Indians, on 4-game win streak, go to Seattle to visit Mariners and ex-Tribe skipper Eric Wedge. Boston, swept by Indians, will play its home opener against rival Yankees. Many other Indians-related links.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerStarter Fausto Carmona didn't get credit for the victory, but he pitched seven shutout innings in the Indians' 1-0 win over the Red Sox.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you want to be really giddy about the Cleveland Indians' four-game winning streak, put it this way:

The Tribe (4-2) holds a four-game lead over the Boston Red Sox (0-6) in the American League wild card race.

Yes, there are 156 games to go this season, but you never know about baseball.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes Dennis Manoloff's game story on the Indians' 1-0 win over the Red Sox on Thursday afternoon, ending the Tribe's season-opening six-game homestand; his Indians Insider; Terry Pluto's column about the Indians' overall excellence the last four games; his post-game "scribbles," highlighting the Indians' improved fielding. 

The Indians visit the Seattle Mariners on Friday night to begin a three-game series and a six-game road trip (the final three games against the Los Angeles Angels). Seattle's first-year manager is Eric Wedge, who managed the Indians from 2003 through 2009. Friday night's game will be Seattle's home opener.

Pitching and more

During the four-game winning streak, the Indians got superb starting pitching from Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin and Fausto Carmona, and a decent outing from Mitch Talbot.

Stephanie Storm writes for the Akron Beacon Journal that the Indians are playing well in other aspects of the game, too (quoting manager Manny Acta): 

But over the Tribe’s winning streak, it’s been more than just the starting pitching. The Indians bullpen has been just as instrumental with left-handed reliever Rafael Perez picking up two wins and closer Chris Perez two saves.

The young Indians hitters have also come out of the gates swinging, scoring 31 runs over the first six games for an average of a little over five runs per game.

Not to be left out, Acta pointed out the team’s defense, which has made just two errors despite playing in conditions sometimes freezing, others rainy and even in Thursday’s heavy fog at Progressive Field.

“We’ve played very good defense,” Acta said. “We made some good plays out there, especially both Cabreras up the middle as well as hads-up baseball all over.”

BoSox blues

While the Indians and their fans are happy with the solid start, the Red Sox and their supporters are worried.

Boston is expected to be one of baseball's best teams.

The Red Sox have a lot of time left (156 games) to turn things around, and they'd like to begin on Friday, when they play their home opener at Fenway Park against the unfriendly rival New York Yankees.

The Indians have shaken the Red Sox, and Peter Graham of the Boston Globe writes about the BoSox' dilemma:

“It can’t get any worse than this,’’ Kevin Youkilis said after the Sox fell to 0-6, their worst start since 1945.

Or maybe it can. The Yankees provide the opposition for the home opener Friday afternoon before what could be an angry mob. By the time the weekend is over, the Sox could be in a hole from which there is no escape.

As it stands, there are mountains of history to move aside if the Sox are to meet even the most basic of their goals.

Since 1900, only two 0-6 teams — the 1974 Pirates and 1995 Reds — have made the playoffs. Neither advanced to the World Series. Not one American League team that started 0-6 has finished the season in better than third place.

This is not meant to bolster the Red Sox, but don't pay much attention into trivia such as "Not one American League team that started 0-6 has finished the season in better than third place."

Why not? Because most teams that begin a season 0-6 simply aren't very good, regardless of early-season games. The Red Sox should still be one of baseball's best teams. That's what makes the young Indians' sweep of them special.

Rounding third

A look ahead to the Indians' visit to Seattle, by Spencer Fordin and Anthony Castrovince for MLB.com.

A roundtable discussion about the Indians' minor league teams, by Tony Lastoria and other writers for Indians Prospect Insider.

Indians notes, by Chris Assenheimer for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and the Medina County Gazette.

A story on Indians reliever Tony Sipp, by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

A look at the Indians' Class A team in Eastlake, the Lake County Captains, by David S. Glasier, and 2011 Captains player capsules by Glasier. Both for the News-Herald.

The Indians held a respectable standing in this season's first team power rankings by Sports Illustrated's SI.com. The rankings were released some 20 minutes after Thursday's first pitch of the Indians' 1-0 win over the Red Sox.

Game stories on the Indians' 1-0 win over the Red Sox by Jordan Bastian for MLB.com, and by Chris Assenheimer for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette.

The Red Sox after being swept by the Indians, by Gordon Edes for ESPNBoston.com.

After being swept by the Indians to become 0-6, it's too early for the Red Sox to panic. By Hal Bodley for MLB.com.

A surprise trip to Cleveland Municipal Stadium provided by Dad leaves a lasting memory.

View full sizePlain Dealer file photoJuuuuuuuuuuu-lio Franco in 1987.

One day, my Mom got a call from my Dad while he was at work (rare before cellphones, especially from a union electrician who wasn't sitting at a desk all day). My two older brothers and I were standing there trying to listen in, wondering why in the world Dad was calling home in the middle of the day. Finally, Mom got off the phone and said, "OK everybody . . . get ready. We're going downtown to meet Dad for the game!"

I remember walking up to the old stadium (that giant Chief Wahoo will forever be etched in my mind), seeing my Dad standing there in his work boots and dusty clothes with that proud Dad look on his face when he saw all of us.

Now 32, that simple memory is the best part. Then, though, the most unforgettable part was seeing my favorite player, Cory Snyder. That poster hanging in my room came to life. I also remember my Dad explaining a couple of important things to me during the game: 1) Why I kept hearing this loud, booming "thunder" for Andre Thornton, and 2) how it wasn't "boos" I was hearing for our own player, it was actually fans yelling "hooooooooooo-lio!" because his name is Julio Franco.

From that day forward I was proud to be one of the only girls to know how to imitate the infamous Julio Franco batting stance. How about the fact that while walking around the stadium before the game, we ran into three Indians players? I got all three autographs on the inside brim of my hat. What are the chances of that happening now?

While I realize this unforgettable day of mine lacks the drama and excitement you'll no doubt be reading about from other fans over the next month, it will be worth it just to have Dad read it -- who I'm sure has no idea that I remember this. And as a Mom of three children now -- all girls -- I also plan on sharing this with my poor husband, who I'm sure believes it will always be tiaras, not Tribe hats, he sees on their heads. This special memory is a tribute to my Dad, who made me a lifelong Indians fan, as well as to my husband, so he knows that special "sports moments" don't just have to happen with sons.

The talented forwards have hired an agent, and thus are committed to going pro. Both could be lottery picks.

Associated PressMarcus Morris (right) and his twin brother Markieff at a Kansas practice during the NCAA tournament.

LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Kansas fans hoped the incredible closeness between twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris would persuade them to stay together for their senior season.

The fear of the NBA draft splitting them up for the first time in their lives would convince them to enjoy one last year together, everybody seemed to hope.

Instead, the "Twin Towers," as they've become affectionately known in Allen Fieldhouse, announced Thursday they're leaving after their junior seasons and heading for the NBA.

Born minutes apart, the forwards from Philadelphia led the Jayhawks in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots last season, when the Jayhawks went 35-3, won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the regional finals as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

"I have enjoyed my three seasons as a Kansas Jayhawk and consider it a privilege to have had the opportunity to play for coach [Bill] Self and his staff," Marcus said in a statement. "It was a difficult decision, but I feel it's the right time for me to realize my dream."

Markieff, seven minutes older and an inch taller than 6-foot-8 Marcus, said he would "always remember my time as a Jayhawk."

The brothers announced their intentions through Rival Sports Group and agent Tony Dutt, who will represent them during the draft and contract negotiations.

Raw and unpolished when they arrived, the twins matured into two of the best players of the Self Era and were part of three Big 12 regular-season titles and two Big 12 tournament championships. During their time at Kansas, the Jayhawks were 95-17 (84.8 percent).

"I am proud of Marcus and Markieff for the development and improvement they made, not only off the court but on the court in their three years here," Self said. "They have been an absolute joy to coach and performed at a level to give them the opportunity to leave and enter the NBA draft after three years. We not only wish them the best moving forward but also 100 percent support this decision for them to enter."

Marcus, a second-team All-American, averaged 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds last season, while Markieff was an honorable mention All-American after averaging 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds.

"As I move on to the professional stage of my career, I will always remember my time as a Jayhawk," Markieff said. "Playing here has prepared me for the opportunity to have a successful career in the NBA."

Their decision came a day after junior guard Tyshawn Taylor and sophomore forward Thomas Robinson announced they would remain at Kansas next season.

Sophomore-to-be Josh Selby is the only Jayhawk still contemplating whether to return. A 6-3 guard who missed much of the season because of injury and NCAA suspension, Selby has been in Las Vegas working out and trying to gauge his NBA interest. Self said he was in position to miss some class time and was not necessarily going out early.

While the twins' decision leaves a gaping hole in the Jayhawks' front line, it should also help Self put together his recruiting class. There was some uncertainty who would declare for the draft, leaving the coaching staff unsure how many scholarships it would have available.

Naadir Tharpe, a 6-0 point guard from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., and highly touted 6-5 shooting guard Ben McLemore of St. Louis have already committed to the Jayhawks.

DeAndre Daniels, a 6-8 forward from Florida, is also high on Self's list, as is Braeden Anderson, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Massachusetts.

"This decision was tugging at both our hearts," Markieff said. "Coach Self thinks this is a good time and we feel this is the best for us and for our family. We will always be Jayhawks and be part of this family. I would like the fans for their support over the past years. Some of my best experiences have been at KU and I'm thankful for my teammates, coaches and all the people that support KU."

Manny Ramirez retires after being notified of "an issue" that arose under MLB's drug policy.

View full sizeAP FileManny Ramirez, center, is congratulated by teammates Kenny Lofton, left and Omar Vizquel after a three-run homer in 1999. The quirky Ramirez retired from baseball today.

"You mean to tell me we may actually have a decent baseball team? So far this year, the Indians have been fun to watch. Love that they swept Boston." - Breckstown

View full sizeThomas Ondrey | The Plain DealerOrlando Cabrera celebrates the final out of the game against Boston on Thursday afternoon.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians squeeze past Boston Red Sox, 1-0; move into first place for first time since May 2008, cleveland.com reader Breckstown is exicted the Indians are playing well. This reader writes,

"You mean to tell me we may actually have a decent baseball team? So far this year, the Indians have been fun to watch. Love that they swept Boston."

Tribe manager Manny Acta made all the right moves in Thursday's win over Boston.

View full sizeTony Dejak,
Associated PressOrlando Cabrera slaps a game-ending, game-winning tag on Darnell McDonald, who overran second base, to complete a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with a 1-0 win Thursday.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Old Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver used to play for the three-run homer.

That style of managing is pretty much rife in the American League and growing moreso in the National League.

And that's too bad.

For baseball purists (and count Starting Blocks as one), the so-called "small ball" is what baseball is all about. From Little League on, we were drilled in bat control, hitting behind runners, working counts - "manufacturing runs," as the cliche goes.

Maybe that's why we were so impressed with Manny Acta's performance in Thursday's 1-0 win to drop the Red Sox to -- hahahahahahaha -- 0-6. But we weren't the only ones. Even a Boston fan site noted that Acta and his moves were the difference in the game.

Here's a bit of what fenwayfaithful.com had to say:

Terry Francona didn’t manage poorly, but Indians manager Manny Acta was the difference late in the game as Boston begins the 2011 season with an unfathomable 0-6 record.

Of course, the success of a manager always hinges on execution.

Francona’s players didn’t execute when the game was on the line, while Acta’s did. But it doesn’t change the fact that Acta was able to manufacture the game-winning run with shrewd managing in the clutch.

Daniel Bard walked weak-hitting infielder and number nine hitter Adam Everett (who batted .185 last year) on five pitches to begin the bottom of the eighth inning.

After falling behind Orlando Cabrera 2-0, a struggling Bard was visited by pitching coach Curt Young. On the very next pitch, Everett completely surprised the Sox and stole second base with ease.

Everett told NESN’s Heidi Watney after the game that the decision to run in that count and in that situation came from the Acta on the Indians’ bench.

A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt from Cabrera put Everett on third base as the go-ahead run with just one out in the inning.

Then, with an ideal 2-1 count on Asdrubal Cabrera (a player who handles the bat extremely well), Acta called for a suicide squeeze, and it was executed to perfection by the Cleveland shortstop.

Lighty spent the evening in Houston, basically ignoring the game, and in talking later to his OSU teammates, he says they couldn't watch it, either.

PDOhio State star David Lighty, driving in a Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky, couldn't bear to watch the championship game between Butler and Connecticut last Monday.

COLUMBUS -- David Lighty could have watched Connecticut-Butler in person on Monday night. The Ohio State senior was in Houston as part of the Lowe's Senior CLASS awards, with the Cleveland native one of several players honored for his achievements on and off the basketball court. He worked on a community service project, saw some of the Final Four practices and judged a high school slam dunk contest.

He also had a ticket to the national title game at Reliant Stadium. And he couldn't make himself go.

"We got tickets to it, but I wasn't able to watch that. I couldn't do that to myself," Lighty said this week. "That would have just made me angry. I knew we should have been there, that's why."

The result of that game only would have made it worse. UConn and Butler combined to shoot 26 percent from the field in the Huskies' 53-41 win, playing at a level below what the Buckeyes as the No. 1 team in the nation showed for much of the year.

Lighty spent the evening at his Houston hotel room, basically ignoring the game, and in talking later to his OSU teammates, he said they couldn't watch it, either. With their loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, the Buckeyes finished at 34-3, while the Wildcats went on to lose to Connecticut in the Final Four. Winning 92 percent of your games is a year to remember, but Lighty can't shake the idea that he should have been in Houston as a player, not as a frustrated non-fan.

"The ball didn't fall our way [against Kentucky], so there's no regrets about the season," Lighty said. "In the end, we still had a great season."

Moving on: Seniors Lighty, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale are now preparing for a shot at their professional careers. Lauderdale is playing in the Portsmouth, Va., Invitational this week, where players generally viewed as second-round or free agent NBA prospects play in front of scouts. Diebler and Lighty turned down invitations, but Lauderdale played in his first game Thursday, scoring six points, grabbing six rebounds and adding three blocks and two steals in 26 minutes of action.

While working out in both Columbus and Cleveland, Lighty said he was interviewing agents and hoping to decide on one in the next few days. He then expects to land at a predraft camp in the coming weeks.

Lighty is projected as the No. 39 overall pick, the ninth pick in the second round, by NBADraft.net, while ESPN.com has him as the No. 116 overall prospect on a list that includes many underclassman, with a projection as a second-rounder. Diebler is listed as the No. 126 prospect.

DraftExpress.com ranks Lighty as the No. 54 prospect and projects him as the 15th pick in the second round. DraftExpress also lists Diebler as the No. 83 prospect. David Aldridge on NBA.com ranked Lighty as the seventh-best shooting guard prospect and sees him as a second-rounder, while Aldridge ranked Diebler as the No. 10 shooting guard. He also ranked OSU junior William Buford as the No. 6 shooting guard, but Buford has said he'll be back at Ohio State for his senior year.

After five years in Columbus, Lighty has to move on.

"I've been working on everything," Lighty said. "My ball handling, and NBA range is a lot deeper than college range, so I'm working on my shot. My shot has gotten better each year, so I'm trying to continue to improve my 3-point shooting. And the NBA game is a lot more one-on-one, so you've got to be able to create your own shot."

The NBA Draft is June 23.

Also: Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger was in Los Angeles on Monday as one of five finalists for the Wooden Award, given to the best player in the nation. Sullinger will be in Oklahoma City on Monday as the winner of the inaugural Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award. Underclassmen have until April 28 to declare for the draft, but Sullinger has said he'llbe back with the Buckeyes. . . . OSU assistant Jeff Boals, who was a candidate for the Kent State and Fresno State head coaching jobs, has said he'll be back with the Buckeyes for a third season. Kent promoted assistant Rob Senderoff and Fresno State hired Texas assistant Rodney Terry, with Boals the other finalist.

Orlando Cabrera played with Manny Ramirez in Boston when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. He remembers a good teammate and a great hitter.

Game 7, Friday, April 8: Manny Ramirez, who ranks third in Indians history with 236 homers, informed Major League Baseball on Friday that he was retiring from the Tampa Bay Rays because of procedural matter with the MLB's drug testing policy. Ramirez is facing a 100-game suspension for testing positive for the use of a banned substance.

 Rather than go through the suspension or the appeal process, Ramirez, XX, chose to retire. It's believed Ramirez tested positive in spring training.

 Indians second baseman Orlando Cabrera played with Ramirez in Boston in 2004.

 "He was a good teammate. A great guy," said Cabrera. "A very smart player. I learned a lot from him."

 Cabrera added, "Manny was different. He was a guy of multiple personalities."

 Sometimes those personalities came to light on the field.

 Cabrera remembered a game in which Ramirez messed up a play in left field.

 "Curt Schilling is on the mound," said Cabrera. "He comes to the dugout frustrated and says, "What the hell is going on?' Manny comes to the dugout laughing. He saw my glove and grabbed it and says 'Gold Glove.' He raises his glove and says "Bronze Glove.'

 "Then he looks at Schilling and says, "I got a bronze glove.' Schilling is so mad that he starts laughing. Then Manny goes up later in the game and hits a grand slam. Schilling said, "That's why I can't say anything. I know he's got a way to fix things and that's the way he does it."

  Before a game against the Yankees and Mike Mussina on Sept. 24, 2004, Cabrera saw Ramirez watching video of Mussina.

 "He wasn't watching his at-bats against Mussina, he was watching every guy who hit third in the American League against Mussina," said Cabrera. "He watched every pitch and every count.

 "I was watching and I said what are you going to do? He second at-bat, third pitch, I'm going to hit a home run. He said, "Don't tell anybody.'

 "He sees two pitches in his first at-bat and makes an out. Then in his second at bat, first pitch, boom, home run. I tell people that and they don't believe me. But I was there. I saw it."

 As for Ramirez tainting his legacy, Cabrera said, "I don't know if the media can get to the bottom of that stuff because we can't. We never know what he was using. Whatever it is it's not good. I don't know what his situation is that would make him do stuff like that."

 Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009 for testing positive for a banned substance when he played with the Dodgers.
 
 Tonight's lineups:

 Indians (4-2): CF Michael Brantley (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), C Carlos Santana (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), 2B Orlando Cabrera (R), LF Austin Kearns (R), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), 3B Jack Hannahan (L) and RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-1, 9.45).

 Mariners (2-4): RF Ichiro Suzuki, 3B Chone Figgins (S), LF Milton Bradley (S), DH Jack Cust (L), 1B Justin Smoak (S), C Miguel Olivo (R), 2B Adam Kennedy (L), SS Brendan Ryan (R), CF Ryan Langerhans (L) and LHP Jason Vargas (0-0, 1.35).

 Umpires: H Sam Holbrook, 1B Greg Gibson, 2B Todd Tichenor, 3B Gerry Davis.

 Next: RHP Justin Masterson (1-0, 1.29) vs. RHP Doug Fister (0-1, 3.18) at 9:10 ET. The game will be on SportsTime Ohio and WMMS/100.7 FM.

We should view the year's first golf major, along with Tiger Woods, the player who once dominated it, through the filter of karma.

Curtis Compton / Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCTThe Augusta National patrons cheer Tiger Woods' round of 66 on Friday.

We usually let the television cameras frame our view of the Masters. We see Augusta National Golf Club through a scrim of dogwoods, a blush of azaleas, or the eyes of Verne Lundquist at the 16th hole. Not this time, though.

It is Year 2 of Tiger, After the Fall. We should view the year's first golf major, along with Tiger Woods, the player who once dominated it, through the filter of karma.

Karma is not only about punishment, although that is certainly what catches the eye these days. Every heedless, full-of-himself athlete is said to court bad karma.

It is a concept that has the trappings of Eastern religious mysticism, but it is really no more mysterious than cause and effect. Karma is no more profound than the eternal insightfulness of the Golden Rule. It can be summed up as "You reap what you sow," a tenet succinctly expressed by St. Paul, writing to the Galatians.

Tiger sowed the ground with salt and killed many of the fruits of a fabulous career. He lost the respect of fans who realized his image was a lie and his marriage, at least to him, a sham. He endured the almost literal crack-up of his career on Thanksgiving night in 2009. Charlie Sheen would have called Woods' life a train wreck.

Woods has gone 17 months without winning. He has not won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open. That title required a 19-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate, with Woods hobbling around on his ruined left knee and using a driver for a crutch.

The injury showed that golf had taken its revenge on Tiger. Length had been a big part of his game, but, facing a third operation on the same knee, he realized his killer swing with its savage torque had to be scrapped. He has been struggling with a more mechanical swing and a new swing coach ever since.

But it was not only biomechanics. The Zen focus that helped Woods win 14 professional majors was gone. The game of the most disciplined, analytical player since Jack Nicklaus -- his idol, his model, his target -- had turned to garble.

This was karma at work. How could he be the same person after hitting the fire hydrant and the tree with his car and breaking up his marriage? How could he use the "tunnel vision" for which he had been so praised to ignore the endless revelations of his truly prodigious philandering?

He began his comeback with uncertain, poorly conceived steps. One of his first moves after his public confessional was to shoot a manipulative, blatantly false commercial. The ad took his dead father's words out of context and came off like an attempt to slap a Band-Aid, shaped like a Nike swoosh, on a hemorrhage.

Next came the release of photographs in "Vanity Fair," in which a glowering, bare-chested, Prison Yard Tiger, a golf nerd no more, looked buff and bad.

As part of his penance, Woods vowed to respect the game more and to stop swearing after bad shots. But he never really did. He also said he would devote himself more fully to Buddhism, with its emphasis on karma. Maybe he has. Improvement, by definition, is a work in progress.

No one on the PGA Tour is that intimidated by him these days. The young guns hit it farther, have steadier nerves and haven't had to carry around the baggage of a sensational scandal.

But the Masters has often been Woods' week, from his startling runaway victory in 1997 to three more runs to the ugly green haberdashery. Now it might just be the week of his restoration. Experience on the course and touch on the iconic greens mean so much, as does the small field, which is thinned even more by uncompetitive, aging former winners.

Woods shortened his public goals, saying he just wanted to make it to Masters Sunday.

They say the Masters doesn't really begin until Sunday afternoon. It has become a mythic time, with a volatile, birdie-friendly back nine, when the calendar can run in reverse and old memories can be rejuvenated.

A quarter-century ago, Nicklaus became the most popular winner of the Masters ever. At 46, with thunderclaps of cheers spurring him on through the back nine on Masters Sunday, he won his 18th and last professional major. Babe Ruth, it was said, had hit another home run.

Tiger can't go yard anymore, though. But after looking ordinary for 25 holes, he proved Friday that he could still hit the fairways and make the big putts.

He will be a better person if he can pay his karmic debt by mastering himself. A gracious Nicklaus noted earlier in the week that we are taught to forgive and wished Woods well. Fans will of course forgive him as soon as he wins.

He has gotten to Saturday, Moving Day as it is called, in the hunt, only three shots back after a 6-under 66. Ahead is Masters Sunday and perhaps a calendar turning from a self-destructive past to a brighter tomorrow.

The "Voice of the Cavs" Joe Tait, who is retiring at the end of the season after 39 years of calling games, was honored before the start of the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Chicago Bulls. He began his 39 years behind the microphone in 1970.

Eric Wedge is six games into his managerial career with the Mariners. His team is 2-4 and he’s already butting heads with a veteran player, but he says he’s never felt more confident as a manager.

View full sizeCharlie Riedel l Associated PressFormer Indians manager Eric Wedge, now with the Mariners, says he's happy to be in Seattle, but he's not too happy with infielder Jack Wilson at the moment.

SEATTLE, Wash. — Eric Wedge is six games into his new job as manager of the Seattle Mariners and things are already percolating.

No, that does not mean he's going head-to-head with Milton Bradley. Seattle's left fielder, in fact, is off to a good start. He's hitting .333 (8-for-24) with three doubles in six games.

The player Wedge is not happy with is Jack Wilson. The veteran shortstop was moved to second base late in spring training. In Wednesday's loss to Texas, Wilson made two errors in the third inning and was removed from the game.

After the game, Wedge said he removed Wilson because he was a "little hazy." The media speculated that Wedge may have been upset with Wilson and removed him from the game because of his poor defense.

View full sizeAPJack Wilson, above, will have to work to get out of Eric Wedge's doghouse.

In his seven years as Indians manager, Wedge rarely criticized a player. When he did, it was always well thought out. Seldom did his emotions get away from him.

On Friday, before the Mariners home opener against the Indians, Wedge was asked about Wilson. In no uncertain terms, he said, "I think there was some confusion with that. I tried to protect Jack by saying he's a little hazy. I never made mention of the fact that I took him out of the game."

Then Wedge added the zinger, "I did not take him out of the game, he took himself out of the game."

Wilson, apparently, didn't feel he could handle second base.

"Robby Thompson [bench coach] and I wanted to be fair," Wedge said. "We asked him if he could go back out. He didn't feel like he could do that."

When asked what he thought of a player who took himself out of a game, thus leaving his manager and teammates shorthanded, Wedge said, "It's unspeakable."

The next question focused on Wilson's future with the team.

"It's a good question, but I'm not going to say anything," Wedge said.

Wilson is in the second year of a $10 million contract.

Wedge said he didn't initially realize that the Mariners played the Indians in their home opener.

"But about 20 people have pointed that out to me," he said with a laugh. "That's the irony of baseball.

"For me, the special part of this is being here in Seattle, in this city, where I now make my home, and being in this ballpark, which is our home. That means more to me than anything.

"It's a beginning. I'm as confident as I've ever been as a manager with an organization and with a particular ballclub. That's special."

The Indians fired Wedge late in the 2009 season. He sat out the 2010 season, collecting the final year on his contract with the Indians. This past off-season, he interviewed with several teams before signing a three-year deal with the Mariners.

"I enjoyed playing for Eric," said DH Travis Hafner. "He's intense, brings good leadership and makes sure you play the game the right way.

"I think he'll do a great job in Seattle. He's great at instilling a winning attitude and an expectation to win. I expect him to be successful here."

Wedge has surrounded himself with familiar faces from his days in Cleveland. Robby Thompson is his bench coach, Carl Willis is his pitching coach and Jeff Datz is his third base coach.

When catcher Adam Moore went down with a knee injury on Wednesday, Chris Gimenez was called up from Class AAA Tacoma, Wash., to replace him. Gimenez was a Wedge favorite with the Indians.

Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, another former Indian, is on the disabled list with stomach gastritis.

The Mariners are built around Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. Wedge managed Cy Young winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee with the Indians.

"All those guys are great, special, but Felix is different with the stuff he has," Wedge said.

View full sizeAP file"Bronze" glove outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Remembering Manny: Indians second baseman Orlando Cabrera played with Manny Ramirez in 2004 when Boston won the World Series.

He was surprised when Ramirez retired on Friday from the Tampa Bay Rays rather than face a 100-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance for the second time since 2009.

"He was a good teammate. A great guy," Cabrera said. "A very smart player. I learned a lot from him."

Cabrera added: "Manny was different. He was a guy of multiple personalities."

Sometimes those personalities came to light on the field.

Cabrera remembers a game in which Ramirez messed up a play in left field.

"Curt Schilling is on the mound," Cabrera said. "He comes to the dugout frustrated and says, 'What the hell is going on?' Manny comes to the dugout laughing. He saw my glove and grabbed it and says 'Gold Glove.' He raises his glove and says 'Bronze Glove.'

"Then he looks at Schilling and says, 'I got a bronze glove.' Schilling is so mad that he starts laughing. Then Manny goes up later in the game and hits a grand slam. Schilling said: 'That's why I can't say anything. I know he's got a way to fix things and that's the way he does it.'"

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

Semih Erden plays his first game since March 6, and the predictable result involves too much thinking while logging four fouls in 12 minutes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — According to Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, if a player is thinking too much, he's not playing good basketball. Starting small forward Alonzo Gee has been playing better in recent weeks, in part, Scott believes, because he has been merely reacting to the game. He hasn't been thinking.

Scott fully anticipated Semih Erden to think too much Friday, when the 6-11 center played his first game for the Cavaliers since March 6. And that's why he wasn't expecting much more than Erden playing a few minutes to test the strained groin that has limited him to one game since he was acquired in a trade-deadline deal from Boston.

"Most guys do [think too much], especially rookies," Scott said. "When they're on the floor they try to get everything right, they don't want to mess up. They're trying to think of where they go, what they need to do. This game is a very instinctive game. If you can be on the basketball court without thinking so much and just reacting, you become so much better as a basketball player."

Which is probably why Erden earned four fouls and scored two points on 1-for-2 shooting in just 12 minutes of play Friday.

Still, the Cavaliers are interested to see what Erden can do, mostly because the team's only other true center is Ryan Hollins. The rookie from Turkey will need shoulder surgery in the off-season, but it is his strained groin that has held him out of Cavaliers games for a month.

Scott will assess Erden's pain level after Friday's game, but he hopes the center can play in the final four games of the season.

"I just want to try to play and I want to see where I am on the court," Erden said. "I just want to see where my pain is."

Erden had the opportunity to play against Turkish countryman Omer Asik, the Chicago Bulls rookie, in his return to the court. Erden said he has a much different game than Asik, with one major difference.

View full sizePDJoe Tait now has a banner hanging from the rafters in The Q.

"I'm better," he said with a laugh.

Joe Tait night: The Cavaliers honored longtime broadcaster Joe Tait before tipoff by unveiling a banner that will hang next to retired Cavaliers numbers at The Q. Tait, who has been the radio voice for the Cavaliers for 39 years, is retiring at the conclusion of this season. The banner reads, "Joe Tait, Voice of the Cavaliers," and lists "39 seasons" above his name.

Tait missed most of this season after undergoing cardiac bypass surgery and recovering from the procedure. He returned to call the final five home games of the season.

Although Tait said he's already planning a relaxing retirement, he said he doesn't have plans for a special sign-off for Wednesday's season finale.

"I don't think I'll say anything out of the ordinary," Tait said. "I'll just sign off like I usually do, and head for home."

Eyenga out, Manny in: Forward Christian Eyenga didn't play against Toronto on Wednesday, and Scott said it was to send a message to the rookie. Eyenga missed back-to-back defensive assignments one game earlier, immediately after Scott told him how to play the scheme, he said. Eyenga's loss was Manny Harris' gain as the rookie guard earned his first significant playing time since a March 23 game against New Jersey.

Scott said Harris will stay in the rotation for now.

"I like Manny because he does what I ask him to do defensively," Scott said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

Joe Tait's excellent career is capped by his induction into the Cavaliers' Legends club, Terry Pluto writes.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerJoe Tait acknowledges a standing ovation from fans, and broadcast partner Jim Chones, at Friday's Cavaliers game.

In front of Joe Tait was former Cavalier Bingo Smith in a wheelchair.

On one side of the Cavs radio broadcaster was Jim Chones, on the other were Campy Russell and Austin Carr. Also in the group were Harry Davis and Elmore Smith.

"Hey, Campy," said Tait. "Bill Fitch saw you the other day on TV and wanted to know if you were auditioning to be a Baptist minister in that suit!"

Everyone laughed not only at Tait's message, but the memory of Fitch. He was the Cavs' first coach, the man who hired Tait in 1970 to broadcast the games.

Forty-one years later, these former players gathered to welcome Tait to Cavs Legends Club, presenting him with a team leather jacket.

"Now, it's official," said Tait. "I'm an old guy."

Tait is 73. This is his final season as the Cavs broadcaster.

"The other day, I figured it out," he said. "It will be 3,670 games. I counted all the preseason games, and my seven years doing the Rockers [of the WNBA]."

The Cavs final game is Wednesday, and it also will be Tait's last. It will be only the fifth game for Tait this season, as he recovered from major heart surgery. He will come to one more game with one more of his trademark sweaters.

"I looked in my closet the other day and I had more than 100 sweaters," he said. "Jeanie [Tait's wife] picked out the last five for the final games."

Tait has mixed feelings about all the attention he's received. He said he "absolutely hated it" when there was a news conference with all the cameras aimed at him.

Right before Friday's Cavs game with the Bulls, the team honored Tait by placing his banner next to that of Carr and the other Cavs who have had their numbers retired. Tait received a long standing ovation. He waved to the crowd, and truly did appreciate their applause.

But in the spotlight, Tait seemed to bite down on his lower lip . . . stared at his scorecard -- and couldn't wait for the real action to begin.

He never saw himself as part of the game. He was just someone to tell the fans about the game. That's what made him a Hall of Fame broadcaster.

About an hour before the game, Tait sat quietly in The Q radio room. He was waiting for Byron Scott to arrive so they could tape the pregame coach's show.

Tait had just left the Cavs Legends, inspiring him to tell stories.

"In our second season [1971-72], to save money on the road, the team rented three station wagons to transport the players instead of a bus," he said. "I drove one. [Assistant coach] Jimmy Rodgers drove one, and Bill Fitch drove the third with the rookies. We had just gotten blown out in Cincinnati, and I was driving Bingo Smith and a few other guys back to the hotel."

Tait paused.

"Suddenly, Bingo starts crying," Tait said. "I asked him what was wrong. He said, 'Joe, are we ever going to win another game?' I felt so bad for him."

Those first expansion seasons were much like this one as the Cavs took the court with a 17-61 record Friday. They were 15-67, then 23-59. In his 39 seasons, the Cavs had only 18 winning records. Only eight times did they reach the second round of the playoffs.

Smith was an original Cavalier. He is now 65 and has battled strokes and other health problems.

"I think about Bingo and those other guys from the first years," Tait said. "Maybe I'm just getting old, but they seemed to care more than many guys do today."

The station wagon story led to another Tait tale. He had invited two players to his house for Thanksgiving -- forwards Dwight Davis and Cornell Warner.

Davis arrived in Tait's driveway, stepping out of the car.

Right behind him was Warner, who brought his mother along.

"Suddenly, our two German shepherds saw Dwight, and they ran right at him," said Tait. "Poor Dwight. He got so scared, he jumped right on top of the roof of his car. The dogs were barking, he was shaking up there when I came out of the house."

Keep in mind that Davis was 6-foot-8, 220 pounds.

"The best part was Cornell Warner," said Tait. "He didn't speak three words all year, but he was laughing so hard, tears were coming down his face. His mother was next to him, telling Cornell to quit making fun of Dwight. But Cornell couldn't stop laughing."

Tait explained that on holidays, he and the coaches would invite players to their homes when they seemed to need some company.

"It's was different back then," he said.

Carr hugged Tait after he put on the legends jacket. Carr was the team's No. 1 draft choice in 1971, the same season that Bingo Smith cried in the station wagon.

"Austin was in an English class at Notre Dame when someone came in and told A.C. that he was the No. 1 pick in the draft," said Tait. "No party. He was in school."

Tait was quiet, thinking about all the hype over today's draft.

"You'd never know it now, but A.C. didn't say three words when he came to the team," said Tait. "I did an eight-minute interview with him, and he spoke about 40 seconds. I had to fill in the rest. I didn't interview him for the rest of his rookie season.

"The next year, he scored 30-some points in Detroit. I had to interview him. I asked him one question, and he went on for six minutes. I swear, he hasn't shut up since."

Tait then laughed.

Chones, Carr and Russell are all members of the Cavs' broadcasting team. None are from Cleveland. All played elsewhere after their time with the Cavs. But all came back to Northeast Ohio to make it home, as did other Legends Club members -- Elmore Smith, Bingo Smith and Harry Davis,

"None of those guys wanted to be traded," Tait said. "They wanted to play here, and they wanted to stay here. They connected with the fans. They are homebodies."

Tait is proud of what the players did after their careers were over. He relates more to athletes who remember when it was a battle for the NBA to stay in existence. That was when the money wasn't huge and an overblown sense of entitlement was not tolerated by coaches such as Fitch.

It was when Tait was hired by Fitch for $100 a game.

Tait said that he still believes he does a "solid job" broadcasting the games, but the game doesn't mean as much to him as it once did.

He was asked by a reporter what he will miss about the job when he's retired next season.

Tait couldn't come up with an answer.

Breaking the silence, he finally said: "I guess that shows I've done enough. I've squeezed all the juice out of the lemon that I can. Now, I'll just sit back and enjoy the lemonade."

The Cavaliers aren’t trying to finish with the worst record in the NBA, but they fall to the top team in the East on Friday, the Chicago Bulls, 93-82. The Bulls clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers -- unlike their fans -- aren't keeping an eye on their overall record, which fell to 17-62 when they dropped a 93-82 decision to the Chicago Bulls at The Q on Friday. The Bulls won the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference with the victory, a rise from the eighth playoff seed to the top in a single season.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are close to securing the league's overall worst record, which would guarantee them the best chance at obtaining the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. They're equal to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with three games remaining for both teams.

But they're going to fight until the end. They'll hold MVP candidate Derrick Rose to 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting. They'll cut the lead to single digits with two minutes left. They'll work in a promising center like 6-11 rookie Semih Erden to see how he might fit in. And they'll be angry that 16 turnovers led to 16 Bulls points, that little mistakes here and there helped Chicago secure the victory and ended the Cavaliers' modest two-game winning streak.

"I'm not into losing," Cavaliers guard Baron Davis said. "I don't think nobody in this organization is into losing. We're not trying to lose to get no pick. That's why it's called a lottery -- you're not guaranteed to win. We want to end this season on a good note. As far as I'm concerned, and everyone in this locker room is, we're not satisfied with no moral victories and we're not satisfied with hope. Each win, each loss is an opportunity to learn, to grow and get better for next year. In no way, shape or form are we trying to lose basketball games."

Cleveland fans anxiously watch the record, even as the Cavaliers, themselves, are hopeful that small improvements at the end of this season can materialize into improved play overall.

Against the Bulls, it meant using combinations of guards Anthony Parker, Daniel Gibson and Davis to defend Rose more successfully than anyone has since he scored 12 points on March 12 against Atlanta.

The game turned into a battle of power forwards, as the Cavaliers were led by J.J. Hickson's 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Carlos Boozer had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls.

But against the top defensive team in the league -- the Bulls hold opponents to 43 percent shooting -- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was distressed most by his team's 16 turnovers. Each time the Cavaliers cut the Chicago lead to something manageable, the Bulls immediately rattled off a run or the Cavaliers gave the ball to Chicago.

With the Bulls leading, 58-53, in the third quarter, forward Alonzo Gee turned the ball over. At 62-57, Parker turned the ball over. Out-manned by the Bulls, Chicago maintained a double-digit lead through the fourth quarter until Gee cut it to 91-82 with 1:21 left. The Cavs would get no closer.

"We didn't help ourselves," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "You can't give a team that good that many opportunities."

The Bulls are the No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference for the first time since 1997-98 -- the last time they won an NBA title -- and Cleveland favorite Joakim Noah had no problem relating he was happy to leave Northeast Ohio.

"No. 1 and now we're going to the sun," Noah said. "We're going to Orlando [Florida, next game]. We haven't seen the sun in a long time. That's what I meant."

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, head to Milwaukee for the first of their final three games against teams with losing records. Minnesota, meanwhile, the team Cleveland is battling for the worst record in the league, has three games against Western Conference opponents remaining, two of which have winning records.

On a night where longtime broadcaster Joe Tait was honored with the raising of a banner to the rafters of The Q, as the Cavaliers took one step closer to improving their chances in the lottery, all the Cavs could focus on was how close they came to knocking off the top team in the East.

"It's a good measuring stick for us," Davis said. "We know that we could have played better and made it a tougher game had we cleaned up a little of the unforced errors."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

Travis Hafner, Carlos Santana and Orlando Cabrera had two hits each in Indians 10-run fourth inning to lead Seattle, 11-0..

SEATTLE -- After scoring 10 runs on 10 hits in the fourth inning Friday night as Safeco Field, the Indians scored one run on a strikeout in the fifth inning. When you're hot, you're hot.

Matt LaPorta started the fifth with a walk. He went to second on Michael Brantley's single and scored as Asdrubal Cabrera struck out. When the Tom Wilelmsen wild pitch got past catcher Miguel Olivo for a third strike against Cabrera, LaPorta went to third. He scored when Olivo's throw to second in an attempt to get Brantley sailed into center fielder for an 11-0 lead.

The Indians, ruining the Mariners home opener in a big way, held a 12-1 lead after six innings.

It was a tight game for three innings with the Tribe leading, 1-0, on the strength of Asdrubal Cabrera's first-inning homer off lefty Jason Vargas. Then the Indians went to work in the fourth.

They didn't hit Vargas hard, but they hit him a lot. If this was a fight, he would have been stopped on cuts. In baseball cuts come in the form of broken-bat and bloop singles.

Shin-Soo Choo opened with a bloop single to right. Carlos Santana followed with a single off shortstop Brendan Ryan's glove. Travis Hafner sent a broken-bat single into center field to make it 2-0.

Orlando Cabrera made it 3-0 with a bloop single to left center. Austin Kearns finally lined a double to left for a 4-0 lead. Matt LaPorta's sacrifice fly made it 5-0. When former Mariner Jack Hannahan followed with an RBI single, Vargas was done.

Wilhelmsen relieved, but offered no help.

Brantley greeted him with a single before Asdrubal Cabrera struck out. After Choo walked, Santana sent a soft single to right for his second hit of the inning to make it 7-0. Finally, Hafner added an exclamation point.

He hammered a ball high and deep off the glass facing of the restuarant in the upper deck in right field for a three-run homer and a 11-0 lead. It was Hafner's second hit of the inning second homer of the season.

Orlando Cabrera also had two hits in the inning.

The last time the Indians scored 10 runs in an inning was on April 18, 2009.  They dropped 14-0 on the Bombers in the second inning.

Carlos Carrasco held the Mariners scoreless on two hits through four innings. He lost the shutout when Ichiro Suzuki singled home a run in the fifth.  

Rory McIlroy goes into the weekend at the Masters with a two-stroke lead, but all eyes will be on the guy who's three shots back, Tiger Woods, in a position that used to be more familiar.

View full sizeJeff Siner l Charlotte ObserverRory McIlroy is alone at the top of the leaderboard at 10 under par heading into today's third round.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The fist kept pumping. The cheers kept growing. The ball kept dropping.

In the fading sunlight of Augusta National, Tiger Woods finally looked like himself again.

Rory McIlroy goes into the weekend at the Masters with a two-stroke lead, a worthy reward for two superb days of golf by the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland, one of several young guns making noise here.

But all eyes will be on the guy who's three shots back, in a position that used to be more familiar. Woods shot a 6-under 66 Friday, his best round at the Masters since he captured the last of his four green jackets in 2005.

"I've played myself back in the championship," he said.

Woods hasn't gone this low at the Masters since he shot 65 in the third round of the '05 tournament, when he went on to beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff. A lot has changed since then. Woods is mired in the longest winless streak of his career -- 20 tournaments over 17 months -- and he's still dogged by a sex scandal that ended his marriage and tarnished his image.

View full sizeAPDefending champ Phil Mickelson is struggling and is eight shots behind the leader.

After a sluggish start to the second round, Woods got going with three straight birdies around the turn, a perilous par save at the 11th, then strung together three more birdies through the middle of the back nine.

Woods just missed making it four in a row, pushing a slick putt at No. 16 wide of the cup. But he ended with a flourish, knocking his approach at 18 from under the trees to within 10 feet of the pin. He rolled that one in and pumped his fist one last time.

"Anytime you shoot 66 in a major, it's going to be good," Woods said. "I'm very pleased about that. Very pleased."

McIlroy, meanwhile, fretted about an errant chip that nearly slid into the water, a few putts that didn't fall on the back nine. That's about it.

The shaggy-haired kid put together another strong round, shooting a 69 that left him at 10-under 134 midway through the year's first major.

"I drove it good. I gave myself a lot of opportunities. I just didn't make as many putts as I would've liked on the back nine," McIlroy said. "But I can't really complain. I'm in the lead going to the weekend at the Masters."

He's clearly gotten over any bad memories from last year's British Open, where he opened with a 63 and fell apart the next day in a howling wind to shoot 80.

McIlroy went 29 holes here before he made his first bogey, at the picturesque 12th hole, where his tee shot plopped into a bunker and he couldn't get up and down. Otherwise, he showed a maturity beyond his years.

Among those he will be trying to hold off is Woods, who played in the next-to-last group and got off to a rough start. His very first tee shot found a bunker, leading to bogey. He took another bogey with a weak chip at No. 3, the shortest par-4 on the course. Then another with three putts at the seventh.

Then, suddenly, he resembled the Tiger of old.

"I just kept staying patient," Woods said. "That's all I was trying to do."

McIlroy will be paired in the final group today with one of his playing partners from the first two days, Jason Day.

The 23-year-old Australian is another of golf's up-and-comers, and he showed no respect for a course he's playing for the first time this week. Day made eight birdies in the best round of the tournament, a 64 that sent him surging up the leaderboard. He's only two shots behind McIlroy's 10-under 134 total.

The third member of their group, 22-year-old Californian Rickie Fowler, also was in contention.

Meanwhile, defending champ Phil Mickelson has a lot of work to do.

He scrambled for a 70 in the first round despite hitting fewer fairways than anyone in the 99-player field. His erratic play continued Friday, as he shot a 72 that left him eight shots back.

The world's top-ranked player was heading home.

PGA champion Martin Kaymer played better after an opening 78, but even a closing birdie for a 72 wasn't nearly enough to end his Augusta misery. He's never made the cut in the year's first major, missing out for the fourth time in a row.

Rob Klinkhammer has a goal and an assist Friday to lead the IceHogs to a 4-2 win over Lake Erie.

Klinkhammer had a goal and an assist Friday to lead the IceHogs to a 4-2 win over Lake Erie on Friday in Rockford, Ill. In five games against the Monsters this season, Klinkhammer has two goals and six assists.

He opened the scoring Friday with a goal at 13:45 of the first period. The Monsters' Julian Talbot scored with 10 seconds left in the period to tie the score, 1-1.

Rockford scored three times in the second period against Monsters goalie John Grahame.

The Monsters' Matthew Ford scored a shorthanded goal at 4:41 of the third period for the final margin. Ford has 23 goals this season, tying him with Mark Olver for the team lead. Olver is now playing with the Colorado Avalanche.

Lake Erie, in third place of the Western Conference North Division and with playoff spot in hand, fell three points behind first-place Hamilton, which beat Manitoba, 6-3, on Friday night.

The Monsters are at The Q tonight to play their final home game of the regular season against Abbotsford. First puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

The Clippers, Aeros, Captains and Kinston Indians get victories.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 3, Indians 2 Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall homered, doubled and drove in two runs to lead Columbus past host Indianapolis in International League action Friday.

Jeanmar Gomez (1-0, 3.18) started and got the win for Columbus. The right-hander pitched 5 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four.

Jensen Lewis gave up two hits and a walk in the ninth but still earned his second save.

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 6, Mets 4 Akron left fielder Donnie Webb socked his first home run of the season, center fielder Jordan Henry had two hits and two RBI, and the Aeros beat Binghamton in an Eastern League game at Canal Park.

The Aeros scored four runs in the sixth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit.

Akron right-handed starter Joe Gardner (1-0, 4.50) allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits and four walks in six innings. He fanned three.

Closer Cory Burns struck out the side in the ninth to earn his first save.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 7, Dash 6 Second baseman Ron Rivas had three hits, including a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth as the K-Tribe rallied to win its Carolina League opener over visiting Winston-Salem.

Lefty Drew Pomeranz started for Kinston and pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out nine.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 2, Loons 1 Lefty Mike Rayl (1-0) allowed one hit in five scoreless innings and RF Jason Smit had two hits, including a triple, to lead Lake County past Great Lakes in a Midwest League game in Midland, Mich.

The Captains led, 1-0, with one out in the ninth when Smit tripled. With LF Brian Heere batting, the Loons' catcher tried to pick off Smit and threw wildly, allowing Smit to score the unearned run.

DH Tyler Cannon drove in the first Captains run with a single in the sixth inning.

Dan Kane of Rocky River recalls sticking it out with his father and two older brothers and seeing what may have been George Hendrick's best game.

View full sizeGeorge Hendrick

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 responded. The five finalists and winner were featured during the week leading up to Opening Day. All season long, The Plain Dealer will publish other fan memories -- one each day the Indians are scheduled to play. Here is today's essay by Dan Kane of Rocky River.

I have been an Indians season-ticket holder since the last year of Cleveland Municipal Stadium (1993). But it was a game played 20 years earlier that has forever stood out as my most unforgettable game. It was June 19, 1973, and my father took me and my two older brothers to the game against the Tigers that night. He would take us to a handful of games a year, usually in the bleachers.

While the night began like one of our typical nights at the game, it hardly ended that way. While sitting in the bleachers early in the game, it began to rain. There were only about 3,000 fans at the game, so the Indians allowed those in the bleachers to move into the general grandstand where there was a roof.

As the game moved into the middle innings and the Tigers leading, 7-2, and the rain continuing to fall, most of the sparse crowd had already left. With only about 500 people left in the stadium, my brothers and I decided to venture down to field box seats. We had never sat in seats anywhere close to this in our life. We were in heaven!

Not only that, the Indians had started an improbable comeback led by George Hendrick. He had homered in the first and fourth innings, and we were up close to see his third solo homer in the sixth. When he batted in the eighth, he was intentionally walked (to a scattering of boos) while the Indians tied the game at 7. The game reached full drama in the bottom of the ninth when the Indians loaded the bases and guess who came to the plate?

With the game still tied, I sarcastically mentioned to my brothers (my Dad had remained in the grandstand seats) "They can't walk him now!" The way the evening unfolded, we just knew something special was going to happen. And it did. Hendrick delivered a game-winning single and we all went crazy. I remember my brothers and I talking about this game the rest of the summer.

It was without a doubt George Hendrick's greatest game, and, while this happened 38 years ago, it remains my most unforgettable day at an Indians game.

Hrovat is seeded third at 185 pounds for today's U.S. Open Championships at Public Hall in Cleveland.

View full sizeEd Wray l AP file photoAndy Hrovat, right, wrestles in the U.S. Open Championships today in Cleveland for the first time since 2008.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland native Andy Hrovat looked around his new home wrestling room in Vladikavkaz, Russia, one day recently and tallied the number of international medals won by guys who were training with him.

"I counted 26 world and Olympic medals won by different guys who were just practicing on a Friday, which was a light time in our schedule," Hrovat said.

That, in a nutshell, explains why Hrovat left the United States last year and took up residence in the Caucus Mountains region of Ossetia. Hrovat said he needed a new outlook after a stunning loss at the 2008 Olympics.

"I just needed a change. I've done everything I can in the U.S.," he said. "To have guys who have five world medals or three world medals teaching me strategy, technique and tactics, it can't get any better. There's only two guys who have won [freestyle] medals in the whole U.S. [since 2009]."

Has it helped Hrovat? We'll find out today at Public Hall where Hrovat, known as "Silent H," wrestles in the U.S. Open Championships for the first time since 2008. Wrestling resumes at 10 a.m. today. The men's freestyle and Greco-Roman and women's freestyle finals are at 7 tonight.

Hrovat, a two-time state champ at St. Edward, grew up in the North Collinwood neighborhood and his family has about 60 tickets for today's action. Hrovat is seeded third at 185 pounds, and on Friday he made that weight for the first time in two years. The No. 1 seed is 2009 world silver medalist Jake Herbert. Hrovat had been wrestling at 211.5 pounds.

"I was getting hurt too much [at 211.5]," he said. "In the long run, I thought [185] was best weight for me to win the world and Olympic title."

Hrovat, 31, was considered a good bet to reach at least the 2008 Olympic semifinals, but lost in a major first-round upset. He often watches the match, in part because of a conversation he later had with former decathlete Dave Johnson, whose 1992 gold-medal hopes were ruined when he failed to make height in the pole vault at the Olympic trials and he didn't make the team.

"He told me that he watched it every day before practice. It was the best thing he could do because it kept him motivated and you can't take anything for granted. You can't hide from it," Hrovat said. "It's hard to know that you were right there, and I was eight seconds away from putting myself in a position to get a medal, so I watch it. It's something you don't want to hide."

Hrovat had a bye into today's round of 16.

In Greco-Roman action Friday, Akron native Harry Lester slipped off a faded, blue Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy wrestling T-shirt and barely creased his singlet as he cruised into today's 145.5-pound semifinals with a pair of technical falls. He did not give up a point. Lurking in the other semifinal is Massillon Perry grad C.P. Schlatter.

"It's great to be home," Lester said.

More than 2,000 are expected for tonight's finals, which will end with the most anticipated weight class, men's freestyle heavyweight (264.5 pounds). The weight is so deep that 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco is seeded fifth and his quarterfinal opponent could be former Ohio State two-time NCAA champ Tommy Rowlands, the fourth seed. Based on a couple of recent international tournament wins, the favorite could be Rowlands' Columbus-based training partner, 2009 world bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev, who is seeded second. Defending Open champ Les Sigman is the No. 1 seed.

Friday also saw the return of two-time freestyle world medalist Cary Kolat, who won both his matches. Kolat, 37, last wrestled at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and was a 2000 Olympian.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661