eight strikeouts.

Ramirez only approached the plate in the eighth because Francisco Lindor reached on an infield single that skipped off of the glove of Toronto shortstop Ryan Goins.

The Indians finally scratched across their first run in the bottom of the sixth, when Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis and Lindor strung together three straight singles. Ramirez, however, grounded into a double play, and Lonnie Chisenhall struck out as the Blue Jays maintained their slim advantage.

Mike Clevinger relieved Kluber with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh. He struck out Edwin Encarnacion to end the threat, but not before both managers met with the umpires over a disputed balk call. Home-plate umpire Ramon De Jesus had called time when third-base umpire Greg Gibson ruled that Clevinger balked. Eventually, the runners returned to their bases and Clevinger caught Encarnacion looking for strike three.

What it means
The Indians claimed four of their seven meetings with Toronto this season, and took two of three from the Blue Jays over the weekend. Cleveland improved to 71-51, matching a season-best mark of 20 games over .500.

The Indians went 8-3 on their 11-game homestand. Six of the eight wins were of the come-from-behind variety.

Whiff list
Kluber passed Bartolo Colon to move into 12th place on the Indians' all-time strikeouts list. Bob Feller is the franchise leader with 2,581. Kluber has tallied 880. Addie Joss ranks 11th with 920.

Streak continues
Ramirez's home run extended his streak of reaching base to 27 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.

They came, they saw
An announced crowd of 26,696, including a vocal Toronto contingent, watched the game at Progressive Field.

What's next
The Indians will venture West for the start of a weeklong trip that will take the club to Oakland and Texas. Carlos Carrasco (8-6, 3.34 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday's series opener against Athletics right-hander Andrew Triggs (0-1, 4.98). Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer are also expected to take the hill for the Tribe in Oakland.


Rio Olympics 2016: Kevin Durant leads U.S. to men's basketball gold medal

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The United States men's basketball team got 30 points from Kevin Durant on Sunday at the 2016 Rio Olympics to win the gold medal by beating Serbia, 96-66.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Durant scored 30 points and the United States overpowered Serbia, 96-66, to win the gold medal on Sunday at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Durant dominated in the first half as the U.S. opened up a lead and never looked back. He finished 10 of 19 from the field and made five 3-pointers.

DeMarcus Cousins finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds for the U.S. and Klay Thompson added 12 points.

Carmelo Anthony, playing his fourth and final Olympics game, collected his third gold medal. Anthony, who finished with seven points, checked back into the rout in the final minutes so he could grab a seventh rebound, passing David Robinson for the U.S. record with the 125th in his Olympic career. He had already become the leading scorer earlier in the tournament, capping an Olympic career that began with disappointment as a member of the U.S. team that finished third in 2004.

The Americans haven't lost since, winning 25 straight in the Olympics.

It was the final game with the national team for Mike Krzyzewski, who took the Americans back to the top and leaves with them there after becoming the first coach to win three Olympic gold medals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving became just the fourth player ever to win an NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year, joining Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Cavs' teammate LeBron James. Irving had four points in the final.

Serbia had played the U.S. close in pool play, losing 94-91, and led for much of the first quarter before the U.S. began to pull away. Serbia led 14-12, but the U.S. outscored them the rest of the way, 84-52.

The U.S. had 30 fast-break points.

Spain takes bronze: Pau Gasol scored 31 points in perhaps his final Olympic game and Spain added a bronze to its collection on Sunday with an 89-88 win over Australia, again denied its first medal inside the rings.

Sergio Rodriguez made two free throws with 5.4 seconds left and the Spaniards, who captured silver in 2008 at Beijing and the London Games, got the defensive stop they needed as Australia fumbled the ball away on its last possession.

Gasol and his teammates celebrated by piling on top of each other near center court. This wasn't the medal they wanted, but they'll take it.

For the Aussies, it's more Olympic heartbreak. Several players were in tears after Australia finished fourth for the fourth time.

Patty Mills scored 30 and David Anderson 15 for the Aussies, who played almost the entire second half without Andrew Bogut. The 7-footer fouled out less than two minutes into the third quarter.

United States (96)

J. Butler 1-3 0-0 2, K. Durant 10-19 5-6 30, D. Jordan 2-3 0-1 4, K. Lowry 2-5 0-0 5, H. Barnes 1-2 0-0 2, D. DeRozan 3-4 0-0 6, K. Irving 1-6 2-2 4, K. Thompson 5-11 0-0 12, D. Cousins 3-5 7-9 13, P. George 2-9 4-4 9, D. Green 1-3 0-0 2, C. Anthony 3-7 0-1 7, TOTAL 34-77 18-23 96

Serbia (66)

M. Teodosic 4-11 1-2 9, M. Simonovic 1-5 0-0 3, B. Bogdanovic 2-12 3-3 7, S. Markovic 1-6 0-0 3, N. Kalinic 1-2 0-0 2, N. Nedovic 6-10 1-1 14, S. Bircevic 0-0 1-2 1, M. Raduljica 3-6 1-2 7, N. Jokic 3-5 0-0 6, V. Stimac 0-1 0-0 0, S. Jovic 1-4 1-2 3, M. Macvan 4-6 2-2 11, TOTAL 26-68 10-14 66

Score by quarters

United States 19-33-27-17--96
Serbia 15-14-14-23--66

3-Point goals-United States 10-31 (K. Durant 5-11, K. Lowry 1-3, H. Barnes 0-1, K. Irving 0-2, K. Thompson 2-6, P. George 1-4, D. Green 0-1, C. Anthony 1-3), Serbia 4-24 (M. Teodosic 0-5, M. Simonovic 1-4, B. Bogdanovic 0-7, S. Markovic 1-2, N. Nedovic 1-3, S. Jovic 0-1, M. Macvan 1-2). Rebounds-United States 51 (D. Cousins 15), Serbia 27 (N. Jokic 4). Assists-United States 24 (K. Lowry 5), Serbia 18 (M. Teodosic 3). Total fouls-United States 23, Serbia 23.

(The Associated Press contributed)

Kyrie Irving helps Team USA win gold medal at 2016 Olympics, joins elite company

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Irving capped a special summer on Sunday afternoon, helping Team USA to a convincing 96-66 win against Serbia in the gold medal game at the 2016 Olympics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving has added another piece of gold to his growing collection. 

Irving capped a special summer on Sunday afternoon, helping Team USA to a convincing 96-66 win against Serbia in the gold medal game at the 2016 Olympics.

With the win, the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard becomes just the fourth member of Team USA to capture the NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, joining LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to accomplish the double dip. 

Irving struggled from the field, scoring four points on 1-of-6 shooting, including 0-of-2 from 3-point range. He added four assists. 

While it was Irving's lowest-scoring game of the Olympics, his offensive production wasn't necessary. Kevin Durant provided the scoring punch, with a game-high 30 points en route to his second straight Olympic gold medal. DeMarcus Cousins (13 points) and Klay Thompson (12) also reached double figures in scoring, as each member of the 12-man roster made at least one basket. 

The Americans were tested throughout the Summer Games, showing vulnerabilities and playing a few tight games. The early-tournament showings led to questions, especially after some of the NBA's top players elected to bypass the opportunity to play in Rio. 

But the United States saved the best performance for the finale, displaying the depth, athleticism, shot making, individual talent and suffocating defense -- all traits at the center of USA basketball's rebirth under head coach Mike Krzyzewski -- to overwhelm the No. 6 team in the world. 

It's Irving's second gold medal, but first in the Olympic Games. He helped lead Team USA to the 2014 FIBA World Cup, crushing Serbia in that tournament as well.

Team USA has won three straight Olympic gold medals. It has won 25 straight games in the Olympics after going 8-0 in Rio.

Rio 2016: Mongolian wrestling coaches protest controversial call by stripping, yelling

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Two Mongolian wrestling coaches stripped off their clothing to protest the result of a bronze medal match.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Two Mongolian wrestling coaches stripped off their clothing to protest the result of a bronze medal match, a bizarre turn in a day where officiating was highly criticized.

The scene began after Uzbekisatn's Ikhtiyor Navruzov appeared to have lost to Mandakhnaran Ganzorig 7-6 at 65 kilograms on Sunday.

Uzbekistan challenged the scoring, believing that the Mongolian was fleeing instead of fighting because he was running around in celebration with less than 10 seconds left.

Navruzov -- whose quarterfinal match resulted in the dismissal of all three officials involved after a questionable late call -- won his challenge and the match on criteria.

Ganzorig, who had already started celebrating, fell to his knees in disappointment.

The Mongolian coaches went much further.

Byambarenchin Bayaraa took his shoes and shirt off and threw them to the mat in disgust in front of the officials.

Tsenrenbataar Tsostbayar stripped all the way down to his blue briefs. The Brazilian crowd started chanting "Mongolia! Mongolia!"

"This was a protest. There was a problem with the refereeing," Bayaraa said. "Three million people in Mongolian waited for this bronze medal and now we have no medal."

It was the second controversial call of the day involving one of Navruzov's matches. Wrestling's international federation removed all three officials from competition after Navruzov's quarterfinal.

United World Wrestling said that Tong-Kun Chung of South Korea, Temo Kazarashvili of Georgia and Russia's Sergei Novakoskiy, who oversaw the match between Puerto Rico's Franklin Gomez and Navruzov, also face further investigation and possible sanctions.

Gomez had tied the match at 5-5 and held the lead based on criteria.

Gomez went for a takedown of Navruzov with what appeared to be a scoring move before Navruzov grabbed Gomez and exposed him to the mat.

It appeared the action could have resulted in two points for Gomez or even two points for each wrestler.

Instead, the officials gave two points to Navruzov and none to Gomez -- sparking outrage from fans after the replay was shown.

After a failed challenge, Gomez lost 8-5.

The incident was the talk of the tournament -- before the Mongolians, of course.

"The referees were not good. They only supported the Uzbek," Bayaraa said.

The appearance of any officiating impropriety could do harm to a sport that is just three years removed from being kicked off and later reinstated onto the Olympic program.

But UWW president Nenad Lalovic defended the officiating during the Olympics in an interview with The Associated Press before the incident with Mongolia.

"We had for the whole tournament, maybe hundreds of matches and one or two situations were made doubtful, I would say. I think the situation is much better than we had before. Much, much better. Of course, we need time to cure all our diseases," Lalovic said.

As for the matches themselves, American wrestler Kyle Snyder won gold to become the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history. The 20-year-old Snyder beat Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan 2-1 for gold at 97 kilograms during the men's freestyle tournament on Sunday.

Russian Soslan Ramonov won the gold medal at 65 kilograms, thumping Azerbaijan's Toghrul Asgarov 11-0 in just 2:05

Rio Olympics 2016 medal table: Team USA wins with ease (photos)

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The U.S. is the runaway winner of the medal standings at the Rio Games, a race affected by Chinese struggles and Russia's team still reeling from a state-sponsored doping scandal.

TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The U.S. Olympic Team made itself right at home in Rio.

The British, they had a Games to savor as well.

The host Brazilians got soccer gold that they craved, the Russians struggled on the heels of the exposure of a state-sponsored doping program, and the Chinese finished well below expectations.

So went the medal race at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where the Americans - with women leading the way - dominated both the gold and overall totals. The U.S. finished with 46 gold medals and 121 medals overall, its 51-total-medal margin over second-place China the largest in a non-boycotted Olympics in nearly a century.

"This experience has been the dream of a lifetime for me," said U.S. gymnast and closing ceremony flagbearer Simone Biles, who won five medals, four of them gold, in her first Olympics.

For the fourth consecutive games, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps left with more medals than anyone else. He won six in Rio, while Biles and U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky each won five to lead to lead a big haul from American women.

U.S. women left Rio with 27 golds - by far the most among any team of female Olympians at these games - and 61 medals total. U.S. track star Allyson Felix, now a six-time gold medalist and a winner of nine medals in all, was particularly delighted to learn that women are bringing more medals home to American than the men.

"Got 'em," Felix said, smiling.

By now, the Americans winning the medal race is almost commonplace. But the significance in Rio were the sheer amounts of hardware.

The previous record for U.S. medals at a fully attended Olympics was 110, set at Beijing eight years ago. And the margin between first and second in the overall medals race this year tops all others (the boycotted games of 1980 and 1984 excluded) since the Americans won 67 more medals than Italy did at the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

"We weren't sure we were going to have that kind of success coming in," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun, noting the track and swimming teams had plenty of first-time Olympians.

But Blackmun was thrilled by the results, and he wasn't the only one leaving Rio happy.

Even with far fewer athletes competing in Rio than it had in London four years ago - and no home-field advantage this time, either - Britain got more medals than ever in the modern games. The British won 67 medals in Rio, 27 of them gold.

"The atmosphere at the GB house has been amazing in the village," said Mo Farah, who won gold for Britain in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races to match the feat he pulled off at London in 2012. "Winning medals and just one after the other. Gold, silver, bronze. The atmosphere has been brilliant. To be able to go even further than London, I think as a nation we should be proud."

The Russians and the Chinese probably didn't feel the same.

China won 26 golds, just over half as many as it won in Beijing in 2008. Russia - with its track team told to stay home because of the doping probe and a cloud hovering over its athletes who were in Rio, some of whom got publicly called out by competitors - finished with 19 golds and 56 medals overall, both well below its normal showings.

U.S. swimmer Lilly King beat Russia's Yulia Efimova for the 100-meter breaststroke gold, doing so after saying the games should have no room for dopers. Efimova has twice been banned.

"I stand by what I said," King said.

"It was not positive," Efimova told the BBC. "It was like war."

There were plenty of positives for others, however.

Usain Bolt finished off his triple-triple - three Olympics, three sprint golds in each - for Jamaica, in what he said was his last games. Neymar's game-winning penalty kick decided a shootout and clinched the men's soccer gold medal for Brazil, a host that wasn't a factor in the medal standings but got the gold that it probably wanted most.

And 10 teams - including the independent team - won their first golds, including Monica Puig in women's tennis for Puerto Rico.

''That island has given me so much," Puig said. "So much love and support throughout my career and I just wanted this one for them."


The Browns' depth chart gets a third makeover, and tight end looks a little different

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The Browns released their third unofficial depth chart on Sunday.

BEREA, Ohio - The Browns released their third unofficial depth chart of the preseason on Sunday, and the big mover of the week is tight end Connor Hamlett.

The first-year player out of Oregon State hasn't caught a pass in the preseason, but he jumped over both Randall Telfer and E.J. Bibbs this week to take the No. 2 spot behind Gary Barnidge.

Barkevious Mingo is still listed behind starter Nate Orchard at outside linebacker, although Mingo played exclusively on the inside against the Falcons.  Also, Tramon Williams is listed as a starter at cornerback, but Jamar Taylor saw time with the first-team defense at Sunday's practice.

Check out the entire depth chart below.

Browns third depth chart 

Cleveland Indians, Jose Ramirez relish postseason atmosphere during weekend marked by loud crowds, dramatic games

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The vocal battles, the narrow leads and the swings of emotion and momentum created an atmosphere reminiscent of an October series, not an August one. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There was a constant tug-of-war between fan bases at Progressive Field all weekend.

Only one sector of fans ended the weekend on a high note, and it wasn't the boisterous bunch in bright blue. The Indians have Jose Ramirez to thank for that.

"Jose, man. The guy's incredible," Tribe reliever Cody Allen said following Cleveland's 3-2 triumph on Sunday.

The Indians and Blue Jays played a trio of one-run games over the weekend. Fans who made the five-hour trek from Toronto engaged in loud chants in support of the Blue Jays. Tribe fans fired back with their own cheers and jeers.

The vocal battles, the narrow leads and the dramatic swings of emotion and momentum created an atmosphere reminiscent of an October series, not a mid-August one.

"I've never played in the playoffs up here," said Tribe shortstop Francisco Lindor. "But if this is what the playoffs feels like, I ask the Lord to give me an opportunity to play in it every single year, because it was pretty fun."

The fun began in the ninth inning on Friday, when Ramirez erased a one-run deficit with a solo shot to right off of Toronto closer Roberto Osuna.

"I had a feeling Ramirez was going to do something special," Lindor said.

Jose Ramirez saves the day again

Tyler Naquin ended Friday's affair a few pitches later on an inside-the-park home run, a game-ending feat not accomplished by an Indians hitter in 100 years.

The Blue Jays claimed Saturday's contest by a 6-5 margin, despite losing a five-run lead at one point. Osuna achieved redemption with a flawless ninth.

Ramirez came to the rescue again on Sunday. With the Blue Jays seemingly destined to leave town with a series victory, Ramirez yanked a two-out, two-run blast onto the home-run porch in left field in the eighth inning.

"It's pretty expected now, right?" said pitcher Mike Clevinger, who earned the win. "It's incredible every time. When he gets up, you get excited no matter what the situation is."

Ramirez seems to thrive when the situation comes with added pressure or intensity. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after the series that "Ramirez just wore us out."

Seven of his 10 home runs have come in the seventh inning or later. He ranks fourth in the majors with a .381 batting average with runners in scoring position.

When he uncorked his homer on Sunday, Lindor started to jump up and down at second base before he completed his journey around the bases.

"It's unreal, the things he's doing this year," Lindor said.

Said Allen: "Anytime there's a big situation, he seems to come through. He relishes the moment. He's a huge part of why we are where we are."

Tyler Naquin kept on running and running

Ramirez figures to play an instrumental role in the rest of the Indians' 2016 voyage, one the club hopes extends far into October. Over the weekend, they enjoyed a sampling of the atmosphere they might experience a little more than a month from now.

"There's no feeling that I can think of like that," Francona said. "Your heart is in your throat, but you like it. It's agony, but it's also awesome. That's why we do this.

"Our young guys have never flinched. They look like they're having the time of their life. They should."

Ohio State's Kyle Snyder youngest U.S. Olympic wrestling champion

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American wrestler Kyle Snyder's run to the world title in 2015 was so surprising that some wondered if it was something of a fluke. The Ohio State wrestler showed he's for real on Sunday, adding an Olympic title to his burgeoning resume.

LUKE MEREDITH
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO -- American wrestler Kyle Snyder's run to the world title in 2015 was so surprising that some wondered if it was something of a fluke.

Snyder showed he's for real on Sunday, adding an Olympic title to his burgeoning resume.

Snyder, the youngest wrestling world champion in U.S. history, is now the sport's youngest Olympic champion in U.S. history. The 20 year-old Snyder beat Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan 2-1 for gold at 97 kilograms during the men's freestyle tournament.

"I don't really have too big of a secret," Snyder said. "I listen to my coaches. I train as hard as I possibly can.

"I think, if anything, my secret is that instead of thinking about winning and thinking about gold medals and stuff like that, I try to value just my effort, value my improvement and value the love that I have for the sport. That drives me every day."

After Jordan Burroughs was knocked out in stunning fashion Friday, Snyder was the last real chance the Americans had at a gold medal.

Snyder came through with a brilliant run, knocking off the world's best just a week before he heads back to class at Ohio State.

Snyder didn't even win a Big Ten or NCAA title for the Buckeyes as a freshman. But he tore through the field to win at the worlds in Las Vegas in 2015, becoming the first American teenager to do so.

Snyder had planned to take a redshirt year to focus on the Olympics. But he couldn't stay off the mat, electing to rejoin his teammates in January. Snyder went undefeated at heavyweight for the Buckeyes, beating two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski despite giving up at least 40 pounds.

Snyder lost three times in the run-up to the Olympics, including a 2-1 defeat to Goziumov in Germany last month, and saw his world ranking drop to fourth.

But Snyder let the rest of the field know he was locked in from his opening match, shoving Javier Cortina Lacerra of Cuba off the mat and onto the wooden platform separating the other mats.

In the quarterfinals, Snyder raced out to a 3-0 lead and grabbed Albert Saritov with a body lock, slamming the Romanian to the mat for four points and a 7-0 win.

Elizbar Odikadze stunned Snyder with a four-point throw early in the semifinals. Snyder responded with a flurry of point-scoring moves, taking control by walking the Georgian to the edge of the mat with one leg in his arms and tripping him for a takedown.

"If I don't have the power to score four points, then he is probably better than me. I have a lot of confidence in myself," Snyder said.

Snyder used the knowledge he gained from losing to Goziumov in July to best him at the Olympics. Knowing Goziiumov excels at scoring early and then defending well, Snyder attacked and put up the crucial first score.

The youngest American to win Olympic wrestling gold had been Henry Cejudo, who was less than three months older than Snyder is now when he finished first at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Cejudo eventually chose to focus on mixed martial arts. But considering Snyder's age, talent and passion for wrestling, it might not be the last world championship he wins.

"It's all part of the process. I'm not scared of losing. I want to compete against the best," Snyder said. "I just want to be the best wrestler I can be."


Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger, Jose Ramirez help Cleveland Indians defeat Toronto Blue Jays: DMan's Report, Game 122 (photos)

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Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger pitched superbly and Jose Ramirez homered late as the Cleveland Indians rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jose Ramirez hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. Tribe right-hander Corey Kluber allowed the two runs in 6 2/3 innings.

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 (71-51) remained 7.0 games in front of Detroit (65-59) in the AL Central. The Tigers beat the Red Sox, 10-5, at Comerica Park.

Kansas City (64-60) is 8.0 back after a four-game sweep of the Twins in Kauffman Stadium. The defending world champion Royals have won eight in a row.

Toronto (70-54) leads the AL East by 0.5 over Boston.

Outstanding: The Tribe went 8-3 on a homestand against the Angels (4-0), Red Sox (0-1), White Sox (2-1) and Blue Jays (2-1).

Hard to believe, but true: The Indians have won three of four despite their offense having had just one at-bat with the lead.

*Thursday vs. White Sox (W, 5-4): Trailed, 3-0, after one inning and 4-2 after 6 1/2. Scored once in the seventh and eighth and walked-off with Tyler Naquin's sacrifice fly in the ninth.

*Friday vs. Blue Jays (W, 3-2): Trailed, 2-0, after one inning and 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth. Tied it with Ramirez's homer and won it with Naquin's inside-the-park homer heard 'round the world.

*Saturday vs. Blue Jays (L, 6-5): Trailed, 2-0, after two innings and 5-0 after three. Tied it with five in the fourth. Gave up decisive run in fifth.

*Sunday vs. Blue Jays (W, 3-2): Trailed, 2-0, after three innings. Scored one in the sixth and two in the eighth. After Ramirez's homer, Lonnie Chisenhall struck out.

Near-miss: The Indians entered the sixth having been handled by righty Marcus Stroman.

Carlos Santana singled to left. Jason Kipnis singled to right, Santana stopping at second. Francisco Lindor sent a liner to left for an RBI single to pull the Tribe within 2-1, Kipnis stopping at second.

Jose Ramirez, one of the best in the majors with runners in scoring position, grounded sharply foul near first base. It was tantalizingly close to an extra-base hit and at least one RBI. After a foul, Ramirez went into protect mode and reached for an off-speed pitch away. He bounced to shortstop Ryan Goins, who stepped on second and threw to first for a double play.

Chisenhall struck out swinging in four pitches.

Not this time: Ramirez paid back the Blue Jays in the eighth. Did he ever.

Santana led off with a grounder to first. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons signaled for lefty Brett Cecil. Stroman threw a superb 7 1/3 in 100 pitches, striking out nine. The Indians were thrilled to see him go, and doubly thrilled not to see Joaquin Benoit or Jason Grilli replace him.

Kipnis lined to right. Lindor fell behind, 0-2, before reaching on an infield single. It turned out to be the last of dozens of Tribe hits on the homestand from any count that included two strikes.

Ramirez stepped in. For reasons known only to Cecil and catcher Russell Martin, they opted to open with a changeup. It floated over the plate at 86 mph, and Ramirez had no choice but to swat it onto the home-run porch for his 10th.

Yes, Cecil missed his spot; the pitch was supposed to be down. But a first-pitch changeup was head-scratching because even the slightest location issue could turn it into a batting-practice fastball. And Cecil was not changing speeds off of anything.

Ramirez is batting a tidy .377 (40-for-106) during a 27-game on-base streak. He is batting .381 with RISP (40-for-105) this season.

Sweaty palms in Tribe Nation: Tribe closer Cody Allen began the ninth by striking out Goins looking and Devon Travis swinging. Travis' at-bat lasted nine pitches and included four straight 1-2 fouls before the swing and miss.

Allen walked 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson (seven pitches) and current MLB RBI leader Edwin Encarnacion (five). Martin fell behind, 0-2, took three balls and lined to right.

Martin finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. All he had done in his previous six games was go 12-for-24 with six homers.

Klubotic: AL Cy Young candidate Kluber gave up six hits, walked four and struck out eight in the no-decision. He threw 71 of 113 pitches for strikes.

The Tribe has won Kluber's past five starts. Kluber has made eight straight John Lowe Quality Starts (6+ IP, 3- ER) since his last loss, July 3 in Toronto (3 1/3 IP, 5 R; Blue Jays, 17-1). Overall, he is 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA in 25 starts.

On Sunday, Kluber navigated a dangerous Toronto lineup using primarily a fastball/cutter/slurve combination. The fastball featured late comeback action and the slurve periodically was cartoonish.

In the first inning, Kluber got away with mistakes over the plate to Donaldson and Encarnacion that resulted in respective flies to left. Donaldson hit a full-count cutter off the end of the bat and Encarnacion hit a 2-2 breaking pitch off the end of the bat.

Leading off the third, Melvin Upton Jr. took a fastball (91) for a strike. Kluber threw a fastball (91) that was supposed on the outside edge but veered to the inner half and down. Upton launched it deep to left-center for his third as a Blue Jay and 19th this season.

Former Indian Ezequiel Carrera popped to second, where Michael Martinez fought the sun before making the catch. Martinez was not wearing sunglasses.

Goins walked in five pitches. On the first pitch to Travis, Goins was caught stealing. After Martinez made the tag, he began to head for the dugout. Travis lined the next pitch to right for a double.

Donaldson, down in the count, 1-2, battled back to foul. He fouled twice, then slapped at a cutter outside and dumped it near the right-field line for an RBI single. Much more credit to Donaldson than blame on Kluber.

Happy to help: With two outs in the seventh, Kluber walked Goins. Travis singled to center, Goins stopping at second. Donaldson walked in four pitches.

Tribe manager Terry Francona opted for righty Mike Clevinger. All first-year MLB pitcher Clevinger needed to do was retire 101-RBI Encarnacion with the bases loaded to keep the deficit at one.

Clevinger got ahead, 0-1 and 1-2, with called strikes. Encarnacion did not like the second call by umpire Ramon DeJesus. Encarnacion and Tribe catcher Roberto Perez exchanged unpleasantries and DeJesus eventually signaled for time. It proved enormous because a blink-of-an-eye later, Clevinger was called for a balk by third-base umpire Greg Gibson.

After a protracted delay stemming from discussions between the umpires and personnel on both sides, the run correctly was taken off the board and the runners returned to their bases.

At this point, Perez displayed incredible guts -- and faith in Clevinger -- by requesting a fastball. Clevinger shaved the edge of the outside edge with the seams, and DeJesus punched out Encarnacion.

Encarnacion, a veteran slugger who hunts fastballs, never could have imagined Clevinger would throw him a 1-2 fastball, let alone a 1-2 fastball with the bases loaded in a tight game. Perez gets props for the element of surprise, Clevinger for executing the pitch perfectly.

Clevinger and his flowing locks were not done. He pitched around a hit and walk to log a scoreless eighth.

The appearance was Clevinger's second enormous contribution in the past four days. On Thursday, he gave up one run in four relief innings (third, fourth, fifth, sixth) that gave the Tribe a chance to rally.

Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor starting opposite Joe Haden and 'has to make the most of it' Hue Jackson says

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Jamar Taylor, acquired in a trade with the Dolphins, has earned the chance to win the starting cornerback job opposite Joe Haden. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cornerback Jamar Taylor has been aiming for a starting job since the Browns traded for him April, and he's finally turned the corner.

Acquired from the Dolphins in a draft day trade for an exchange of seventh-round picks, the 2013 second-round pick started opposite Joe Haden in practice Sunday and is getting his chance to lock down the job -- ahead of incumbent Tramon Williams.

It's a big step up from the nickelback role he'd been playing so far.

"It means he's one of starting corners,'' Jackson said of Taylor's appearance with the ones.

If Taylor fares well in joint practices against the Bucs Tuesday and Wednesday and in the dress rehearsal game in Tampa Friday night, he'll officially move up the depth chart and into the starting spot opposite Haden, who's expected to play his first game of the season after recovering from ankle surgery.

 "Absolutely there is no question (this is a big opportunity for Taylor,'' said Jackson. "Anybody that we put out there first, they have a chance to claim what is theirs and what they want. That's all everybody wants is just an opportunity to show that they belong or that they should be one of the 53, one of the guys and one of the starters. He is going to get that opportunity, and he has to make the most of it.''

Taylor, 25, earned the promotion with a solid outing against the Falcons Thursday night, where he made back-to-back plays on a first-quarter drive, including a third down pass pass breakup over the middle to Mohamed Sanu.

"He plays the game the way we want him to play it,'' said Jackson. "He made some plays the other night on the ball. I expect our corners to get their hands on balls and defend the other teams' receivers. We're going to keep mixing and matching until we get this right. That is just how I am. That is how our defensive staff is.

"This is how our offensive staff is. Our job is to put the best players out there and give them a chance to play and put people in position to be successful. That's what we are going to do."

One team's trash is another team's treasure, and that's certainly the case with Taylor, the 54th overall pick out of Boise State in 2013. The Dolphins basically gave him away -- for a chance to move up from No. 250 in the seventh round to 223 -- and now he's getting a chance to start for the Browns.

"I can't speak to what happened there,'' said Jackson. "Here, he's been outstanding. He's done everything that we've asked him to do, he's done it the right way and he's a good football player."

With Taylor moving from inside to out, Williams, who started 15 games last season, is working as the nickelback, a job held down the last two years by K'Waun Williams, who's currently appealing his two-game suspension for refusing to play in Green Bay. His return to the team is in serious doubt.

"There's no question, (Tramon Williams) done it,'' said Jackson. "He's done it here and done a good job of that. Tramon is fine and will do a good job for us, too."

Taylor made it clear after the Falcons game that he had his sights set on the starting job.

"I want to get out of the nickel position and try to go up,'' he said. "I don't think you ever settle and that's one thing I'm not going to do is settle. It's some great competition in the secondary, iron sharpens iron and we're all out there competing, we all want to be out there on the field.''

Will Terrelle Pryor be able to keep it up during the season?

Taylor acknowledged that starting is 'everybody's goal as a corner. Nobody really wants to settle in, but at the end of the day wherever the coaches want me I'm going to be there. If they want me to play o-line, I'll play o-line. If they want me to play d-line, I'll do that. Wherever they want me, as long as I'm on the field I really don't care.''

Taylor was careful not to wade into the murky waters of the K'Waun Williams controversy. The Browns and their former two-year nickelback are at horrible odds, with each side offering vastly different versions of the story of why he didn't play in Green Bay. The Browns said he told them he wanted to retire and Williams contends his ankle, which now needs surgery, was too painful.

NFL Network reported that K'Waun Williams didn't want to play that night because Taylor had taken over as the nickelback, but Williams' agent said that was false -- that it was all about the ankle.

"That's kind of out of my league,'' said Taylor. "I just worry about myself. I just keep my head down and keep hammering at the nail, I really don't worry about everything else, that's between him and coach.''

Haden, who will attempt to play at least some of the game in Tampa, sees quality starting potential in Taylor.

"I think Jamar will be a really good starter,'' Haden said. "You can tell by just people doing individual drills and the way that he comes out of his breaks, the way he understands football, the way he understands concepts, he's a smart football player and his ability to being able to lock people up in press coverage, backpedals, his breaks. just watching him play, he's a good player in the league.''

He believes both he and Taylor will lock down their side of the field and be a force to be reckoned with.

"I think we have a solid tandem,'' Haden said. "Me, him and so we can't keep forgetting about Tramon, we just got a group of dudes that know the game. Tramon, his knowledge of football is impeccable, so I always ask him certain things. With us three being able to be out there, I think every one of us can cover a No. 1, No. 2 guy for sure. And just us working together is going to be special.''

Haden didn't venture a guess as to why the Dolphins were so willing to let him go. Taylor was to Miami what Justin Gilbert was to the Browns: a high pick that didn't pan out. Like Gilbert, Taylor struggled inside and out. It got so bad that he was benched last season and was a healthy scratch for four out of the last five games. In three seasons for the Dolphins, Taylor started only nine games and didn't intercept a pass. He broke up only four. Gilbert has one interception - a pick-six againtst Andrew Luck -- and nine pass breakups in his two seasons.

"You never know situations with this league,'' said Haden. "But I'm glad he's here and he's going to be a really good player for us.''

Taylor leapfrogged right over Gilbert for the job, despite the fact the 2014 No. 8 pick spent all spring and summer subbing for Haden.

"Justin he hasn't been doing anything but getting better ever since he came in, through OTAs, to training camp,'' said Haden. "He's just been a model citizen. He's been in all the meetings, paying attention, asking questions, just basically trying to get better and everything the coaches ask of him, so he's definitely on the right path. He has all of the tools, so I think he's coming along really well.''

But for now, at least, Taylor has the inside track to the starting job.

Rio 2016: Shaking bodies, lively music make closing ceremony feel like Carnival parade

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Thousands of fans braved strong winds and sporadic rains to watch the closing ceremony in iconic Maracana Stadium, a finale meant to be both one last bash and to take care of some business — namely signal the transition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil and the world bid farewell Sunday to the first Olympic Games in South America, a 16-day spectacle that combined numerous highlight reel moments with ugly and even bizarre episodes that sometimes overshadowed the competitions.

Thousands of fans braved strong winds and sporadic rains to watch the closing ceremony in iconic Maracana Stadium, a finale meant to be both one last bash and to take care of some business -- namely signal the transition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

The lively music during the closing ceremony of the Rio Games kept spectators and athletes on their feet at Maracana Stadium. The athletes poured in under a light rain, waving their flags while many shook their bodies to samba-infused pop that made the stadium feel like a Carnival parade.

Olympic athletes danced, smiled and took selifes as they entered the stadium  and walked around the arena's floor during the flag procession.

DJs played lively music and some spectators got out of out their seats to dance -- and do the "wave."

The crowd also got to see performers shake it to frevo, a frenetic dance that, if it's even possible, makes samba seem like a staid ballroom affair. Holding a small umbrella, the dancers jumped up and down, seeming to march and incorporate acrobatics at the same time.

They shook it to "Vassourinhas," which means "small brooms," a popular song that was also the name of a famous club in the northeastern city of Recife.

The governor of Tokyo formally accepted the Olympic flag, marking the end of the 2016 games.

The handover occurred toward the end of the closing ceremony.

With the Olympic anthem reverberating through Maracana Stadium, the flag was lowered. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro then gave the flag to the head of the International Olympic Committee, who handed it over to the Tokyo governor, Yuriko Koike. Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer Games.

There's widespread expectation that the games in Tokyo, one of the world's richest, most recognizable, cosmopolitan cities, will run more smoothly than they have in Rio.

But there's also worry in Japan over whether the Olympics will eventually further drag down an economy that has been struggling for decades.

Rio 2016: Mongolian wrestling coaches protest controversial call by stripping, yelling

Sunday's final party was designed to be more low-key than the opening, which focused heavily on Rio. The ceremony opened with original footage of Alberto Santos Dumont, the man that Brazilians recognize as the inventor of the airplane. Brazilians also believe he is the first to ever wear a wristwatch, an invention made by a friend so he could see the time in flight.

The theme of the show was "Brazilians can do with their bare hands," a nod to the emerging economy of the world's fifth largest nation.

Dressed in colorful feathers, dozens of dancers formed in the shape of the arches of Lapa, a popular area of Rio akin to Roman ruins, then morphed to make the shape of iconic Sugarloaf before quickly changing again, this time to the official 2016 symbol.

Samba legend Martinho da Vila, whose tunes make their way into many popular telenovelas, sang "Carinhoso," or "Affectionate."

The games had many memorable moments, both for Brazilian competitors at home and athletes from around the world.

Soccer-crazed Brazil got partial payback against Germany, winning gold two years after a 7-1 World Cup final shellacking that left many in Latin America's largest nation fuming. American gymnast Simone Biles asserted her dominance with four golds, swimmer Michael Phelps added five more to up his staggering total to 23 and the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, put on his usual show with three golds just days before turning 30 years old.

But there were also ugly episodes, like American swimmer Ryan Lochte's fabricated story about a harrowing robbery that was actually an intoxicated-fueled vandalism of a gas station bathroom, and bizarre issues like Olympic diving pools going from crystal blue to gunky, algae green -- at a time when Rio's water quality in open waters is one of the biggest local environmental issues.

Many people, from Brazilians to International Olympic Committee members, will spend time analyzing how things went for the Rio Games in the months ahead. But on Sunday, one strong sentiment was relief -- that despite some problems, overall the games went well.

That wasn't a given going in. The Zika virus scared away some competitors and tourists, rampant street crime in Rio and recent extremist attacks around the world raised fears about safety and Brazil's political crisis, and the economic angst behind it, threatened to cast a pall over the competitions.

While athletes from around the world packed the Rio Games closing ceremony, one of the biggest stars was absent -- Brazil soccer great Pele.

Instead, the three-time football World Cup champion went to Twitter to celebrate Brazil's first gold medal in his sport.

During Sunday night's ceremony at Maracana Stadium, Pele tweeted: "I waited for my whole life to see Brazil win gold at football and now my dream came true."

About the Rio Olympics, Pele said they showed Brazil's "special way of life" both at work and fun. "There were unforgettable moments of skill and sportsmanship - as well as upsets and surprised along the way."

Pele also was not at the opening ceremony after he said health problems would keep him from attending.

Rio Olympics: US wins 3rd straight gold with rout of Serbia in men's basketball

What the Cleveland Browns hope to accomplish this week in Tampa

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The Browns head to Tampa for joint practices and a preseason game with the Buccaneers. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns are going south for the week -- a little over one thousand miles south. The team heads to Tampa Monday for joint practices with the Buccaneers followed by the third preseason game for each team on Friday night. 

"We can go out and have fun and fly around and actually not have to worry about pulling back 'cause we're going against our own guys," outside linebacker Nate Orchard said. 

"Just to be able to get some competition against another NFL team that's really just going after you," cornerback Joe Haden said. "So it's going to be some real competition." 

All of this is to say that the Browns, outside of two preseason games, have spent the last three weeks hitting each other and it will be a good thing for them to be able to hit another team for a few days. 

"It's going to give us an opportunity to play the football we need to play," nose tackle Danny Shelton said. "To practice against the team and then play right after, it will tell what our defense is going to be. It's a real opportunity for a lot of us." 

"(There's) a little extra intensity just because we're not teammates," running back Isaiah Crowell said, "so people going to try to go as hard as they can. It's important and I feel like we want to go out there and have a good practice against other guys." 

"We see our guys against our guys all the time," head coach Hue Jackson said. "To evaluate them against somebody else is always fun, different and it's a true evaluation more so than going against the same guys all the time."

This is the second straight season that the Browns will participate in joint practices. Former head coach Mike Pettine practiced his team with the Bills last summer before returning to Cleveland for a preseason game with Buffalo. Jackson said on Sunday that it's something he'd like to do every year if he's able to find a willing partner. 

Linebacker Demario Davis is participating in his first joint practice in the NFL. He said on Sunday he's looking forward to the immediate feedback the practices will offer as the Browns' defense faces an offense in a game-like scenario.

 "You don't have to wait until the game to know exactly how it's going to look," Davis said. "You're going to see it right after that Tuesday, Wednesday practice and then Thursday we have that mock game going into the regular game, so it's going to be a different dynamic, so you know what to expect." 

That ability to get looks at teams and how they respond to your defense prior to playing them is part of why more teams are going this route. There were ten such weeks scheduled this summer. This will be the second consecutive week in which the Bucs have participated in joint practices.

Coaches relish the opportunity to control scenarios against a real opponent, something they can't do in a preaseason game. 

"You get to do more things," Jackson said. "You get to really see the things that you need to see as a staff because we're kind of working together. There are things they need to see." 

Davis thinks this week will offer a good test for a struggling defense. 

"They have a young quarterback who's going to be a very good player, he was the No. 1 pick, very great talent," he said. "They've got two extremely explosive running backs. They have huge receivers on the outside. They have big offensive linemen who want to dominate you in the run game. It's going to be a tremendous challenge for us this week." 

 These practices haven't been without incident, of course, most notably when the Cowboys and Rams brawled in 2015. Jackson said after practice that the goal this week is to simply get in good practices while minimizing the potential for something to happen. The teams will wear pads on Tuesday and shells on Wednesday, but there won't be any tackling either day. 

"We won't take anybody to the ground," Jackson said. "We're going to play a game so we'll try to keep everybody up. The game is on Friday. This is more of let's practice against each other and take care of each other." 

"I think the coaches are going to do what they can to keep it down," Davis said. "Players are competing. It's going to get chippy. That's part of the game, but I think the coaches are going to be in control and do what they have to do to hold the controversy down." 

The teams will practice on two fields but Jackson expects that the groups will be together for most of the time. He said there will be 9-on-7, team drills and pass scale. 

"We'll do a lot of different things to get our team better and help them get their team better," Jackson said. 

Then it's on to the dress rehearsal game on Friday night. That's the bread and butter of what Jackson and his team are about. 

"There is nothing like a football game because that's what we play," Jackson said. "We play games every week. I like both (games and joint practices) to be honest with you." 

This preseason has been about finding answers, and the Browns stand to land back in Cleveland on Saturday with plenty of them. 

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How worried should Cleveland Indians be about starters Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin?

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Can struggling starters Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin get their acts together in time to help the Indians down the stretch?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Unless Tyler Naquin and his buddy Jose Ramirez are going to go into the walk-off victory business on a nightly basis, the Indians have some work to do on their starting rotation. And they better do it in a hurry.

Maybe they can get through the next 40 games with three starters - Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer - and two question marks in Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin, while maintaining their lead in the AL Central. But that's probably not realistic.

Kluber raised his hand a couple of weeks ago and volunteered to pitch every five days going down the stretch. That's a veteran move, something a No.1 starter does. But the way things are going with Salazar and Tomlin, manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway might ask Kluber to go every four days.

Tomlin and the home run have always walked hand in hand. He throws a lot of strikes, doesn't throw that hard and doesn't walk people. When hitters get ahead in the count, they know Tomlin is going to challenge them. The resulting 32 homers allowed is a testament to that.

Last season, when Tomlin joined the club in August following spring-training surgery on his right shoulder, he was just what the Indians needed. He gave them an adrenaline rush of 10 starts, going 7-2 with a 3.02 ERA.

Cody Anderson contributed in much the same way; going 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in six September starts.

The rotation is in need of the same kind of booster shot right now. But the Indians might be out of vaccine.

Tomlin has been in the rotation all year and it looks like he needs a rest. He says his arm and body feel good, but except for his start against Boston in Monday's makeup game, the results have not been there. He's 2-6 in his last eight starts with a 6.84 ERA. He's allowed 35 earned runs, 59 hits and 13 homers in 46 innings over that stretch.

Josh TomlinIndians right-hander Josh Tomlin is 2-6 in his last eight starts with a 6.85 ERA. He's allowed 35 earned runs and 59 hits, including 13 homers, in 46 innings in that stretch. 

Give Tomlin credit. He left the team early last week to tend to a serious family matter at home in Texas. He returned in time to make Saturday's start against Toronto and I don't think a lot of players would have done that.

Tomlin always takes the ball, never complains and never makes an excuse, but right now he's not the same pitcher who started the season at 7-0.

As for Anderson, he's still looking for answers in the bullpen at Class AAA Columbus. It's too late in the season to put him back in the rotation and the results weren't good when he was starting. If Anderson helps the Indians at all, it won't be until next season.

Salazar's next start will be Tuesday in Oakland. If he's on the mound in the second inning at O.co Coliseum instead of throwing in the bullpen, that will be an improvement over Thursday's start against the White Sox at Progressive Field.

In his first start since Aug. 1 following a 15-day stay on the disabled list and cortisone shot for a sore right elbow, Salazar threw 34 pitches, walked three batters and allowed three runs - in the first inning. He was throwing 96 mph to 97 mph, but had no idea where the ball was going. If the White Sox hitters had just stood at the plate and not swung the bats, the score could might been 10-0 instead of 3-0.

Tribe overcomes Salazar's false start

Then Salazar went to the bullpen and threw three innings like it was March in Goodyear, Ariz., and he was building arm strength for the season ahead. But this isn't March, it's late August with the postseason beckoning and the Indians in dire need of the Salazar who was 10-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings entering the All-Star break.

Their concern is that the Salazar who has made four starts since the break and is 1-1 with a 9.88 ERA will show up. Salazar's last two starts, two and one innings, respectively, have been the shortest in his career.

It's hard to downplay the importance of Salazar's start Tuesday. Like Tomlin, Salazar says he's healthy, but he did have a cortisone shot and he did tell reporters following his Aug. 1 start against the Twins that his elbow has been hurting since before the All-Star break.

Tribe's Salazar will get MRI on right elbow

When Salazar was placed on the DL and underwent an MRI, which showed no structural damage in the elbow, the Indians said they hoped it would give him peace of mind. But just before being activated, Salazar was asked about his peace of mind and said, "sometimes it's not about peace of mind, sometimes your elbow just hurts."

Tuesday night will be another indication of how healthy and confident Salazar is.

If the Indians need another starter, rookie Mike Clevinger could come out of the bullpen. He filled in for Salazar when he was on the disabled list and has pitched well in his last two relief appearances. The starting pitching depth after Clevinger comes down to Adam Plutko, Shawn Morimando and Ryan Merritt at Columbus

Perhaps the Indians can use the expanded roster in September to fortify the rotation, but that's not going to help them should they reach the postseason. What they'll need then is a healthy Salazar and a rejuvenated Tomlin.

If they win the Central, they won't need five starters for the best-of-five ALDS, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. Not to mention that it would be a nice change of pace.

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