Manager Manny Acta called catch Lou Marson's pivotal throwing error in the eighth inning Monday night, "a good play, just a bad throw."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As bad as Fausto Carmona pitched Monday night against the Rockies, he did not allow the deciding run to cross the plate.

OK, so he did allow the first seven of Colorado's runs in its 8-7 victory over the Tribe. No.8 came on catcher Lou Marson's attempted pick-off throw to first base
in the eighth inning that sailed down the right field line and allowed Charlie Blackmon to score from second base.

Manager Manny Acta said Marson and first baseman Carlos Santana had the play set up perfectly except for the throwing error.

"It was a good play, just a bad throw," said Acta. "They had the guy at first base. They put the play on together. Hey, be aggressive. No guts, no glory.

"The catcher and first baseman work that out among themselves. They have their own signs."

With Blackmon on first and Chris Iannetta on first, Frank Herrmann struck out Chris Nelson. Marson stepped out from behind the plate and threw to first to try and get Iannetta as he dove back to first. Marson's throw, however, was high and wide.

Ides of June: June is not a good month for hitting coaches in Cleveland.

Jon Nunnally was fired Saturday. Hall of Famer Eddie Murray got it on June 4, 2005 when the Indians were in Chicago.

Each time, the manager pulled the trigger. Acta wanted a change and just about said so Thursday following a 6-2 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. Former manager Eric Wedge fired Murray, but he didn't leave a trail of bread crumbs like Acta.

After Murray was fired, the Indians won 12 of their next 13 games. Twelve of those games were against the National League. They won 93 games that year, going into the final weekend of the season with a chance to make the postseason.

Nunnally was fired at the start of an interleague stretch of 15 games, including nine on the road. The Indians are 2-1 in interleague play since Nunnally was fired entering Tuesday night's game against the Rockies.

Say this for Nunnally, he worked hard at his job. If he wasn't in the batting cage with his hitters, he was on the way to it.

Tonight's lineups:

Rockies (36-36): CF Carlos Gonzalez (L), 2B Jonathan Herrera (S), 1B Todd Helton (L), SS Troy Tulowitzki (R), DH Jason Giambi (L), RF Seth Smith (L), 3B Ty Wigginton (R), LF Charlie Blackmon (L), C Chris Iannetta (R), RHP Jhoulys Chacin (8-4, 2.81).  

Indians (39-32): CF Michael Brantley (L), 2B Cord Phelps (S), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), 1B Carlos Santana (S), LF Travis Buck (L), 3B Jack Hannahan (L), C Lou Marson, RHP Mitch Talbot (2-4, 5.02).

Him vs. me: Wigginton is 2-for-3 with two homers against Talbot. He's the only Colorado player to face Talbot.

Orlando Cabrera is 2-for-3 against Chacin. He's the only player to face him.

Left-right: Lefties are hitting .419 (31-for-74) with two homers and righties are hitting .228 (18-for-79) with five homers against Talbot. The Rockies have six lefties and switch-hitters in the lineup.

Lefties are hitting .207 (36-for-174) with six homers and righties are hitting .184 (30-for-163) with five homers against Chacin.

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

Quote of the day: "The best umpired game is the game in which the fans cannot recall the umpires who worked it," Bill Klem, the first umpire inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Next: RHP Josh Tomlin (8-4, 3.93) will face Colorado RHP Jason Hammel (3-6, 3.65) Wednesday night at 7:05. WTAM and STO will carry the game.

For the Cavs, the No. 1 pick isn't a slam dunk -- it's point guard Kyrie Irving.

View full sizeMark J. Terrill, Associated PressDuke point guard Kyrie Irving should be the No. 1 pick -- the Cavaliers' pick -- in Thursday's NBA Draft.

With the top pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, the Cavaliers should select Duke's Kyrie Irving.

Immediately, some of the Derrick Williams fans are revving up their emails to rip Irving and defend their favorite player. This is not about what Williams can't do as much as it's about what Irving will do for the Cavaliers in a point guard-driven league.

As Cavs coach Byron Scott said after meeting Irving -- he's a legitimate 6-3. Guards listed at 6-3 are often closer to 6-1. You can imagine Scott thinking about how he can play Irving with Baron Davis during serious stretches of a game.

Irving is the first freshman to start his initial Duke game at the point since Jason Williams in 1999. Before that, you have to go back to Bob Hurley in 1989.

It's true that neither of those players made the impact expected of them in the NBA, but both had serious injuries early in their careers. Besides, this is not about how Duke players have failed as pros . . . and that Grant Hill guy wasn't too bad.

The real point is Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn't like to put the ball in the hands of freshman point guards. But he did with Irving.

That not only is a testimony to Irving's ability, but also to his maturity.

Irving responded with some the most remarkable shooting statistics I've seen from a major-college freshman point guard: 52 percent from the field, 46 percent on 3-pointers and 90 percent from the foul line. He averaged 17.5 points on only 9.5 shot attempts per game.

He is a right-handed point guard who drives better to his left -- a huge advantage in a league where the natural tendency is to defend players to the right.

While Irving is a strong jump shooter, his top strength may be a sneaky crossover dribble that allows him to reach the rim -- and draw fouls, then go to the line where he shoots 90 percent.

Point guard Derrick Rose has made a contender out of the Chicago Bulls. Chris Paul turned New Orleans into a playoff team. Even the Cavs were a better team with the crafty Davis at the point, despite his cranky knees and aching back.

Just as important as picking Brad Daugherty with the No. 1 pick in the 1986 to making those Cavs contenders was the No. 25 selection in that draft -- 6-0 point guard Mark Price, who Dallas traded to the Cavs on draft day.

Effective NBA point guards must be scoring threats. Consider the scoring averages for Rose (25.0), Russell Westbrook (21.9), Tony Parker (17.5), Stephon Curry (18.6) and Paul (15.8). Ten starting point guards averaged at least 15 points per game.

One of the concerns about Irving is he played only 11 games and 303 minutes at Duke. He had a significant turf-toe injury, which cost him nearly three months on the court.

But in Duke's biggest game of the season, Irving delivered.

Yes, it was Williams who had the game of his life when Arizona upset Duke, 93-77. The forward had 32 points, shooting 11-of-17 from the field (5-of-6 on 3-pointers) and grabbing 13 rebounds.

And yes, Williams was more impressive than Irving.

But the freshman was still very, very good. Playing only his third game after missing 26 with the toe injury, Irving had 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 8-of-9 from the foul line.

Williams struggled against Texas and UConn in the NCAA Tournament, two teams with tall front lines. He averaged 18.5 points, but shot 9-of-27 (33 percent) from the field and 1-of-9 on 3 pointers.

The good news is when Williams' outside shot is missing in action, he can drive to the basket -- he was 18-of-27 from the foul line in the Texas and UConn games. On the season, he was a 75 percent free-throw shooter.

He was 4-of-16 on 3-pointers as a freshman, and took a massive leap forward by shooting 42-of-74 (57 percent) on 3-pointers last season.

There is no debate among NBA scouts that the 6-8 248-pound Williams can score at small forward, but they wonder if he can defend the elite athletes at that spot.

The consensus among NBA scouts is that Irving is a pure point guard.

So the Cavs should take Irving, but I do have this dream -- somehow, they find a way to also draft Williams.

Don't think it would happen? Maybe not, but I never thought they would be picking as high as No. 1 and No. 4 in this draft.

This much is certain: Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager Chris Grant will be working hard to try to turn these two picks into Irving and Williams, the perfect way to move out of the LeBron James era.

Will the one-time No. 1 ever fully recapture his dominating ways?

View full sizeTony Dejak, Associated PressWill Tiger Woods ever return to his dominating form? Tim Rogers doubts it.

Hey, T.R.: Do you think Tiger Woods will be able to return to the game at the same level as when he left it, or is he pretty much done? -- Mark Malloy, North Royalton

Hey, Mark: Do I think Tiger is done? No. Do I think he will dominate the game as he did from 1999 to 2009? No. There is too much talent out there, too many Rory McIlroys, Matt Kuchars, Bubba Watsons, Dustin Johnsons, Nick Watneys and Martin Kaymers. I don't think any of them are capable of reaching the superstar status that Woods reached. But, they are good enough collectively to prevent anyone from dominating.

I will say this: I like McIroy's game and demeanor ever since I saw him play in the Junior Ryder Cup at Westfield Country Club in 2004.

-- Tim Rogers

Taylor grew up in the Greater Cleveland Junior Golf Scholarship Fund program, and is an LPGA apprentice golf professional at Seneca and Shawnee Hills golf courses.

View full sizeTiger Woods was an inspiration for LPGA apprentice pro Jamie Taylor, but Nancy Lopez remains a role model.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nine questions with Jamie Taylor, who grew up in the Greater Cleveland Junior Golf Scholarship Fund program and is now an LPGA apprentice golf professional at Seneca and Shawnee Hills golf courses, both in Cleveland.

Taylor, 27, will play in the organization's fundraiser on Monday at Stonewater Golf Club in Highland Heights, along with Football Hall Of Famers Gale Sayers and Kellen Winslow Sr., and former Chicago Bulls star Brad Sellers.

Q: You've come back to where you began when opportunities existed elsewhere. Why?

A: I grew up in this program (graduating in 2000) and all the time I was in the program I looked up to the people who ran it and taught us the game. I could tell they cared about me, not just as a golfer, but as a person. I wanted to give youngsters the same opportunities I had.

Q: Did you have other swing instructors?

A: I've had two others, Giles Everhart and George Stinchcomb. My whole family went to Giles at the Harvard and Green driving range when I was seven years old and he gave me a good foundation. George was the pro at Shawnee Hills and he took me through my college career at Gannon.

Q: You teach people of all ages and genders. What's the biggest difference in dealing with such diverse age groups?

A: The young kids take everything I say literally. I have to be careful when I'm talking to them. I work with really young kids and older adults, some of them in their 70s and 80s.

Q: How young are the youngest?

A: The youngest are in our Little Birdies group, ages 3 and up.

Q: Do you still play competitively?

A: No. I don't have the time. About the only competitive golf I get into now is the Beat the Pro at Shawnee. Walter Williams, of the O'Jays, always calls me out in a good-hearted way. We have a lot of fun.

Q: People in many warm-weather states have a tendency to look down on Ohio golf and its courses. What do you think?

A: It's a bad rap. I've worked in California and I can tell you that Northeastern Ohio has more than its share of great public courses and they can be played for reasonable rates. You won't find that in many states. And, I think there are more opportunities for young players in Ohio.

Q: How have the renovations at Seneca been met?

A: Very well. With all the rain we've had this spring it's been tough. But, more and more people are showing up. Our maintenance crew has done a great job with getting the course back to where it was and better. I think people have been impressed.

Q: You graduated from the GCJGSF in 2000, about the time Tiger Woods was winning anything and everything. How big of an influence was Tiger on the youngsters of that time?

A: Tiger made golf a cool thing to do, a cool sport to play. You weren't a loser if you were on the golf team.

Q: Was there a member of the LPGA that you looked up to when you were younger?

A: Nancy Lopez. She was athletic and was a household name. I still admire her. She has become a fine business person.

Northern Ohio Golf Association is conducting two of the organization's bigger events of the season over a span of eight days.

View full sizePhil Masturzo, Akron Beacon JournalPGA Tour pro Hunter Mahan got a tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland earlier this month during a visit to promote the World Golf Championships' Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in Akron, which is Aug. 4-7.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is there such as thing as too much golf?

Those associated with the Northern Ohio Golf Association might think so, as they are conducting two of the organization's bigger events of the season over a span of eight days.

The second round of the 81st annual Northeast Ohio Amateur moves to Elyria Country Club on Thursday, with the final 36 holes scheduled for Monday at Shaker Heights. The first round was held on Monday at Silver Lake and former University School All-Ohioan and Dayton standout Zach Glassman owns the first-round lead with after a four-under 68.

If that's not enough, the NOGA will conduct a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier Wednesday at Legend Lake in Chardon.

"Four significant rounds in eight days is a lot," said Scotte Rorabaugh, executive director of the NOGA. "We've had similar times, but this is one of our busiest weeks with major events."

Eight former NEO Am champs are in this year's field, led by defending champion and former Kent State golfer John Furlong, who plays out of Windmill Lakes. The others are Bruce Sparrow (2007, Canterbury), Dan Winar (1996, Shale Creek) and Larry Nagy (1997, Oberlin). The senior division isn't lacking for past winners, either, with Norton Brick (Oberlin), Jeff Knox (Canterbury), Mike Crider (Lakewood) and Tom Liller (Westwood) competing.

The Junior: At Legend Lake, a field of 31 players will compete for two spots in the 64th annual U.S. Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash., July 18-23. Dustin Johnson, Chris DiMarco and former Ohio State player Bo Hoag are a few of former national junior champs.

Coming to Akron: The University of Akron has hired former Kentucky associate head coach David Trainor to replace men's coach Nick Goetze.

Trainor, a native of Berwyn, Pa., has been at Kentucky for the last seven years. The school has two top-10 finishes in the NCAA tournament and won the 2005 Southeastern Conference title. He becomes the 19th head coach in the 78-year history of the Akron program.

Coming to Kent: Following an up-and-down season at Mississippi, former Plain Dealer All-Star Kyle Kmiecik plans on transferring to Kent State. Kmiecik, a 2010 graduate of St. Ignatius, tied for 10th last week in the Monroe Invitational, a large amateur event in Pittsford, N.Y.

No ordinary Joe: Bedford's Joe Hurtuk won his second Ohio Golf Association title last week when his par on the first hole of sudden death won the 2011 Ohio Mid-Amateur championship at Barrington Golf Club. Hurtuk, a reinstated amateur, beat Jeff Scohy, of Bellbrook, Ohio, after both finished regulation play at 3-under 141.

Cashing in: Hunter Mahan helped raise $5,000 for local charities recently when he participated in an accuracy contest near the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame as part of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, which comes to Firestone Country Club in August.

Cleveland media personalities had three chances to raise $1,000 for the charity of their choice by hitting an oversized Bridgestone Tire target positioned at 38 yards. Mahan hit the target for those who missed. The American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (oncology unit), Berea Children's Home & Family Services, The First Tee of Cleveland and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland each received $1,000.

Ron Omaits' uncle makes quiet an impression by managing to grab two dingers in the stands.

View full sizeAP fileJoe Gordon played for the Yankees before joining the Indians in 1947.

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 Ron Omaits of Chardon:

My most unforgettable day at an Indians baseball game -- the day my uncle caught two home runs.

The year was 1947, and I was 10 years old when I went to my first Indians game with my dad, my Uncle Bill and a cousin. The stadium (Cleveland Municipal Stadium) looked gigantic to me, and the distance from home plate to the center-field bleachers seemed very far away. Our seats were in the lower deck down the third baseline and to the right of the foul pole.

It was my lucky day because second baseman Joe Gordon hit his first home run right to our seats, and my Uncle Bill just stood up and caught the ball.

A few innings later, Joe Gordon hit another home run, again right to our seats, and my uncle caught it, too! What a thrill it was to see two home runs hit by Joe Gordon right to our location and that my uncle caught them both! What's more, he didn't even have a baseball glove with him. What are the odds of a player hitting two home runs to the same location caught by the same person?

Every time I tell this story, I remember it like it happened yesterday. (If you were in my shoes attending an Indians game for the first time and you witnessed this, wouldn't you agree that it would be a memorable day for you, too?)

My Uncle Bill (a World War II vet) became my special hero that day for catching Joe Gordon's two home runs.

I'll never forget my first Indians game. It was awesome.

Strikeouts take on sudden importance after years of the organization downplaying the stat.

Paul J. Bereswill, Associated PressThe Indians are third in the AL in strikeouts this season.

Clubhouse confidential: It's interesting to hear that one of the reasons Jon Nunnally was fired as hitting coach over the weekend was because the Indians were striking out too much.

This from an organization that spent much of the past decade treating the strikeout like it was a trivial statistic. As long as a player had a good on-base and slugging percentage, his strikeouts didn't matter.

In the past eight years, Indians hitters ranked in the top three in the AL in strikeouts six times. Through 71 games this year, the Indians rank third in the AL with 518.

Return to Pittsburgh: The Indians, who lost Josh Rodriguez to the Pirates in December in the Rule 5 draft and took him back when the Pirates designated him for assignment, sent him back to the Pirates on Tuesday in a trade for cash. Rodriguez was assigned to Class AAA Indianapolis.

Rodriguez spent seven games with Pirates, going 1-for-12 with a run.

Stat of the day: Left-hander David Huff was named the International League Pitcher of the Week. He went 2-0 with one earned run, no walks and 14 strikeouts in two starts for Class AAA Columbus.

The struggling Carmona is still in the Indians' starting rotation, but the bullpen could be in his future if he doesn't start pitching better.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerIn his past seven starts, Fausto Carmona is 1-6 with a 9.73 ERA.

If he doesn't show improvement over his next few starts, the bullpen is waiting for him.

GM Chris Antonetti was in Columbus on Tuesday watching the Class AAA Clippers. Starters Scott Barnes (6-1, 3.53 ERA), Jeanmar Gomez (6-2, 2.58), David Huff (6-2, 3.64) and Zach McAllister (7-2, 2.96 before Tuesday's game) are pitching well. Barnes and Huff, as left-handers, offer a tempting change of pace. The Indians are the only team in the big leagues who have not used a lefty starter this season.

Carmona is 4-9 with a 6.17 ERA in 16 starts. He has allowed 66 earned runs and 106 hits in 96 innings. He leads Indians pitchers with 15 homers allowed. If it's possible to pitch worse than those numbers indicate, Carmona has done so.

In his past seven starts, Carmona is 1-6 with a 9.73 ERA. He's allowed 40 earned runs on 53 hits and 13 walks in 37 innings. Carmona, a sinkerball pitcher, has allowed nine homers.

In 2009, Carmona went through a stretch like this, and the Indians sent him all the way back to rookie ball in Goodyear, Ariz. He stayed in the minors for seven weeks. Then manager Eric Wedge said, "We're doing this now so he'll never have to do it again."

In a way, Wedge was right. This time around, the Indians can't send him down because he's out of options.

If Carmona hasn't bottomed out, he's close. In the fifth inning of Monday's 8-7 loss to the Rockies, Carmona retired the first two batters he faced and then allowed seven straight to reach base as Colorado scored six runs. It all started when he walked Colorado's No. 9 hitter, Chris Iannetta.

Acta said the inning could have been much different if Troy Tulowitzki's two-run double didn't hit third base and bounce away from the waiting glove of Orlando Cabrera.

"If the ball doesn't hit the bag, he's out of the inning, and we're talking about his second positive outing," Acta said. "There are some things you can't control."

When the Indians sent Carmona to the desert to reinvent himself in 2009, he was struggling mentally as well as physically. Acta says that's not the case this year, but after Monday's game, Julio Rangel acted as Carmona's interpreter.

Rangel, the Indians' mental skills coordinator, spent a lot of time working with Carmona in the minors in 2009. So much so that when Carmona was named to the All-Star Game last year, he took Rangel as his guest.

"He expressed to me that he feels physically and mentally better than in 2007," Acta said. "He's finding some answers and so are we. . . . The main thing is to stay positive with the guy."

Carmona won 19 games in 2007.

Acta said there are no plans to take Carmona out of the rotation. He did express concerns about Carmona's problem with the big inning and the home run.

"[Pitching coach] Tim Belcher thinks he's picked something up when Fausto is in the stretch," Acta said. "He has had some problems with runners on base. That's where the big innings come from."

Aggression: The Rockies scored the winning run Monday on catcher Lou Marson's errant throw on a pickoff attempt at first base that allowed Charlie Blackmon to score from second base.

It was a set play between Marson and first baseman Carlos Santana.

"It was a good play, just a bad throw," Acta said. "They had the guy at first base. They put the play on together. Hey, be aggressive. No guts, no glory.

"The catcher and first baseman work that out among themselves. They have their own signs."

Finally: Acta said Cabrera's start at third base Monday will not be his last. Cabrera has played 1,901 games in his big-league career. The first 1,900 were at shortstop and second. . . . Grady Sizemore did not start Tuesday but pinch hit in the ninth inning.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Rockies defeat the Indians, 4-3. Colorado's Seth Smith homers in the ninth -- his second homer of the game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Manager Manny Acta said it was a must for the Indians to play well on this homestand before they ventured forth to play nine games in National League where their run-deprived offense will be challenged even more without the use of the designated hitter.

Things started fine with a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh over the weekend, but Acta reminded his team that they had to keep pushing. They have, but in the Colorado Rockies, they've found a team that pushed back for the second straight game to beat the Indians, 4-3, Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

Both losses have stung. Fausto Carmona blew a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning in an 8-7 loss Monday. Tuesday night, with bolts of lightning crisscrossing the sky in the eighth and ninth innings, Tribe rallies fell short as closer Chris Perez gave up the game-winning run on a leadoff homer to Seth Smith in the ninth.

Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin baffled the Indians for 6 innings, but after he left, they managed to tie the score, 3-3, with two runs in the eighth off former Indian Rafael Betancourt.

Cord Phelps, Asdrubal Cabrera and Travis Hafner started the eighth with singles off Betancourt. Hafner's single scored Phelps to make it 3-2. Adam Everett pinch ran for Hafner.

Matt Belisle (5-2) relieved Betancourt and retired Shin-Soo Choo on a fly ball to center and Carlos Santana on a liner to first. Up stepped Travis Buck, in an 0-for-24 slump, and he singled through the right side to score Cabrera and make it 3-3 as Everett went to third. The inning ended when Jack Hannahan lined out to Carlos Gonzalez in center.

Smith won it with a homer off Perez on a 2-2 pitch. It was his second homer of the night and the first Perez (2-3) had allowed in his past 62 games. Smith's two-run homer off Mitch Talbot in the sixth gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead.

The game ended with pinch hitter Austin Kearns striking out against closer Huston Street. Phelps was on third after a triple, and Asdrubal Cabrera, representing the winning run, was on second after a walk and steal of second. Kearns was pinch hitting for Everett, who ran for Hafner in the eighth.

Acta was asked about removing Hafner for a pinch runner and the fan criticism he may receive.

"I'm trying to win a ballgame right there," said Acta. "I don't care what people think or what questions you guys ask me. I'm trying to win a game."

Perez was pitching in a non-save situation, but most closers do in the ninth inning at home when the score is tied.

"I knew I was in the game right after Buck's hit," said Perez. "I just didn't come through. I made some good pitches on Smith, and then I hung a slider."

Talbot, following his start against Detroit where he allowed six runs on nine hits in four innings, was much better Tuesday. He allowed three runs on eight hits in 61/3 innings.

"Mitch did a very good job," said Acta. "He had a very good cutter and gave us a chance to win. We couldn't do much against Chacin. He gave up some walks, but we couldn't get the big hit."

The opposition is hitting .190 (68-for-358) against Chacin. He showed why Tuesday night. He allowed two hits and had a no-hitter through 51/3 innings.

Choo ended the no-hitter with a run-scoring single with one out in the sixth. Chacin, though, gave the Indians plenty of other scoring chances by walking six.

With two out in the third, he issued three straight walks. Then he struck out Hafner. In the sixth, he walked Cabrera and Hafner with one out before Choo singled.

"He was effectively wild," said Acta. "When he was out of the zone, we walked. When he was in the zone, we couldn't hit him. He walked the bases loaded with two out, and that's always a tough situation."

Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Gonzalez doubled with two out and scored on Jonathan Herrera's single.

"This was a well-fought ballgame," said Acta. "I liked what the guys did later on. We fought back. I thought we had a chance to win the ballgame in the eighth inning. Hannahan smoked that ball, but it was right at Carlos Gonzalez.

"Then they ended up scoring against our toughest guy in the pen. But I liked the way we fought back."

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Indians know their hitting struggles are not all Jon Nunnally's fault, but they're hoping a change in coaches will make some difference.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressFormer Indians hitting coach Jon Nunnally, left, had been unable to help hitters such as Shin-Soo Choo break out of extended slumps.

1. It was Tribe manager Manny Acta who first brought up the idea of changing hitting coaches. It was painful for Acta, as Jon Nunnally seemed to live in the batting cages with his hitters. His work ethic and attitude were outstanding, the results were not. Acta was alarmed by the number of strikeouts, in addition to the prolonged slumps of Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Santana and Grady Sizemore.

2. On the day Bruce Fields replaced Nunnally, Acta mentioned how the Indians had "already joined the 500-strikeout club." They went into Tuesday's game with 518, third most in the American League. He also meant that the strikeouts were not producing power, as the Indians ranked No. 9 in homers and No. 9 in walks.

3. The Indians know that not all of this is Nunnally's fault. They may find out none of it is if there is no improvement under Fields. But the Indians believed that changing hitting coaches was something they could do, and they insist they are playing to win this season.

4. The other key part of the story is that Acta isn't replacing Nunnally with a longtime buddy. Fields has worked in the Tribe farm system since 2007 as the hitting coordinator. He was the Tigers' batting coach from 2003 to '05. They promoted someone from below with the hope that a coach with a different approach can help.

View full sizePDBruce Fields

5. Personal opinion: I hate the idea of firing coaches during the season unless there is a major reason. But this also is the first time Acta has asked for a change on the coaching staff, and that (along with the disappointing offense) is why the front office backed the manager.

6. Fields had a long pregame hitting session with Grady Sizemore, who is batting .190 (16-of-84) since coming off the disabled list May 27. On the year, Sizemore has 53 strikeouts in 162 at-bats. In both 2006 and '07, Sizemore whiffed more than 150 times -- about once every four at-bats. But this year, it's once every three at-bats. His walks also are way down, only 11 in those 162 at-bats.

7. The Indians believe Sizemore is crowding the plate, and that has made him very vulnerable to inside pitches. He batted .378 in April, .143 in May and .206 in June. He has become pull-happy and undisciplined as a hitter, so they are working on Sizemore trying to hit the ball up the middle.

8. The Indians believe (or at least hope) they found a mechanical problem with Fausto Carmona's pitching-out-of-the-stretch position. Batters are hitting only .223 with no one on base, .359 with runners on . . . and 7-for-10 with the bases loaded.

9. The Indians can't send Carmona to the minors. He is out of minor-league options. They can't claim he's hurt because Carmona insists he's healthy, and his fastball was in the 93 mph range. They should not put him on waivers . . . or trade him when his market value is lower than old shares of Enron.

10. If they did put him on waivers, another team probably would claim him because his contract is not guaranteed after the season. The Indians don't want to write off a 27-year-old who threw 210 innings and had a 13-14 record with a 3.77 ERA in 2010.

11. They can put Carmona in long relief and call up Jeanmar Gomez or Zach McAllister. But the Indians insist they are not ready to pull him out of the rotation. He is 1-6 with an 8.87 ERA in his past eight starts. Acta has decided to boost Carmona's confidence by staying with him. This will be a real test for the manager and the pitcher.

12. Orlando Cabrera began working out at third base on the day the Indians promoted Cord Phelps from the minors. Acta asked Cabrera if he could give third base a try, and Cabrera quickly agreed. Before the Rockies series, Cabrera told the manager he was ready to play some third base. Monday was the first time Cabrera ever played third in the majors or minors.

To reach Terry Pluto: terrypluto2003@yahoo.com, 216-999-4674

Arizona's Derrick Williams is listed as the top wing player in Thursday's NBA Draft, but mostly because he's neither a guard nor a big man.

View full sizeWily Low, Associated PressAlthough not a traditional wing player, Derrick Williams still is expected to be a star in the NBA.

Arizona's Derrick Williams raised a few eyebrows at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month by stating he could play either forward position.

The Cavaliers really aren't sure that's the case, and they have plenty of company.

"He doesn't have an established position," ESPN's Jay Bilas said in a conference call with reporters last week. "He's kind of in between a 3 and a 4."

Because he is neither a guard nor a big man, Williams is the top wing player in Thursday's NBA Draft. But he is not really a wing, which is too bad since the three teams with the top four picks -- Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah -- could use one.

ESPN's Chad Ford thinks that may be one of the reasons Williams insists he can play either forward position.

"Part of this is just the salesmanship that his agent's been working on with him to convince teams that he could play this position," Ford said, referring to agent Rob Pelinka. "If teams were just drafting on need, you look at those teams and [a 4] is not the biggest need for any of the top three teams in the draft, and that is a problem for Derrick Williams."

This is not to say Williams won't be a good player, and he likely will be taken no lower than No. 2 if the Cavs don't make him the No. 1 pick.

"He is going to be a really good NBA player," said Bilas, who broadcast a lot of Arizona games last season and watched a lot of tape of Williams.

"He's really explosive athletically. . . . The way I look at it, he's going to be able to score in the NBA. I don't think there is any question about that. I just question whether he's going to be able to guard effectively in the league."

More traditional wing players who could be taken in the top 14 picks include the Czech Republic's Jan Vesely, San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard, Colorado's Alec Burks and Washington State's Klay Thompson, son of former Lakers great Mychal Thompson, whose stock has been rising.

"Klay can really shoot it," Bilas said. "He can shoot it off the catch, he can shoot it off the dribble. He moves pretty well without the ball."

Bilas is not alone is his admiration. Picking for the Cavs in the most recent issue of ESPN The Magazine, Baron Davis suggested the Cavs take Thompson with the No. 4 pick.

Said Davis in the magazine: "Klay is the best 2-guard in the draft. We need wing players. I love his height [6-6], athleticism [5.2 rebounds per game] and ability to score [21.6 points per game.] He'll help spread the floor for us because defenses are going to have to know where he is at all times."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

News from the BMV should help Ohio State with the NCAA, which is all that matters to the school.

View full sizeJ. Pat Carter, Associated PressAn investigation found that former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, above, and other Buckeyes players broke no laws with their car deals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles found no laws were broken among the 25 car sales to Ohio State football players and their families surveyed by the state. Of course, it's also not against the law to sell your championship ring or hide information from your bosses, but those acts still got quarterback Terrelle Pryor, coach Jim Tressel and Ohio State in hot water with the NCAA.

What matters to Ohio State is what the NCAA thinks about this car situation, and anything else that has come up since the school received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA on April 21. Ohio State is preparing its response to the NCAA, which is due by July 5.

Here's what we know about three key issues that have arisen since April.

The cars: After the BMV released its report Tuesday, Ohio State called off its own planned independent investigation. The BMV has nothing to do with the NCAA and therefore wasn't worried about whether NCAA rules were broken, though the investigation didn't find any evidence of dealers receiving OSU memorabilia or tickets in car deals.

"In light of the report from the BMV and an examination done by the Ohio Independent Automobile Dealers Association, we have seen no evidence that would lead us to believe that Ohio State student-athletes violated any policies when purchasing used cars," OSU spokesperson Jim Lynch said. "Therefore, we will not be conducting an independent examination outside of what has already been done by these parties."

Overall, this is very good news for Ohio State.

To illustrate that, consider the alternative, if the BMV had found that laws were broken because dealers had misreported deals in order to give OSU athletes a break. That would have been a major problem. But this is the opposite of that.

Still, some may wonder why the university isn't taking another look at the cars on its own. That could really clear the air. But Larry James, Pryor's former attorney, took time Tuesday to reinforce that all the cars the former OSU quarterback drove were properly accounted for. And you'd think that if Ohio State isn't looking harder, the OSU administration must have some idea the NCAA is satisfied. So this potentially damning part of the puzzle could be finished.

The Sports Illustrated allegations: In an SI story released May 30, the day Tressel resigned as Ohio State's coach, nine other players on the current roster were named by an anonymous source as receiving extra benefits at a tattoo parlor. Parents of many of those players have disputed their sons broke any NCAA rules, and James, representing those players as well, has been confident all along that eight of the nine would be completely cleared. He gathered memorabilia from the players to help make that case.

If the NCAA finds more violations related to the tattoo parlor, it could show that Ohio State's problem went deeper than the six players initially suspended in December. At this point, it seems like there's a good chance the NCAA may not find that.

The Terrelle Pryor-Dennis Talbott connection: Pryor has left the team and won't talk any further to the NCAA. Talbott, accused by an ESPN anonymous source of giving Pryor thousands of dollars for signing memorabilia, strongly denies those charges. James, on behalf of Pryor, denied them as well.

While admitting to The Plain Dealer he had a friendship with Pryor, Talbott, a freelance photographer, said he has never given him extra benefits. And he confirmed again Tuesday that the NCAA has never contacted him. That also seems like a good sign for Ohio State.

So Ohio State should have enjoyed what the BMV had to say Tuesday, while knowing what the NCAA says matters so much more.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Akron and Mahoning Valley also get victories on Tuesday night.

View full sizeClippers pitcher Zach McAllister.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 4, Mud Hens 3 1B Shelley Duncan (.250) hit a three-run homer, LF Jerad Head also homered and RH Zach McAllister (8-2, 2.82 ERA) allowed one earned run in seven innings in host Columbus' International League win against Toledo. Clippers SS Jason Donald (.300) doubled, singled and scored a run.

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 10, Mets 8 1B Beau Mills (.296) had a two-run double and RF Matt McBride (.279) a two-run single during a six-run eighth as Akron rallied for an Eastern League win in Binghamton, N.Y. Aeros C Juan Apodaca (.188) had a run-scoring double and CF Jordan Henry (.250) a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. Mills drove in three runs and Apodaca two for Akron. 3B Kyle Bellows (.184) and LF Tim Fedroff (.349) each knocked in one. McBride had three hits for the Aeros. Akron RH Joseph Gardner (4.07 ERA) allowed five runs -- four earned -- in 5 1/3 innings.

West 8, East 3 Captains 2B Argenis Martinez had a run-scoring single for the East, but the West won the Midwest League All-Star Game in Davenport, Iowa.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Scrappers 2, Muckdogs 0 3B Kevin Fontanez and RF Bryson Myles each drove in a run, and three pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout for host Mahoning Valley in a New York-Penn League victory against Batavia (N.Y.). Scrappers LH Daniel Jimenez (1.50) allowed four hits and two walks in 31/3 innings, RH Cody Allen (0.00) had six strikeouts in 3 perfect innings of relief, and RH Bryce Stowell (0.00) gave up one hit and one walk in two innings. Myles (.250) and CF Cody Elliott (.316) had two hits each.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

ThunderBolts 5, Crushers 1 Windy City (Ill.) starting pitcher Dustin Williams did not allow a hit until Patrick Norris' single in the seventh inning as host Lake Erie lost a Frontier League game.

There is not a lot of room for error, so accuracy off the tee is important.

View full size

PGA master professional John Flander from Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville shows you how to practice aligning a putt. Watch video

Who should the Cavalier select in the second round if Lighty and Cole are available? Poll

Morry Gash l Associated PressDavid Lighty

Right now the Cleveland Cavaliers have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the NBA Draft. It is likely the Cavaliers will select point guard Kyrie Irving and center Enes Kanter with those picks.

But what about the second round?

The Cavaliers have the 32nd overall selection (the second pick in the second round) and which player should they select at that spot? What if Ohio State shooting guard David Lighty is available in the second round? What about Cleveland State point guard Norris Cole?

Who should the Cavaliers select if Cole and Lighty are available?

The Browns cornerback tweeted on Tuesday that he was having lunch at Sushi Rock and offered to pick up the tab for any fan who said hello to him. His random act of sushi-ness ended up feeding over 50 thankful fans .

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerJoe Haden, nice guy.

They say a way to a person's heart is through their stomach. In his ongoing quest to become the most liked athlete in Cleveland, Joe Haden know this.

The Browns cornerback tweeted on Tuesday that he was having lunch at Sushi Rock in Beachwood and offered to pick up the tab for any fan who said hello to him. Call it a random act of sushi-ness.

Haden mingled with fans, signed autographs, posed for pictures and bought lunch for 55 fans, accoding to Fox Sports Ohio. Now, that's a lot of spicy tuna rolls. Here's how the story unfolded on Twitter.

The Phoenix Suns are willing to trade Steve Nash to Minnesota.

AP Photo | Matt YorkPhoenix Suns' Steve Nash.

The Phoenix Suns are in talks with Minnesota about a deal to send Steve Nash to the Timberwolves in exchange for the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, according to ESPN.

The talks, though, haven't advanced beyond the exploratory stage because of what sources described as a "mutual conclusion" by both teams that such a deal would ultimately not work for the Wolves because of Nash's presumed desire to land with an established title contender if he finally leaves the Suns.

Phoenix wants to make the deal so they can select Arizona forward Derrick Williams.  The Suns are willing to give up on one of the best guards in the league who not only turns 37 in February, but he has only one season left on his contract valued at $11.7 million.

The Wolves' fear, sources said, is that trading for Nash under those circumstances means they'd have him for a season at best before he moved on in free agency.

"I don't blame Carmona for everything - just ruining Opening Day, pitching like garbage for the last two months and being a one-man momentum and morale killer." - beseriousplz

View full sizeChris Sweda | Chicago Tribune | MCTFausto Carmona has struggled for the Indians this season.

In response to the story Don't blame Fausto Carmona for everything: Cleveland Indians daily briefing, cleveland.com reader beseriousplz doesn't blame Carmona for everything. This reader writes,

"I don't blame Carmona for everything - just ruining Opening Day, pitching like garbage for the last two months and being a one-man momentum and morale killer."

"When Fujita went out last season, the run defense completely faltered. The key for this team will be adding depth so that they can withstand the loss of some key players." - Killbuzza

View full sizePDThe Browns' defense struggled when Scott Fujita got hurt last season.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns QB Colt McCoy and LB Scott Fujita planning full-squad workouts, cleveland.com reader Killbuzza thinks the Browns are in need of depth everywhere. This reader writes,

"When Fujita went out last season, the run defense completely faltered. The key for this team will be adding depth so that they can withstand the loss of some key players."