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Hue Jackson to play starters in 4th preseason game vs. Bears Thursday

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Hue Jackson has preached all summer long that the Browns have to live tackle and practice like they're playing. With that in mind, he'll play the starters in the 4th preseason game vs. the Bears. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- All summer long, coach Hue Jackson's mantra has been: to play good football you have to practice it.

In keeping with that theme, he'll depart from the norm and play his starters Thursday in the fourth preseason game against the Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium.

"We're going to play our guys,'' Jackson said. "I feel comfortable that we need to play our starters on both sides of the ball. Now, how much they play, that is yet to be determined by me, but we're going to play them because we need to play. We need to get better as a football team as we continue to move forward."

But Jackson isn't playing his starters to avoid going winless. He's 0-3 heading into the game, and isn't concerned about going 0-4.

"You can check my last record in preseason,'' he said.  "I think I was 0-4 at Oakland. I like to win. I will be the first to tell you that. I didn't think I was going to be 0-4 then either. I don't like being 0-4. If this was going on my tombstone, I would be concerned about it. It's not. Nobody is going to ask me about the preseason games. They're going to ask to me about the regular season.

"Even though I like to win at everything that I do, I do understand that there is a process that we are in right now.  Now next week, you ask me that, it might be a different story. I might be up here throwing things. What's important is that we keep evaluating our team so that we can ensure that we have the best team here as we move into the season."

The Browns needs to play their starters for a lot of reasons, including the fact that some of them, including receiver Corey Coleman (hamstring) and cornerback Joe Haden (ankle), played in their first preseason game on Friday night against the Bucs.

What's more, the Browns have been mixing and matching so much on defense, they need to play their new starting rotation some together before the opener Sept. 11 in Philadelphia. In addition, they cut starting outside linebacker Paul Kruger on Monday and have inserted Emmanuel Ogbah in his spot.

"Obviously, since we made several changes on defense, we want to keep on looking,'' he said. "I feel pretty good about where we are offensively. I just think we need to fine tune some things and get better at some things. Obviously, there was a starter that was removed from our defensive football team. I need to make sure that we're doing the things that we need to do to be successful over there on defense."

Paul Kruger cut by the Browns

The Browns have also been splitting time between rookie Derrick Kindred and Joyer Poyer at free safety.

"I feel very good about all three of those guys (Kindred, Poyer and Ibraheim Campbell),'' Jackson said. "I don't think it really matters who walks out there first. I know quote-unquote people want to know who the starter is, but I think as much nickel as we see - I'm talking about three wide receivers in the National Football League, two tight ends, all that - all of those guys can play at any time. What is really important is that we are beginning to feel comfortable with three guys that can go in there and play. We will determine who the starters are here pretty soon."

Cam Erving also needs more live reps at center to work on his timing and his shotgun snapping.

So regardless of what the Bears do, the Browns starters will be out in full force Thursday night, if only for a brief time.


Thomas Allen, 2017 shooting guard, has Ohio State basketball in top 5, will officially visit Buckeyes

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Allen is the No. 48 shooting guard in the Class of 2017.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Things are moving at a rapid pace for Ohio State basketball and its future recruiting classes.

The Buckeyes added two 2018 players over the weekend. On Monday they put two walk-ons on scholarship, found out they lost out on a key 2017 recruiting target and landed on the final list for another.

Let's talk about that last part.

Thomas Allen, a three-star shooting guard from North Carolina, included Ohio State in his final list of five schools. He announced the finalists on his public Twitter account on Monday night.

Allen is also considering Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Nebraska and St. Louis. He will officially visit Ohio State the weekend of Oct. 7-9, one week after visiting Nebraska. Other official visit dates have yet to be set.

Allen is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard rated the No. 5 player in North Carolina, and the No. 48 shooting guard in the country according to the 247Sports composite ratings.

Since the Buckeyes put walk-ons Joey Lane and Jimmy Jent on scholarship, they're technically at the limit of 13 scholarships for next season with those two plus the commitment of center Kaleb Wesson.

But Ohio State isn't going to stop recruiting 2017 players.

They could add a commitment via roster attrition, or if Jent and Lane's scholarships don't extend beyond this season. Ohio State did not make an official announcement on Lane and Jent, only confirming that they'd be on scholarship for the 2016-17 season.

Ohio State missed out on adding another player to its 2017 class earlier on Monday when Ohio small forward Kyle Young cancelled his official visit to Columbus and committed to Butler.

Expect the Buckeyes to add at least one more player for 2017.

It could be Allen.

Ohio State basketball scholarship chart

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Cleveland Indians extend partnership with Double-A affiliate Akron RubberDucks

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The contract extension runs through the 2020 season. The minor-league franchise has served as an Indians affiliate since 1989.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have extended their partnership with the Akron RubberDucks, their Double-A affiliate.

The contract extension runs through the 2020 season. The minor-league franchise has served as an Indians affiliate since 1989.

At that time, the team was known as the Canton-Akron Indians. The franchise became the Akron Aeros and occupied Canal Park in downtown Akron beginning in 1997. The club switched its nickname to the RubberDucks after the 2013 campaign.

Akron captured the Eastern League championship in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2012. Of the 39 players on the Indians' 40-man roster, 24 played for Akron at some point.

"[The Rubberducks] have gone over the top in making Akron a top-of-the-line facility for our players, our staff and the tremendous fans who come to see them play," said Carter Hawkins, the Indians' director of player development, in a statement. "Extending our relationship with the RubberDucks was an easy decision."

The Indians have four minor-league affiliates within about two hours of Cleveland: Triple-A Columbus, Double-A Akron, Low-A Lake County and short-season Mahoning Valley.

The RubberDucks entered Monday's action with a 70-62 mark, good for second place in the Western Division of the Eastern League. They sit two games behind the Altoona Curve.

The Browns continue to bet big on the future to rectify mistakes of the past

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More draft picks have come in over the last week as players from previous regimes continue getting sent away.

BEREA, Ohio - Browns Vice President of Player Personnel Sashi Brown wasn't interested in hearing about four wins this season. 

"We would be very disappointed if we have four wins," Brown said last week in Tampa during a meeting with reporters. 

"We're going to Philly with the aim that we are going to win that game and we'll take it week by week," Brown said, "but our goal is to win all 16."

That's a noble goal, but the reality is that the Browns' focus is on the future and has been for some time. Frankly, that's where it should be.

This team will not be noticeably better or worse with the departures of Barkevious Mingo, Paul Kruger, K'Waun Williams or Andy Lee, all remnants of past regimes. The fact they were able to come away with a fourth round pick for Lee, a punter who originally cost them a conditional sixth or seventh round pick, and a fifth round pick for Mingo, a player buried on the depth chart at inside linebacker, is solid.

This is, as they like to say in NBA circles, asset acquisition. The Browns may pick players with those picks acquired in the last week. They may become assets to use in a trade -- perhaps as part of a trade to move up to get a player, perhaps to acquire a player on the outs elsewhere. The picks that will ultimately make or break this regime will happen in the first two rounds over the next two years.

They could potentially have two very high first round picks next year along with two second round picks. They currently have two second round picks in 2018 to go with their first. Those could be the five most important picks in this organization's history.

The Browns had two first round picks in 2012, 2014 and 2015. The picks they made are either gone (Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel) or carry question marks about their futures (Justin Gilbert, Danny Shelton, Cameron Erving). Mingo was the pick in 2013. Those misses are why the Browns are where they are right now to begin with.

They also serve as a reminder that, even if this is the right thing to do -- and I believe it is -- there are no guarantees. You have to pick the right players. You have to develop them. You have to coach them up. You have to have a culture around them that allows them to thrive.

The Browns didn't lose any games on Monday -- literally or figuratively. Nothing changed as far as their outlook with the roster moves of the last week. They simply continued what they started when they let veterans walk in free agency and made 14 picks in last April's draft. The youth movement is on and it's going to be painful at times -- quite possibly at a lot of times.

The equation for 2016 is simple and it has little to do with winning. It's a year to find out about the players that are here. It's a year to look ahead and hope the Browns finally have the right people in place to make betting on the future pay off.

-----

Follow me: on Twitter | on Facebook | Snapchat user name: djlobster 

Binary-code offense just enough as Cleveland Indians top Minnesota Twins, 1-0

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The Indians keep producing nothing but zeroes and ones. Once in a while, though, the binary code offense spits out a victory. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis continued to backpedal into the outfield grass, but he realized he stood no chance. He was going to be caught.

So, Kipnis flicked his helmet to the ground, halted his motion and jumped in the air, into the embrace of Tyler Naquin and Mike Napoli, who chased him down. Kipnis supplied the Indians with a much-needed walk-off win.

The Indians keep producing nothing but zeroes and ones. Once in a while, though, the binary code offense spits out a victory.

The Twins sputtered their way to Progressive Field for Monday's series opener, with a ragtag pitching staff that hasn't proven capable of preventing anything in recent weeks. The Indians limped into the contest with a scuffling lineup that mustered next to nothing on the club's weeklong road tour.

So what transpired when the stoppable force met the movable object? The Indians eked out a 1-0 win that required 10 innings and lacked much activity at the plate.



The Tribe offense slogged through yet another game, as the club has scored one run or fewer in seven of its last eight contests. The Twins, on the other hand, had surrendered at least eight runs in each of their last six games prior to meeting the Sleepwalking Nine.

"They're aware we're not putting a bunch of runs up," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "And that'll change. You have to kind of weather it, play through it. Winning 1-0 in extra innings is a heck of a lot better than losing 1-0."

Kipnis rescued the Indians' pitching staff from any chance at a tough-luck loss with an RBI single to left-center that scored Chris Gimenez in the bottom of the 10th. Trevor Bauer, Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Zach McAllister kept the Twins off the scoreboard. The Indians notched their first 1-0 walk-off win in extra innings since July 23, 1992. The players poured out of the dugout and swarmed Kipnis in short-right field.

"It probably wasn't my best idea to keep screaming, 'You guys can't bring me down' to the rest of them," Kipnis quipped.

Bauer exited after six scoreless frames. He limited Minnesota to five hits and one walk. The right-hander fared much better than he did in his last outing against the Twins. On Aug. 3, Bauer surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and five walks in just 2 2/3 innings.

The Indians couldn't solve Twins southpaw Hector Santiago, who entered 0-4 with a 10.89 ERA since joining Minnesota at the trade deadline. Finally, the Tribe broke through in the 10th as Abraham Almonte and Gimenez opened the frame with consecutive singles. After Rajai Davis bounced into a fielder's choice, Kipnis slapped a single to left-center.

What it means
The Indians improved to 40-23 at home; they stand just one game above the .500 mark on the road.

Cleveland now owns a 6-8 record against Minnesota this season, and a 28-9 mark against the rest of the American League Central.

No chance
The Twins placed a pair of runners aboard against Miller in the seventh on an infield single and a softly struck bloop to center. Miller, however, recovered to strike out the side. He fanned all three with his sharp, sidewinding slider. Brian Dozier, the third strikeout victim, fell to his knees after he swung through the pitch.

Miller has 11 strikeouts in his last 4 1/3 innings, and 22 in 13 innings since joining the Indians.

Golden glove
Jason Kipnis dove to his left in the outfield grass beyond his position at second base to snag a sharp grounder off the bat of Joe Mauer to start the sixth. He quickly bounced to his feet and threw out the first baseman. Bauer raised both arms in the air and then clapped.

Rajai Davis prevented Miguel Sano from reaching on a base hit with a lunging catch in center field to end the top of the eighth.

Long time coming
Davis snapped out of an 0-for-20 funk with a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth.

They came, they saw
An announced crowd of 11,327 watched the affair at the ballpark.

What's next
The Indians and Twins will reconvene at Progressive Field on Tuesday evening for a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch. Josh Tomlin (11-8, 4.70 ERA), who has been routinely rocked in the second half, will start for the Tribe. Tomlin owns an 0-5 record and 10.80 ERA in five August starts. In 25 innings, he has allowed 30 earned runs on 39 hits. He has surrendered nine home runs.

The Twins will counter on Tuesday with left-hander Andrew Albers, who will make his first major-league start since 2013. Albers has logged a 4.32 ERA in 8 1/3 innings of relief with Minnesota this season.

Kaminsky, Allen guide Akron RubberDucks past Erie

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Rob Kaminsky pitches into the eighth inning and Greg Allen has two RBI.

rob kaminsky.jpegPitcher Rob Kaminsky. 

ERIE, Pennsylvania -- Rob Kaminsky held the SeaWolves to just one run over 7 1/3 innings, and Greg Allen had two RBI as the Akron RubberDucks won, 4-2, in a Class AA Eastern League game Monday night.

Kaminsky, a left-hander, earned his 10th victory of the season (10-7, 3.25 ERA) and held Erie batters to just four hits.

Allen brought in Akron's first run in the second inning by drawing a bases-loaded walk off Erie starter Thad Weber (0-2, 14.29 ERA). Weber went five innings, giving up just three hits and two runs, but he walked five.

Joe Sever made it 2-0 in the third inning with an RBI single.

An RBI single by Erie's Austin Green in the fourth made it 2-1, but Allen's RBI single in the sixth and Mike Papi's RBI single in the seventh increased the RubberDucks' lead to 4-1.

Nick Maronde earned the save for Akron, giving up a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Go here to see the box score from the game.

Jason Kipnis, Trevor Bauer, Zach McAllister help Cleveland Indians top Minnesota Twins: DMan's Report, Game 130 (photos)

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Jason Kipnis delivered an RBI single in the 10th inning and Trevor Bauer pitched superbly as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Minnesota Twins, 1-0, Monday night in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis' single drove in Chris Gimenez from second base with one out in the 10th inning as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Minnesota Twins, 1-0, Monday night at Progressive Field. Tribe right-hander Trevor Bauer allowed five hits in six innings.

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

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The Indians (74-56) remained 4.5 games ahead of second-place Detroit (70-61) and 5.5 clear of Kansas City (69-62) in the AL Central. The Tigers scored twice in the eighth inning to beat the White Sox, 4-3, in Detroit and the Royals outlasted the Yankees, 8-5, in Kansas City, Mo.

Reeling: The Twins (49-82), last place in the AL Central, have lost 11 in a row.

Don't ask how....:....Just how many.

At this point in the season, the Tribe need not worry about style points. The opponent, other than Detroit or Kansas City, does not matter. The score does not matter. All that matters: Did the game end in a W?

The Indians' offense remains in a deep-freeze, but the bottom line is, they won on a night in late August when the Tigers and Royals won.

Kip, Kip, hooray: Kipnis finished 2-for-4 with one walk and made a spectacular defensive play.

Abraham Almonte opened the 10th against righty reliever Brandon Kintzler with a drag-bunt single. Gimenez, after failing in two sacrifice-bunt attempts, punched a 1-2 pitch into right field for a single. Almonte stopped at second.

Rajai Davis chopped to third, where Miguel Sano barely ticked Almonte's uniform on the way past. Sano was unable to throw out Davis.

Kipnis dropped the barrel on a 1-0 fastball on the outer half and sent it into left-center for his third career walkoff hit.

The Indians own eight walkoffs this season.

Laying the foundation: Tribe righty Trevor Bauer and relievers Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Zach McAllister combined to allow nine hits in 10 innings.

Bauer walked one and struck out four. He threw 61 of 97 pitches for strikes.

Bauer is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his past five starts.

In his previous start against the Twins, Aug. 3 in Cleveland, Bauer gave up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. In three previous starts against the Twins this season, he was 0-2 with a 7.63 ERA (15 1/3 IP, 13 ER).

Bauer worked around a one-out double by Joe Mauer in the first. Right-handed power threats Trevor Plouffe and Sano struck out looking and flied to right, respectively.

With Twins on first and second and one out in the third, Bauer jammed Mauer enough with a 3-2 cutter that Mauer only was able to line it to right. Bauer challenged Plouffe with heaters and struck him out swinging.

With two outs in the fourth, Jorge Polanco doubled off first baseman Mike Napoli's glove. Bauer bowed his neck and struck out Eddie Rosario swinging.

With two outs in the fifth, Bauer received help Tribe from center fielder Davis. Brian Dozier lined a 2-2 pitch into right-center that hustling Davis fielded and, thanks to excellent footwork and an accurate throw, turned into an erasing of Dozier at second.

Z-Mac delivers: Miller, Shaw and Allen combined for 3 2/3 scoreless, but McAllister's one out was the most important.

With two outs in the 10th inning, the Twins loaded the bases against Allen with Mauer's walk, Plouffe's single and Sano's walk. Tribe manager Terry Francona signaled for McAllister to face lefty Kepler, who had eight hits and drove in 10 the previous time the teams played, Aug. 1-4 in Cleveland.

McAllister fell behind, 2-0. He kept pumping fastballs, and Kepler kept fouling -- four in all. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, another fastball, Kepler flied to center.

McAllister needed to be close enough to the zone with the 2-0 pitch to entice Kepler to swing. If not, Kepler likely would have forced him to throw three straight strikes.

Kepler finished 0-for-5.

Paul Kruger cut, Andy Lee traded: Browns report

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Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe break down all the activity from Berea. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns turned some heads on Monday with a series of roster moves. It started with releasing outside linebacker Paul Kruger as part of their cut-down to 75 players. Hue Jackson also announced that the team cut cornerback K'Waun Williams.

Then they traded punter Andy Lee and a seventh round pick to Carolina in exchange for a fourth round draft pick and punter Kasey Redfern.

Mary Kay Cabot and I talked about the busy day of roster moves during our daily Browns report. Check out the video above.


Barkevious Mingo experiences 'culture shock' with Patriots, but admits 'winning spirit' under Hue Jackson

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Barkevious Mingo is experiencing 'a huge culture shock' in New England, but says the 'winning spirit' is coming to Cleveland under Hue Jackson.

BEREA, Ohio -- Linebacker Barkevious Mingo, traded to the Patriots last week for a fifth-round pick, has already felt the difference between a perennial loser and perennial Super Bowl contender.

But he stated his belief that things are changing for the better under Hue Jackson.

"It's a huge culture shock," Mingo said Monday, via The Boston Herald.  "I felt like the winning spirit was making its way into Cleveland with those new coaches, but it's definitely been established here for a long time, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Mingo, the Browns No. 6 overall pick in 2013, described his rookie year here as "gruesome.' The Browns went 4-12 that year and Mingo's production nose-dived after registering a sack in each of his first three games. He had only two more the rest that season, and a total of four in his next 43 games when he was converted to a coverage linebacker.

In New England, Mingo is reunited with Jabaal Sheard, who mentored him as a rookie. Sheard signed with the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent before last season, and had eight sacks in 2015.

"Jabaal was there my first year, and he carried me along in that long, long year," Mingo said. "But to have him again is a huge relief."

Coach Hue Jackson wished Mingo well on Monday, but acknowledged he wasn't a fit in this defense.

"It was the right move for everybody involved,'' Jackson said. "Mingo here, some things weren't happening for him. I understand that. He's a tremendous young man. I really enjoyed my time with him, but we didn't see a fit for him. We tried to move him to a lot of different spots.

"He played outside backer. We moved him inside. It is unfortunate it just didn't work. It was an opportunity for him to be in a better situation and an opportunity for us to get better, too. I think it was the best opportunity for both involved."

In New England, Bill Belichick features plenty of 'tweener defenders, and Mingo fits the bill.

Marshon Lattimore is finally a Buckeyes starter: Ohio State football depth chart analysis

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Ohio State released its first depth chart of 2016 on Tuesday. Marshon Lattimore is finally a starter. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The most significant milestone in Marshon Lattimore's Ohio State football career already happened.

He made it through training camp healthy.

"That's a big deal to me," Lattimore said. "I told my mother and everything."

Lattimore has another thing he can call home about. He's a starting cornerback for the Buckeyes.

OK, technically there's an "OR" on the depth chart between Lattimore and Denzel Ward at the corner spot opposite Gareon Conley. But when Ohio State released its first depth chart of the 2016 season on Tuesday, Lattimore was on it.

That's no small victory.

Lattimore has battled significant hamstring issues his entire career. He didn't play at all as a true freshman, played some last year (though Lattimore said he was still injured all year), but he finally made it through a fall camp without issue.

Over that time, it's possible people forgot what kind of talent the Glenville product is.

"People back home still know," Lattimore said. "They just know I've been hurt with my hamstrings. As long as my hamstrings are OK, they know what I can do. I'm ready to show other people what I can do, though, people around the country. That's what I'm waiting on."

Ohio State's depth chart vs. Bowling Green

Ohio State's training staff monitored Lattimore's hamstrings extensively throughout camp.

"There's not a rep that goes by on the field that's not being evaluated," cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. "His whole muscle structure is being evaluated."

That kept Lattimore healthy, and able to stay in a competition with Ward and Damon Arnette. Ohio State's goal is to play them all. We'll see if that actually happens.

But Lattimore's name is first on the depth chart. So he'll get the first crack to show what a healthy Marshon Lattimore looks like.

"Marshon is a guy you can't keep off the field if healthy," Buckeyes safety and former Glenville teammate Erick Smith said. "All the corners are competing, but Marshon is a guy you can't keep off the field."

Other notes from Ohio State's depth chart:

* There are "ORs" all over the place, including two that were somewhat surprising. Everyone knew that Curtis Samuel would see time at running back, but he was listed a co-starter with Mike Weber. Same goes for the other side of the ball, where Jalyn Holmes was listed as a co-starter with Sam Hubbard at defensive end.

* Receiver is still a mess in that the Buckeyes are trying to sort out the best six. Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, Corey Smith, Terry McLaurin and James Clark are listed as starters at receiver.

Johnnie Dixon is also on the depth chart along with true freshmen Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor.

* Mack and Victor aren't the only true freshmen on the depth chart. So are starting left guard Michael Jordan, defensive ends Nick Bosa and Jonathon Cooper and safety Jordan Fuller.

Fuller is a surprise at No. 2 safety behind Damon Webb. Cam Burrows was thought to be in the second unit there, and he's nowhere on the depth chart. Erick Smith is the backup at the other safety spot behind Malik Hooker.

Starting lineups, Game 131: Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins

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Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Tuesday's game between the Indians and Twins.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Tuesday's game between the Indians and Twins. 

Pitching matchup: RHP Josh Tomlin (11-8, 4.70 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Albers (0-0, 4.32 ERA)

Lineup

Indians

1. CF Rajai Davis

2. 2B Jason Kipnis

3. SS Francisco Lindor

4. 1B Mike Napoli

5. DH Carlos Santana

6. 3B Jose Ramirez

7. LF Brandon Guyer

8. RF Abraham Almonte

9. C Chris Gimenez

Twins

1. 2B Brian Dozier

2. DH Joe Mauer

3. 1B Trevor Plouffe

4. 3B Miguel Sano

5. RF Max Kepler

6. SS Eduardo Escobar

7. LF Eddie Rosario

8. C Kurt Suzuki

9. CF Logan Schafer

OHSAA state lacrosse championships in 2017 to be played at Ohio Wesleyan University

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Four state title games, two for each gender, will take place Saturday, June 3, 2017 at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Selby Stadium in Delaware.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The OHSAA will recognize boys and girls lacrosse as a varsity sport next spring, and the governing body for Ohio high school sports announced Tuesday the host of its state championships.

Four state title games, two for each gender, will take place Saturday, June 3, 2017 at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Selby Stadium in Delaware. The OHSAA noted a contract is still pending between it and Ohio Wesleyan.




Lacrosse will be a spring sport, previously coordinated by its coaches association.


The state semifinals will be held May 30 and 31 at neutral sites around the state, similar to soccer in the fall.


The first OHSAA recognized lacrosse season begins March 17. Practice starts Feb. 20 for the sport.


Seeding and bracketing for the girls and boys tournaments will take place on May 7. The tournament will begin at the regional level, in a similar format to the football playoffs, the week of May 15. The regional semifinals and regional finals will take place the week of May 22.

Live updates and chat: Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins, Game 131

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

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

Game 131: Indians (74-56) vs. Twins (49-82)

First pitch: 7:10 p.m.

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

Pitching matchup: RHP Josh Tomlin (11-8, 4.70 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Alberts (0-0, 4.32 ERA)

Fact du jour: The Twins have lost 11 straight games.

Josh Gordon on eve of 4-game ban: 'This is where I belong; this is where I need to be'

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Josh Gordon will play Thursday night against the Bears and then begin his four-game suspension on Saturday at 4 p.m. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- With his four-game suspension looming, Josh Gordon was grateful to flash glimpses of his 2013 Pro Bowl talents in Tampa Bay last Friday night.

"It definitely did send a spark to me and help me remember some things,'' Gordon said Tuesday on his last full day of practice before his suspension for violating the substance abuse policy. It begins Saturday at 4 p.m.

"(It gave me) that sense of nostalgia of, this is where I belong, this is where I need to be, this stage was meant for me to play on. That's what I'm meant to do. Just doing it consistently and being here for this team, that's really where it starts at and that's what I want to do."

Gordon will participate in a walk-through on Wednesday and then play Thursday night vs. the Bears in the preseason finale before bowing out.

"I'll go into this game strong, take away from it as much as I can possibly mentally, retain as much information as I can and I know going into the regular season I'll be here with the team, working out with our training staff and make sure I stay in shape and be able to be at the point to pick up where I left off from this last preseason game,'' said Gordon. "Hopefully that transition is very smooth for me.''

The difference between this ban and the last three is that Gordon can be with the team for the four games -- everything except practice and games.

"Every morning, I'll be coming here working out, still in meetings with the guys,'' he said. "The only thing I wouldn't be able to do is go out there and practice with them. I'll be able to take the mental reps indoors, watch the film when they come back inside, learn everything that they're learning-- maybe not necessarily in the same way, but I have the experience of learning that way, so I know how to adapt that way, so it shouldn't hold me up too much."

RG3 won't criticize Kaepernick; Gordon thinks it was great

Coach Hue Jackson is grateful the club will be able to keep Gordon in the building. His case is sort of a test pilot for other players in the league.

"It's really important,'' said Jackson. "He's been off to a pretty good start. I mean, if you can score a touchdown a game and catch some long ones, that's pretty good. ... Obviously he won't be able to be out there with the team at practice, but he'll be able to be in the building, which is a huge plus and we really appreciate the league allowing him to do that.''

The two catches in Tampa showed Gordon's natural ability, and gives Jackson something to look forward to when Gordon returns Oct. 9 against the Patriots.

"What I've learned is that he's a really good football player (who) can do a lot of different things," he said. "He's just another tool that we'll add to our arsenal once we get him back. We'll continue to keep growing him. But I think you guys all know what he is. I do now and looking forward to getting him back."

It also reminds Robert Griffin III that help is on the way.

"When he steps out there on the field he's got a chip on his shoulder and he's ready to go out and make plays for us," Griffin said. "But we have a lot of playmakers on this team and everyone understands that. The ball is going to be distributed accordingly.''

The relationship with Griffin, built in Waco, Texas and seen on the field there for one season in 2010, has helped ease the transition for Gordon.

"Me and Griff talk about it a lot,'' he said. "He says he remembers my timing from college and he thinks it wouldn't take too long. It really wouldn't. As much as we practice out here and as much as we talk together and get different looks in the preseason and during practice against our defense, he throws it up there a few times, I'll gauge it and I'll go try to find it."

Gordon hasn't practiced much this preseason because of a pulled quad muscle. But he shows confidence that he's becoming a more polished receiver.

"It's all things I've learned,'' he said. "It's very teachable, very learnable. We work that here with coach Al Saunders. He's teaching us ways to come back to the ball and release on DBs downfield and how to get open. I think that's just the art of playing receiver, how to get to the ball and how to get open at all times."

Gordon has his critics on social media. But he hopes he's winning a few back with what he's shown so far.

"When you've gone through the certain amount of things that I've gone through and people have their opinions, that's just kind of what comes with it,'' he said. "Hopefully I can project a different image of myself."

The Browns have already said they have no plans to trade Gordon, but will they try to extend his contract? He's a restricted free agent after this season.

"Given the opportunity, I would love to come back to Cleveland,'' Gordon said. "Definitely. For sure."

Watch Ohio State football trailer for Bowling Green, count the Buckeyes who aren't on the team anymore

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Ohio State released its first game trailer of the 2016 season on Tuesday. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football has a top-notch video team, so this isn't a shot at any of the work they've done. It's stellar, and the trailer they released on Tuesday for Saturday's season-opener against Bowling Green will be loved by Buckeye fans.

But it's also riddled with players who aren't on the team anymore.

That's going to happen when sifting through game footage to find highlights of players who will be contributors this year. Consider it another reminder of the state of the Buckeyes, who enter Saturday's opener with 16 new starters.

Watch the video above and count the players who aren't on the team anymore. There's one really prominent one.

I counted seven, not including the wide shot of the team stretching in the beginning:

* Joshua Perry

* Jacoby Boren

* Tommy Schutt

* Warren Ball

* Grant Schmidt

* Bryce Haynes

* Chris Fong

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Madison football team reportedly disciplined for hazing incident

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Madison joins Lake Catholic's football team and the Streetsboro marching band as programs to have alleged hazing incidents come to light this summer.

madison.pngMadison football 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Madison High School's football team is reportedly the latest to be involved with a hazing incident this summer.

Channel 19 reported the incident occurred in July during a camp at John Carroll University, where a Lake Catholic football hazing incident also is being investigated.

A message was left for Madison superintendent Angela Smith at her office. She issued a statement to Channel 19, which stated the following:

"We conducted a thorough investigation after receiving a complaint about behavior at the John Carroll football camp. Upon conclusion of the investigation, we addressed a single issue and disciplined those involved according to the student code of conduct."

Madison joins Lake Catholic and the Streetsboro marching band as programs to have alleged hazing incidents come to light this summer.

Lake Catholic, John Carroll police investigating hazing

Streetsboro hazing background

The Madison football team lost its season opener Friday at Geneva, 16-15. The Blue Streaks are scheduled to host Ashtabula Lakeside this Friday.

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 in serious talks with A's about outfielder Coco Crisp

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The Indians, in search of an outfielder, have been talking to the A's about Coco Crisp. They would have to add him before Wednesday's deadline to have him eligible for the postseason.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are talking to the Oakland Athletics about acquiring veteran outfielder Coco Crisp. The deal is not expected to be completed Tuesday night, but it's expected to be announced Wednesday before the waiver deadline so Crisp could be eligible for the postseason.

If the Indians acquire the switch-hitting Crisp, look for him to split time with Abraham Almonte. If the Indians make the postseason, Crisp would then replace Almonte, who is ineligible for the postseason because of his 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs.

Crisp, 36, made his big league debut with the Indians in 2002. He played four years for the Indians before he was traded to Boston after the 2005 season. Indians manager Terry Francona managed Boston at that time.

He helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2007. Crisp has played in eight postseason series, hitting .282 (29-for-103) with one homer, eight RBI and four steals.

This season Crisp is hitting .234 (92-for-393) with 11 homers and 47 RBI for the A's has spent the last seven years in Oakland, but recently complained about a lack of playing time. Crisp is making $11 million this year with a a $13 million vesting option for 2017. He recently complained that the A's were intentionally not playing him to prevent him from reaching the option.

The option is based upon games played and plate appearances in 2015 and 2016.

Crisp has just over $2 million left on this year's contract. The Indians would not be expected to give up much for Crisp, who has a $750,000 buyout on the 2017 option.

The rebuilding Indians acquired Crisp from St. Louis on Aug. 7, 2002 as the player to be named for left-hander Chuck Finley. Crisp played four years for the Indians, hitting .287 (467-for-1626) with 35 homers, 176 RBI and 54 steals.

The Indians sent Crisp to Boston on Jan. 27, 2006 for Andy Marte, Kelly Shoppach and Gullermo Mota. The Indians thought Marte was going to be a right-handed power hitter for the middle of their lineup, but he flopped.

Crisp is hitting .239 (74-for-310) with nine homers and 32 RBI against right-handers this season. He's hitting .217 (18-for-83) with two homers and 15 RBI against lefties.

In his career, Crisp's splits are much better -- .269 against righties and .257 against lefties.

Fantasy football 2016 draft strategy: What to do with the No. 1 pick

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The first in a 10-part series, we take a look at the landscape for owners of the No. 1 pick in 2016 fantasy football drafts.

The first in a 10-part series, we take a look at the landscape for owners of the No. 1 pick in 2016 fantasy football drafts.

First-round options:

WR Antonio Brown is the best, most dynamic overall talent in fantasy football. He's a no-brainer at No. 1 overall in PPR leagues and represents the best blend of reward and security in all league formats.

WR Odell Beckham Jr. is already a star and perhaps more ceiling left to his fantasy game than Brown. And if rookie Sterling Shepard is as good as advertised, Beckham stands to attract less attention from opposing defenses. Still, Brown is a better bet in almost all cases, even keeper leagues.

WR Julio Jones comes off a monster season and still has untapped potential. He does it all for the Falcons and gets a little more help with the addition of free agent WR Mohamed Sanu. Jones requires a leap to value ahead of Brown, but it's not completely crazy, either.

RB Adrian Peterson is the most secure option at running back with a long track record of producing elite numbers. While far behind Brown in overall value, he's the best at a more scarce position.

PennLive says ... Go with Brown. Don't overthink it.

Fantasy football impact moves: Offseason changes to know

Make or break point: The turn at Rounds 4 and 5 has the potential to make or break drafts from the No. 1 slot. The value range from Nos. 35-50 in ADP charts features QBs Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck and risk-reward RBs such as Jeremy Hill and DeMarco Murray. Wide receiver is also a strength with Kelvin Benjamin, Randall Cobb, Doug Baldwin, Jarvis Landry and others likely to be on the board when pick No. 40 comes. Choosing wisely from a deep group of options can fortify a fantasy roster. Swinging a missing on these crucial picks hurts. 

QB strategy: Quarterbacks are all but out of the question with the No. 1 overall pick, but the position lines up nicely the rest of the way. Ample opportunities should present themselves at the Rounds 2/3 turn (Aaron Rodgers), Rounds 4/5 (Brees/Roethlisberger/Luck), Rounds 6/7 (Tom Brady, Carson Palmer) and Rounds 8/9 (Blake Bortles, Philip Rivers). The No. 1 pick features a wide range of QB targets to meet any drafting philosophy without having to reach. However, it's worth noting that QB hunting tends to come with the most draft surprises.

RB strategy: Strategies can vary, but owners of the No. 1 pick should count on landing a running back with one of their top three choices. The turn at Rounds 2/3 includes the likes of Jamaal Charles, Doug Martin, Mark Ingram, Eddie Lacy and LeSean McCoy. Waiting beyond that point requires good strategy choices since proven RB1 candidates will all be off the board. Our suggestion: Secure an RB1 in Rounds 2 or 3 then identify a handful of boom-or-bust sleepers who could surge into RB2 production such as Melvin Gordon, Duke Johnson, Rashad Jennings, Christine Michael and Terrance West.

Fantasy football's All-Undervalued Team

WR strategy: With Brown (or Beckham or Jones) already in the fold, owners of the No. 1 pick have some flexibility in how they approach their remaining wide receiver spots. Door No. 1: making WR an unstoppable team strength by adding one each in the Rounds 2/3 turn (Alshon Jeffery, Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson) and Rounds 4/5 turn (Jarvis Landry, Randall Cobb, Doug Baldwin, Jeremy Maclin, Eric Decker). Door No. 2: Lean on WR depth and try to hook a couple sleepers to fill the WR3 slot. Options include Josh Gordon, DeVante Parker, Marvin Jones, Stefon Diggs, Kevin White and Devin Funchess. They come with risks, yes, but all have WR2 potential if the best-case scenarios play out. Drafting multiple players from this tier can help ensure success.  

TE strategy: The No. 1 slot lines up to reach for Jordan Reed with picks Nos. 20 or 21 in the second/third rounds or take a shot at Greg Olsen with picks Nos. 40-41. But the tight end position historically doesn't demand an early pick, rather diligence in the pursuit of sleeper candidates and for early-season surprises on the waiver wire. This year, that group includes New England's Martellus Bennett, Green Bay's Jared Cook, Chicago's Zach Miller and Oakland's Clive Walford, among others. Don't be in a rush to bypass crucial RB/WR picks in the pursuit of an elite TE.

Dustin Hockensmith's ideal top 10 picks from the No. 1 slot, based on standard scoring in a 10-team league:

Round 1 (No. 1 overall): Antonio Brown, WR, PIT
2 (No. 20): LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF
3 (No. 21): Amari Cooper, WR, OAK
4 (No. 40): Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN
5 (No. 41): Greg Olsen, TE, CAR
6 (No. 60): Melvin Gordon, RB, SD
7 (No. 61): Duke Johnson, RB, CLE
8 (No. 80): Marvin Jones, WR, DET
9 (No. 81): Josh Gordon, WR, CLE
10 (No. 100): Derek Carr, QB, OAK

Cleveland Indians' Michael Brantley says situation handled well following season-ending surgery

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Indians outfielder Michael Brantley, whose season officially ended Aug. 15 when he had a second operation on his right shoulder, said the Indians and he did everything in their power to come back this season. He does not feel the situation was mishandled. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Outfielder Michael Brantley doesn't blame the Indians or himself for missing this season following a second surgery on his right shoulder.

Asked if the process was mishandled, Brantley said, "Not at all. I feel like I did everything in my power and so did the Cleveland organization. I felt great at times, and then at times, I didn't feel so well. It's something that just happened. I'm not happy that it happened. I wanted to be out there and playing with my team, of course."

Brantley underwent surgery in November to repair a torn labrum. His attempted return to the lineup resulted in a series of stops and starts that resulted in playing only 11 games with the Indians. Brantley's season officially ended when he had a second operation on his right shoulder on Aug. 15.

While the initial surgery repaired the labrum, Brantley was bothered by a persistent case of biceps tendinitis that prevented him from swinging the bat with the sustained force necessary to play every day in the big leagues.

Brantley, speaking to reporters for the first time since the second operation, said the biceps tendon was removed and relocated in his right shoulder during the second operation.

"The shoulder is very complicated," said Brantley. "Your labrum and your biceps tendon are very close to each other and they connect at one point and cross at one point as well.

"I kept having the same occurrence (where) everything kind of closed down on that biceps tendon and it would get aggravated. Then, it would take a little while for it to feel better, and then it would get aggravated again."

It was a trend that kept happening throughout Brantley's attempted comeback.

Tribe's Brantley has season-ending surgery

"The only way to fix it was to have surgery, remove it and put it in another location," said Brantley. "So that's what they did."

Dr. Keith Meister, head physician for the Texas Rangers, and Dr. Mark Schickendantz, who holds the same title with the Indians, did the surgery in Dallas.

The Indians entered Tuesday night's game against the Twins in first place in the AL Central with a 41/2-game lead over Detroit and 51/2 lead over Kansas City. For the previous three years Brantley was the Indians' best overall player.

"I still feel like I'm almost in the game sometimes," said Brantley, "but I'm rooting from the couch when they're on the road and not being able to be there for them. I just turn into basically a super fan.

"But that's all right because I get a chance to talk with them, text with them, still be in the locker room and be in this atmosphere. I want to do anything I can to help a young guy with any questions he might have. I'm here for them."

Terry Francona would expect nothing less.

"A lot of times when a guy is hurt, whether it's real or imagined, a wall goes up just because you're not going through all the stuff that everybody else is," said Francona. "For Michael, he's able to climb over the wall or it doesn't exist, and it's because of him.

"Not everybody can do that, but he carries so much respect in that room -- in all the rooms, mine, the coaches and the players -- that he's able to do that. I've seen him do that. I think it's probably helpful for him, too."

Brantley has to keep his right arm in a splint/sling for six weeks. He's already started to do some rehab work. But it's challenging trying to get through life's everyday chores with one arm.

Tribe prepares to play part of April without Brantley

On Tuesday, while the Indians were getting on their uniforms for a team picture, Josh Tomlin strung Brantley's belt through the loops on his uniform pants.

"He gets the 'Great Teammate for the Day' award,'" said Brantley.

Brantley's goal is to open spring training in February in Goodyear, Ariz., healthy and ready to go from the first day of camp.

"I don't want to have any limitations," said Brantley. "I want to be able to play from the day they say, 'Play ball.' The first day I get there, I don't want any restrictions at all."

Left on left: The Indians' 27-15 record against lefties is being tested.

They faced three left-handed starters in the just-completed four-game series against Texas, losing two out of three. Monday they opened a three-game series against the Twins, who are starting three lefties.

The Indians won Monday's game, 1-0, in 10 innings, but faced left-hander Andrew Albers on Tuesday night and take on Pat Dean on Wednesday.

The flurry of lefties has limited rookie Tyler Naquin's action. Naquin, who does not play against lefties, has had five at-bats in the last five games. He was not in Tuesday's starting lineup.

"I think it's OK because we're actually so far into the season and they've had so many repetitions," said Francona, when asked if he was worried about Naquin sitting. "This is a way they can catch their breath. I actually think it will be good for them."

Finally: In the last four games headed into Tuesday night, Indians relievers have 13 2/3 scoreless innings. It lowered the pen's ERA to 3.38, second lowest in the AL. ... Indians are 9-2 in Andrew Miller's 11 relief appearances since he was acquired from the Yankees. ... The Tribe's 2-1 loss to Texas on Sunday drew a 7.3 HH rating on SportsTime Ohio, outdistancing the Bengals-Jaguars exhibition game by 46 percent (5.0 HH).

Pasquale, Akron RubberDucks hold Erie SeaWolves to 2 hits in 4-1 win

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Pasquale takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

nick pasquale.jpgNick Pasquale 

ERIE, Pennsylvania -- Akron right-hander Nick Pasquale took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the RubberDucks rode a four-run second inning to a 4-1 win Tuesday night over the SeaWolves.

Pasquale's no-hitter was broken up with a single to right field by Corey Jones, the first SeaWolves batter in the seventh. Pasquale would end up giving up a run on two hits in the inning before giving way to reliever Grant Sides.

Pasquale was in command and RubberDucks batters gave him a nice cushion with four runs in the second.

The inning started with two strikeouts by SeaWolves starter Josh Turley (7-9, 4.02 ERA). 

Mike Papi kept the inning alive with a single, and Joe Sever followed with another base hit, moving Papi to third. Todd Hankins followed with another single to make it 1-0.

Greg Allen singled to increase the lead to 2-0. With Eric Stamets batting, Allen was caught off-base between first and second, but Hankins scored to make it 3-0. Allen managed to get to third because of a throwing error by the SeaWolves, and he scored on a single by Stamets.

Pasquale (3-7, 4.55 ERA) went 6 2/3 innings, giving up a run on two hits and striking out six.

Papi, Sever and Allen all had two hits for the RubberDucks, who have won three straight and are only one game out of first in the Western Division of the Class AA Eastern League.

Go here to see a box score from the game.

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