Cleveland's offense jumped on Detroit early and rolled to 15 runs as Mike Clevinger held the Tigers in check.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Standing one victory away from locking up the 14th postseason appearance in franchise history, the Cleveland Indians were not about to take anything for granted Sunday against division rival Detroit at Progressive Field.

Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley slugged back-to-back home runs leading off the first inning, sparking a 15-0 rout of the Tigers behind six shutout innings from starting pitcher Mike Clevinger.

The victory gave Cleveland its third consecutive American League Central Division title and the franchise's 10th crown since divisional play began in 1994. The Indians are 15 1/2 games ahead of second place Minnesota with 14 to play.

Clevinger struck out five Tigers and allowed only one hit in six innings. It was his fourth scoreless start of at least five innings and the second start where he allowed only one hit through at least six.

The shutout is Cleveland's 16th on the season, tying the Chicago Cubs for the most in the big leagues.

Clevinger (12-8, 3.06) didn't need a lot of help, but the Tribe's offense delivered anyway. Every Indians starter had at least one hit and one RBI by the fifth inning. Jose Ramirez and Yonder Alonso collected three hits apiece, and Ramirez finished a home run short of the cycle. The AL MVP candidate picked up his 100th RBI on a double in the Tribe's five-run second inning.

Detroit starter Michael Fulmer (3-12, 4.69) exited after the home runs by Lindor and Brantley with right knee soreness. Lindor's leadoff homer gave him a club-record eight on the season, passing Grady Sizemore's total in 2008. Brantley's blast marked the eighth time the Indians have hit back-to-back homers, and the second time in as many days.

Cleveland scored six times in the first and added five runs in the second behind five consecutive base hits. Melky Cabrera and Edwin Encarnacion posted a pair of singles. Encarnacion exited the game in the fourth inning after suffering a mild right ankle sprain.

What it means

The Indians have reached the playoffs for the fourth time under manager Terry Francona and the 14th time in franchise history, including a wild card berth in 2013.

The pitches

Fulmer threw five pitches, four (80 percent) for strikes. Clevinger threw 91 pitches, 55 (60 percent) for strikes.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Tigers drew 26,532 fans to Progressive Field. First pitch was at 3:10 p.m. with a temperature of 80 degrees.

Next

The series concludes Sunday at 1:10 p.m. as Indians righty Shane Bieber (10-3, 4.32) faces Tigers lefty Francisco Liriano (4-10, 4.65). SportsTime Ohio will televise the game, which will also be carried on WTAM and WMMS.

The Indians, who have had the AL Central under control since late April, clinched the division on Saturday afternoon with a 15-0 win over the Tigers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Chris Antonetti said there are no foregone conclusions in baseball. He should know better than most as the president of baseball operations for the Indians.

But if there was one, his ball club is it.

Never pushed, never threatened, the Indians clinched the AL Central on Saturday with a 15-0 win over Detroit at Progressive Field.

They did it in stages, like an old man getting out of bed. They took over first place on April 21. By June 27, they had an 81/2-game lead. Since Aug. 8, they've had a lead of 10 or more games in a division where every other team is rebuilding. They did all that while barely showing a pulse.

There was no historic 22-game winning streak like 2017. In 2013, Terry Francona's first year as manager, they had to win their last 10 games just to earn a wild card spot. This team never found themselves in such a perilous situation because the competition in the division was so poor.

Yes, the Tigers prevented the Indians from clinching on Friday night with a well-played 5-4 victory. But Saturday's blowout win is much more indicative of what the AL Central is going through everywhere outside of Progressive Field.

Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley set the tone with consecutive homers to start the first inning. By the time the inning ended, the Indians were up 6-0 and the Tigers had made two of their four errors. Then Mike Clevinger took care of business from the other side of the ball with six scoreless innings.

Saturday's win made the Indians the first team this season to clinch a division title and gave them an 83-65 record. With 15 games left in the season it seems absurd to suggest they have yet to play their best baseball. But Francona would be the first to say that.

Now with certain players getting rested over the last two weeks of the season, it's something that won't be achieved, perhaps, until the postseason. The Indians have had their moments, but this is a team that has basically been geared for one thing - playing well in October.

So if Tribe's third straight division title was such a sure thing, why celebrate it? Just turn the page, slap some ice on Edwin Encarnacion's right ankle - he left in the fourth inning after twisting it at second base - and start breaking down the Houston Astros for their anticipated meeting in the ALDS on Oct. 5.

That would be a mistake. When a team clinches, regardless of the situation, champagne should be sprayed and cigars smoked. This is the Indians' sixth straight winning season since Francona became manager in 2013. This is the third straight trip to the postseason and the fourth overall under Francona.

It is the longest stretch of postseason baseball by the Indians since they won six division titles in seven years from 1995 through 2001. Those teams celebrated after each clinch and every time they advanced in the postseason. The reason why is simple - as quickly as winning becomes routine, it can end.

Ownership can have a change of heart. Teams can get sold and payrolls reduced. Players get old, injured or leave through free agency or trades. After the Indians won the division in 2001, they went to the postseason once in the next 11 years. So when teams get a chance to celebrate, they should.

When the Indians clinched the AL Central in 2001, CC Sabathia was a rookie. I remember him drenched in champagne, imagining that this was the way it was going to be every year with the Indians. Standing next to him was veteran Chuck Finley. When Finley was a rookie in 1986 with the Angels, he went to the postseason and never returned until he joined the Indians before the 2001 season. He told Sabathia to enjoy the moment because it may not come again.

Sabathia said he understood Finley's message. But he was only a kid and fortunately for him he's been to the postseason seven more times in his long career. But it doesn't always unfold that way.

So now the focus moves to October. The Indians can send out their advance scouts - if they aren't already on the road - to follow their potential playoff opponents. They will plan for the future as well.

The Indians, for the second straight year, stand to lose several free agents. Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Brantley, Josh Donaldson, Melky Cabrera, Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall are among the players who will be free agents at the end of the year.

The organization's goal is to keep winning, to buck the trend that small to mid-size market teams only have a limited shelf life to be a postseason contender. To do that takes contributions from every part of the organization. The Indians have done that for one more year.

They should take a moment and enjoy it.

The Browns have notified Josh Gordon and his representatives he's being released by the club.

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Browns have finally parted ways with troubled receiver Josh Gordon, feeling like there's nothing more they can do.

They are releasing him.

Here's the statement from GM John Dorsey:

"This afternoon we informed Josh Gordon and his representatives that we are going to release him on Monday.  For the past six years, the Browns have fully supported and invested in Josh, both personally and professionally and wanted the best for him, but unfortunately we've reached a point where we feel it's best to part ways and move forward. We wish Josh well."

The Browns waited and waited for Gordon and finally couldn't wait any longer.

NEW ORLEANS -- Josh Gordon finally ran out of chances.

The Browns have been waiting on Gordon since his breakout season in 2013. The things he showed that year when he racked up 1,646 yards and scored nine touchdowns -- in just 14 games -- were good enough for multiple regimes to wait ... and wait ... and wait.

The Browns waited in 2014, the last time they even sniffed the playoffs, welcoming Gordon back for a win over Atlanta that moved them to 7-4. The season fell apart from there. Then Gordon was gone again.

He wasn't there in 2015, the last year for GM Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine.

He was on the field in the preseason in 2016, a four-game suspension looming, but the Browns and new personnel man Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson were willing to wait. Then Gordon disappeared again, checking into rehab the very week he was supposed to return during the regular season.

So the Browns waited. Brown got fired a few days after Gordon came back against the Chargers in 2017. Gordon played five games. He made it through the spring and new GM John Dorsey and Jackson were ready to finally have Gordon on the field.

Then training camp opened, and the Browns had to wait again. Gordon missed three weeks before returning on August 18. He made it onto the field last week against Pittsburgh. He caught a touchdown pass that made you remember why so many people across so many front offices and coaching staffs were willing to wait.

The NFL isn't often a place for nuance. You pass or you fail every week. High stakes jobs hang in the balance. Gordon was always in a gray area, somewhere between being too talented to walk away from but too questionable to ever know if it was worth it.

There won't be any piling on here. Hopefully Gordon can get right, find a new home and finally reach his potential. Maybe a change of scenery will help. Maybe not.

"For the past six years, the Browns have fully supported and invested in Josh, both personally and professionally and wanted the best for him," Dorsey said in a statement on Saturday, "but unfortunately we've reached a point where we feel it's best to part ways and move forward."

The Browns waited and waited for Gordon, until Saturday, when they decided they couldn't wait anymore.

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Bosa left the third quarter of Saturday's game with the Buckeyes trailing 14-13.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa left Saturday's game against TCU in third quarter with an apparent leg injury. The junior walked off the field and back to the locker room under his own power.

OSU has yet to give an official update on Bosa's status.

Ohio State trailed 14-13 with 13:49 left in the third quarter when Bosa left. He had five tackles and a first-quarter strip-sack in the end zone that led to the Buckeyes' only touchdown of the game. It was Bosa's fourth sack of the season.

Bosa returned to the sideline in street clothes late in the third quarter.

Cleveland.com will have an update on Bosa as soon as one is given by Ohio State.

Mike Clevinger answers "heavy question' about his journey from the Angels to the Indians and Saturday's division-clinching win. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As the celebration wound down Saturday night, someone posted the "Morning After' lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers at Progressive Field. Call it a precautionary move just to make sure no one roamed too far afield after the Indians clinched their third straight AL Central title.

The lineup went like this: LF Rajai Davis, CF Greg Allen, 3B Josh Donaldson, 1B Yandy Diaz, DH Brandon Guyer, RF Brandon Barnes, C Eric Haase, SS Erik Gonzalez, 2B Adam Rosales and right-hander Shane Bieber.

Mike Clevinger had no such worries. He'd already done his work and done it well.

Clevinger pitched six scoreless innings on Saturday afternoon as the Indians beat Detroit, 15-0, to earn a spot in the postseason with the 10^th AL Central Division title in franchise history.

The Indians, a little over four years ago, sent Vinny Pestano to the Angels for Clevinger. The Angels drafted Clevinger in the fourth round in in 2011, but he was coming off Tommy John surgery at the time of the trade and his future was in doubt.

So how did he get from there from starting and winning Saturday's clincher?

"That's a real heavy question right now," said Clevinger, with a laugh in the Indians' champagne and beer soaked locker room. "Literally, I didn't know. . .I wanted to still be a baseball player, but I didn't know if that was for sure going to happen to me. Being here, I mean, it's huge for me. It's a testament to a lot of the work this organization puts into their minor leagues and how much work they put into me individually when I came over."

Clevinger, who has won 12 games in consecutive seasons, spent the remainder of the 2014 season and most of the next two years in the minors.

"When I came over here, I wasn't some 98-mph throwing 19-year-old like I was when I got drafted," said Clevinger. "I was older, throwing slower, my mechanics were out of whack coming off Tommy John surgery.

"And they invested the time. I mean, countless of hours of me, Ruben (Niebla, minor league pitching coordinator) and other guys down there in Arizona on the backfields without a ball. Just figuring things out. It's paying dividends now, but they do that throughout the organization. I think it's huge and I can tell you from one organization to others, it's not like that everywhere. That's why I really appreciate everything everyone does behind the doors here."

Speaking of doors, when Clevinger was done for the day Saturday, he walked through the Tribe's clubhouse doors and had a flashback to a bad time. The date was Nov. 2, 2016 - Game 7 of the World Series between the Indians and Cubs. When the Indians tied the score 6-6 on a Rajai Davis home run in the eighth inning, the clubhouse crew immediately started plastering the locker room with plastic sheeting in preparation for the celebration.

Clevinger just so happened to walk in on that scene in 2016 and everyone knows what happened next.

On Saturday, he walked into the clubhouse to find the clubhouse wrapped in the same plastic sheeting and did not feel well.

"To be completely honest, when I first came back in after pitching, they had the crew in here setting it up," said Clevinger. "It literally made me - I don't want to say this and have it taken the wrong way - but I got sick to my stomach because the last time I saw them doing that here, we ended up losing Game 7 and being sent home.

"That's why I was like, 'Oh, my God.' We were preparing to (win) the World Series and then that had to get ripped down and we all had to leave in tears and silence.

The difference, of course, is that when Clevinger left Saturday's game, the Indians had a 15-0 lead. Still, he sees the last two trips to the postseason as reason for motivation. In 2016, the Indians lost the World Series in seven games. Last year they were upset by the Yankees in the first round after winning 102 games in the regular season.

"That's the thing that is going to motivate us to go even farther this year," said Clevinger.

Clevinger (12-8, 3.06) struck out five, walked three and allowed one hit on Saturday. He thinks the Tribe's early clinch will help settle the roster over the last 14 games over the season.

"I know, personally, I kind of wanted to get it over with," said Clevinger. "I think you can see the way everyone played, they wanted to get it over with now, just so we can actually celebrate and enjoy it for a short time period.

"Then we still have some games to get it together and prepare for our toughest task - the playoffs. We still have a lot of molding and acclimating to do."

No. 4 Ohio State football beat No. 15 TCU on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A whirlwind four minutes that included 63-yard foot race, a defensive touchdown, a botched trick play and a blocked punt very well may have changed the trajectory of Ohio State's season.

How much you think Saturday's game against TCU mattered as a College Football Playoff resume point for the Buckeyes depended on what you think of the Big Ten, and how the champion of a league that saw its trendy preseason playoff pick -- Wisconsin -- lose earlier on Saturday would be viewed at the end of the season.

That's an unknown still. Better for Ohio State to get a win that will matter now just in case.

That third-quarter sequence, technically 4:01 of craziness, helped the No. 4 Buckeyes turn the course of the game and leave AT&T Stadium with a 40-28 win over the No. 15 Horned Frogs.

Ohio State (3-0) got through its three-game stretch without head coach Urban Meyer without a loss, and now a marquee victory. Meyer will be back on the sideline next Saturday against Tulane.

The Buckeye reversal of fortune started with a 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Parris Campbell, a tunnel screen that was well-blocked and got Ohio State's fastest playmaker into the open field. That cut TCU's lead to 21-19 with 6:58 left after a failed two-point conversion attempt. Sixty-four seconds later, OSU defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones intercepted a shovel pass from TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson, returning it 28 yards for a touchdown and 26-21 Buckeye lead.

TCU tried to go Music City Miracle on the ensuing kickoff, but was flagged for an illegal forward pass when KaVontae Turpin tried to lateral the ball the width of the field. On fourth down on the ensuing drive, a bobbled snap by Horned Frogs punter Adam Nunez led to a blocked punt. Two plays later, Haskins hit K.J. Hill on a fade out of the slot for a 25-yard touchdown and a 33-21 lead with 2:57 left.

Three touchdowns in four minutes spun a game that looked to have TCU in position to get the most significant win of the early season.

"I would say the defensive score was the biggest one," acting head coach Ryan Day said. "Anytime you're playing in a game like this and you can win the turnover battle, that's our plan to win. We didn't turn the ball over, and we got three turnovers, two of them for scores. That's huge."

Ohio State's offense wasn't necessarily bottled up, but it was inconsistent and struggled to finish drives. Until Campbell's touchdown, the offense settled for three field goal attempts -- including one miss from kicker Sean Nuernberger -- while the group struggled with dropped passes, poor snapping that threw off the timing in the passing game and a running game that at times felt predictable.

OSU's only touchdown through nearly two-and-a-half quarters came when defensive end Nick Bosa stripped Robinson in the end zone and defensive tackle Davon Hamilton recovered it for a touchdown.

Meanwhile OSU's defense seemed to have trouble with TCU's tempo, its horizontal attack and the run threat that Robinson presents.

"They're (TCU) good at tempo," OSU defensive tackle Robert Landers said. "We prepped for it all week in practice, but we were not prepared for the amount of speed they had on the tempo, and the plays they ran in the opening series. But after a while we started to settled down and got a hang of the tempo."

A 93-yard touchdown run from Darius Anderson gave TCU a 14-10 lead in the second quarter. It was the longest rushing touchdown in program history for TCU, and the longest play from scrimmage ever allowed by Ohio State. It was the product of the Buckeyes getting caught with their nickel package on the field, and their linebackers still struggling with positioning.

Through three games Ohio State has seen inconsistent play from its linebackers and safeties -- a fact that was on display later in the game when TCU's TreVontae Hights caught a 51-yard touchdown pass while splitting a pair of defenders deep down the field.

TCU finished with 511 yards of total offense, the most for an Ohio State opponent since the Buckeyes gave up 536 in a win over Michigan State in 2014.

The Buckeyes had issues on both sides of the ball that nearly cost them against a good TCU team -- until that sequence late in the third quarter changed things.

Haskins, in his first test against a talented defense, was solid. He completed 24 of his 38 pass attempts for 344 yards and two touchdowns. And for the first time this season, we saw him keep the ball on a designed quarterback run play. His five-yard touchdown run with 12:30 left in the fourth quarter gave the Buckeyes its final cushion.

"This was a test to see where he was at," Day said. "I thought he passed."

J.K. Dobbins led Ohio State with 121 rushing yards on 18 carries. Mike Weber also had 18 carries, finishing with 64 yards. Hill led the OSU receivers with six carries for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Despite its inconsistencies, Ohio State finished with 526 yards of offense.

Nick Bosa injured

Junior defensive end Nick Bosa left the game early in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury. Bosa walked to the locker room under his own power, but limped back onto the sideline in street clothes late in the third quarter. At the time he left the game, Bosa had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

Day did not have an update on Bosa after the game.

What's next?

Ohio State is back home against Tulane. Kickoff from Ohio Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Big plays allowed the Buckeyes to pull away for a 40-28 win.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- There's a myth about boiling a frog in a pot of water, that if you turn up the heat slowly, the frog won't notice until it's too late.

It doesn't seem like that's actually true, but it's not what Ohio State did to the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday night anyway.

This matchup of the Nos. 4 and 15 teams in the country was more like if a frog got in your house and jumped all over the place and made you crazy and you worried the frog would never leave, and then Parris Campbell hit the frog with a frying pan.

And that made the frog dizzy, but still hopped around and then Dre'Mont Jones threw his shoe at the frog and knocked it for another loop.

And the frog shook it off, and you admired the ingenuity of the frog and then K.J. Hill trapped the frog in a cardboard box and with much respect took the frog to a pet store, and finally got it out of the darn house.

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins, sitting on the couch, never seemed all that worried about the frog. But he's like that.

Ohio State doesn't always boil great opponents. Sometimes, it lets them hang around long enough to put everyone on edge, and then in quick bursts, beats them down.

Frying pan. Shoe. In the box.

Campbell's 63-yard catch-and-run TD. Jones' 28-yard interception return for a TD off an inside shovel pass. Hill's 24-yard touchdown catch from Haskins.

The Buckeyes, favored by 13, prevailed 40-28 Saturday in AT&T Stadium before a crowd of over 64,000 that was a full 40,000 short of what this game would have drawn in Ohio Stadium, but hey, aren't neutral site games cool?

Trailing by eight in the third quarter before that 21-point, four-minute explosion, the Buckeyes were undone at times by the problems you know might crop up in this frog chase.

• The linebackers, who are coached by Bill Davis, the best man at Urban Meyer's wedding.
• The second safety, where new coach Alex Grinch may need to keep searching for the best player to pair with Jordan Fuller.
• The offensive line, which has moving pieces, including new center Michael Jordan. An All-Big Ten guard, the 6-foot-7 junior was moved to center in preseason camp because the Buckeyes didn't have a better answer at the position. His low snaps all night didn't help the passing game, and TCU otherwise got to Haskins far more than Oregon State or Rutgers had.

Throw in a handful of drops by receiver Austin Mack, one Haskins underthrow when Ben Victor was behind a defender, a 93-yard touchdown run by TCU off a bad linebacker read and bad safety angle, and a frog with a plan had more than a chance.

And TCU had a plan.

Unlike so many Ohio State opponents, Gary Patterson, who is TCU's winningest coach with 160 victories, came prepped in search of No. 161. TCU offered quick passes and quicker tempo, taking the dominating Ohio State pass rush out of the game as much as possible.

Feared frog catcher Nick Bosa still popped the ball loose on a first-quarter strip sack that led to a recovery for a score by Davon Hamilton.

Bosa was forced out of the game by injury early in the third quarter. The last time Bosa left in the middle of the game, when he was ejected against Iowa last season, the Buckeyes lost by 31. This time, trailing when he departed, the Buckeyes, led by Jones, rallied, because as the saying goes, Next Frog Catcher Up.

This wasn't a perfect OSU win, and any Big Ten opponent looking to hang around against the Buckeyes this season can follow this TCU blueprint. Quick passes, inside runs, deep passes that might hit or might draw pass interference calls -- boy, you do not want a frog in your house.

But even against the 15th-best team in the country, and honestly, the Horned Frogs could be top-10, the Buckeyes still flashed a level of elite talent with which few teams can compete.

One through 22 among their offensive and defensive starters, the Buckeyes aren't all the way there yet. Have three trouble areas among the starters, or a coach or two you can't rely upon, and a team led by someone like Patterson will find those weak spots.

But at the top end? Bosa. Jones. Hill. Campbell. Fuller. J.K. Dobbins, who ran for 121 yards.

They've got some frying pans. They'll win you games like this.

Through it all, under pressure but never undone by some of those drops, Haskins held everything together. He put throw after throw on the money to the point that any miss is a surprise. He finally kept the ball on a run play near the end zone and scored from five yards out for the final margin.

He completed 24 of 38 passes for 344 yards and two scores, and you know, he almost seemed to like the frog. It gets in the house, adds to the excitement level for three or four hours, but even if it has horns, it's a frog.

Haskins and the frog catchers could handle that.

Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis break down the 40-28 win for the 3-0 Buckeyes. Watch video

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ohio State beat TCU 40-28 on Saturday night, as the No. 4 Buckeyes moved to 3-0 and set up Urban Meyer's full return next week.

Trailing by eight in the third quarter, the Buckeyes scored three touchdowns in four minutes to pull away from the No. 15 Horned Frogs.

The Buckeyes held a slight edge in total yards, 526 to 511, but Ohio State's 3-0 edge in turnovers, including two defensive touchdowns, was too much for TCU.

So, whaddya think?

After the game at AT&T Stadium, Bill Landis and I rated the Buckeyes on their win on a scale of 1 to 10.

One is not very good, while 10 is they looked like the best team in the country.

Watch the video and then give us your rating.

Day led the Buckeyes to a 40-28 win in his final game as acting head coach. Watch video

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ryan Day led Ohio State to a 40-28 win over TCU on Saturday night in his final game as the Buckeyes' acting head coach. Urban Meyer takes over full head coaching duties this week, and will be back on the sideline next Saturday against Tulane in Ohio Stadium.

Day will go back to his role as OSU's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

Watch the video above to hear everything Day said after the win, or read a transcript of Day's post-game news conference here.

Here's how to watch the Browns vs. Saints on Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Browns and Saints play on Sunday afternoon. Both teams enter the game looking for their first win of the season. The Browns tied the Steelers at 21 on Sunday and the Saints lost to the Buccaneers, 48-40. Here's how to watch, listen and stream it online.

Time: 1 p.m. EST

Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans.

TV: FOX, Ch. 8

* Play-by-play: Chris Myers; Analyst: Daryl Johnston; Sideline: Laura Okmin.

Radio: 92.3 The Fan (WKRK), ESPN 850 WKNR and WNCX (98.5).

* Play-by-play: Jim Donovan; Analyst: Doug Dieken; Sideline: Nathan Zegura.

Spanish Radio: La Mega 87.7 FM

* Play-by-play: Rafael "Rafa" Hernandez-Brito; Analyst: Octavio Sequera.

Streaming: fuboTV (free trial)

FuboTV is a paid affiliate of Advance Local Media LLC. Advance Local Media LLC may receive compensation if you access the FuboTV service through the link above.

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Go inside the Browns every week with cleveland.com's Orange and Brown Podcast, featuring Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe. Listen and subscribe here.

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Check here or the live final-round leaderboard for the LPGA Tour's Evian Championship 2018 on Sunday, Sept. 16, in France.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Amy Olson (14-under) led by two shots entering the final round of the LPGA Tour's Evian Championship 2018 on Sunday, Sept. 16, in France. Sei Young Kim was in second place.

• EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP TEE TIMES

• EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD

Brooke Henderson, Minjee Lee, Ariya Jutanugarn, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Anna Nordqvist, Moriya Jutanugarn and Sung Hyun Park were among those in the field at the outset.

LPGA TOUR
EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Evian-les-Bains, France.
Course: Evian Resort GC. Yardage: 6,523. Par: 71.
Purse: $3,850,000. Winner's share: $577,500.
Television: Sunday, 4:30-10 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Anna Nordqvist.
Race to CME Globe leader: Ariya Jutanugarn.
Previous tournament: Marina Alex won the Cambia Portland Classic.
Notes: This is the fifth and final major on the LPGA Tour schedule. .... The Evian was cut short to 54 holes last year because of weather delays. ... It was the second time it was a 54-hole event since the LPGA Tour gave it major championship status in 2013. ... The tournament began in 1994 as a Ladies European Tour event. ... Inbee Park won the Evian in 2012, the year before it became a major. She has won the other majors on the LPGA Tour schedule. ... Four women have won the four majors this year. If a different player wins Evian, it would be the fourth consecutive year of no multiple major champions in a season. ... The Rolex Annika Major Award will be decided after the Evian, going to the major champion with the best record in the five majors. U.S. Women's Open champion Ariya Jutanugarn has a large lead over Women's PGA champion Sung Hyun Park. If any of the four major champions this year win the Evian, she wins the award. ... The LPGA Tour is off next week before starting its seven-week swing through Asia, which includes the International Crown.
Next tournament: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Sept. 27-30.
Online: www.lpga.com

(Fact box from Associated Press.)

Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises on the Buckeyes losing their best defensive player in the third quarter against TCU. Watch video

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Nick Bosa went down Saturday on the third play of the second half against TCU, the Buckeyes trailing 14-13 and the Horned Frogs converting a third down on the play that would end Bosa's game.

He would limp back to Ohio State's sideline later in the second half, wearing flip flops and sweatpants, and he was walking gingerly as he left the field following Ohio State's 40-28 win and headed to the locker room.

Ohio State had no report immediately after the game on Bosa's injury, which appeared to be to his abdomen or groin.

"They're evaluating what's going on now," acting head coach Ryan Day said after the win.

With Tulane up next at home next week, the 1-2 Green Wave out of the American Athletic Conference, coming off a Saturday loss to Alabama-Birmingham, aren't the priority. The Buckeyes don't need Bosa for Tulane.

But at Penn State in two weeks, that's when the Buckeyes will need a healthy version of one of the best defensive players in college football.

Saturday against No. 15 TCU, the Buckeyes got by without him.

Bosa's strip sack in the first quarter led to a fumble recovery in the end zone and the Buckeyes' first touchdown.  

But while Bosa was in the game, Ohio State allowed 307 yards on 41 plays, an average of 7.5 yards per play. After he left, the Buckeyes allowed 204 yards on 35 plays, an average of 5.8 yards per play.

They aren't a better defense without Bosa. But they found a way without him.

Bill Landis and I talked about Bosa and his absence in the video at the top of this post.

For many years, so fans and media members insisted Josh Gordon's problem was marijuana. It was so much deeper.

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- If you're a Browns fan, maybe you feel a sense of sadness. Or anger. Or relief.

But please, no more excuses as the Browns plan to release Josh Gordon Monday.

For several weeks, I was hearing from some fans how Gordon skipped most of training camp because he was dealing with anxiety -- due to the presence of the cameras for the "Hard Knocks" special.

And I have heard for years, Gordon just likes to smoke weed. It's legal in some states, what's the problem?

The problem is Gordon's issues are so much deeper than marijuana.

That's part of the reason I wrote a column a few weeks ago, stating the Browns should view Gordon as a lottery ticket. He was a long shot to make it because he has failed in so many opportunities.

And he has so many problems.

In 2013, he was suspended for the first two games of the season because he tested positive for codeine. He claimed it came from cough syrup.

In 2017, he gave an interview to The Uninterrupted where he said: "I've used alcohol on many, many occasions. Xanax on many occasions. Cocaine on several occasions. Marijuana most of my life. Codeine cough syrup...methazine is very prevalent where I'm from."

Those are Gordon's words.

The scope and depth of his addiction issues are why he has played only 11 games since his Pro Bowl 2013 season.

It's why he's been suspended so many times, dating back to college.

It's why he didn't show up in time for training camp and missed all four preseason games -- something had gone wrong again.

And it's why the Browns had every right to let him go.

BEING REALISTIC

The Browns have tried to help Gordon ever since drafting him in 2012.

I repeat, this is not about marijuana.

It is about a player who seemed to be bragging in a GQ story last November about how he was high on something before every game.

I happen to doubt that.

In my 18 years of weekly jail ministry, some addicts love to brag about all the things they did while high...as if it's a badge of honor.

Gordon came off that way in several interviews he did with national media outlets last year.

There was very little regret about the damage done to himself or others.

Addicts can be very selfish, and that behavior impacts others. One of the big lies some addicts tell themselves is: "I'm only hurting myself."

That's simply not true. Anyone who has an addict in their life knows better.  

NO MORE EXCUSES

Gordon came from a very difficult background.

But he also is in a sport where many players have the same type of family mess as Gordon - some even worse.

Yet, they find a way to overcome it.

Virtually every type of recovery program has been made available to Gordon. The NFL and the Browns have access to the best, so this is not about Gordon being unable to find help.

Too bad most addicts do not have a chance at all these resources.

If anything, he's had too many enablers.

Maybe this is what he needs. Or maybe another team will give him a chance and the same pattern will continue.

But the fact is the Browns, his teammates and the fans couldn't count on Gordon. And it was time for the Browns to let him go.

Cleveland Browns' defense forecasts high pressure in New Orleans on quarterback Drew Brees

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The unbeaten Cleveland Browns 0-0-1 travel to New Orleans today to play Drew Brees and the Saints 0-1. The Browns are coming off a week 1 tie with Pittsburgh while the Saints lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-40.

The Browns defense, led by defensive end Myles Garrett, will try to slow down Drew Brees. Brees completed 37 of 45 passes for 439 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions in the loss to the Bucs.

Meanwhile the Browns offense will see if they can exploit the Saints' defense as well as did Bucs' QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick completed 21 of 28 tempts for 417 yards and four TDs.

The Browns' offense will need to score more than 21 points to beat the Saints even if the defense does a good job of managing Drew Brees.

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

Shane Bieber and the Cleveland Indians face Francisco Liriano and the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the starting lineups for Sunday's game between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers.

What: Indians (83-65) vs. Tigers (60-88).
When: 1:10 p.m.
Where: Progressive Field.
Broadcast: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 AM, WMMS 100.7 FM.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Rajai Davis LF
Greg Allen CF
Josh Donaldson 3B
Yandy Diaz 1B
Brandon Guyer DH
Brandon Barnes RF
Eric Haase C
Erik Gonzalez SS
Adam Rosales 2B

Shane Bieber (10-3, 4.32)

DETROIT TIGERS

Jeimer Candelario 3B
Christin Stewart LF
Nicholas Castellanos DH
Jim Adduci 1B
Mikie Mahtook RF
Grayson Greiner C
Dawel Lugo 2B
Ronny Rodriguez SS
Victor Reyes CF

Michael Fulmer (3-11, 4.56)

Umpires

Andy Fletcher HP
John Tumpane 1B
Jeremie Rehak 2B
Mark Wegner 3B (crew chief)

Doug and Bill talk about Ohio State football moving forward with Urban Meyer back in his full head coaching role. Watch video

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ryan Day was reminded when he sat at the table for his post-game news conference on Saturday night that 17 minutes had passed since his time as Ohio State's acting head coach ended.

Day is back to being a million-dollar quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

Urban Meyer resumed full head coaching duties on Sunday.

The strange split between Meyer and Day -- Meyer the head coach Sunday through Friday, and Day the head coach on Saturday -- that existed for two weeks is over. Meyer is full-time head coach again, and will be back on the sideline on Saturday when the Buckeyes host Tulane.

Meyer is still tying up public perception loose ends stemming from his suspension, including an interview with ESPN that aired in part on Sunday and will conclude on Monday. He'll hold his first news conference of the season with the local media on Monday morning. How much he'll be asked about his suspension and the investigation remains to be seen, and partly depends on what he reveals in his ESPN interview.

But it likely won't be all football with Meyer on Monday.

Players and coaches have said all along that it hasn't been distracting, Meyer's absence or the weird split of head coaching duties the last two weeks. Ohio State emerged from that 3-0 and squarely in the College Football Playoff hunt, all the while touting the structure and culture Meyer built as the driving force behind the program not going off kilter in his absence.

Now that he's back, how much does his return to full coaching duties change things for the Buckeyes? Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis discussed that in the video above.

Browns rookie receiver Antonio Callaway will start in place of Josh Gordon, who will be released on Monday.

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Antonio Callaway will make his NFL starting debut here against the Saints today, and Baker Mayfield met one of his idols in Drew Brees on the field before the game.

Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Saints coach Sean Payton also chatted before the game on the field.

Callaway, who played only 17% of the snaps last week and was targeted only once, will start in place of Josh Gordon, who will be released by the team on Monday after he showed up for work late on Saturday complaining of a hamstring injury and was 'not himself' according to sources.

Callaway had only one ball come his way in Sunday's 21-21 tie with the Steelers, a short incompletion from Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter.

Before the Gordon saga occurred, Jackson said he believed Callaway could make more of an impact in his second NFL game.

"I think he can,'' said Jackson. "This week, when I look on the practice field, I see all of those guys being in different packages to give them a chance to go out and showcase their talent and ability. All of our skill guys are really excited about going and playing this weekend."

Gordon's absence will also mean more reps for Rashard Higgins, who caught a 38-yard pass from Taylor to set up Gordon's 17-yard TD catch with 1:58 left in the regulation.

Higgins has been one of the most available and consistent receivers throughout camp.

In other pre-game news:

* Baker Mayfield approached Drew Brees during pre-game warmups and shook his hand while the future Hall of Fame was stretching. They chatted for a brief moment. On Wednesday, Brees said of his fellow 6-foot-and-under club member Mayfield 'he can be a lot better than me.''' Mayfield said 'it doesn't get any higher than that' and acknowledged that the compliment was cool and 'humbling.'

* Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Saints coach Sean Payton, who were both suspended in 2012 for BountyGate, chatted on the field before the game. Saints players indicated that Payton ran up the score the last time the two met, a 49-21 victory over the Rams in 2016 when Williams was defensive coordinator  

* NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting that Gordon is interested being traded to the 49ers or Cowboys. He also states that at least five teams are interested in Gordon. The Browns will likely try to trade him before releasing him on Monday.

* Chris Smith will start in place of Emmanuel Ogbah at defensive end, and Jame Burgess will start in place of Christian Kirksey.

* Other inactives for the Browns are Drew Stanton, Seth DeValve, Devaroe Lawrence and Ifeadi Odenigbo.

Day went 3-0 as acting head coach. But what did you expect? Watch video

ARLINGTON, Ohio -- Having tied Alexander Lilley for 23rd on Ohio State's list of coaching victories, 3-0 Ryan Day could drop the mic on his head coaching career and vow at age 39 to dedicate himself to a life of coordinator-dom to protect his perfect record as a head coach.

Will you consider retiring, Ryan Day?

"Sure," Day said Saturday night.

Ohio State entered the Rinaldi Zone on Sunday morning, with ESPN's suited interviewer staring down Urban Meyer in his living room in the first stage of Meyer's return plan that is allowing ESPN to play out the interview across two days like it's a reality show. 

While Meyer looked like he'd rather be somewhere else in what he knows is a necessary part of his return from suspension, acting head coach Day admitted to relief on Saturday night, an emotion I wouldn't have necessarily expected from an assistant thrust into the head role who looked like he was handling whatever was needed.

"I do feel a little bit of relief right now after that game and, you know, the past few weeks," Day said. "But I got so much help from these players and from the coaching staff, (coordinators) Kevin Wilson and Greg Schiano.

"What Greg Schiano has done for me in the last month is something I'll never forget. He is the classiest person I've ever been around in the coaching profession. The way he's handled himself, helping me along the way, counseling me on day-to-day stuff. And just the way the defense played today, I couldn't have been happier for him and that defense. So, yeah, a little bit of relief, but still got a long way to go here."

Much of what has transpired with Day and Meyer and the team the last three weeks has been overblown I believe, as stories went in search of a potential problem when nearly everyone, save Day, was doing just what they would have been doing.

But Day has gone out of his way to praise Wilson and Schiano, and Schiano has gone out of his way to praise Day. Wilson may have done the same, but we haven't talked to him.

So props to a staff with more than a few alpha dogs who kept this together.

But honestly, it was expected. Ohio State falling apart because Meyer missed preseason camp, a week of practice and three games would have been shocking.

Day's audition will appeal to schools looking for a head coach in the offseason. It will also provide a fascinating blip in the record books for the sports writer of the future (if there is football or journalism in the future) when the Buckeyes hit, for instance, 2,000 wins as a program, and Ryan Day is sitting in there at 3-0 as a head coach.

Unless he's the real head coach down the road.

Which he could be. He was good enough now.

"Our goal was to get 3-0 so that when Coach got back," Day said, "he had a team that was 3-0."

Ohio State coaches ranked by winning percentage

1. Ryan Day, 1.000, 3-0

2. Urban Meyer, .901, 73-8

3. Carrol Widdoes, .889, 16-2

4. Jim Tressel, .817, 94-21

5. John Eckstorm, .810, 22-4-3

The Cleveland Indians' team shop at Progressive Field is stocked with postseason apparel.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It didn't take long for Indians postseason gear to land in Progressive Field.

Cleveland clinched its third consecutive playoff appearance Saturday. Sunday morning, the team shop at Progressive Field opened with an array of postseason apparel in men's and women's styles.

The familiar cry of 'Rally Together' and 'Defend Tribe Town' t-shirts and hoodies are available, along with 2018 American League Central Division Champions. Most of the logos incorporate the block C, though Wahoo is available on one design. Two different hats are being sold.

Some of the shirts show a vertical image of baseball stitches running down the sleeves or as part of the logo.

T-shirt prices start at $35, with hoodies going for $80 and $95.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 17, the shop at the stadium on Ontario Street will open at 10 a.m. every day for the rest of the regular season, except for two dates: Sunday, Sept. 23, its hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. when the Indians host the Boston Red Sox in a Sunday-night ESPN game. And Sunday, Sept. 30, the shop will be open noon to 5 p.m.

After Sunday, Sept. 16, the Indians have six remaining home games, from Tuesday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 23. Then they finish with seven games on the road, Monday, Sept. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 30.

The American League Division Series begins Friday, Oct. 5.