See highlights of Martell's big night on ESPN inside.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sometimes highlight videos can be annoying because they leave out the bad plays. They don't tell the full story. 

But if you wanted to get a complete sense for how future Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell looks, you could have tuned into ESPN on Saturday night to watch his team, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman, take on Cedar Hill, Texas. 

We've got your back if you missed it. 

Martell finished 10-of-22 for 135 yards passing, but added 148 rushing yards on 18 carries and three scores on the ground to lead Gorman to a 44-14 win. In all, Gorman finished with 507 yards and 25 first downs. 

After the game was no longer in question, Martell walked over to Gorman's sideline and flashed Ohio State's "OH-IO" on national television. Check it out below: 

I like the cut of Tate Martell's jib #gobucks https://t.co/Qs8n82RTfu

-- Ramzy Nasrallah (@ramzy) August 28, 2016

OK -- how about the highlights of Martell's touchdown runs?

Tate Martell [?] #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/3grlTa1fOm

-- Buckeye Videos+ (@BuckeyeVideos) August 28, 2016

Watching Buckeye Commits Tate Martell, Haskell Garrett, Wyatt Davis and More https://t.co/hfbwNj4Y0R pic.twitter.com/CdJChigLQV

-- Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) August 28, 2016

Tate Martell for 6. pic.twitter.com/EyVQ5nvwBV

-- Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) August 28, 2016

The Indians and Rangers conclude their season series Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers have already won the season series, 4-2.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Indians and Rangers finish their four-game series Sunday at Global Life Park in Arlington. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

Game 129: Indians (73-55) vs. Rangers (76-54).

First pitch: 3:05 p.m.

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

Pitching matchup:  RHP Danny Salazar (11-5, 3.90) vs. LHP Derek Holland (5-6, 4.92)

Fact du jour: Andrew Miller, in 11 2/3 innings with the Indians since being acquired from the Yankees on Aug. 31, has struck out 19 batters in 11 2/3 innings. Overall, he has 96 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Danny Salazar will try to bounce back Sunday afternoon from two poor starts since coming off the disabled list as he faces Texas in the season finale between the two teams.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Here are the lineups for Sunday's game between the Indians and Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

INDIANS

CF Rajai Davis.

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

DH Mike Napoli.

1B Carlos Santana.

3B Jose Ramirez.

LF Brandon Guyer.

RF Abraham Almonte.

C Chris Gimenez.

RHP Danny Salazar, 11-5, 3.90.

RANGERS

RF Nomar Mazara.

CF Ian Desmond.

3B Jurickson Profar.

DH Adrian Beltre.

2B Rougned Odor.

C Jonathan Lucroy.

1B Mitch Moreland.

LF Carlos Gomez.

SS Elvis Andrus.

LHP Derek Holland, 5-6, 4.92.

UMPIRES

H John Tumpane.

1B Brian O'Nora.

2B Lance Barrett.

3B Jeff Kellogg, crew chief.

Coach Hue Jackson never promised an instant juggernaut, and the Browns aren't worse than he thought they'd be.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hue Jackson hasn't suddenly been thunderstruck by the realization that the Browns aren't winning the Super Bowl this year, and he's not running for cover after their 30-13 debacle in the dress rehearsal game in Tampa.

"Boy, all of a sudden the sky is falling?'' he said with a laugh on a conference call Saturday after a barrage of doom and gloom questions. "I didn't know that. I don't think the sky is falling at all. What you see is a young football team that you're going to see some of that, especially early until they get well-grounded.''

Despite the 0-3 preseason record, the development of his rebooting team is right about what he expected at this point.

"There were some good things and obviously there were some things that were concerning,'' he said. "We've got to continue to work at it. I never said we were going to be a juggernaut today or yesterday. We're going to keep working at this thing and when the games start being played here in a couple of weeks, that's when we have to be at our best. ''

When he watched the film of the 30-13 rout -- including a 27-10 halftime deficit -- he wasn't surprised. Robert Griffin III was sacked five times, and the defense surrendered 259 passing yards and two touchdowns to Jameis Winston.

"I knew this before watching the tape last night -- we've got a lot of work to do,'' Jackson said.  "Our coaches and players understand that there's a lot of work to do. This is a tough game. Success is not going to come easy and we gotta put in the work and stay on top of every detail. Every successful team does this and we'll be no different.''

Despite springing leaks on offense, defense and special teams, Jackson doesn't think he's run out of time to fix all the problems before the opener Sept. 11 in Philadelphia.

"No, not at all,'' he said. "It's going to be right around the corner, but I don't feel like there's too much work to be done. Sometimes you watch a game like that and you go, 'oh wow, nothing's going well,' but we all know sometimes it's just one player here or one play there or one miss here or one missed opportunity there that makes you feel the way you do.''

Jackson noted that one plays, "9 of the 11 guys played extremely well and then from a detail standpoint, maybe a player here or a couple players there and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Those are the things that we got to get better at and  we will."

How Corey Coleman pressed and other 1st rounders such as Cam Erving fared vs. Bucs

Even right after the game Friday night, Jackson said the team isn't worse than what he expected.

"We've got to get better in a hurry,'' he said. "I'm not discouraged. A lot of people get discouraged in these situations, but I'm not because I really truly know what's in the locker room, and we've got to work. We've just got to understand how hard it is and how accountable you have to be to each other on every play and just what you've got to do in order to play winning football. That's my job, and I feel very comfortable and confident that we'll get that done."

Here are five reasons Jackson thinks the sky is secure:

1. Cam Erving and the rest of the pass protection will improve.

Jackson believes Erving is playing up to expectations and will only get better. Remember, he's missed significant time with an elbow injury this camp, and is still learning the demanding center position.

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

Jackson acknowledged that "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.''

But he attributed the problems to everything, not just the line, which will get better when Joe Thomas returns full-time from his back injury. The receivers, backs and tight ends need to block better, the Browns need to run the ball more and Griffin needs to release the ball quicker at times, although Jackson insists he doesn't.

2.  The defense will improve once they settle on the starting rotation

The Browns will decide on their starters over the next few days and get them ready to play together in Philadelphia. Up to this point, there's been so much mixing and matching that's there's been no continuity. For instance, the 34-yard TD catch by Mike Evan over Jamar Taylor, resulted from miscommunication between Taylor and Tracy Howard.

"It's so important that those guys play together, be together, be able to make calls,'' he said. When we're talking about communication issues, that's where some of that comes from. You have a lot of young guys maybe playing at a time and they hear something and don't react very quickly. So we've got to make sure we take the opportunity for error out as much as we can. So now it's about time we put units together and let them play and get these guys ready for the opener."

Young pass-rushers like Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib seem poised for prominent roles when the rotation shakes out.

3. Corey Coleman will get up to speed

Jackson said from the start that he expects a lot out of his No. 15 overall pick. But Coleman missed almost three weeks of quality team reps because of his tweaked hamstring. That's a huge setback for any player, especially a rookie learning a complex pro offense.  But Jackson is confident he's still more than worthy of the No. 15 pick.

"This guy's a tremendous football player and he'll bounce back and he's looking forward to playing this week,'' Jackson said, revealing that he'll likely give the rookie some playing time against the Bears Thursday night.

4. Griffin will get better with time

Griffin is still adjusting to the new scheme, some new mechanics and new personnel. He's been relying too much on the long ball, and needs to make more intermediate and short throws. Of his 282 passing yards, 215 have come on his five deep passes. But he'll improve as he goes along, and Jackson will draw it up better as he learns his new QB.

"He did some really good things under duress obviously,'' Jackson said. "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. He stood in there, he kept his poise and made some plays, but we've got to play better.''

5. The kids will grow up

Jackson is dealing with young players at many positions, including along the defensive front. He's got a young center and  a new right tackle in Austin Pasztor. Many of the receivers are rookies, and he's got three new starters in the defensive backfield who are learning to communicate with each other. They're young, they're all getting to know each other, and the coaches are getting to know them.

But like Joel Bitonio said on a conference call Sunday, the attitude and the effort are there.

"We're ready to take the next step,'' he said. "Is it going to be Week 1? Is it going to be Week 2? That's our goal. We want to win as soon as possible. There's hope around this team. There are guys that are working, guys that are doing everything possible to put the Cleveland Browns in the best spot we can. I know this team goes out every week expecting to win, and we are doing everything on our part to do that."

If the sky is falling, they haven't gotten the warning in Berea.

While the line has taken plenty of blame for the offense's struggles against Tampa, it wasn't all on them.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robert Griffin III was sacked five times on Friday night at Raymond James Stadium. It was a night that left many already concerned about the state of the offensive line even more concerned.

"We definitely got our quarterback hit more than we wanted to and it is something we are definitely going to strive to fix," left guard Joel Bitonio said on Sunday.

"It is not just the line," head coach Hue Jackson said. "I'll be the first to tell you that. Sometimes receivers need to be in the right place. Sometimes guys get re-routed, and all of a sudden, you might have to hold the ball a little bit here and there and sometimes the offensive line has to strain a little bit more. For a passing game to work, it is not just the line."

It can be difficult to judge offensive line play on the fly. So much happens on a given play. Sometimes a sack occurs because the line fails. Other times it's because the quarterback holds the ball, doesn't step up in the pocket or goes the wrong way. With that in mind, I took a closer look at the offensive line in the first half to get a feel for how much was their fault and how much wasn't.

I thought the first unit, including Joe Thomas, did OK. The biggest concern was an inability to sustain drives due to penalties and protection breakdowns.

The first series, the Browns moved the ball into the red zone and stalled. The second, they went three-and-out, but had an opportunity to sustain the drive.

Joe Thomas came out after the third series. That put Dan France at left tackle with the rest of the first unit. Go figure, not having Thomas showed.

"Anytime you don't have one of the best guys at their position, ever probably, it is going to hurt your group," Bitonio said.

Here are some highlights and lowlights from the offensive line play on Friday night:

First series

The line held up well for most of the first series. They were a little shaky on a couple of run plays, but did enough to keep the ball moving. They gave Robert Griffin III plenty of time. It's most evident on this deep pass to Josh Gordon:

NFL Game Pass 

Things fell apart in the red zone. On this run by Isaiah Crowell, there's a clear running lane. Cameron Erving gets pushed into the hole.

NFL Game Pass 

Here's the scramble from Griffin that resulted in a sack when he ran out of bounds for a one-yard loss. It's easy to say that's not on the line, but it appears he was unable to step up because Austin Pasztor gets beat (and gets called for holding).

NFL Game Pass 

Second series

I'm not sure if there was a communication issue, if the ball didn't come out quickly enough or if this is just William Gholston doing a nice job getting around a double team from John Greco and Isaiah Crowell late. He impacts Griffin's ability to step and throw.

NFL Game Pass 

The next play, the line did a nice job sealing off a lane for Griffin to gain four yards on a read option play. It helped that Robert Ayers (91) bit on the handoff.

NFL Game Pass 

Things came apart on the next play, though, when Pasztor was called for a hold on a third-and-six that backed the Browns up inside their own 20-yard line. They played it safe on third down and punted.

Post-Joe Thomas

The unit really started to struggle when Joe Thomas came out. Watch what happens here when Dan France gets beat on the left side. Griffin is forced to step up and it gives Gholston an opportunity to get off his block on the right side and sack Griffin. Pasztor also doesn't do enough to push Gholston past the play.

NFL Game Pass 

As usual, not all of the blame belongs on the line. This play was supposed to be a quick inside pass to Corey Coleman (lined up in the slot at the top). The protection was set up, but Griffin bailed on the play, scrambled the opposite direction and ends up throwing it away as he's hit.

NFL Game Pass 

Lastly, just because who doesn't want to watch it again, here's the deep touchdown to Josh Gordon with good protection and timing. More of this would be great.

NFL Game Pass 

-----

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So Ohio State's two remaining linebacker prospects -- both from Texas -- are announcing their decisions on the same. That's fun.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nov. 29 was already a big day on Ohio State's calendar because that's the day five-star linebacker Baron Browning of Kennedale, Texas, is set to announce his commitment. 

That day just got even bigger for the Buckeyes because four-star linebacker Anthony Hines of Plano (Texas) East announced Sunday that he'll also be making his commitment public that day. 

So Ohio State's two remaining linebacker prospects -- both from Texas -- are announcing their decisions on the same. That's fun. 

Rated the No. 2 inside linebacker in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Hines has racked up more than 90 scholarship offers during his recruitment. 

The 6-foot-3, 222-pound prospect is seemingly concentrating on five programs the most: Ohio State, Auburn, Florida, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. 

Ohio State hasn't yet secured an official visit from Hines, but the Buckeyes are widely expected to get one. Hines is taking his first official visit Saturday to Auburn for its huge matchup with Clemson. 

With spots limited in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class, it's doubtful that the Buckeyes would have room for both Browning and Hines. So Nov. 29 may be an exciting day for Ohio State if it lands one or the other, just don't expect both Texas stars to commit to the Buckeyes. 

The Indians ended this seven-game trip with a 2-1 loss to Texas on Sunday afternoon. Watch video

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Danny Salazar returned to form Sunday afternoon. The Indians' offense did not.

Salazar struck out 10, but the Indians ended this seven-game trip with a 2-1 loss to Texas. The Indians went 2-5 on this trip to Oakland and Arlington and return home with a 4 1/2 game lead in the AL Central.

The problem is when they hit the road, they had a 7 1/2-game lead.

The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Sam Dyson struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Naquin and retired Abraham Almonte on a fly ball to center to end it.

After two poor starts since coming off the disabled list, Salazar showed signs of regaining his first-half form. He allowed two runs -- the two walks he issued both turned into runs -- but other than that he kept the game in check.

Salazar (11-6, 3.88) pitched just 5 1/3 innings, while allowing five hits. But that was a big improvement over his last two starts in which he allowed nine earned runs on nine hits and six walks in five combined innings.

"He was significantly better than what we've seen, which is really good," said manager Terry Francona. "It wasn't enough to win the game, but to see him make those strides is good because now we can hopefully get him on a roll."

Salazar showed good velocity and was able to avoid the big inning, something he couldn't do in his two previous starts after spending 15 days on the disabled list with a sore right elbow.

"I was focused and attacking," said Salazar. "I was able to throw my fastball inside and outside and I think that helps."

Offensively, the Indians could do little with left-hander Derek Holland, the Newark, Ohio native.

Holland (6-6, 4.68) held the Indians to one run on six hits in six innings. He is 5-1 in nine starts against the Indians.

The offense hit the wall on this trip. In six of the seven games, they scored one or no runs. Their one offensive splurge came in Friday's 12-1 victory over Texas.

In a meeting between first-place teams, and potential playoff opponents, the Rangers took three of the four games. They outscored the Indians, 19-13, with 12 of those runs in one game.

Overall, Texas won the season series, 5-2.

Texas made the most of its scoring opportunities. They put a runner on second base three times in the first four innings against Salazar and scored twice for the only runs needed for their 77th victory.

Salazar walked Elvis Andrus with one out in the third. He was seemingly erased on a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to end the inning. The Rangers challenged the out call at second base and it was overturned after a review of 1:16.

Ian Desmond sent Salazar's next pitch into right field for a single and a 1-0 lead.

The Rangers made it 2-0 in the fourth. Salazar walked Adrian Beltre to start the inning. Beltre took second on a two-out wild pitch and scored on Jonathan Lucroy's single to center.

Salazar came into the game having struck out 29.3 percent of the batters he faced with runners in scoring position. It was the third-best percentage in the AL, but it didn't help him Sunday.

"The difference today was that I was able to make the adjustments in my head and not in my delivery," said Salazar. "I was just being aggressive with myself. If I threw a pitch up, I told myself, 'OK, let's get this pitch down.' Instead of trying to do something different with my delivery."

Jason Kipnis made it 2-1 with a two-out single to right off Holland in the sixth. Almonte opened the inning with a single and a steal of second. Holland retired Chris Gimenez and Rajai Davis, but couldn't get past Kipnis, who came into the game hitting .302 (48-for-159) against lefties.

Francisco Lindor kept the inning going with another single to bring Mike Napoli to the plate. Napoli, averaging an RBI for every 5.1 at-bats, sent a long fly ball to left that Carlos Gomez made a lunging catch on.

"Nap hit that ball right now the nose, but Gomez made a nice play," said Francona. "But we didn't have a whole lot of chances."

It was the second time Gomez frustrated the Indians. Jose Ramirez sent a drive to the wall in left field, but Gomez made a leaping catch.

The Indians loaded the bases in the ninth on Lindor's single and walks by Carlos Santana and Ramirez.

What it means

The Indians maintained their 4 1/2 game lead over Detroit in the AL Central, which lost to the Angels on Sunday. Kansas City played Boston on Sunday night.

The pitches

Salazar threw 98 pitches, 63 or 64 percent for strikes. Holland threw 84 pitches, 62 or 74 percent for strikes.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Rangers drew 35,225 to Globe Life Park in Arlington on Sunday. The four-game series drew 135,790.

First pitch was at 3:07 p.m. with a temperature of 90 degrees.

What's next?

The Indians open a 10-game homestand Monday night with a three-game series against the Twins. Trevor Bauer will start for the Indians, while the Twins will go with left-hander Hector Santiago (10-8, 5.16).

Josh Tomlin and Corey Kluber are scheduled to face the Twins on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Twins will counter with left-hander Andrew Albers and Pat Dean.

Danny Salazar and two relievers held the Rangers to five hits -- and the Indians still lost, 2-1, Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won three of four in the series.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Left-hander Derek Holland allowed one run in six innings and Ian Desmond and Jonathan Lucroy each had an RBI single as the Texas Rangers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Tribe right-hander Danny Salazar gave up two runs and struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings.

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

Sad news up front: I was enthusiastic about writing Game Report 129 -- until I learned that my friend Ken Carpenter died of cancer at 59. Now I don't have much enthusiasm.

Kenny was a former sports copy editor at The Plain Dealer. He eventually moved to Florida, where he taught college journalism and did a million other productive things. He was a mentor to me and countless others. A truly special person.

Kenny knew as much about Cleveland sports -- specifically, the Indians -- as anyone on the planet. He was a baseball savant.  

Kenny would be upset if we allowed his passing to affect our work rate for even a second, especially when the work involved baseball. So Game Report 129 will be done. But it will not be easy. Typing is difficult when everything is numb.

Rough week: The Indians (73-56), first place in the AL Central, went 2-5 on a trip that began Monday night in Oakland, Calif. They lost two of three to the bad Athletics and three of four to the Rangers, who at least lead the AL West at 77-54.

Offensive offense: The Indians scored one or fewer in six of the seven games. The outlier came Friday, when they defeated the Rangers, 12-1. In the other three meetings at Globe Life, they lost, 9-0, 7-0 and 2-1.

If the Indians faced an assortment of superior starting pitchers on the trip, the lack of production would have been easier for Tribe Nation to stomach. They scored a total of 16 and went 2-5 despite facing Andrew Triggs, Sean Manaea, Kendall Graveman, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez, A.J. Griffin and Holland.

Only Hamels has been high-end for the balance of the season. Predictably, Hamels gave up two hits in eight innings of the 9-0 victory Thursday.

This was the combined line of Triggs, Manaea, Griffin and Holland:

25 IP, 15 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 25 K (3-0)

On Sunday, Holland and his finesse gave up four hits, walked none and struck out five. He improved to 6-6 and lowered his ERA to 4.68.

Yes, Holland deserves credit for a game well-pitched. But he is no Hamels. No even close.

Bitter pills: The Indians pressured the Rangers in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings -- and managed a total of one run.

*Abraham Almonte led off the sixth with a single and stole second. Chris Gimenez grounded to Holland and Rajai Davis flied to center.

Jason Kipnis turned on an 0-1 fastball and ripped it to right for an RBI single. Francisco Lindor singled to left, Kipnis stopping at second. Mike Napoli lined a 1-2 breaking pitch to deep left, where Carlos Gomez reached high to grab it. Gomez initially seemed fooled by the trajectory before drifting back.

*Carlos Santana led off the seventh against hard-throwing lefty reliever Jake Diekman by drawing a four-pitch walk.

Jose Ramirez took consecutive balls Nos. 5, 6 and 7. Diekman threw a 3-0 fastball (93 mph) that scraped the bottom of the zone, and umpire John Tumpane gave him the benefit of the doubt. Ramirez took another fastball (94) for a strike and fouled a fastball (94). Diekman threw a fastball (94) at the shins that Ramirez grounded to shortstop Elvis Andrus, who triggered a 6-4-3 double play.

It is easy for an observer to say that a batter "swung at ball four'' when the observer is not the one trying to decide in a split-second whether a 94-mph pitch over the plate is several inches low. And Ramirez has been a terrific hitter this season, so he has earned the right to attack. In fairness to Ramirez, Tumpane's 3-0 call not only prevented a walk, it probably planted in Ramirez's mind that anything close to the knees would be called a strike.

Fox Sports Time Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "(Diekman) threw seven straight balls and got out of it with a double play.''

Brandon Guyer dumped a single to right. Almonte grounded to second.

*Lindor led off the ninth against righty closer Sam Dyson with a first-pitch single to center. As Napoli struck out swinging at a quality 2-2 changeup, Lindor stole second.

Santana walked in four pitches. Ramirez walked in four pitches to load the bases.

Lefty Tyler Naquin, an AL rookie of the year candidate, pinch-hit for Guyer.

Naquin took a fastball (96) outside and a fastball (95) outside. Problem for Naquin and the Indians was, Tumpane called the second one a strike. FoxTrax showed Tumpane blew the call, by plenty.

Tumpane's issues with outside pitches to left-handed batters dated to the first inning, when he punched-out Kipnis on a 2-2 fastball that FoxTrax showed to be a (really) bad miss. 

Fox Sports Time Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "(Dyson) got help from the home-plate umpire. Usually, when a guy's had a tough time throwing strikes -- he's thrown nine straight balls -- he's not going to get any help.''

Naquin fouled a fastball down and in. Dyson threw his best pitch of the appearance, a changeup (89) running off the outside edge below the knees, and Naquin swung and missed.

When a decision to pinch-hit fizzles, the ground is fertile for a second-guess. Indians manager Terry Francona likely will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame someday, and Naquin made sense to a degree....but I wish Francona would have stayed with Guyer.

Guyer's strikeout rate was lower, and fly-ball rate higher, against righties than Naquin's respective numbers. Just as importantly, I submit, is that Guyer leads MLB with 28 hit-by-pitches, including one Sunday. I want that guy naturally crowding the plate against a right-hander who has struggled to throw strikes.

Almonte took an 89-mph pitch outside and a fastball (96) in the dirt. Dyson threw a fastball (96) running to the outer half, and Almonte popped it to center.

Only Almonte knows why he didn't force Dyson to throw at least one called strike. And Almonte got after a 2-0 pitcher's pitch. Almonte was late enough, and the contact off-barrel enough, that his bottom hand came off the bat near the finish of the swing.

Positive step: Salazar allowed five singles and walked two. He threw 63 of 98 pitches for strikes.

Salazar resembled the pitcher named to the AL All-Star Team, not the one of the past four starts (combined 11 innings, 19 earned runs).

Salazar primarily used a fastball/changeup combination. He mixed in a curve.

Salazar's stuff, and his control/command of it, would have gotten him deep into the game against most MLB teams. The Rangers' "professional'' approaches produced 25 fouls, and a total of six more against relievers Dan Otero and Mike Clevinger.

The Rangers fouled 122 pitches in the series.

The Indians return to Progressive Field after going 2-5 on this trip to Oakland and Arlington, Texas. When they left they had a 7 1/2 game lead in the AL Central. They return with the lead down to 4 1/2 games.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Are the Indians worried?

They just finished a 2-5 trip through Oakland and Texas in which they scored 12 runs in one game and four in the remaining six. In those six games, they were shut out twice and scored one run four times.

When they last saw Progressive Field on Aug. 21, they had a 71/2 game lead over Detroit in the AL Central. They returned home Sunday night with that lead down to 4 1/2 games.

So are they worried?

"No, we played terrible and we're still 41/2 games up," said second baseman Jason Kipnis after the Indians lost to Texas, 2-1, Sunday. "We know Detroit lost the last two games."

The Tigers missed chances to gain ground on the Indians on Saturday and Sunday as they lost to the Angels.

"I know you guys and a bunch of the people back home are writing about how worried you are," said Kipnis. "That's your job as media people, and people who don't understand the inside of the locker room. Our job is to stay confident and stay focused."

The Indians are 13-14 in August and 21-20 since the All-Star break. Kipnis said that based on the Tribe's good play in the early part of the season, they can afford to shoot themselves in the foot a time or two before someone calls an ambulance or orders a wooden leg.

"Having played so well in the first half, and up to this point, we have the luxury of having the lead that we have," said Kipnis. "That allows us, I guess, to shoot ourselves in the foot and still be OK in the end. We're doing the shooting part right now."

The Indians open a 10-game homestand Monday night. The Twins, Miami and Houston will visit Progressive Field.

Kipnis said the homestand is coming at the right time.

"It's going to be good to get home," he said. "We've got some games that we need to win.''

The Indians are 39-21 at Progressive Field.

"Every time we go home, it's like we're a different team," said Kipnis. "Not to say we can't win on the road, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see some high scoring games from us as soon as we get home."

The Indians are hitting .293 (614-for-2, 092) with 358 runs, 84 homers and a .839 OPS in 62 home games. In 66 road games, they're hitting .239 (553-for-2, 317) with 273 runs, 77 homers and a .695 OPS in 66 road games.

Kipnis' splits are balanced. He's hitting .297 (70-for-236) with 10 homers and 33 RBI at home. On the road, he's hitting .273 (70-for-256) with 10 homers and 35 RBI.

Others like Mike Napoli are Progressive Field monsters. Napoli is hitting .308 (76-for-313) with 19 homers, 61 RBI and a 1.041 OPS at home. On the road, he's hitting .212 (51-for-321) with 10 homers, 27 RBI and a .653 OPS.

Terry Francona has managed six teams to the postseason. He says there is never one moment where he's said, "This is it. We're going to make it.''

"I get asked that all the time," said Francona. "Like when did you know? When the last out was made."

It is more like a combination of things, a gradual building and shifting of momentum over the course of the season.

"This team, to me, is pretty special," said Francona. "But only one team can win the whole thing. That's hard to do.

"Are we going to be good enough? I don't know, but we're going to find out. Which is fun. I prefer to embrace the journey because some days aren't too much fun. Saturday night wasn't too much fun. But I hate to just wait until it's over. You miss out on a lot."

Perhaps the Indians are building toward something like that. In the meantime, they must do the hard, meticulous work that it takes to win one game at a time. They've done it 73 times, but there are still 33 more games to play.

"Guys are still confident," said Kipnis. "They're not losing hope. We're still have a 4 1/2 game lead. You can't take that lightly . . .how hard it is to catch us if we start playing our game."

And if that would start tonight at Progressive Field, so much the better.

"Gabby is back in the hospital tonight being treated for a seriously infected past mouth injury. She continues to have deep swelling and adverse reactions to medications," publicist Lesley Burbridge said.

NEW YORK -- Olympic gymnastics star Gabby Douglas was hospitalized Sunday night, forcing her to miss a scheduled appearance with her U.S. teammates at the MTV Video Music Awards.

"Gabby is back in the hospital tonight being treated for a seriously infected past mouth injury. She continues to have deep swelling and adverse reactions to medications," publicist Lesley Burbridge said in an email to The Associated Press.

Earlier Sunday, 20-year-old Douglas posted on social media that she was out of the hospital.

"Out of the hospital & resting comfortably," Douglas said on Instagram. "#FinalFive so sad I can't be with u all to present tonite @MTV thank u xoxo #VMAs #myview."

Out of the hospital & resting comfortably! #FinalFive so sad I can't be with u all to present tonite[?] @MTV thank u xoxo [?] #VMAs #myview

A photo posted by Gabby Douglas (@gabbycvdouglas) on Aug 28, 2016 at 3:14pm PDT

Douglas had been scheduled to present an award alongside teammates Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman at Madison Square Garden.

Gabby Douglas will be a judge at Miss America 2017

Iman Shumpert caused quite a splash at MTV's VMA's with his cameo in Kanye West's video.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So, Iman Shumpert showed up virtually nude in the newest Kanye West video.

The Cavs championship celebration continues, apparently.

Shumpert, Cleveand's reserve guard, makes a cameo in West's music video for his song "Fade," which debuted during MTV's Video Music Awards Sunday night.

The video stars Shumpert's fiance, actress Teyana Taylor, who was featured in West's video for "Dark Fantasy."

You can see a clip of West's latest, as well as the full video, here (the video is streaming exclusively on TIDAL which requires a subscription). Shumpert appears in a shower scene with Taylor, and at the end of the video is pictured with her and the couple's young daughter. Only, Taylor had morphed into a cat woman.

I swear I'll never get over how perfect this was pic.twitter.com/gJUxdEmmii

-- lul bron bron (@JuicyyLucy_) August 29, 2016

 Not long after the video aired during MTV's annual awards show, Shumpert acknowledged the, umm, commotion the video stirred on social media.

You are all very welcome. #teyanataylor shouts to Ye

-- Iman Shumpert I (@imanshumpert) August 29, 2016

A more balanced lineup has made the Indians' lineup a challenge for opposing left-handed starters this season. If statistics can be trusted, it bodes well for the Tribe's postseason chances as well.

ARLINGTON, Texas - After the Indians beat Texas on Friday night, manager Terry Francona was asked why the Indians have been so effective against left-handed starters this season.

The Indians had just finished scoring six runs on 10 hits against left-hander Martin Perez, who was 7-1 at Globe Life Park in Arlington before the Indians beat him. Francona looked like he'd just been asked the most obvious question in the world and simply said, "We've got different players. We're better situated."

Yes, they are.

Last season the Indians went 24-31 in games started by left-handers. This year they're 26-14. The 26 wins against lefties are the most in the American League and the second-most in the big leagues next to the Cubs' 27.

So why didn't someone think of this before? Remember the clubs poor Manny Acta had to manage? There were times his entire lineup batted from the left side of the plate.

I remember all the reasons for those left-handed heavy lineups because I wrote them. There were more right-handed starters in the AL than lefties. Progressive Field favored left-handed hitters. Finally, most of the Indians' best players at that time hit left-handed.

This year the Indians are hitting .276 (356-for-1,291) against lefties and .261 (804-for-3,084) against righties.

Francona said that besides trying to add right-handed power at first base, the Indians didn't make a concerted effort to acquire players who hit lefties better than righties this past off-season. He was looking more for a happy medium.

"The thing is you want balance in your lineup," he said. "I think we're better balanced this year."

Balance, like protecting the bullpen, is an obsession with Francona. There are times he'll have as many as five switch-hitters in the lineup. On most nights, he'll have four.

Here's what some Indians' regulars are hitting against lefties: Francisco Lindor .311 (51-for-164), Jose Ramirez .308 (40-for-130), Jason Kipnis .297 (47-for-158), Mike Napoli .295 (38-for-129), Abraham Almonte .289 (13-for-45) and Rajai Davis .254 (35-for-139).

This has been a team-wide endeavor. Brandon Guyer, acquired on Aug. 1, is hitting .321 (7-for-21) against lefties since the deal. Utility man Michael Martinez is hitting .286 (8-for-28) and Marlon Byrd was hitting .368 (14-for-38) against lefties before a PED suspension put him on the shelf for a year.

Brandon Guyer fits Tribe's DNA

Depending on how much faith you put in stats; the Tribe's success against lefties could mean good things are ahead. In the last eight years, the Indians have had a winning record against lefties twice - 2007 (32-10) and 2013 (36-20). Those were the last two years the Indians appeared in the postseason.

The Browns traded punter Andy Lee to the Panthers for punter Kasey Redfern and an exchange of picks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three days after Browns coach Hue Jackson chewed out punter Andy Lee on the sidelines for not trying to tackle the punt returner on a 73-yard return for a touchdown, they shipped the three-time Pro Bowler to the Panthers.

A league source, however, said Lee's lack of effort had almost nothing to with him being traded. Instead, it was more about the Panthers' willingness to give up a fourth-round pick. The Browns sent Lee and a 2017 seventh-round pick to Carolina in exchange for punter Kasey Redfern and a 2018 fourth-rounder.

The Panthers lost their starting punter, Mike Scifres, to a knee injury against the Patriots on Friday night.

On that same night, in the first quarter of Friday night's 30-13 loss to the Bucs, Lee booted a 52-yard punt and then made no attempt to tackle receiver Adam Humphries during the blistering return for the score. Lee had a clear shot at Humphries at about the 20 along the right sidelines, but slowed up as the receiver zoomed by and made it clear he wanted no part of taking him down.

Hue Jackson chastises punter Andy Lee for not trying to tackle the punt returner on a TD

Meanwhile, receiver Marlon Moore, a special teams ace, made a diving tackle attempt, the kind Jackson would expect. Moore later left the game with a hip injury, but it's unclear if it occurred on that play.

The TD increased the Bucs' lead to 17-3 with 15 seconds left in the quarter.
When Lee returned to the sidelines, coach Hue Jackson got in his face.

"(It was) his pursuit,'' said Jackson. "Let's be very honest. We're out there to play. If there's another guy that has the ball, your job is to go get it.''

Hue Jackson chews out Andy Lee on the sidelines. They traded him to the Panthers. Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com

Lee, a 13-year pro, got the message loud and clear. The second time he had a chance to make a tackle -- in the third quarter -- he threw his 185-pound body in there. Granted, he bounced off returner Bernard Reedy and it wasn't pretty, but at least he tried. Malcolm Johnson finished Reedy off after a 43-yard return.

"The second time he did that, so that was improvement,'' said Jackson, who watched his team fall behind 27-10 at the half. "That's something to build on. The first time he understood in his conversation with me that's not how we pursue it, and he made amends for that. So on we go."

Redfern (6-1, 204) is in his first NFL season out of Wofford. Originally signed by Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent in 2014, he spent part of the 2015 season on San Diego's practice squad before signing with Carolina this offseason. In three games this preseason, he has 12 punts for 562 yards and a 46.8 gross average. A native of Jamestown, N.C., he graduated from Ragsdale High School.

Lee, a native of South Carolina, was in a trade with San Francisco last season. He punted 70 times last season with with 25 inside 20-yard line. His 46.7 gross average and 40.1 net average set Browns single-season records.

The Browns now own Philadelphia's 2017 first-round pick, Tennessee's 2017 second-round pick, New England's 2017 fifth-round pick, Philadelphia's 2018 second-round pick and Carolina's 2018 fourth-round pick. Cleveland has conditionally surrendered a 2017 fourth- or fifth-round pick to Philadelphia and a 2017 sixth- or seventh-round pick to San Francisco.

The Andy Lee era in Cleveland ended not with a sprint but a jog. pic.twitter.com/oxJz0q3KqW

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 29, 2016

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

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

Game 117: Indians (73-56) vs. Twins (49-81)

First pitch: 7:10 p.m.

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

Pitching matchup: RHP Trevor Bauer (9-6, 3.88 ERA) vs. LHP Hector Santiago (0-4, 10.89 ERA)

Fact du jour: The Indians are 5-8 against the last-place Twins and 28-9 against the rest of the AL Central this season.

Lane and Jent are both sophomores for the 2016-17 season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball had two scholarships to use up for the 2016-17 season. And now they don't.

Walk-ons Joey Lane and Jimmy Jent were both put on scholarship by the Buckeyes coaching staff on Monday, according to announcements each player posted on their public twitter accounts.

A spokesperson for the team confirmed to cleveland.com that both Lane and Jent are on scholarship. It's unclear now if those scholarships extend beyond this season.

Both Lane and Jent are sophomores.

Jent, the son of Buckeyes assistant Chris Jent, transferred from Wofford when his dad came back to Columbus this spring.

So honored to receive a scholarship from Coach Matta and the rest of the @OhioStateHoops staff!! Truly a DREAM COME TRUE!!! #GoBucks!!

-- Joey Lane (@JoeySmoke11) August 29, 2016

Beyond blessed to announce I have been put on full scholarship today! Thank you @OhioStateHoops and coaching staff! [?] [?] [?] [?][?] #GoBucks

-- Jimmy (@JimboJent) August 29, 2016

Ohio State had only 11 scholarship players heading into the 2016-17 season, so it had two to play with for at least this season. Putting Lane and Jent on scholarship for this season does not affect the Buckeyes ability to recruit for the 2017 and 2018 classes.

As it stands now, Ohio State is slated to have 13 scholarships allotted for next season. That's if Lane and Jent's scholarships extend beyond this year, and includes 2017 commit Kaleb Wesson. If Ohio State wanted to add another recruit for 2017, then someone would have to come off scholarship.

Ohio State basketball scholarship chart

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Critics are saying Colin Kaepernick shouldn't be bringing politics into sports.

Colin Kaepernick refused to stand up for the national anthem. Critics are saying Kaepernick shouldn't be bringing politics into sports. Sports should be sacred and neutral ground for everyone's enjoyment. But there is a long history of athletes using sports as a platform for political protest.

PERSPECTIVES

Kaepernick said in a statement: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color ... To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

"Players are encouraged but not required to stand during playing of national anthem." - NFL statement on Kaepernick pic.twitter.com/7DVhqzKCEQ

-- SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 27, 2016

There's a long history of athletes using sports as a platform to make a political statement. Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a huge political statement at the Olympics and suffered a huge backlash for doing so. History remembers them as heroes.

Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War and suffered greatly for it. He famously said, "My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America ... And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn't put no dogs on me, they didn't rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. ... Shoot them for what? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail."

People think sports and politics shouldn't mix. Sports represent something that is purer than politics. It should be above the fray.

@ClayTravis @espn If there is one thing in life that should be politics free, it's sports.

Please.

-- Andy Keetch (@KeetchTX) August 26, 2016

To me the answer is no. Sports are my entertainment, and I don't want politics there https://t.co/bWPhTGRr3c

-- Jared Smith (@JaredtheCougrFn) August 26, 2016

Sports are something that everyone can enjoy. It's a neutral ground and shouldn't be politicized.

Politics and sports never mix, if anything, sports serve as a neutral ground to bring back the sanity that politics takes

-- Kevin (@Kevo_jr) August 25, 2016

@katierandall I think the anger comes from the "this doesn't belong here" mentality. Sports and politics shouldn't mix.

-- Adam Cubbage (@DACubbage) August 29, 2016

Outcry against politics in sports has historically been used used to shut down important conversations. Sports and politics are tightly connected.

It's "don't bring politics into sports" until it's nationalism, or the troops, or letting players off on sexual assault.

-- X (@XLNB) August 27, 2016

Sports have never been neutral ground. Like everything else sports are subjected to politics.

The white gaze and #Kaepernick--how dare a person of color interfere with "our" pleasure by bringing "their" politics into "my" sports fun!

-- chauncey devega (@chaunceydevega) August 28, 2016

"An athlete's decision to sit has given us media types a chance to take a stand." Nice close, @bryancurtis. https://t.co/LfZafDh1Rk

-- Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) August 28, 2016

The Indians placed Danny Salazar on the paternity list on Monday, though the right-hander is still expected to make his next start on time.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians placed Danny Salazar on the paternity list on Monday, though the right-hander is still expected to make his next start on time.

The club recalled reliever Shawn Armstrong, who has served as a pinball of sorts this season, bouncing between Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus.

Salazar returned to form on Sunday after a rough six weeks. Over his previous six starts, Salazar posted a 10.41 ERA, having surrendered 28 runs (27 earned) on 36 hits and 13 walks over 23 1/3 innings. That stretch included the All-Star break and a stint on the disabled list.

Salazar rejoined the rotation without making a rehab start. His transition was not a smooth one. He exited his start on Aug. 18 after only one, laborious inning. Five days later, he allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks against a meager Oakland lineup that ranks last in the American League in runs per game.

On Sunday, Salazar held Texas in check, as he tallied 10 strikeouts over 5 1/3 frames. He yielded two runs on five hits.

With the Indians having an off-day on Thursday, Salazar would be slated to pitch on Saturday.

Armstrong has appeared in only two games with the Tribe this season. With Columbus, he boasts a 1.84 ERA, with 72 strikeouts in 49 innings. Armstrong has not allowed a run since July 1, a span of 22 innings (two in Cleveland). During that stretch, he has limited the opposition to a .304 OPS and eight hits, to go along with 29 strikeouts.

Nice to see you: Michael Brantley visited with his teammates in the Indians' clubhouse on Monday afternoon. Brantley underwent season-ending surgery two weeks ago in Dallas following an arduous and, ultimately, unfruitful attempt at returning to full strength following an original operation last November.

"When you're hurt, you can feel like you're not necessarily part of what's going on," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "I've been there. I think everybody, myself included, loves having him around."

Francona said Brantley, whose arm was in a sling, was scheduled to have the stitches from his surgery removed on Monday.

Brantley's season ends with more surgery

Testing, testing: The Indians hope to send Yan Gomes on a minor-league rehab assignment in the coming days. Gomes would serve as the designated hitter in such a scenario. He has been hitting on the field for more than a week as he recovers from a separated right shoulder. He suffered the injury in mid-July at Target Field in Minnesota.

"The hitting has come quicker than the throwing, which I think makes sense," Francona said. "At some point, when he's ready to maybe go out and DH, that could come first and he could still continue to work on his throwing."

New shrine: The Indians placed Tyler Naquin's dirtied jersey from his walk-off inside-the-park home run on display at The Corner. On Aug. 19, Naquin followed Jose Ramirez's game-tying blast with a shot off the top of the right-field wall. The rookie raced around the bases and plunged into home plate to score the winning run.

Bedlam in Believeland: Behind the scenes of Naquin's HR

Now on display at The Corner at Progressive Field: Tyler Naquin's jersey from his inside-the-park HR (h/t @jfeador) pic.twitter.com/ut8rRsws0q

-- Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) August 29, 2016

Hold the line: The rock band Toto is scheduled to attend Tuesday's game at Progressive Field.

Check out the Browns' latest preseason depth chart.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns released their final preseason depth chart on Monday, hours after trimming their roster to 75 players ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

The depth chart reflects Monday's changes to the roster,  including new punter Kasey Redfern, who was acquired via trade with the Panthers. Rookie Emmanuel Ogbah is now listed as a starting outside linebacker following the release of Paul Kruger. Joe Schobert and Cam Johnson are listed as the backups. Also, Jamar Taylor is a starting cornerback opposite Joe Haden.

On offense, not much has changed other than Randall Telfer moving to the backup tight end spot and Connor Hamlett falling two spots to fourth on the depth chart.

Check out the entire depth chart below.

NOTE: This depth chart is unofficial, and released primarily as a resource for media.

cleveland.com 

The OHSAA announced on Monday it had accepted Lake Catholic's decision to forfeit Saturday's Week 1 game vs. Toledo St. John's.

MENTOR, Ohio — The OHSAA announced on Monday it has accepted Lake Catholic's forfeiture of its Week 1 game to Toledo St. John's.

Lake Catholic had forfeited the game on Thursday night. But the OHSAA later ruled that the game would be a "no contest." That means the game was not going to count as a win for Toledo St. John's and that it would not get computer points for it.

The forfeit came after the school announced it was investigating a potential hazing incident. The school's Catholic diocese released a statement on Friday saying that punishment meant that the team did not have enough players "sufficient in number" for the game.

The decision means Toledo St. John's is given the win and the computer points.

Lake Catholic will play its first game of the season on Saturday at Cleveland Central Catholic.

The Cleveland Browns continue to stockpile future draft choices, which is the right course, especially after a slapstick loss.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Forget the cut of Paul Kruger.

One thing the Cleveland Browns need for sure, because they will do so much of it in the games ahead, is a good punter.

Therefore, they traded three-time Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee on Monday, even though his 46.7-yard gross average and 40.1-yard net in 2015 were all-time Browns' bests.

In return for Lee and a seventh-round draft pick in 2017, the Browns got Carolina's punter Kasey Redfern and a fourth-round pick in 2018.

The right thing to do

This is actually the correct course for the bedraggled franchise to take, particularly if a player doesn't care to participate in such bothersome activities as tackling.

I'm not going to argue against stockpiling picks and building through the draft, although the road is going to be long and somewhat bumpy.

The results with showy draft picks, after all, have been ghastly.

No mas!

On a touchdown punt return in the "dress rehearsal" third exhibition, Lee came closer than former Browns nose tackle Ted Washington, a.k.a., "The Washington Monument," because he stood 6-5 and weighed a listed 365 pounds, which might actually have been 400-plus. But Washington, of course, did not play on special teams, being able to move only at the pace of an earth grader that beeped to signal it was lurching into action.

To be fair, Lee also came closer than Long John Silver, to invoke the Buccaneers' piratical theme. A screaming skull figurehead adorns a ship flying the Jolly Roger flag inside the stadium.

Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow didn't make the tackle either.

Lee waved the white flag early on the play at the 20-yard line as Tampa Bay's Adam Humphries headed toward the end zone on a 73-yard touchdown romp Friday night in Florida, Lee perhaps needed to keep an appointment at Orlando's Disney World with Mickey, for what he did was mousy enough, or Goofy, which speaks for itself.

It was only an exhibition, but a particularly sorry one that convinced you that  the Browns barely seem able to execute anything, except perhaps for soon-to-be-suspended Josh Gordon's two long catches.

Coach Hue Jackson -- refraining from saying of his team's execution, as did former Tampa Bay coach John McKay, "I'm all for it" -- barked at Lee on the sideline, "We're out there to play."

Even if you're bad, you still have to try

This has been the assertion since the team's 1999 restoration, although evidence tends to refute it.

Lee was actually the second-most honored player on the Browns' roster, behind left tackle Joe Thomas. Lee made three Pro Bowl appearances, all in San Francisco, not here.

Later in the same game, Lee did try to make a tackle on punt coverage, ending up getting splattered by returner Bernard Reedy like a bug on a windshield.

The punt highlight

Punters are seldom noticed unless they do something bad or, much rarer, good. Lee was noticed at Tampa.

Reggie Hodges' 68-yard run on a trick play on fourth down at the New Orleans Saints, the Super Bowl champions at the time, in a Browns' upset got noticed. It fostered the hardiest bloom in Cleveland sports -- false hope by Browns fans.

And two lowlights. . .

More in keeping with the depressed caliber of play was Derrick Frost's 7-yard shank from the end zone, setting up a 9-yard game-winning drive by Baltimore in 2004.

A score of eight on a hole in golf is called a "snowman." Petitions by reporters for a yard to be added to the punt to make it "Frosty's Snowman" came to no avail.

One of them unbelievable, even for the Browns

But nothing may ever equal the Browns' first punt of the 2007 season. This was the game in which Charlie Frye was deep-sixed at halftime, never to play here again. In a 34-7 Pittsburgh rout at the lakefront, Bay Village's Dave Zastudil muffed the snap and got off only a 15-yard punt, which was then reduced to 5 yards by penalty.

Why? As I recounted in the book I co-authored "The Great Book of Cleveland Sports Lists," officials detected a veritable epidemic of Browns mischief.

"We have four fouls on the play," said the ref. "Illegal formation, offense No. 58 (Antwan Peak). That penalty is declined. Holding No. 90, (David McMillan). That penalty is declined. Holding No. 35, (Jerome Harrison). That penalty will be enforced. Ten yards from the end of the kick. We had an ineligible (Browns player) downfield on the kick (who the hell knows?) That penalty is declined."

Five net yards, four penalties, one play. You can't make this stuff up.