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Darius Bazley, Justin Ahrens -- pair of 2018 Ohio prospects -- commit to Ohio State basketball

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The Buckeyes landed commitments from two 2018 prospects on Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- That jump Ohio State basketball was trying to get on its 2018 recruiting class? Consider it a done deal.

The Buckeyes on Saturday picked a pair of verbal commitments from Ohio prospects Darius Bazley and Justin Ahrens. Those commitments bring the 2018 class up to three prospects, and there's room for more.

Ohio State also has a commitment from Upper Arlington shooting guard Dane Goodwin, who committed as a freshman. With Bazley and Ahrens joining Goodwin, the Buckeyes are building an All-Ohio class.

Bazley is a four-star small forward rated the No. 2 player in Ohio, and the No. 87 overall player in the country according to the 247Sports composite ratings. He'll play for Cincinnati Princeton this year.

Ahrens is a three-star small forward from Versailles who is rated the No. 4 player in Ohio and the No. 18 player nationally in the 247Sports composite ratings.

Ahrens is the younger brother of Michigan State guard Kyle Ahrens. He announced his commitment on his public Twitter account.

Bazley confirmed to cleveland.com that he also committed on Saturday.

With the commitments of Bazley, Goodwin and Ahrens, Ohio State has three of the top four in-state prospects for 2018. The No. 1 prospect, Holy Name guard Dwayne Cohill has an offer from Ohio State and is considering the Buckeyes.

What an Ohio State offer meant for Cohill


Will Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis return to Cleveland Indians in 2017? Hey, Hoynsie

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What are the chances of the Indians bringing back free-agents-to-be Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis next year?

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

Hey, Hoynsie: Are Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, Brandon Guyer and Abraham Almonte in the final year of their contracts? Who will the Tribe try to re-sign? - Howard Smith, Gainesville, Va.

Hey, Howard: Guyer and Almonte are still under the team control. Judging by the way they've played, I would imagine they'll both be back next season.

Napoli and Davis will be free agents at the end of the year. I think the Indians would love to bring them back, but Napoli and Davis have played well enough to go out on the market and look for longer contracts. It will be interesting to see what happens, but they were both great signs by Chris Antonetti and the front office.

Hey, Hoynsie: With Josh Tomlin struggling and Mike Clevinger pitching well out of the bullpen, is it a possibility that Terry Francona moves Tomlin to the bullpen and puts Clevinger in the rotation? - Andy Mees, Sandusky.

Hey, Andy: It's a certainly a possibility, but Francona said Friday that Tomlin will make his next scheduled start, which is Tuesday against the Twins.

Hey, Hoynsie: Help me understand why Carlos Santana is anything other than a full-time DH. He is on his third defensive position and has been a liability at all of them. In short, his defense is offensive. - Keith Crabtree, Columbus.

Hey, Keith: Santana's play at first base has improved this year. He came to spring training in great shape and has maintained it. He's also given manager Terry Francona the flexibility of using Mike Napoli at DH when he needs a rest.

While Santana has played only 420 2/3 innings at first compared to Napoli's 710 1/3, his Defensive Runs Save score is 1 compared to Napoli's -6. Santana has made four errors and has a .990 fielding percentage, while Napoli has made 12 errors and has a .984 fielding percentage.

Santana and Napoli have given Francona a productive rotation at first and DH.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any chance the Indians will make a trade by the Aug. 31 deadline? They could really use a jolt right now. The Royals and Tigers are coming on strong. The starting pitching is disappointing right now and the catcher is scary. I'm not saying they have to go out and get Brian McCann or Ervin Santana. Minor moves and depth is what is needed now. - Ryan Smith, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Hey, Ryan: I think they'll try, but the waiver process and their record work against them making a deal.

Tribe unlikely to add outside help by Aug. 31 deadline

Hey, Hoynsie: With Toronto CEO Mark Shapiro cleaning house in the scouting department, should the Indians be worried that me might try to raid their organization for scouting and player development personnel? -- Steven Alex, Gainesville, Fla.

Hey, Steven: I would say, yes. Especially if the Blue Jays come looking for a guy like Brad Grant, who has done such a good job in the amateur draft.

Toronto would first have to ask permission from the Indians to interview anyone they were interested in. They'd also have to offer the candidate a promotion because lateral moves between organizations are frowned upon.

Then again, if the Indians truly value the individual, and he or she is under contract, they could say thanks, but no thanks to the Blue Jays.

Shapiro man in the middle when it comes to Tribe, Jays

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think Danny Salazar refused to go on a rehab start when he came off the disabled list in August? There's a weird vibe to this story. - Steve Cornelius, Rocky River

Hey, Steve: Players don't like to go on rehab assignments, but they can't refuse to go. Based on the way Salazar's two starts have gone since he's been activated, it was an organizational mistake not to have him pitch at least one rehab game in the minors.

Tito tells Salazar that season doesn't end at All-Star Game

Hey, Hoynsie: Are there realistic expectations that catcher Yan Gomes will be 100 percent come the playoffs should the Tribe make it? As bad as he was hitting, he would be an upgrade at the position and a boost to the pitching staff - Chris Allen, Fairview Park.

Hey, Chris: Gomes and the Indians seem confident he'll be ready in late September if they make the postseason. But I don't think he's going to be 100 percent until next season.

Gomes understands why Tribe pursued Lucroy

Terry Francona and the trainers have said Gomes will be able to work on his hitting first. Regain his arm strength after separating his right shoulder in July will take longer.

Hey, Hoynsie: How long do MLB players have to attend rehab when suspended for testing positive? - Patrick Arnold, Westlake.

Hey, Patrick: If a player tests positive for a performance-enhancing drug, he isn't required to go to rehab, but he is tested more frequently. For example if a player tested positive for a PED in spring training this year, he'd be subject to six unannounced urine tests and three blood tests during the following 12 months and every year after that in which he was on a team's 40-man roster.

If a player tests positive for a drug of abuse - marijuana, cocaine, etc. - he can enter a treatment plan agreed upon by the owners and players association. But he must follow the treatment program are be subject to penalties.

Hey, Hoynsie: Thanks to Fox Sports tracking it on screen, we're all aware (even obsessed) with pitch counts. How aware are pitchers of that number during a game, and how does that affect their pitching in a given inning or over the course of a game? - Andy Call, Shaker Heights.

Hey, Andy: I think pitchers are extremely aware of their pitch counts. All they have to do is look at the scoreboard - when they're sneaking a peek at their velocity - and their pitch count is usually located right next to their velo readings. If not that, the state of their arm is a good indicator of how many pitches they've thrown.

I loved watching Bartolo Colon pitch for the Tribe when he knew he was working in his last inning because he was nearing his pitch threshold. He'd go out and make sure his last few pitches pushed 100 mph, all the while checking out the radar gun. Then he'd walk off the mound at the end of the inning as if he could have pitched like that the whole game.

Jamyest Williams, a four-star CB from Georgia, announces commitment to South Carolina

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The 5-foot-9, 170-pound cornerback was once one of Ohio State's top defensive targets, but the Buckeyes knew coming into Saturday that Williams was committing elsewhere.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four-star cornerback Jamyest Williams of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson announced his commitment to South Carolina during a ceremony at his high school on Saturday afternoon. 

Rated the No. 8 cornerback in the 2017 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Williams listed Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee as other finalists.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound cornerback was once one of Ohio State's top defensive targets, but the Buckeyes knew coming into Saturday that Williams was committing elsewhere. 

Though Williams has drawn comparisons to Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, Ohio State has limited spots in its 2017 recruiting class and other defensive back targets higher on their board. 

The Buckeyes are still involved with five-star safety Jeffrey Okudah of Grand Prairie (Texas) South and five-star cornerback Darnay Holmes of Calabasas, Calif. 

Cleveland Browns Scribbles digging through rubble of a lost night in Tampa -- Terry Pluto (photos)

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Cleveland Browns youth on defense is exposed. Offense needs changes, too.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Scribbles in my Browns notebook after the Browns were spanked 30-13 by Tampa Bay:

1. The defense was awful, especially the starters. They gave up 20 points in Tampa's first four possessions. And the defense has been overwhelmed for most of the preseason. You know that. This is more of the same from a year ago. The Browns ranked No. 27 in yards allowed, No. 29 in points permitted. In seven of 16 games, they coughed up at least 30 points.

2. I dug up those sickening stats to underline the point that the complete defensive collapse began last season. The team said goodbye to veterans Karlos Dansby, Donte Whitner, Craig Robertson and Tashaun Gipson. I always liked Dansby because he played hard and cared. Gipson had talent, but also had trouble staying healthy the last two years.

3. The defense is not suddenly going to improve by losing four starters. I understand the plan. It's long term. It's also making some good judgments. Ibraheim Campbell is ready to take over at safety for Whitner. Chris Kirksey is a better inside linebacker than Robertson. Danbsy and Whitner were older and didn't fit with the plans to play kids and try to build.

4. Dansby signed with Cincinnati, so the Browns will see him twice this season. Whitner is still looking for a team. He worked out with Carolina Friday. Gipson signed with Jacksonville. Robertson signed with New Orleans.

5. In the meantime, Ray Horton has the staggering task of trying to make this young and rather talent-challenged group into even a mediocre defense. I'm not excusing, I am explaining. I can understand why some fans feel as Doug Matthews did watching Friday's game. He wrote: "The defense has a realistic chance of being the worst in NFL history."

6. Horton likes to blitz and use tricky formations. I wonder if he will be able to do that with such a young team. It's a tough task. He needs to teach NFL defenses. If you start every play in a basic 3-4 (his preference) or 4-3 set, any veteran quarterback will tear you apart. But too much pre-snap movement can leave a young team confused.

7. In 2013, when Horton was the Browns' defensive coordinator, the team ranked a very solid No. 9 in yards allowed. But it was No. 23 in points allowed. Nonetheless, the defense was not quite as lame as it was in 2015.

8. Looking at the breakdowns is discouraging. Jamar Taylor and Justin Gilbert were simply overmatched at times by Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. Those two big receivers ran or simply jumped over defenders to catch passes.

9. Kirksey is known as a linebacker who also covers well, but he lost Charles Sims in the end zone to give up a 7-yard TD. There were other plays where the cornerbacks and safeties seemed confused in coverage.

10. The Browns generated very little pass rush. Tampa's Jameis Winston is very good at keeping plays alive with his feet and throwing accurate passes. He reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger in that area. We'll see if he approaches the career of Roethlisberger, but you can see the talent.

11. After the game, coach Hue Jackson said: "We're not going to accept this. We're going to go back to work and fix this and talk about our team, and our team knows that."

12. That also goes for the offense. It's great to see Robert Griffin III hitting some long passes to Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon in the preseason. Both have two receptions of more than 40 yards. But the Browns need to have Griffin rolling out more -- not to run, but to throw.

13. Griffin standing in the pocket forever waiting for a big play to develop is part of the reason he was sacked five times in the first half.

14. Jackson had a different opinion: "We're not holding the ball too long. ... One of our goals is for our quarterback not to get hit like that. I didn't think Robert was back there holding the ball too long or looking for more than what was there."

15. Jackson believed the main problem was blocking breakdowns. It will be interesting if he changes that opinion after studying the video, because it seemed Griffin sometimes waited too long to throw.

16. The long passes and Griffin in the pocket occasionally lead to some holding penalties. Perhaps Jackson has more throw-on-the-move plays set for Griffin and is saving them for the regular season. But this much is certain, he can't (and shouldn't) be a pure pocket passer.

17. It was a tough night for rookie receivers Corey Coleman and Rashard Higgins. Neither caught a pass. They were targeted a combined four times. Higgins dropped a pass. Coleman had two passes thrown in his direction, no catches. Higgins played 26 snaps, Coleman played 19.

18. It was Coleman's first NFL action. He looked rusty. The top pick from Baylor should play quite a bit in Game 4 just to acclimate to the speed of the NFL game. Not sure what Jackson plans to do.

19. Taylor Gabriel caught six passes, and that may secure him a roster spot. Gabriel caught most of them from veteran Josh McCown. You could see they had some chemistry from playing together last season.

20. Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson ran well, gaining 61 yards in 11 carries.

Conditioned for a comeback, St. Edward football rallies past Pine-Richland, 28-27 (photos, video)

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St. Edward trailed for much of the fourth quarter until senior running back Curtis Szelesta’s 26-yard touchdown run with 1:57 left. Szelesta rushed for 207 yards in the Eagles' football victory vs....

LAKEWOOD, Ohio – Exhausted and clad in yellow, St. Edward football players took a knee around their coach following a 28-27 win Saturday against Pittsburgh-area powerhouse Pine-Richland.

“This is why we ran those gassers,” coach Tom Lombardo told his Eagles. “And guess what’s our secret? The fourth quarter.”


St. Edward trailed for much of it until senior running back Curtis Szelesta’s 26-yard touchdown run with 1 minute, 57 seconds left. Szelesta cut to his right, found a seam and later stumbled. But no Pine-Richland defender caught him amid a downfield burst. His teammates and fans watching in the First Federal Lakewood Stadium stands cheered.


Anyone who turned on ESPN, which televised the matchup, also got a glimpse of the play.


“The blocking was outstanding, but he made the last 24 yards on his own,” Lombardo said.


Szelesta finished with 207 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. He stepped into a new starting role, like eight of his teammates on the Eagles offense.




Check back later for more highlights and reaction.


Another eight starters were new for the defense, which needed first-year starting cornerback DeShane Bloodworth’s interception to end Pine-Richland’s final possession.


Bloodworth came off what he called a bad scrimmage last week against another school from Pennsylvania.


Szelesta awaited his time after backing up friend Cole Gest, who held the running back position last year during the Eagles’ Division I state title run.


“I was waiting my time,” Szelesta said, “and I couldn’t wait to get every other play just like he did.”


The shifty 5-foot-9 Szelesta shared carries on option plays with senior Kevin Kramer, a first-year starting quarterback. Kramer added 91 yards on 15 carries. They kept Pine-Richland’s defense off balance.


A big school from a tradition rich part of Pennsylvania, the Rams did the same to St. Edward’s defense. They boast 6-5 junior quarterback Phil Jurkovec, already a Notre Dame commit and the top-rated QB in his class by 247Sports.com and most scouting services.


Jurkovec finished 20-of-31 passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns. His rocket arm twice gave Pine-Richland first-quarter leads. His footwork kept the Eagles from committing too much to his passing, and the Rams wound up with a 27-21 third-quarter lead after he dumped a short pass to fullback Tyler King.


King ran most of the 53 yards to give Pine-Richland its lead with 10:25 left in the third.




However, Jurkovec’s teammates on offense began to retreat for the sideline with cramps.


“We had a few here and there but we came back, we’re a tough football team,” Szelesta said.


Pine-Richland coach Eric Kasperowicz chalked the difference to “fortitude” and said St. Edward had it. His team reached the St. Edward 10-yard line with a chance to expand their fourth-quarter lead, but the Eagles sacked Jurkovec on fourth down. Pine-Richland did not try a field goal. Its kicker missed a second-quarter extra point that allowed St. Edward to lead 21-20 at halftime. The kicker had another extra point ricochet off the left upright.


Ultimately, the Eagles’ defense corralled Jurkovec. The fourth-down sack led to another stop at the 32, setting up Szelesta’s go-ahead score.


“All of the conditioning we do and hard nosed football, we just really go at it,” Szelesta said. “


Lombardo and his staff chose specific practices to end with sprints from one sideline to the other. Their players did it eight to 10 times before they could leave.


“I’d hate it during practice, but the coaches would pick the hottest days to condition during the week and would make us run,” Szelesta said. “We’d run for a long time, and hard work pays off. I love them right now.


“If you weren’t puking at the end,” he said, “there’s something wrong with you.”


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

Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers starting lineups for Saturday night

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In a four-game series between first place teams, the Indians and Rangers split the first two games headed into Saturday's contest.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Here are the lineups for Saturday night's game between the Indians and Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

INDIANS

1B Carlos Santana.

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

DH Mike Napoli.

3B Jose Ramirez.

RF Lonnie Chisenhall.

LF Abraham Almonte.

CF Tyler Naquin.

C Roberto Perez.

RHP Carlos Carrasco, 9-6, 3.12.

RANGERS

RF Nomar Mazara.

CF Ian Desmond.

DH Carlos Beltran.

3B Adrian Beltre.

2B Rougned Odor.

LF Carlos Gomez.

1B Mitch Moreland.

SS Elvis Andrus.

C Robinson Chirinos

RHP A.J. Griffin, 5-3, 4.68.

UMPIRES

H Jeff Kellogg, crew chief.

1B John Tumpane.

2B Brian O'Nora.

3B Lance Barrett.

Live chat, updates: Cleveland Indians vs. Texas Rangers, Saturday, Game 128

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Right-hander Carlos Carrasco will face Texas right-hander A.J. Griffin on Saturday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Indians and Rangers play the third game of a four-game series Saturday night at Global Life Park in Arlington. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

Game 128: Indians (73-54) vs. Rangers (75-54).

First pitch: 8:05 p.m.

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

Pitching matchup:  RHP Carlos Carrasco (9-6, 3.12) vs. RHP A.J. Griffin (5-3, 4.68)

Fact du jour: Abraham Almonte tied a career high with four RBI in Friday's 12-1 win.

Why Browns' Robert Griffin III can't be a one-trick, long ball pony

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Robert Griffin III has lived and died so far by the long ball, but he knows he can't be one-dimensional this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Folks dig the long ball, and Robert Griffin III has that nailed.

Owner of a cannon arm, he's dazzled fans with five deep completions this preseason, including three for touchdowns. Two have gone to Terrelle Pryor and two to Josh Gordon over four-time Pro Bowler Brent Grimes, including 44 yards in the first quarter and a 43-yard TD pass during Friday night's 30-13 loss to the Bucs.

Not only is Griffin one-dimensional, he's only launching those missiles to the right side, which might be just a preseason ploy to draw defenders that way. But Hue Jackson, 0-3 this preseason, knows his pet project can't be a one-trick pony this season.

"We can't just live by the long ball,'' Jackson said Friday night. "It's good we're scoring. We'll take that. But at the same time, we've got to have other elements of our offense show up and play good."

In a conference call Saturday, Jackson stressed that the Browns must sustain drives -- not only to score points, but to keep their young defense off the field.

"That gets back to running the football,'' he said. "I thought (Isaiah Crowell) had some really good runs in there at times, but it was nothing sustainable that we can kind of hang our hat on, so we'll continue to get better.

"We're going to have to run the ball better than we have and we're going to have to throw the ball better than we have. At the same time, I did see some flashes of some things that we can build from.''

Problem is, those flashes have generally been a tight Griffin spiral soaring through the air -- something even he knows is not sustainable without other tools in the bag.

"It starts with me,'' said Griffin. "I just have to make sure that when the intermediate throws are there, I make them. When the long ball throws are there I make them, and when the quick game throws are there, I make them. So it all starts with me and I'll make sure that gets cleaned up.''

Of Griffin's 282 passing yards this preseason, 215 have come on the five deep balls, including a 29-yard TD pass to Gary Barnidge. Aside from those, he's completed 13 passes for 67 yards.

What's more, he's not feeding all-purpose back Duke Johnson, who has only three receptions this season.  

"I've just got to do a better job of getting the ball to them and just getting the ball out of my hands and allowing them to make plays so that all starts with me,'' Griffin said.

In addition, if the Browns continue to fall behind because of their porous defense, teams will tee off on Griffin and smother him before he has time to launch it 40 yards. As it was, he was sacked five times in the first half of Friday night's loss, although he was only taken to the ground on three.

"I don't think we protected the quarterback as well as we can and if you don't do that you won't be able to ever accomplish what you want on offense,'' Jackson said.

Nevertheless, he absolved Griffin from holding the ball too long and complimented his performance, which earned a 108.9 rating.

"He did some really good things under duress obviously,'' said Jackson. "Obviously he continues to find ways to make plays down the field and he's putting the ball in the right spots and putting his eyes in the right spots. He took some hits last night that were unfortunate.

"We always want to do a better job of protecting our quarterback. So I think he stood in there, he kept his poise and made some plays, but again, I just think he'd be the first to tell you as a unit, we've got to play better and it's just not him, it's the whole offense. We've got to play better as we move forward.''

Griffin will be without Gordon for the first four games of the season, so he has to find other ways to get the job done.

In the meantime, here's a trip down longball lane:

It's Griffin to Barnidge for six points against Atlanta.

Here, Griffin finishes what he started, throwing a 50-yard TD to Pryor against Falcons' Pro Bowler Desmond Trufant.

Griffin welcomes Gordon back to the NFL with this 44-yard strike on a double-move past Grimes.

This time, the former Baylor Bears deliver a 43-yard TD, in which Gordon uses both brains and brawn to outduel Grimes.


How Browns' Corey Coleman pressed and how Cam Erving and other 1st rounders fared vs. Bucs

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Browns rookie receiver Corey Coleman will bounce back from a rough first outing, Hue Jackson said Sunday on a conference call. He believes Cam Erving and Danny Shelton will be okay, too.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Corey Coleman's much-anticipated preseason debut against the Bucs wasn't what one might expect from a first-round pick, but Hue Jackson is still confident Coleman will live up to his lofty draft status.

Coleman, who missed about two weeks of training camp with a hamstring injury, caught only one of the three balls thrown his way for nine yards -- and it was negated by a pass interference call against Terrelle Pryor.

On a 20-yard incompletion over the middle in the second quarter, Coleman lost his shoe and ran off the field. Later in the quarter, he got tangled up with cornerback Brent Grimes on a deep ball and tumbled to the ground.

He did return two punts, one for 10 yards, and one for no gain that probably should've been fair caught at the 15. But it wasn't the kind of big-play debut he was probably hoping for.

"What you saw last night was a young man that was coming to his first NFL game excited to play and wanting to go out and do really well,'' coach Hue Jackson said. "Maybe he was pressing a little bit. Again, so much has been said about this great receiving corps we have, but they understand you got to prove that on the field.

"Sometimes there's a lot of anxiety that can be built up from that. He needed to play. We all understand and know he can play and he's only going to get better from here on in."

Why Robert Griffin III can't be a one-trick, long ball pony

Jackson stressed that Coleman "has a tremendous grasp'' of the offense and that he just needs to play.

"We've all got to remember there was a two-week or 21/2-week period where he did nothing,'' Jackson said. "His process probably changed a little bit from being out there at practice and doing the other things he was doing each and every day because he had to get healthy.

"This guy's a tremendous football player and he'll bounce back and he's looking forward to playing this week."

Had Coleman played in the first two preseason games, he might sit out Thursday's preseason finale against the Bears. But he needs all the reps he can get.

Here is the state of the other Browns' recent first-round picks, especially in light of the Barkevious Mingo trade:

2015 No. 19 pick Cam Erving

Erving, who gave up a sack, has also missed valuable practice and game time with an elbow injury and a sprained ankle suffered against the Bucs. Like Coleman, he's got some catching up to do. He just needs experience at the position, considering he started only five games there in college. But Erving is a hard worker and the Browns believe in him. There will be growing pains, but they're asking folks to be patient.

"Cam's doing a lot of really good things," Jackson said. "He's a young player who's ascending who's going to be a tremendous football player for us."

But will the Browns keep their eyes open for other quality centers?

"Yeah, what we're trying to do - we'll always look to see if we can find anybody that can make our football team better,'' said Jackson. "It's not just center. It's everywhere.''

So where are the pass protections problems occurring?

"It's not just the line,'' Jackson said. "It could be other things. I'm not going to get into all of those, but just know we did not function as a passing team in those areas last night.

"Sometimes receivers need to be in the right place. Sometimes guys get rerouted and all of a sudden you might have to hold the ball a little bit here and there and sometimes the line has to strain a little bit more. But for a passing game to work, it's not just the line. Everybody has a part of that - the quarterback, the line, the receivers."

2015 No. 12 pick Danny Shelton

Shelton didn't get much playing time in the first half against the Bucs, primarily because they came out in the no-huddle and the Browns were in the nickel much of the half. They played a four-man front, starting with Paul Kruger, Carl Nassib, Xavier Cooper and Emmanuel Ogbah.

Even in some goal-line situations, Shelton wasn't on the field. But Jackson said it was more a function of the personnel groupings than Shelton's performance. However, he played into the third quarter, which most starters didn't do, and has something to prove to this new coaching staff.

He was flagged once for roughing Jameis Winston, but made two tackles and forced a fumble. Shelton needs to keep working on his technique, and keep an eye on the weight so he can be more of a three-down player.

"Nothing's going on with his playing time,'' Jackson said. "They didn't have a goal-line snap. They were still playing in their three-wide system. So there's times in nickel that we play him and there's times that we don't.

"We're evaluating and trying to see what's going to be the best fit for all of our guys. Danny did some good things and improved in some areas last night. But again, I'll keep saying, as a football team, we've got to get better across the board."

2014 No. 8 pick Justin Gilbert

Gilbert was off to one of his better starts before leaving in the second quarter with a concussion. He's now in the treatment protocol.

The Browns seem intent to try to make something out of a player with tremendous athleticism who's owed $12.8 million guaranteed. If nothing else, Gilbert will be able to help on kick returns and kick coverage. But they hope to use him as a backup corner too.

If they decide to cut their losses, they'd save millions on the cap.

Consistent Carlos Santana left his shovel at home this year for Cleveland Indians

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Carlos Santana has given the Indians consistent production at the plate, a dangerous leadoff hitter and solid defense at first base.

ARLINGTON, Texas - If you can get past the missed pop up from Wednesday's loss to Oakland and the error in the first inning Saturday night against Texas - he's made just five errors this season -- Carlos Santana is having one of his most consistent seasons as an Indian.

Consistent being the key word.

"The last couple of years he's had to dig himself out of a hole," said manager Terry Francona. "Then when you look at the end of the year, he did."

Those seasons require so much digging that the good is often not recognized until the season has come and gone. As Francona is fond of saying when his players cut against the grain, "It's a hard way to play."

Santana has been much more reliable this year. Here's what he's hit month-to-month:

April: .240 (18-for-75), three homers, 11 RBI.

May: .217 (23-for-106), six homers, 14 RBI.

June: .255 (27-for-106), seven homers, 17 RBI.

July: .258 (24-for-93), six homers, 14 RBI.

August: .277 (23-for-83), five homers, eight RBI.

"This year he's been much better," said Francona. "I think his entire game has been more consistent. He seems to be enjoying what he's doing. He's in a good place."

Santana is probably never going to be the .300 hitter former Tribe manager Manny Acta predicted he'd be. He went into Saturday night's game against Texas hitting .248 (115-for-463) with 27 homers, 64 RBI and a .821 OPS.

The 27 homers match Santana's career high.

What he has become is a productive presence in the lineup. He plays every day, whether it's at DH or first base. He not only accepted the move to hit leadoff against most right-handers, he's made the most of it while making his manager look smart as well.

That is never a bad thing.

Francona toyed with the idea in spring training and made it a reality in April.

Santana sets tone in leadoff spot

"It wasn't based on just throwing stuff against the wall," said Francona. "I thought it made sense and he's done a good job with it. I'm proud of him for a number of reasons. I think he's done a real good job in a number of areas."

Santana has started five games with homers this season to tie a club record. When he leads off an inning, he's hitting .253 (41-for-162) with 14 homers.

Bottoms up: In Friday's 12-1 win over Texas, Abraham Almonte and Roberto Perez were a combined 7-for-10 with seven RBI. It was just the second time in the last 40 years, according to Elias, that the Tribe's No.8 and No. 9 hitters each had at least three hits and three RBI in one game.

Tribe remembers how to hit; Kluber wins No. 14

The last time it happened, Franklin Gutierrez and Casey Blake did the honors on April 22, 2008 against Kansas City.

Perez had eight hits on the season before Friday. He raised his average from .104 (8-for-77) to .164 (12-for-82) by going 4-for-5.

"If feel like I'm seeing the ball pretty good," said Perez. "It's just a matter of staying with it. I think I've been pulling off a lot pitches. Right now I'm just trying to hit the ball to the second baseman.

"I had success doing that last year."

It's no secret the Tribe's catchers haven't produced offensively. Starter Yan Gomes went on the disabled list in July hitting .165 (41-for-249). Perez is hitting .164 and Chris Gimenez is hitting .220 (26-for-118).

"Our guys know, if they catch, we can win," said Francona. "If they go 4-for-4 and don't catch, we might not necessarily win. Just don't fixate on it. ... Just do a good job of running the game."

Finally: Look for the Indians to bring up a catcher when the rosters expand on Sept. 1. The Indians have veteran catchers Adam Moore and Guillermo Quiroz at Class AAA Columbus. Francona said Gomes won't be ready to play by Sept. 1, but could be added later in the month.

Jayden Cunningham leads University School football past VASJ, 35-20 (video)

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University School QB Jayden Cunningham rushed for two touchdowns and threw a TD pass in a win at Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

EUCLID, Ohio — Quarterback Jayden Cunningham accounted for three touchdowns, two rushing, to help University School's football team defeat VASJ, 35-20, at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium on Saturday.

The game was delayed for more than 90 minutes late in the second quarter due to lightning.


The Preppers (1-0) never trailed after Camryn Hubbard rushed for two first-quarter touchdowns.


Cunningham had touchdown runs of 23 and 11 yards, and threw a 10-yard touchdown to Brad Rehak.


The Vikings (0-1) sustained several long drives early, but were stopped on fourth down twice in the first quarter. VASJ QB Delanoe Harris had a rushing and passing touchdown.


What's next


University School will travel to Bay on Friday, and VASJ will play at Elyria Catholic on Friday.

No. 1 Colerain survives interstate showdown: Ohio Super 25 roundup for Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016 (video)

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Here is how teams in cleveland.com’s Ohio Super 25 fared Saturday night. Some games did not finish on time Friday night and are included in this roundup.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is how teams in cleveland.com’s Ohio Super 25 fared Saturday night. Some games did not finish on time Friday night and are included in this roundup.

Watch the above video to see what happened in No. 5 St. Edward’s 28-27 win against Pine-Richland (Pa.).


No. 1 Colerain 31, Indianapolis Warren Central 28: Monalo Caldwell scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes to propel the Cardinals at Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.


Colerain used a long punt return from Ohio State commit Amir Riep before quarterback Gunnar Leyendecker connected with Keonte Jones on a big pass to set up Caldwell’s score.


The matchup with Warren Central of Indianapolis was part of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.


Next: At Cincinnati St. Xavier.




No. 2 Huber Heights Wayne vs. Archbishop Wood (Pa.): This game played Friday was ruled a no contest after Archbishop Wood opted not to resume the game Saturday morning. They played to a 21-21 tie before lightning stopped the action.


Next: Home vs. No. 6 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller.


No. 3 Cincinnat La Salle 38, Sycamore 31 (OT): Paul Young’s 19-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Lancers. While La Salle is coming off its second straight Division II state crown, Sycamore finished last season 4-6, ranked 30th in Division I, Region 2 (now Region 4 for Sycamore).


Next: At East Central (Ind.).




St. John Bosco (Calif.) 34, No. 4 St. Xavier 0: The Bombers suffered their first opening loss since 2010 and now must face No. 1 Colerain. In two weeks, they travel northeast to visit No. 9 Mentor.


Next: Home vs. Colerain.


No. 6 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 47, Lakota West 14: Also played at Nippert Stadium for the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown, Moeller opened Saturday morning with a convincing victory vs. Greater Miami Conference contender Lakota West. Junior running back Colin Thurman led the Crusaders with 120 yards rushing and two touchdowns.


Next: At No. 2 Wayne.




Troy 10, No. 14 Trotwood-Madison 6: Troy scored an upset of the Division III powerhouse and held off the Rams, who kept hope alive with an interception in the final two minutes.


Troy was just 2-8 last year and finished 20th in Division II, Region 6. The Rams reached the state semifinals and returned 3,000-yard running back Raveion Hargrove and several standouts at the skill positions.


Troy, however, sends them to an 0-1 start with a tough Greater Western Ohio Conference crossover game looming against Piqua.


Next: Home vs. Piqua.


Mason 28, No. 24 Springboro 24: Cameron Buford broke a 14-all halftime score with his 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter to lift the Comets.


Next: Home vs. Middletown.


Click here for Saturday’s Northeast Ohio scoreboard.

Ultra-sloppy Cleveland Indians silenced by Texas Rangers: DMan's Report, Game 128 (photos)

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The Indians performed poorly in almost all phases and lost to the Rangers, 7-0, Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mitch Moreland hit a grand slam in a five-run first inning and right-hander A.J. Griffin allowed five hits in six innings as the Texas Rangers easily disposed of the Cleveland Indians, 7-0, Saturday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Tribe reserve catcher Chris Gimenez threw 10 pitches in a perfect eighth.

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

XL-XW-XL: The Rangers (76-54) won the series opener, 9-0, Thursday night. The Indians (73-55) won, 12-1, Friday night. The Rangers dominated again Saturday.  

All-around mess: The Indians checked most of the boxes. Their starting pitching was not good; they swung poorly; they fielded poorly; and they didn't generate anything on the bases.

Can't happen: The Indians need to win when the pitching matchup is Carlos Carrasco against A.J. Griffin.

It would be one thing if the Indians were shut down by a nasty right-hander such as Yu Darvish. Griffin cruised using an assortment of slop.

Griffin (6-3, 4.39 ERA) walked one and struck out six. He threw 66 of 95 pitches for strikes.

All you needed to know about Cleveland's offense against Griffin came in the third inning.

Carlos Santana led off with a 10-pitch walk. Jason Kipnis, in the midst of a superb season, worked the count full. As Santana sprinted for second, Kipnis swung and missed at an 88-mph fastball over the plate. Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos easily erased Santana.

The Indians, a team that doesn't run-and-hit often, had Santana on the move when trailing, 5-0, in the third.

Fox Sports Time Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "You're banking that Kip is going to put it in play. I would do it all day long, even though you're down. You're trying to make something happen.''

Anatomy of a debacle: Tribe right-hander Carrasco allowed seven runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out eight. He needed 93 pitches to get 12 outs.

Carrasco's defense let him down, no question. But Carrasco didn't help himself, either. Here is a pitch-by-pitch breakdown of his outing:

1st inning

(L) Nomar Mazara -- 95 fastball foul; 94 fastball inside (barely); 90 changeup low; 94 fastball foul; 89 changeup in dirt; 95 fastball foul; 94 fastball foul; 89 changeup, swinging strikeout.

Skinny: Inner third diving to knees.

Ian Desmond -- 95 fastball outside (barely); 87 changeup low and inside; 87 changeup swinging strike; 95 fastball outside (barely); 94 fastball, bloop single to center.

Skinny: Desmond jammed. Ball floated beyond shortstop Francisco Lindor. Tough luck for Carrasco.

(L) Carlos Beltran --  94 fastball outside (barely); 93 fastball outside; 94 fastball high and outside; 92 fastball called strike; 93 fastball, single to third baseman.

Skinny: Could have been a routine grounder to short. Beltran stuck out bat and hit two-hopper to left side. Jose Ramirez, the only infielder in the area, ranged to his right to field it but the throw had no chance. Indians burned for shifting against a batter who had been in an 0-for-32 slump. Carrasco pitched to the mitt of catcher Roberto Perez, who was set up on outside edge.

Adrian Beltre -- 86 breaking pitch called strike; (Carrasco balk after turning to throw to first while on rubber; Carlos Santana was playing behind Beltran); 

Manning said: "That's having a brain cramp....What a mistake by Carrasco. No reason to throw to first base. Your job is to concentrate on the hitter up there, and this is their best hitter.''

(Tribe catcher Roberto Perez visits mound.)

Fox Sports Time Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "Carrasco's obsession, or fascination -- or whatever you want to call it -- with the runners on base has almost gotten to the level of absurdity here of late. It was never that way before.''

Manning said: "It's been about a month. The 27th of July, we're told, is when he started this.''

94 fastball inside (barely); 93 fastball, grounder to third/fielder's choice.

Skinny: Beltre lined one-hopper to Ramirez, who attempted to trap Desmond off third. Desmond dived back in time to beat Ramirez's dive. Ramirez did not pump-fake.

Manning said: "That can't happen. You've got to get an out. Look him back and throw to first. If you go at him, you've got to get him.''

(L) Rougned Odor --93 fastball foul; 85 changeup swinging strike; 85 changeup, error/first baseman.

Skinny: Should have been routine out. Santana waited on second hop, which kicked off his right shoulder. Desmond scored, bases loaded again.

Carlos Gomez -- 95 fastball foul; 92 fastball swinging strike;  87 breaking pitch, swinging strikeout.

Skinny: Down and away.

(L) Mitch Moreland -- 85 get-me-over breaking pitch, grand slam.

Skinny: Hanger that backed up over plate. Moreland whistled it inside right-field pole.

Elvis Andrus -- 92 fastball inside; 93 fastball, fly to center.

Skinny: Carrasco threw 30 pitches in inning.

2nd inning

Robinson Chirinos -- 86 changeup low and away; 92 fastball, grounder to first.

(L) Nomar Mazara -- 87 changeup foul; 92 fastball low and inside; 93 fastball called strike; 82 breaking pitch foul; 92 fastball foul; 89 changeup low and in; 85 breaking pitch outside; 86 changeup foul; 93 fastball, single to center.

Skinny: Another excellent at-bat by Mazara.

Ian Desmond -- 94 fastball called strike; 85 breaking pitch swinging strike; 85 breaking pitch in dirt/wild pitch (Perez needed to block); 84 breaking pitch, swinging strikeout.

(L) Carlos Beltran -- 94 fastball outside; 91 fastball outside; 86 changeup called strike; 93 fastball, grounder to second.

Skinny: Carrasco threw 19 pitches in the inning.

3rd inning

Adrian Beltre -- 89 fastball up and in; 84 breaking pitch swinging strike; 91 fastball foul; 85 breaking pitch, grounder to third baseman.

(L) Rougned Odor -- 81 breaking pitch called strike; 83 breaking pitch low and in; 92 fastball called strike; 93 fastball foul; 93 fastball, double to left-center.

Skinny: Perez set up on insider edge; pitch leaked to outer third above knees.

Carlos Gomez -- 91 fastball inside; 91 fastball low and inside; 84 breaking pitch called strike; 90 fastball swinging strike; 85 breaking pitch, swinging strikeout.

(Tribe pitching coach Mickey Callaway visits mound.)

(L) Mitch Moreland -- 93 fastball high; 87 changeup low and away; 86 changeup outside; intentional ball four, walk.

Elvis Andrus -- 84 off-speed high and inside; 91 fastball, two-run double to left.

Skinny: Pitch stayed over plate above knees. Left fielder Abraham Almonte took forever to dig out the ball in the corner, enabling the speed-challenged Moreland to score from first. Moreland should not be able to score from first on a double to left.

Robinson Chirinos -- 92 fastball foul; 85 breaking pitch swinging strike; 84 changeup, strikeout.

Skinny: Carrasco threw 23 pitches in the inning.

4th inning

(L) Nomar Mazara -- 81 breaking pitch high; 92 fastball called strike; 81 breaking pitch foul; 92 fastball, swinging strikeout.

Ian Desmond -- 84 breaking pitch foul; 92 fastball outside; 93 fastball, single to right.

Skinny: Desmond punched multi-hop grounder past diving Santana and second baseman Kipnis. Tough luck for Carrasco.

(L) Carlos Beltran -- 90 fastball called strike; 91 fastball outside;

(Carrasco continues to throw over to first. Callaway visits mound.)

Manning said of Carrasco's antics: "This is really uncalled for. This has been a problem for Carlos for the last month. Why he is doing this (I don't know). You can say he wants to be like Josh Tomlin, holding the guys close -- it's 7-0. This is all upstairs, in his dome.''

The Tribe bullpen stirred.

Manning said: "There you go. Get the bullpen going. Do you want to throw to first or do you want to pitch?''

93 fastball foul; 92 fastball, bloop double to left.

Skinny: Should have been routine pop-out to shortstop or left fielder. Ball dropped beyond Ramirez, who had a long way to run because of the shift, and in front of Almonte, who jabbed at the ball with backhand near line.

Manning said: "Communication breakdown. Ramirez was there. He peeled off because he heard Almonte. You can see Almonte calling for it. You can't call it too early unless you know you're going to catch it. Catch it or don't call for it.''

Adrian Beltre -- 86 changeup called strike; 85 breaking pitch inside; 93 fastball swinging strike; 83 breaking pitch low and in; 94 fastball, swinging strikeout.

Skinny: Why Carrasco hasn't trusted his fastball more is puzzling.

(L) Rougned Odor -- 81 breaking pitch called strike; 89 changeup low and inside; 93 fastball foul; 81 breaking pitch outside; 88 changeup, swinging strikeout.

Skinny: Carrasco threw 21 pitches in the inning.

(Jeff Manship replaced Carrasco to begin the fifth.)

Cleveland Heights falls to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 42-6: Northeast Ohio football roundup for Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016

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Ray Anderson ran two first-half touchdowns, which sent Youngstown Cardinal Mooney on its way to a 42-6 football victory Saturday vs. Cleveland Heights.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ray Anderson ran two first-half touchdowns, which sent Youngstown Cardinal Mooney on its way to a 42-6 football victory Saturday vs. visiting Cleveland Heights.

Jaylen Harris’ 49-yard TD reception cut into Mooney’s lead at Youngstown State’s Stambaugh Stadium. The Cardinals led 22-6 at halftime and added more from there.


Here is what else happened around Northeast Ohio:


Gilmour 14, Beachwood 13: The Lancers held on at home. This video produced by Gilmour includes postgame reaction from senior Spencer Cira and sophomore C.J. Charleston.



Garfield Heights at Holy Name: This game lasted through 11 p.m. as fog rolled in.




Mogadore 24, Linsly (W.Va.) 6: The Division VII runner-ups from last year sent Linsly back to West Virginia with a loss.


Lincoln West 66, Toledo Horizon Science: Lincoln West scored four times in the first quarter. Robert Littlejohn rushed for two first-quarter scores, and the Wolverines won at home.


Littlejohn, a senior fullback, rushed for 112 yards on eight carries. Fellow senior Lawrence Johnson ran for 133 yards and two TDs on six carries.


Defensively, lineman Demarcus Robinson finished with 12 tackles in the shutout. He had three tackles for losses, forced a fumble and scored on a recovery in the end zone.


Western Reserve Academy 44, Whitney Young 13: Western Reserve Academy jumped out to a 20-point first-quarter lead. Senior Owen Levine threw three touchdown passes, including two to Michael Malen. Dakota Gibbons rushed for two scores.


Click here for Saturday’s Northeast Ohio scoreboard.


The Barclays 2016: leaderboard, TV, updates for final round (PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs)

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Rickie Fowler led Patrick Reed by one shot and Adam Scott by two entering the final round of The Barclays 2016, the first of four events in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rickie Fowler led by one shot entering the final round of The Barclays 2016, the first of four events in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Fowler shot 3-under 68 in the third round Saturday at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. He was 9-under for the tournament.

Patrick Reed, who led by two at the halfway mark, shot even in the third round and was 8-under overall. Adam Scott was 6-under on Saturday to move into third at 7-under.

The 2016 major winners have not done much this week. Masters champion Danny Willett did not start; U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson was tied for 10th at 4-under; British Open champion Henrik Stenson withdrew after a first-round 74; and PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker shot 5-over and missed the cut.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs are good for golf fans because the best players in the world are in the same place once again in the calendar year, instead of dispersing after the fourth major, the PGA Championship.

The Fed Ex Cup Playoffs are good for the players because they are a measuring stick, sure. But let's be honest: They are a big-time cash grab. The playoffs, which culminate in the Tour Championship in late September, offer $34 million in prize money. The total balloons to at least $67 million when bonuses are factored in.

The top 125 in the FedEx points standings qualified for the playoffs.

Here are The Barclays groupings and tee times. On Sunday, Golf Channel will televise live from noon-1:30 p.m. and CBS from 2-6 p.m. You can follow along all round on our live leaderboard (below).

Sunday's live leaderboard:

PGA TOUR
THE BARCLAYS
Site: Farmingdale, N.Y.
Course: Bethpage State Park (Black Course). Yardage: 7,468. Par: 71.
Purse: $8.5 million (First prize: $1.53 million).
Television:

  • Saturday - Golf Channel, noon-2:30 p.m.; CBS, 3-6 p.m.
  • Sunday - Golf Channel, noon-1:30 p.m.; CBS, 2-6 p.m.

Defending champion: Jason Day.
Last week: Si Woo Kim won the Wyndham Championship.
Notes: The top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings qualified for the playoffs, which begin at The Barclays. The top 100 in the standings after this week advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship ... Only 121 players will tee it up at Bethpage. The four who withdrew are Sergio Garcia; Masters champion Danny Willett; Shane Lowry; and Anirban Lahiri (shoulder injury). ... This is the final event to be among the eight automatic qualifiers for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Five players already have clinched spots: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Jimmy Walker and Brooks Koepka. ... Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson are among 16 players who have qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs since they began in 2007. ... Hunter Mahan's streak of playing every playoff event ended at 35 tournaments last when he failed to make it to the Tour Championship. This year, he didn't qualify for the playoffs. ... Bethpage Black hosted The Barclays in 2012, won by Nick Watney. It also hosted the U.S. Open in 2002 (Tiger Woods) and 2009 (Lucas Glover). ... Vijay Singh is the only player to win The Barclays and go on to win the FedEx Cup. That was in 2008 when the points were not reset after the third event.
Next week: Deutsche Bank Championship.
Online: www.pgatour.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians slammed early in 7-0 loss to Texas Rangers

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Carlos Carrasco and his defense folded early Saturday night as Texas scored five runs in the first inning on the way to an easy win over the Indians. Watch video

ARLINGTON, Texas -- As we've been told time and time again this season, the backbone of the AL Central-leading Indians is the starting rotation. Well, the rotation has apparently slipped a disc in August

Carlos Carrasco allowed seven runs in four innings Saturday night as Texas beat the Indians, 7-0, at Globe Life Park in Arlington. It was the ninth time an Indians starter has allowed six or more runs in fewer than five innings this month.

If you're scoring at home, Josh Tomlin has done it four times, Carrasco and Danny Salazar twice each and Trevor Bauer once.

Saturday night's game ended early as Carrasco allowed five runs in the first. Four came courtesy of Mitch Moreland's first-pitch grand slam. It was the fifth slam Indians pitchers have allowed this season.

Just one of the runs was earned because of an error by Carlos Santana on a tough hop at first base.

Carrasco (9-7, 3.23) started the game with a strikeout of Nomar Mazara. It was the only thing that went right in the inning.

Ian Desmond blooped a single into center just past Francisco Lindor's glove. Carlos Beltran spoiled the Tribe's shift with a single to the left side of the infield to snap an 0-for-32 skid.

Then things started to unwind for Carrasco. He committed a balk on a pickoff move to first to move Desmond to third and Beltran to second. Adrian Beltre skipped a hard grounder to third that Jose Ramirez fielded, but instead of throwing to first, he tried to tag Desmond at third. Desmond dove back to the bag safely and the bases were loaded.

Rougned Odor sent a grounder to first that took a bad hop and bounced off Santana's shoulder as Desmond scored for a 1-0 lead. Carrasco struck out Carlos Gomez, but Moreland drove his first pitch on a line into the right field seats.

The error was just the fifth of the season for Santana and the second on this trip. They both came at critical times. In Wednesday's 5-1 loss to Oakland, he lost a pop up in the sun as part of a five-run second inning.

Manager Terry Francona listed the Tribe's first-inning sins as if he was reading a grocery list.

"The balk didn't help," said Francona. "The ball to Jose, he looked him (Desmond) back. Then he thought he had a chance to get him and didn't. So we lose and out there.

"There there's the ground ball to Carlos. It was a bad inning. Then he (Carrasco) gets a strikeout and throws a terrible pitch, a get-me-over breaking ball, to Moreland and that was crushing, but a lot of things led up to it. That really hurt."

Carrasco allowed two more runs in the third, both coming on a two-out double by Elvis Andrus. Carrasco, 1-3 lifetime against the Rangers, intentionally walked Moreland to get to Andrus.

The double gave Andrus hits in 53 of his 56 career games against the Indians.

"Every pitch I missed I got hurt on," said Carrasco. "The homer. The double to Odor. I've got to be better than that with my location."

A.J. Griffin (6-3, 4.39) pitched six scoreless innings. Griffin, who did not pitch in the big leagues in 2014 and 2015 because of Tommy John surgery, struck out six and walked one.

So far the series between the first-place Indians and Rangers has featured nothing but blowouts. The Rangers won Thursday, 9-0. The Indians won Friday, 12-1.

New arm

Here's why Francona used catcher Chris Gimenez to pitch the eighth inning.

"I thought if I wouldn't have done that, we would have made a roster move and I don't think anybody deserved to lose there job," said Francona. "That's why we did it."

Gimenez, in his second appearance this season, retired the Rangers in order. Gimenez allowed four runs in a two-inning appearance against Toronto on July 3.

"I'm working on getting my ERA down," said Gimenez.

What it means

The Indians missed a chance Saturday night to distance themselves from their pursuers in the AL Central as Detroit and Kansas City lost. The Tribe maintained its 4 1/2 game lead over the Tigers, who suffered four ejections in a loss to the Angels.

The pitches

Carrasco threw 93 pitches, 59 or 63 percent for strikes. Griffin threw 95 pitches, 66 or 69 percent for strikes.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Rangers drew 44,944 to Globe Life Park in Arlington. First pitch was at 8:07 p.m. and the temperature was 86 degrees.

What's next?

Salazar (11-5, 3.90) will face Texas lefty Derek Holland (5-6, 4.92) in the conclusion of this four-game series on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game.

Salazar has struggled in two starts since returning from the disabled list. He's 1-0 in four starts against Texas and Beltre is hitting .833 (5-for-6) against him.

Holland, an Ohio native, is 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA in eight starts against the Indians. That includes a win this season. Santana is hitting .333 (7-for-21) with two homers and seven RBI against him.

U.S. Open 2016: Gates Mills' Lauren Davis looking to continue Cleveland success (video)

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Gates Mills native Lauren Davis will play in the 2016 U.S. Open and is feeling good about her game right now.

MICHAEL J. LEWIS
Special to The Plain Dealer

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. - In the middle of June, Wimbledon is usually the only thing pro tennis players are thinking about.

Especially if they're already in England.

But a certain American spent her pre-Wimbledon nights surfing the Internet checking out LeBron James, Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving's latest moves and believing a 3-1 series comeback was possible.

Gates Mills' Lauren Davis doesn't live in Ohio anymore, but her sports soul is still attached to Cleveland, and she was about as excited as millions of others during the NBA Finals.

"I was so happy and nervous about them the whole (Finals)," Davis said Friday after a practice session here, three days before the U.S. Open begins. "To be from Cleveland when that happened was so great. It's so great for our city and so many of my friends from home were just so, so happy."

The 23-year-old Davis would love to keep Northeast Ohio's 2016 sports success going at the Open. Davis received a wild card into the final Grand Slam tournament of the year and enters with a world ranking of 105.

While it's not near her career high of No. 43 from July, 2014, she's feeling confident in her chances after a strong summer.

"I'm pretty happy with where my game is right now," Davis said. "The last two weeks I've been training in the heat of South Florida (where she now lives), putting in the hours and getting ready for the heat of the Open. I'm excited and hoping I can do really well here."

Davis, who reached the second round at the U.S. Open last year, drew Aliaksandra Sasnovich from Belarus in the first round, a player ranked two spots behind in the WTA rankings at 107.

"I don't really know anything about her, so hopefully my coach (Rodrigo Nascimento) and I will watch some video this weekend and see what we can find out," Davis said.

The 2016 season has seen the righthander enjoy several strong results. In January at the Australian Open, she advanced to the third round of a Slam for the third time, and in that third round she took a set off of No. 5 seed Maria Sharapova before losing.

After losing in the first round at the French Open to fellow American Louisa Chirico and failing to qualify for Wimbledon, she came back stateside, began working with new coach Nascimento in July and reached her first-ever WTA final at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

She lost to Yanina Wickmayer in that final, but the confidence gained from that run has helped her.

"She has gone from someone who thought they belonged among the top players to knowing that she can play with them," said Nascimento, a former coach of Monica Seles, among others. "Confidence and professionalism are the most important things, and she's getting to the point where she believes she can be one of the top players. That Washington tournament was sort of like the light at the end of the tunnel, showing her what she can do."

"That week was all about focusing on my game plan and the process, and not the result," Davis adds. "I was just playing solidly and being aggressive on my groundstrokes, and it was a lot of fun.

Davis' fellow competitors on the WTA Tour seem to be in agreement on one thing: Playing against Davis is no fun.

"Oh man, she's such a fighter and so tough to beat on every point," said Jessica Pegula, who lost to Davis in the semifinals in Washington. "She's fast, she's got a great backhand, and she's just a really tough competitor."

Christina McHale, currently ranked No. 54 and someone who's beaten Davis all four times they've played, concurred.

"She's just so ... feisty," McHale said, searching for the right word. "You don't get free points with her very often. Her backhand is very tough and you can tell she's getting better and better."

Nascimento and Davis both say her forehand has improved this year, and that her backhand has gotten cleaner and stronger.

"She's playing without pressure these last few months, and that's made a big difference," Nascimento said. "Playing free and believing in herself a lot more."

Davis said it's taken a few years to get used to the rigors of life on the pro tour; living out of a suitcase up to 10 months a year and traveling far away from friends and family isn't easy.

"It's always tough mentally and emotionally being away from home for so long, but you get used to it and you learn how to handle the highs and lows," Davis said. "You realize that there's going to be a lot of them. But being a professional athlete in general causes you to mature quickly, because you really have no other choices."

Davis grew up in Gates Mills and attended Gilmour Academy until she was 16, when her tennis talent brought her to Evert Academy in Florida, where many top young American players train when they are teenagers.

She turned pro at age 17 and steadily moved up the WTA rankings, getting inside the Top 50 in 2014, before sliding a bit last season.

At 5-foot-2, Davis' small stature means she's often looking up at her opponents, though players her size are still prospering on the WTA Tour (Dominika Cibulkova is 5-foot-3 inches tall and has been a fixture inside the Top 20 for several years). Her powerful two-handed backhand often puts her in excellent position during points, and she and Nascimento both feel her serve is becoming more of a weapon.

"She is usually good at putting you on the defensive and making you come up with a winner to beat her," McHale said. "She seems to be getting more and more consistent every year, and I see her moving up the rankings next year."

Nascimento said he and Davis are trying to keep goals reasonable, and that right now he thinks a legitimately achievable goal is to be inside the Top 50 again by the end of the 2017 Australian Open.

As for this year's U.S. Open, Davis said her dream remains to play on the enormous stage of Arthur Ashe Stadium (outfitted with a new roof this year), and hopefully to advance farther than she has at a Grand Slam, meaning the Round of 16. If she gets past Sasnovich, she'd likely play the No. 22 seed, Elina Svitolina from Ukraine.

"I just love the atmosphere here, with the crowd being loud and the fans being so close to you," Davis said. "Of course every American wants to do well at the home Slam, and I'm feeling pretty good about my game right now. So we'll see what happens."

NASCAR 2016: Pure Michigan 400 live scoring, TV, updates (photos)

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Ten of 16 spots for NASCAR's 2016 'Chase' field are still up for grabs as the Sprint Cup series runs in Sunday's Pure Michigan 400. Here is a link to live scoring, along with the TV schedule and updates.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are still 17 drivers with a chance to make the 16-driver field for the 2016 Chase for NASCAR's Sprint Cup, including AJ Allmendinger and Danica Patrick, if they can get a victory in the three races remaining in the regular season, beginning Sunday in Michigan.

The Pure Michigan 400 is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday on NBCSN. You can follow along live at NASCAR's Michigan Race Center.

Joey Logano is on the pole for the Michigan race, but he already has a spot locked down for the Chase, one of six drivers already set in the field.

SPRINT CUP
PURE MICHIGAN 400
Site: Brooklyn, Michigan.
Schedule: Sunday, race (2 p.m., NBCSN).
Track: Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval)
Race distance: 200 laps, 400 miles.
Last year: Matt Kenseth led 176 laps to win his third race of the season and second in three weeks.
Last race: Kevin Harvick won the rain-delayed race at Bristol Motor Speedway, his second victory of the season, and moved atop the points standings with three races remaining until NASCAR's Chase starts.
Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss at least two more races because of a concussion.  Jeff Gordon will get back behind the wheel for him next week. ... NASCAR will roll out its lower-downforce rules package for the third time this season. ... Joey Logano tries to sweep both races at Michigan after winning from the pole in June. ... Chris Buescher of Front Row Motorsports is in solid position to earn a Chase berth. Buescher, who won at Pocono earlier this month, sits in the 30th spot in the standings. He needs to finish 30th or better to secure a spot in the 16-driver Chase field.
Next race: Bojangles' Southern 500, 6 p.m., Sept. 4, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina.

(The Associated Press contributed)

DeShane Bloodworth’s late interception came just as St. Edward football slowed Notre Dame-bound Phil Jurkovec (video)

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Notre Dame commit Phil Jurkovec amassed 383 yards of total offense, but DeShane Bloodworth's interception capped a fourth quarter in which St. Edward slowed the quarterback.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio – DeShane Bloodworth walked into First Federal Lakewood Stadium on Saturday with reason to be hesitant.

Just a week ago, the Eagles scrimmaged a team from Pennsylvania. It didn’t pan out so well for Bloodworth, a 6-foot senior cornerback at St. Edward.


Then came another team from across the state border, Pittsburgh power Pine-Richland and junior quarterback Phil Jurkovec. A Notre Dame commit and one of the top-rated junior quarterbacks in the country, Jurkovec provided a stiff test for the Eagles and their new cornerback.


“My team just kept me up all week,” Bloodworth said after St. Edward’s 28-27 win. “I have to give thanks to my defensive coordinator, DB coach and the offense. They all pushed me to get better.”


Jurkovec factored in all four Pine-Richland touchdowns, including three via the air. He threw for 292 yards and rushed for another 91. Only one throw haunted the 6-foot-5 Jurkovec and his Rams: an interception grabbed by Bloodworth in front of the St. Edward sideline on Pine-Richland’s final drive.


See how Bloodworth did it, hear his reaction and see how the Eagles combated the touted quarterback from Pennsylvania in the above video.


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

QB Jayden Cunningham's versatility is key to University School football's up-tempo offense (video)

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University School QB Jayden Cunningham showcased his dual-threat ability in Saturday's win vs. VASJ.

EUCLID, Ohio — Dating back to the 2015 season, University School has won seven straight football games, including Saturday's 35-20 win vs. VASJ at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium. It has scored at least 34 points in six of those seven games.

At the center of the Preppers' success is dual-threat junior QB Jayden Cunningham.


Against the Vikings on Saturday, Cunningham had nearly 300 yards of offense (227 passing, 69 rushing), two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown.


That versatility is key to coach Ben Malbasa's up-tempo offense which features a combination of shotgun formations as well as a stacked I with three backs behind Cunningham. Both worked on Saturday, leading to 451 yards of total offense.


"If you can do both, you've got a better football team. That's the way I've always looked at it," Malbasa said. "I've always loved the stacked I. That's actually where we ended the season last year against Maple (Heights) was power football."


Cunningham showed on Saturday many of the tools that make him a dangerous quarterback. He has mobility to scramble from pressure and gain yards as well as the arm strength to make the deep pass.


He averaged 15.1 yards per pass attempt, completing 15 of 23 attempts. Seven of his completions went to Brad Rehak, who had 168 yards receiving.




"(I) go out there, make it simple, don't try to make a big play every time, get what I can," Cunningham said. "Brad's a real good player."


University School took the opening kickoff and scored the first points of the game after 78 seconds on the first of two Camryn Hubbard touchdown runs.


Cunningham had the final three touchdowns for University School. He threw a 10-yard TD pass to Rehak, then, after a 90-minute lightning delay, had rushing touchdowns of 23 and 11 yards to secure the win.


The Preppers will try for their eighth straight regular season win on Friday when they travel to Bay.

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