A year after cancelling its high school football season, Open Door in Elyria is trying eight-man football. Could it catch on?

ELYRIA, Ohio – Eleven football players suited up Saturday, just enough for a team at Open Door.

Not an ordinary one.

By game's end, Open Door had just nine players and still finished the game. In eight-man football, this is just enough.

Open Door has not won a game and scored just once in four games. Just getting on a field, even for a 50-0 loss to Camden-Frontier of Michigan, is progress for a program that saw its season sacked a year ago.

“We had 12 kids,” said coach Ray Lowe, looking back to the summer of 2015, “and playing 11-man with 12 kids would have been really difficult.”

Lowe has tried to build the Open Door football program since 2011, when the school first offered the sport to its students. It began as a junior varsity program for two years and progressed to the varsity level for two more.

Open Door had as many as 19 players at one point, but last year’s cancellation proved to Lowe that eight-man football is the solution.

The approach is popular in other states. Open Door has seven games against schools from Michigan. A few of them are playing twice.

RELATED FROM 2013: eight-man football an alternative in Michigan.

“Coming back, playing eight-man football I think it’s a better fit for our program,” Lowe said.

Formations vary in eight-man football, but one constant is five players must be on the line of scrimmage. Open Door is keeping its plan simple this year, lining up a traditional line with a quarterback and two running backs in an I-formation. Three linemen are not eligible receivers.

Field dimensions are 13 yards narrower than the standard 53 1/3-yard width. Some states even play on fields that are only 80 yards long.

The OHSAA does not offer eight-man football, but it is considering an adoption. Of Ohio’s 821 schools, 716 play football. Not counting all-girls schools, there are about 75 schools in the state that do not play football.

Informal surveys conducted by OHSAA Commissioner Dr. Dan Ross found “several” schools are interested in the eight-man format, OHSAA Director of Information Services Tim Stried said. Tried added the OHSAA is unsure if it wants to consider eight-man football as a separate sport or add it as an eighth division. Michigan offers eight-man football for its Class D schools, which consist of enrollments no greater than 206. Fifty-two schools in the MHSAA play eight-man football.

The format also is popular in California, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. However, in some cases the eight-man game is not affiliated with that state’s high school athletic association.

Texas offers six-man football and has two divisions for it.

Such a format could have further aided Open Door on Saturday as it faced a numbers crunch. Lowe wants more schools in Ohio to follow the Patriots’ lead and invited 15 earlier in the year to discuss the possibility. Most of them already play 11-man football, Lowe said.

“These are smaller schools and teams that have the same problem that we did with numbers,” he said.

Nearby Lincoln West and Toledo Horizon Science agreed to play Open Door this season. Lincoln West made an exception in its schedule to play the Patriots on Sept. 3 in a game that doesn’t count toward the Wolverines’ computer playoff points. Toledo Horizon Science is not an OHSAA school and is playing Open Door twice.

Lowe is hopeful his team makes it to their next game, a 257-mile drive to Lawrence, Mich. The Patriots' 12-man roster is close to just eight because of injuries.

His roster includes a freshman quarterback, who hadn't played football since the pee-wee level, and a 6-foot, 275-pound senior lineman-turned-fullback. The quarterback finished Saturday's game, but only because he could still hand off while favoring a shoulder injury that might sideline him for two weeks. Open Door is slated to finish that stretch with a game against the Michigan School for the Deaf. 

To make it happen, Lowe might consider recruiting from the marching band.

Numbers are not an issue there. About 50 lined up Saturday in the rain to perform in front of a small, enthusiastic crowd.

“I’ve tried to recruit everybody that I can. Trust me when I say that,” Lowe said. “Football is football, and we’ll take whoever we have. We’re committed to having a football team, and we’ll play eight-man football for as long as we can.”

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.

Jose Altuve and Mike Trout are among the favorites for the American League MVP with two weeks left to play.

Are the Cleveland Indians finished? After losing two starting pitchers in a 10-day span, you might think so. But the Indians have proven all season that they don't mind battling against the odds, no never say never. - Terry Pluto video Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here's what I've learned from the Cleveland Indians this season -- never say never.

So I'll never say they have no chance to be a big factor in the playoffs.

But my oh my, can't they get a break ... that's not a fracture?

As if missing your top hitter -- Michael Brantley -- for nearly the entire season wasn't enough, now you throw in injuries to two of your top three starters.

The injury to righthander Carlos Carrasco on Saturday had to be devastating. But true to form, the Indians hung in and defeated the Detroit Tigers in extra innings.

Let's talk Tribe about this amazing season so far.

"The good thing," Callaway said, "is [Corey] Kluber and [Trevor] Bauer can probably pitch every fourth day, or whenever you need them to. Bauer's arm never hurts and Kluber's just a beast. That helps." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mickey Callaway hinted at it after Carlos Carrasco broke his hand and the Indians' once-stout starting rotation absorbed another blow.

"The good thing," Callaway said, "is [Corey] Kluber and [Trevor] Bauer can probably pitch every fourth day, or whenever you need them to. Bauer's arm never hurts and Kluber's just a beast. That helps."

The Indians are still working on their regular-season rotation, let alone their postseason plan. Eventually, though, the team will cross that bridge. They hold a seven-game lead in the American League Central, and the regular season expires in less than two weeks.

Injuries have whittled their starting pitching options to four names: Kluber, Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Josh Tomlin. Would they let all four take a stab at a postseason start, or would they pitch Kluber or Bauer on short rest?

"If, at some point, we're fortunate enough to secure a postseason berth," said president Chris Antonetti, "then we can begin making some adjustments in terms of how we plan."

Kluber is the rotation's primary workhorse. He is the first Tribe hurler to log 200 or more innings in three consecutive seasons since Jake Westbrook accomplished the feat from 2004-06.

"I think it's kind of a learning process, as far as the first time you get to a certain threshold," Kluber said. "You've never been there before, so you're learning how to listen to your body and things like that. And then, you've never done it back to back. You've never done it three times.

"I think it's all listening to your body, knowing when to push it, knowing when you might need to back off, things like that."

How will Tribe rotation survive without Carrasco?

Kluber and Bauer have never pitched in the postseason. The Indians haven't qualified for a playoff series in nine years. In 2007, the San Diego Padres selected Kluber in the fourth round of the amateur draft. Bauer was in high school.

This will be new. So, too, would be the challenge of pitching on short rest. Kluber has never started in the major leagues on three days rest. Neither has Bauer.

Since 1995, 121 starting pitchers have taken the hill on short rest in the postseason. Of those 121, 61 pitched at least six innings. In 56 of the 121 cases, the team opting to start the hurler on short rest ended up winning the game.

Consider how the schedule is set up for the AL Division Series.

Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 6

Game 2: Friday, Oct. 7

Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 9

Game 4: Monday, Oct. 10

Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 12

So, the Game 1 starter would have to pitch on three days rest in order to also start Game 4. The Game 2 starter, however, could pitch on regular rest in Game 5.

@ZRayle2016 of course

-- Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) September 18, 2016

That's more than two weeks away, however. For now, the club will use its four starters and some sort of bullpen-led effort for every fifth day.

"When they tell me to pitch," Tomlin said, "I'll go out there and pitch and try to help this team win a game."

A project using the combined resources of cleveland.com and Time Warner Cable debuts Friday with real-time scoring highlights throughout the high school football evening.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Digital coverage of Ohio high school coverage takes a bold new step beginning this Friday with Friday Night Huddle, a live, real-time television highlights show that will be simulcast on cleveland.com and Time Warner Cable statewide.

The show, running from 6:30 p.m. until 11 p.m., will be the first of its kind in Northeast Ohio.

Hosted by Time Warner's David Bacon and cleveland.com's Dan Labbe and Chris Fedor, Friday Night Huddle will offer viewers highlights from dozens of games across the state by utilizing video provided by cleveland.com reporters, Time Warner cameras and student videographers.

Just as NFL fans can see the key scoring plays on a dedicated channel every Sunday, Friday Night Huddle will do the same while also providing reports from the field by the reporters on site.

Friday Night Huddle can be seen on both cleveland.com and Time Warner Cable channel HD13.11 and regular channels 99 and 311. Coverage will be every Friday night through the state championship semifinals on Nov. 25.

High school devotees of all teams will have the chance to see up-to-the-moment coverage throughout the state -- a first for Ohio's fans.

With the Browns getting hammered for passing on Carson Wentz, Cody Kessler has his first chance Sunday to prove Hue Jackson right for saying 'trust me on this one.'' Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the Browns getting hammered for passing on Carson Wentz, Cody Kessler embarks on his first chance to prove Hue Jackson right for saying on draft day "you have to trust me on this one.''

The Browns' third-round pick out of USC, Kessler will start Sunday against the Dolphins in place of Josh McCown, who's out indefinitely with a left shoulder injury. McCown, of course, replaced Week 1 starter Robert Griffin, who's out at least 8-12 weeks with a fractured left shoulder.

If Kessler fares well, he'll likely earn another start. If not, the Browns have 10-year veteran Charlie Whitehurst now waiting in the wings.

"You're going to trust me this weekend,'' Jackson said Monday with a laugh. "Here we go. Trust me. We'll see what that statement was all about."

The "trust me on this'' remarks came after Jackson raised eyebrows nationwide by taking Kessler way higher than most projections of a late-round pick or priority free agent.

They also came after the Browns passed on Carson Wentz at No. 2 and traded the pick to the Eagles for a boatload of selections. Already heavily invested in Griffin and intrigued by Kessler at that point, they also passed on Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook, Dak Prescott and Cardale Jones.

Now Kessler, who spent training camp as the third- or fourth-string quarterback, will start against the Dolphins, becoming the third starter in three games this season, and fifth in the last five. He's the 26th quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999.

Kessler was named the starter Monday on the same day that Wentz's Eagles beat the Bears on Monday Night Football, becoming the first rookie quarterback since the 1970 merger to start 2-0 without an interception. More importantly, he looked poised, smart, and a lot like a franchise quarterback.

Now, the Browns are being ridiculed not only for passing on Wentz, but for saying they didn't believe he'd be a top 20 QB.  Currently, Wentz is No. 17 with a 94.1 rating.

But the verdict is far from in. The Browns' first-round pick, Corey Coleman, had a breakout game against the Ravens with five catches for 104 yards, including two touchdowns. Starters Joe Schobert and Carl Nassib also came out of the picks acquired from the Eagles. They also still have the Eagles' first-round pick in 2017, along with their second-round pick in 2018.

The Browns are still confident that Kessler can develop into a quality starter. Granted, he was supposed to spend time learning from McCown and Griffin, but a baptism by fire might not be the worst thing.

"I wouldn't want it to be this way, but it's going to be good to get out and see him play,'' said Jackson. "At the same time, it's been two weeks and two different quarterbacks going down. Pretty soon maybe I'll be playing. I say that in fun, but that's the nature of this sport. Sometime things just do not go your way.''

From the start, Kessler has appreciated Jackson's vote of confidence.

"He knows that I'm excited to play for him," said Kessler. "When you get a coach like that that really loves the game and also really loves his players and really just wants you to succeed, it makes you want to play better.''

He acknowledged that Jackson has coached him hard.

"He wants the most out of his players and the most out of me,'' said Kessler. "It's been great to learn from him and to play for a guy that is just as competitive as you are as a player. I am going to continue to work for him and keep working for this team and this organization."

Kessler was never fazed by those critical of his selection.

"I have nothing to prove,'' he said. "I went to USC, and I was the second guy to commit there. I never thought I would get a chance there and I just, like I said, kept my mouth shut and put my head down and just kept working.

"I come from Bakersfield (Calif.). Not a lot of people have been there, but it's a blue-collar town. It reminds me a lot of Cleveland in that sense, so it's very cool for me to respect that. I respect the position. I respect that the game takes a lot and you have to work hard, but for me it's nothing to prove.''

USC coach: 'Hue Jackson's going to be the smart one down the road'

Jackson insisted preparing the rookie is not difficult.

"I tailor a game plan around him,'' he said. "It would be his first start in the National Football League in a legitimate game, not in a preseason game. I'm sure there is anxiety to that as it is, but if I know Cody the way I do, he'll be ready to play. He's probably in the indoor right now tossing the ball around trying to get ready to play. That's just the way he is made.''

Kessler, who went 27-14 at USC, persevered through four coaching changes, including two in midseason when Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian were fired.

"Cody's had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him and maybe that too,'' USC coach Clay Helton told cleveland.com in May. "He could've used the things that were going on as an excuse. Instead, he turned it into an unbelievable career here.''

Helton noted Kessler is well-versed in the West Coast offense Jackson runs.

"He's had to ID fronts, he's had to ID the Mike 'backer and he's made multi-progression reads like they'll run in Cleveland where he's had to see the safety rotation,'' Helton said. "He's had to audible. He's been given two plays and said, 'hey, get us in the right play.' He's been able to see where pressure is coming from and where you slide protections. He's had all the attributes you want for a pro quarterback.''

Jackson said the back-to-back loss of quarterbacks "still hasn't rocked my world yet.

"I'm still sitting here. As long as you guys still see me sitting upright, I'm going to be fine. I've been toughened before. I've been in the abyss. We are not getting drug under, I promise you that."

The Indians purchased the contract of rookie right-hander Adam Plutko from Class AAA Columbus on Monday. Lefty TJ House was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Adam Plutko was at his friend's wedding in California when Carter Hawkins, the Indians' director of player personnel, called him and told him to get to Cleveland.

"I had a pair of baseball pants with me, so I just threw them on right away," said Plutko on Monday at Progressive Field.

Plutko was kidding, but only about the baseball pants.

"They had literally just got done saying I do and taking pictures and everything," said Plutko, who joined the Indians on Sunday. "I was in the middle of the wedding.'"

Plutko's wife, parents and several high school friends were at the wedding to share the news of his first trip to the big leagues.

"It was pretty awesome to have that moment in person," said Plutko, drafted by the Indians in the 11^th round on 2013. "There was crying and hugging. I'm pretty sure everyone was crying, including myself. It was a moment I'll remember for a long time."

Left-hander TJ House was designated for assignment to make room for Plutko on the 40-man roster.

Plutko, 24, split the season between Class AAA Columbus and Class AA Akron. He went a combined 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 28 starts. He was promoted to Columbus on June 18.

Manager Terry Francona said the earliest Plutko would pitch would be Saturday against the White Sox. Cody Anderson will start in what is expected to be another bullpen game.

"We had talked about bringing Adam up originally when Columbus was done with its season," said Francona. "But we didn't want to bring guys that we didn't think we're going to pitch.

"Now with (Carlos) Carrasco down, I think it's a lot more realistic that he will pitch. He won't be just sitting around. He'd been home a week, but hadn't done a lot of throwing. He'll throw a bullpen and get his legs back under him. It shouldn't take that long."

Carrasco is out for the year with a broken right hand after getting hit by a line drive Saturday against Detroit.

Plutko is sharing a locker with Perci Garner, a teammate from Columbus. Trevor Bauer is in the next locker. Plutko and Bauer pitched at UCLA together.

"We only saw him a couple of times in relief in spring training," said Francona. "One day he came in blowing about 96 mph. That's not him. He's a lot like Tomlin - he needs to command.

"He's not scared. He'll be a guy who gets every bit out of what he is because of his competitiveness. He's pitched at UCLA. He was a high-profile guy in college. There was a reason we called him up."

The Indians are carrying 37 players, including 14 relievers.

Testing, testing: Danny Salazar, who strained the flexor muscle in his right forearm on Sept. 9 against the Twins, played catch at 60 feet Tuesday. It's the first time he's played catch since being shut down for 10 days and receiving a PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection.

If the Indians make the postseason, pitching coach Mickey Callaway said, "There is a small chance he could be in our bullpen."

Tribe's Salazar long shot to pitch again this season

The diagnosis for Salazar's injury called for 10 days of rest and three or four weeks of throwing before he could pitch in games again.

"This was just to shake the cobwebs off," said Francona. "He'll do roughly the same thing on Wednesday. Then we'll see how he feels."

Asked about the possibility of Salazar being able to pitch "down the road," Francona said, "You're always hoping for the best. I know the No.1 priority is to get him healthy and feeling good. If it ends up being more than that, boy, that would be wonderful."

Finally: Ray 'Boom, Boom' Mancini, the pride of Youngstown and former WBA lightweight champion of the world, threw out the first pitch Tuesday night. Mancini threw a strike from the rubber. ... Ayanna "AJ' Andrews of the Akron Racers received a Rawlings Gold Glove award before Tuesday's game. Andrews is the first woman to receive a Gold Glove. This is the first year Rawlings has honored a female fastpitch softball player.

The magic number is 6 for Cleveland to clinch the American League Central Division.

The Indians recorded their 11th walkoff win of the season on Brandon Guyer's game-winning single in the ninth inning. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians, starved for runs Tuesday night, waited until their favorite inning to dine.

That inning, of course, would be the ninth.

Brandon Guyer gave the Indians their 11th walkoff win of the season with a two-out single in the ninth inning to beat Kansas City, 2-1, at Progressive Field.

Guyer's pinch-hit single into the right field corner scored Coco Crisp from third base to reduce the Indians' magic number to clinch the AL Central to six over Detroit.

Nine different players have delivered a game-winning hit or sacrifice fly in the Tribe's 11 walk-off wins. Seven of them have come in the ninth inning.

Jose Ramirez opened the ninth with a walk against Brian Flynn (1-2). Crisp bunted down the first-base line, reaching on an error by Flynn. Abraham Almonte attempted another bunt, but Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez forced Ramirez at third.

Joakim Soria relieved to face Rajai Davis, who lined a shot off Soria's body. The ball went to first baseman Eric Hosmer for the second out as the runners advanced. Guyer, pinch-hitting for Roberto Perez, won it as he connected on Soria's 1-2 pitch.

"I felt great at the plate," said Guyer, after his first walk-off hit. "I felt relaxed. I got down 1-2 and got a pretty good pitch to hit. I just thought I could come through for the team."

Guyer's hit was originally ruled a double, but changed to a single after the game. It landed just inside the foul line with Paulo Orlando in close pursuit.

"I wasn't sure it was going to be fair or foul," said Guyer. "I wasn't sure if he was going to catch it. When I rounded first base, I saw the first base umpire say fair and started celebrating.

"I'm glad it stayed fair. It would have been a little weird going back (to the plate) with Gatorade on me."

Josh Tomlin, for the second straight start, pitched like the Josh Tomlin who was 9-2 at the All-Star break. A late-season Tomlin revival would be good news for the Indians, who are trying to remake their rotation following injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.

What was even better was the the way Andrew Miller continued to pitch since his acquisition from the Yankees on July 31. Miller (9-1) retired five straight batters in the eighth and ninth innings to earn his second win in the last three games.

"Tomlin set the tone with an awesome night," said Miller. "He was efficient as anybody in the big leagues. Bryan Shaw did a nice job. It just seems at home magic seems to happen."

Tomlin struck out three and allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He left following a triple by Alex Gordon in the seventh. Center fielder Tyler Naquin, with two outs, dove for the ball, but came up empty and it rolled to the fence.

Shaw relieved and retired Orlando on a fly ball to right to end the inning.

In the eighth, the Indians stranded another Kansas City runner at third. After Shaw gave up a one-out single by Cheslor Cuthbert, Miller relieved. Terrance Gore, pinch-running for Cuthbert, applied heat by stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch.

"That was a good chess match," said Miller.

Miller, however, struck out Christian Colon and Whit Merrifield to end the inning. Then he retired the Royals in order in the ninth. It was Miller's 39th appearance in which he's struck out two or more batters.

"The most fun part about being here is that everybody in here expects to win every night," said Miller. "It doesn't matter if we're down early or up early, if it's the ninth or 10th inning, whatever it might be.

"No one ever gives up."

Carlos Santana gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a homer in the third inning. It was his 33rd of the season and 150th of his career. Santana drove a Edinson Volquez pitch 415 feet into the right-field seats.

The Royals tied the score in the fifth on consecutive hits to left by Perez and Gordon. Perez, who entered the game hitting .609 (14-for-23) against Tomlin, doubled with one out. Gordon followed with a single to left.

Almonte, pulled toward left center against Gordon, had to come back for the ball and had it glance off his glove. If he had fielded it cleanly, he might have had a shot at Perez.

Gordon, credited with an RBI, went to second on Almonte's error.

Volquez, in his fifth start against the Indians this season, allowed just one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings.  He struck out five and walked three.

What it means

The Indians are 9-5 against Kansas City and 50-26 at home.

The pitches

Tomlin threw 84 pitches, 52 (62 percent) for strikes. Volquez threw 105 pitches, 61 (58 percent) for strikes.

Thanks for coming

The Royals and Indians drew 13,623 to Progressive Field. Indians attendance is 1,487,383 in 76 home dates.

First pitch was at 7:10 p.m. and the temperature was 75 degrees.

What's next?

Right-hander Corey Kluber (17-9, 3.12) will face K.C. right-hander Ian Kennedy (11-9, 3.60) on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game.

Kluber is 9-1 in his last 13 starts. He's 1-1 in three starts against the Royals this season. Eric Hosmer is hitting .277 (13-for-47) with three homers and 13 RBI against Kluber.

Kennedy is 5-0 in his last seven starts. He's 2-2 this season against the Tribe.

Josh Tomlin pitched superbly and Brandon Guyer delivered against a righty as the Cleveland Indians walked-off the Kansas City Royals, 2-1, Tuesday night in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Right-hander Josh Tomlin allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings and pinch-hitter Brandon Guyer singled to drive in Coco Crisp from third base with two outs in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals, 2-1, Tuesday night at Progressive Field. Carlos Santana homered for the Tribe.

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

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The Indians (87-63) remained 7.0 games ahead of second-place Detroit (80-70) in the AL Central. The Tigers rolled the last-place Twins, 8-1, in Minnesota.

The defending world champion Royals (77-74) are third in the AL Central and on the fringe of the wildcard race.

Walk-off this way: The Indians (87-83) secured their MLB-best 11th walkoff -- all since June 1.

Scratching and clawing: Royals lefty reliever Brian Flynn opened the ninth by walking Jose Ramirez in five pitches. Crisp, pinch-hitting for Lonnie Chisenhall, bunted up the first-base line for a textbook sacrifice. The Indians received a bonus when a hurried Flynn failed to pick up the ball; Crisp reached on the error.

Abraham Almonte's bunt left plenty to be desired. Royals catcher Salvador Perez pounced and fired to third baseman Christian Colon to force Ramirez.

Rajai Davis pinch-hit for Tyler Naquin. Righty Joakim Soria replaced Flynn.

Davis' grounder kicked off Soria's leg and rolled to first baseman Eric Hosmer at the bag. It was a bad break for the Tribe, although it was not guaranteed to be a game-winning single because second baseman Whit Merrifield was pinched up the middle. Merrifield at least might have been able to knock down the ball and keep Crisp at third.

Right-handed batter Guyer, who pinch-hit for No. 9 Roberto Perez, shot a 1-2 fastball toward the right-field corner. Paulo Orlando slid at the line and failed to make the catch as the ball landed behind him. Orlando tried to claim it was foul, but first-base umpire Bill Welke was not buying.

Guyer beware: Guyer, productive in a platoon role with Cleveland, entered the AB with a .210 average against righties this season. (He was at .330 against lefties.)

However, Tribe manager Terry Francona knew that right-handed batters entered the night against Soria batting .292, with a .918 OPS. (Lefties' respective numbers were .246 and .680.)

Tomlin time: Tomlin allowed five hits, walked none and struck out three.

Tomlin, who struggled mightily in August, has allowed two runs in 12 2/3 innings of three appearances (two starts) in September.

Tomlin beat the Royals because he mixed and matched, pitched inside, stayed out of the middle of the plate for the most part, pitched inside, and did not rely too much on his cutter.

The Royals tied the score, 1-1, in the fifth.

With one out, Perez doubled (2-2 curve) down the left-field line. The ball was lined fair by inches. Alex Gordon went with a pitch and lined it to left for single. Almonte booted the ball as Perez scored. It was ruled an RBI for Gordon.

Happy to help: The Indians made an assortment of plus defensive plays behind Tomlin.

*Catcher Perez made grab against the screen of Eric Hosmer's pop to end the first.

*Center fielder Naquin and second baseman Jason Kipnis denied Kendrys Morales a double leading off the second. Morales sent a liner off the wall in left-center. Naquin fielded the long carom seamlessly and fired a one-hopper to Kipnis, who dived to tag Morales' back leg a fraction before the front leg touched the bag.

The play proved to be enormous.     

*Third baseman Ramirez made a backhanded pick of Orlando's sharp grounder for the first out of the third.

*Shortstop Francisco Lindor, positioned up the middle as per the spray charts, moved to his left to grab Hosmer's sharp grounder to end the fourth.

Locking it down: The Tribe bullpen's contribution consisted of righty Bryan Shaw allowing one hit in two-thirds of an inning and lefty Andrew Miller striking out three in 1 2/3 hitless.

The Royals were not pleased with the calls on two of Miller's strikeouts. With a runner on third and one out in the eighth, Miller caught pinch-hitter and right-handed batter Colon looking at a 2-2 pitch that might have been a tad inside.

Right-handed batter Merrifield took a 3-2 fastball that appeared to be a tad down and a tad in, but umpire Carlos Torres punched him out, too. Fox Sports Time Ohio's camera showed Merrifield angrily saying, "That was not a strike,'' as he walked away.

Perhaps Miller's cross-fire action was the key. Torres might have had the respective pitches cutting across and catching a piece of the borders of the zone.  

El Oso's ambush: With one out in the third, Santana smoked a first-pitch fastball from righty Edinson Volquez deep to right for his 33rd homer of the season and 150th of his career.

Dive into the series we originally published in 2013: Did we properly forecast the future?

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer was just getting started at Ohio State when we decided to write our "Breaking Bama" series in 2013, which was a collection of stories that pondered one huge question: 

Was Urban Meyer, who was still at the beginning of his time at Ohio State, the man who could get the Buckeyes to not only beat Alabama, but be it? 

The following season, Ohio State knocked off Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal before winning the 2014 national championship. But one game, one season wasn't enough to Break Bama. 

It's about consistency. 

It's about being the best every year. 

So we wanted to explore those options by taking a closer look at Meyer, Ohio State's program and recruiting territories. We broke it down into three parts: 

* Part 1: Urban Meyer is the right coach at the right program at the right time to challenge Alabama

* Part 2: Alabama is making a push for top recruits in Ohio State's back yard, the Midwest

* Part 3: Cleveland's Glenville High is ground zero for a recruiting battle, as Alabama and OSU are competing for 3 top recruits 

Those stories were insightful in 2013, but go back and read them now regardless if you caught them when they first were published. It's an interesting to read for the first time, or, maybe better yet, to digest again a few years later. 

Is Ohio State Alabama in 2016? 

We dive into that topic during this week's Podcast, so be sure to listen. 

But first, dive into that series. Did we properly forecast the future? 

Check out staff predictions for five of the biggest high school football games for Week 5 of the 2016 football season.

The injuries to the rotation mean the Indians aren't the best team in the American League. Maybe aren't close. But that has little to do with their World Series chances.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco are Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. Just like the 2015 Cavs, the 2016 Indians aren't the same team without two of their best players.

Fortunately for the Indians, in baseball, unlike basketball, being the best team has almost nothing to do with winning a championship.

Randomness is the name of the game in October. Read enough baseball analytics and you'll convince yourself that commissioner Rob Manfred could invite the postseason managers to bob for a World Series-winning apple for as much sense as the playoffs will make.

Lose two of your three best starting pitchers and your catcher, after going an entire season without your best player, and your chances of being the best team next month are gone. But the winning team? Terry Francona still might stick his head in that chilly bucket of October hope and come up clenching a crisp Granny Smith.

Since 1997 when the Indians (ninth-best record in baseball) lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Florida Marlins (fourth-best record in baseball), the World Series champions have ranked this way in regular-season record:

* 1998: New York Yankees (first)

* 1999: New York Yankees (third)

* 2000: New York Yankees (ninth)

* 2001: Arizona Diamondbacks (sixth)

* 2002: Anaheim Angels (fourth)

* 2003: Florida Marlins (seventh)

* 2004: Boston Red Sox (third)

* 2005: Chicago White Sox (second)

* 2006: St. Louis Cardinals (13th)

* 2007: Boston Red Sox (tied for first, with the Indians)

* 2008: Philadelphia Phillies (fifth)

* 2009: New York Yankees (first)

* 2010: San Francisco Giants (fifth)

* 2011: St. Louis Cardinals (tied for eighth)

* 2012: San Francisco Giants (tied for fourth)

* 2013: Boston Red Sox (tied for first)

* 2014: San Francisco Giants (tied for eighth)

* 2015: Kansas City Royals (fourth)

That's 18 years, with the best regular-season record winning the World Series four times. The Indians were never going to have the best regular-season record, even before the injuries.

At the moment, they're tied for fourth-best. In the last 18 years, a team with the fourth-best record or worse has won 10 World Series, or 56 percent of the time.

Figure with the injuries, the Indians may be the eighth-best team in baseball, behind every other division leader (Chicago Cubs, Washington, Los Angeles, Texas, Boston) and the two wild card teams in the American League (Baltimore and Toronto.) In the last 18 years, a team with a record no better than eighth-best in the league has won four World Series.

That's the same amount of times as the best team.

If the Indians manage to pull this off, it will be attributed to grit or gumption, to the LeBron James effect of a city embracing a winning vibe, maybe even to the motivation supposedly provided by the words of a veteran baseball writer correctly assessing a team in trouble.

It wouldn't be that. It would just be baseball, the roll of the dice and the bob of the apple.

Here's what this team wouldn't want to do - lose Carrasco and Salazar in tandem for 162 games. For the 11 wins it would take to bring another championship to Cleveland?

You hope Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer toss a couple gems and win a couple games by themselves. You hope Mike Napoli's power wins one, as does Carlos Santana's. You hope Francisco Lindor darts and dives the Indians to another victory, and the Andrew Miller factor helps squeak out a couple close ones.

Then maybe a fan interferes with a play (this is a hypothetical, not a suggestion, people of Cleveland) or a fly ball hits a bird or a ground ball hits a pebble. A guy with one home run all year hits a second, and an opposing shortstop who never makes an error makes one.

That's baseball.

In basketball, people mocked Golden State for falling short of a title after a record-setting regular season. In baseball, that's life. In basketball, the best regular-season team has won seven of the last 18 titles, while one of the top two teams has won 11 of 18. Only two NBA teams in the last 18 years won a title without a top four record, and those teams were fifth and sixth.

So basketball is 18 for 18 in champions from the top six of regular-season records. Baseball is 13 for 18.

Without Love and Irving against the Warriors two seasons ago, the Cavs were dead. There were no pebbles on that hardwood. Without Carrasco and Salazar, the Indians should be dead. 

Except baseball makes no sense. You work from the middle of February to the beginning of November, then crown the 83-win 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, while the 116-win 2001 Seattle Mariners don't even make the World Series.

You call it underdog October drama. I call it a waste of a six-month regular season.

The Indians, right now, should call it hope.

Doug Lesmerises is a sports columnist for cleveland.com. Follow him on Twitter @DougLesmerises.

If you are the type of person whose self-worth each week is tied to whether the hometown football team wins or loses, you're in trouble if you're in Cleveland -- but there's another storyline possible on this team, writes Ted Diadiun.

CLEVELAND -- Yes, I realize that this is the Opinion section and not the sports section. But three things compel me to return to my roots and weigh in on the Browns this week:

1. Around here, the Browns are the most popular subject in areas that can be measured (cleveland.com) and those that can only be speculated (The Plain Dealer). It's just a slight exaggeration to suggest that if the Browns were to beat the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 6 -- the Sunday before the presidential election -- Browns stories would get more online hits than the Big Game between Clinton and Trump.

2. I'm not a sportswriter anymore and I'm not allowed in the sports section.

3. I'm tired of writing and reading about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Aren't you?

Actually, there's a fourth reason: Despite what is shaping up to be the most dismal of the 18 mostly dismal football seasons since the new Browns arrived at the lakefront, I think the new leadership of the Browns is on to something. I might not be able to predict which presidential candidate will be worse for the country (and either way it won't be fun to be right), but some day I'd like to be able to brag about this column as a measure of my gridiron perspicacity.

The Browns have lost their first two games. They will lose most of the rest this year. And maybe next. If you are the type of person whose self-worth each week is tied to whether the hometown football team wins or loses, you're in trouble.

Monday: Cleveland Browns in midst of one of worst seasons ever

For the rest of us, here's some advice: Don't worry about it. Enjoy the occasional bursts of competitiveness such as last Sunday's near win, and look to the future.

When Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta signed on with the Browns as head of football operations and chief strategy officer, respectively, their message could not have been more clear: Things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

August: Browns front office again asks for patience

In putting together the 2016 version of the Browns, they've been as good as their word, but from here it looks like finally - finally! - the team has people in the front office who know what they're doing.

The best thing they've done so far is to realize that the team they inherited is going nowhere, and to refuse to follow the predictable pattern of the past.

Since taking over in early January, the new regime has been brutal in their personnel decisions. They traded, released -- or allowed to walk away -- anyone whom they deemed would not be young enough, good enough or healthy enough to help them two or three years down the road.

These have included many of their high-profile players: center Alex Mack; receiver Travis Benjamin; defensive players Karlos Dansby and Paul Kruger; hometown favorite Donte Whitner; and 2013 first-round draft pick Barkevious Mingo. And, of course, their two 2014 first-round busts of the year before, defensive back Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel.

The Browns would have won more games this year with the above players. But it is obvious that Brown and DePodesta are not trying to go 6-10 this year (which in the bizarre history of the recent Browns could be termed a "success" -- better than 12 of the last 17 seasons).

They are trading away veterans, stockpiling draft picks, giving rookies a chance to play -- trying to put together a team that will actually be successful in a couple of years. The Browns roster last Sunday showed 17 rookies, many of whom got significant playing time ... and made rookie mistakes.

The fans and some of the designated sports experts have been slow to catch on; witness all the recent talk about quarterback Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles, the player the Browns could have selected in the first round last spring instead of trading their pick for a boatload of other draft picks.

Wentz has quarterbacked the Eagles to a 2-0 start, including a win over the Browns in the opener, prompting moans about how they blew it by not keeping their pick and drafting him.

That would have been a ridiculous decision - as ridiculous as the team's first draft pick as an expansion team in 1999, when they selected star-crossed quarterback Tim Couch and put him behind a makeshift offensive line before he was near ready, where he was brutalized into mediocrity by opposing defenses.

What makes anyone think that Wentz, running for his life behind the underperforming Browns offensive line this year, would not have suffered the same fate as the two quarterbacks who wound up in the hospital after the first two games? There will be a time to draft a top quarterback, after other problems are addressed. But it wasn't this year.

Monday: Browns' Josh McCown out with left shoulder injury; Cody Kessler will start vs. Dolphins

Bill Fitch, the first coach of the Cavaliers, who went through his own hard times with an expansion team, had a poster in his office at the old Cleveland Arena that showed two buzzards in a tree. One was saying to the other, "Patience, hell. Let's kill something."

Patience is more in the nature of buzzards than sports fans. But it is a requirement for Cleveland football fans who want to remain sane.

And it says here there is reason for hope.  

Ted Diadiun is a member of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

Rookie Cody Kessler will be the third Cleveland Browns' quarterback to start in as many games this season. At this rate, Cleveland quarterbacks could make the endangered species list.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Since the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999, they have gone through more than their fair share of quarterbacks. But this year could be even worse for Cleveland Browns quarterbacks. Cleveland will start rookie Cody Kessler on the road Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. He will be the third different starting quarterback in as many games.

At this rate, the Browns could go through almost as many quarterbacks this year as they've gone through since 1999. Counting Kessler's start on Sunday, 26 different quarterbacks will have started for them since 1999. The Browns have gone through three different starters in a year seven times and in 2008 they had four different starters.

Compare that to the number of quarterbacks the Pittsburgh Steelers have had since 1999 -- 10. The Steelers have used three different starters in a season four times.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

The FirstEnergy Akron Marathon this Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 a.m. in downtown Akron is expected to draw 100,000 spectators to Akron to watch about 14,000 runners. Many competitors are Akron residents who team up with family, colleagues or friends to run the relay.

"I think when it comes to that time in the playoffs, those guys are going to be willing to do it and they'll get after it." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' decision-makers have glanced at the postseason schedule.

There's still work for the club to complete before it can book its October travel, but the Tribe's brass has started its studying and the wheels have started spinning.

Who will follow Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer in the postseason rotation? Will either hurler pitch on short rest, or will the club keep its right-handers on a regular program?

"I think it's going to depend on how guys are pitching when we get toward the playoffs," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "The good thing and the one thing we've discussed is Kluber and Bauer can probably pitch on three days' rest whenever you need them to, because they bounce back really good.

"We have that in our advantage, for sure, going into the playoffs."

Bauer pitched in relief on short rest during the Indians' 19-inning marathon on July 1. He tossed five scoreless innings to seal the Tribe's 2-1 victory.

"I think we always thought he could, but we never really tested that," Callaway said. "He looked pretty good out there. Most guys don't throw that many pitches and that many innings in relief like that."

Callaway said that pitching on short rest "is not a huge disruption" to a pitcher's routine, though he noted neither Bauer nor Kluber have started a big-league game without regular rest.

"I think, if anybody could probably do it the best, it'd be Trevor, because he throws max speed every day," Callaway said. "It probably plays in favor for Kluber, too, because he throws with max effort almost every day when he plays catch. I think those two guys could handle it pretty well. We always talk about routines and how routine-oriented they are, so there is that concern of if it would disrupt the routine.

"But, I think when it comes to that time in the playoffs, those guys are going to be willing to do it and they'll get after it."

How would Tribe's postseason rotation look?

Tribe manager Terry Francona preferred not to discuss the club's options or the postseason in general.

"There's a lot of fun stuff to talk about like that, but we're not there yet," he said. "When it's time to do that, I'll be happy to share my thoughts. But we're not there."

No, but the next two weeks will determine how the Indians approach the playoffs, should they capture the AL Central crown. Can they rely upon Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger with their season hanging in the balance? They might not arrive at a concrete answer before Oct. 6 -- the date of Game 1 of the AL Division Series -- but they can try. Tomlin limited Kansas City to one run on five hits and no walks across 6 2/3 innings on Tuesday.

"We've got to see how their stuff is, how they're doing," Callaway said. "Are they attacking? Are they doing the right things? We'll see."

Tribe will get better look at Clevinger

How the Indians assemble their rotation would go hand-in-hand with how they construct the rest of their playoff roster. If they stick with four starters, how many relievers would they carry? If they opt for only three starters, would Tomlin or Clevinger head to the pen? There is plenty to sort out over the next couple weeks, all while the team aims to secure a spot.

"What do we need? Do we need length?" Callaway said. "Would we rather have one of those guys, even if they're pitching better, to be available in the pen to help us out, to extend a game and make it more of a five-inning game? We don't know. We're really going to have to figure all of that out. I'm sure we'll sit down in the next two weeks and talk about it."

Cody Kessler is the Browns' starting QB against Miami. Here's what we learned about him in the preseason.

Projecting which quarterbacks could be the long-term answer for the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cody Kessler is starting for the Browns this week. Maybe the future is now.

This is our Browns Future QB Tracker for Week 2, our running look at who is in the competition to be the Browns franchise quarterback. Could it be Kessler? He'll get his shot this week.

The third-round pick was in our first QB tracker last week, because you don't select a quarterback in the third round unless you think he could eventually be the guy. Not a short-term solution or a bridge to someone else. The guy. Third-round picks are supposed to be starters.

Kessler has a real chance to make a move on the tracker this week against the Dolphins. But just in case he's not the future we're presenting a mix of college and NFL quarterbacks who could be.

The chances will change based on the Browns' record and projected draft position, how the college quarterbacks are playing and are viewed as prospects, and the existing quarterback situations of various NFL teams. If there are great college QBs, but the Browns are 6-6 and looking to pick in the teens, those great quarterbacks won't be as high on this list.

After an 0-2 start, that's not the case right now. So the best college prospects are still high on this list.

Like a name you don't see on our list? Tell us in the comments and maybe he'll slip onto the list in future weeks.

Onto the candidates for the Browns Future QB Tracker, Week 2:

* Deshaun Watson, Clemson, 26 percent: Watson isn't having the start to his junior season that anyone expected (56.9 completion percentage, 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions), but he's still at the top of this list and this list isn't really about stats. He's being pushed right now by Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer for the title of top quarterback prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft, but Watson is still the guy.

He'll be on national TV Thursday night against Georgia Tech. That game and another one coming up in two weeks against Louisville could remind people why Watson belongs in the top spot. Last week: 30 percent.

* DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame, 22 percent: Another name you can expect to remain at the top of this list. Notre Dame lost this week, but Kizer again showed he's a fast-riser by throwing for 344 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against Michigan State. He's a little less mobile than Watson, but he's bigger (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) and can still move. Last week: 29 percent.

* Lamar Jackson, Louisville, 13 percent: Watson and Kizer falling a bit this week had less to do with how they're playing and more with how this guy is playing. The reason Jackson is so low is that he's not eligible for the 2017 draft. It's hard to go too high on a guy that won't be available this spring. Would the Browns be willing to wait on their quarterback future for a shot at Jackson?

Maybe they'd be willing to wait for a guy with a Michael Vick-like skill set. Jackson captured the nation's (and NFL scouts') attention with his game against Florida State last week. He'll be a national stage again on Oct. 1 vs. Clemson. Right now Jackson is second in the country in total offense per game, and has 18 total touchdowns. Last week: 0 percent.

* Josh Rosen, UCLA, 9 percent: Another guy the Browns would have to wait for, but could be worth the wait. Rosen vs. Jackson for top QB prospect in 2018 will be a fascinating battle. Rosen is a gifted passer (65 completion percentage, 917 yards), but needs to cut down on his four interceptions through three games. Last week: 10 percent.

* Brad Kaaya, Miami, 8 percent: Still the third-best QB prospect for 2017, Kaaya got back on track this week with 368 yards and three touchdowns against Appalachian State. The Browns start makes it more likely that they'd be picking at the beginning of the draft. If that continues, Kaaya will fall on this list unless he can show he's as good as Kizer and Watson.  Last week: 8 percent.

* Cody Kessler, Cleveland Browns, 5 percent: We'll see if the third-round pick was worth it this week when Kessler gets the start against Miami. Two games and two quarterback injuries make this Kessler's time to show he can be the guy. The Browns didn't go out and find a spot starter, so we even gave Kessler a bonus point heading into the audition. Last week: 4 percent.

* Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots, 3 percent: He's not going to unseat Tom Brady, but he might be too good for the Patriots to trade. Two games, 70 percent completion rate, four touchdowns, no picks: Garoppolo is looking more like the Patriots quarterback of the future. Last week: 5 percent.

Jimmy Garappolo slipped in the Browns Future QB Tracker this week, because he looks more like the Patriots quarterback of the future than a potential trade chip.Winslow Townson, Associated Press 

* Robert Griffin III, Cleveland Browns, 3 percent: Unless Kessler is awesome, RGIII is likely locked in this spot until we see how the Browns use him once he's healthy. Last week: 3 percent.

* Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings, 3 percent: Bradford started for Minnesota this week, and he was pretty good (286 yards, two touchdowns vs. Green Bay). Who knows what Minnesota will do once Teddy Bridgewater returns from that devastating knee injury. But if Bradford plays well, he's in play for the Browns and every other team looking for a quarterback. Last week: 2 percent.

* Chad Kelly, Ole Miss, 3 percent: Playing well against Alabama can help any pro prospect. The senior threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns against the Crimson Tide last week. Last week: 2 percent.

* Seth Russell, Baylor, 2 percent: The Browns like RGIII. Maybe they'd like another Baylor product? Russell has thrown for 761 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Russell has the size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and could be a riser up draft boards. Last week: 0 percent.

* Davis Webb, California, 1 percent: Jared Goff hasn't played yet. Maybe his backup at Cal could be better. The Texas Tech transfer has thrown for 1,359 yards and 13 touchdowns. He just helped Cal beat Texas. Last week: 1 percent. 

* Luke Falk, Washington State, 1 percent: Big guy (6-foot-4, 216 pounds). Pass-happy offense. Falk has thrown for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns. Last week: 1 percent.

* Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers, 1 percent: He's dropped, but he's still a guy that Hue Jackson likes. As long as that's the case, Kaepernick could get a shot as a trade candidate. Last week: 2 percent.

Our Past Browns Future QB Trackers

Browns QB Tracker, Week 1

Wright (6-0, 240) was inactive for each of the first two games. The Browns will try to sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns have waived seventh-round pick Scooby Wright and terminated the contract of John Hughes, the club announced.

Wright (6-0, 240) was inactive for each of the first two games. The Browns will try to sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Hughes, a third-round pick in 2012 out of Cincinnati, was a surprise inactive Sunday against the Ravens. He missed several weeks of training camp with a personal issues, which set him back. Heading into camp, he was penciled in as a starting defensive end.

The Browns needed to make room for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who signed a one-year deal on Monday night, and center Austin Reiter, who was signed off the Redskins practice squad.

Browns sign QB Charlie Whitehurst to a 1-year deal

The departure of Wright means 12 of the 14 draft picks are on the roster, and one is on the practice squad in cornerback Trey Caldwell.

Hughes appeared in 53 games with 10 starts. He registered 65 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He appeared in one game this season.

In 2015, Hughes signed a four-year contract extension worth $12.8 million, including $2.5 million guaranteed.

The Browns cut him despite the fact rookie defensive end Carl Nassib broke his hand in the Ravens game and will undergo surgery. The Browns have other ends that they like better, including newcomers Stephen Paea and Tyrone Holmes.

Browns sign center Austin Reiter off the Redskins' practice squad