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'Gunny' Zins back at Camp Perry, but won't shoot for record 11th pistol title

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Brian "Gunny" Zins of Poland, Ohio, is a 10-time National Pistol Champion at the National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry, and star of the "Top Shots" reality television show.

 

Brian Zins.jpgBrian "Gunny" Zins of Poland, Ohio is a 10-time National Pistol Champion. He won't be on the firing line this year at the National Rifle and Pistol Matches for the first time in more than a decade, but has returned to Camp Perry this week to represent his new ammunition company.

 OAK HARBOR, OHIO

After Brian "Gunny" Zins graduated from Canfield High School in 1987, he ran off and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. They put a rifle in his hands, telling Zins to punch holes in targets.

 The shooting experience changed his life.

Zins found he had a knack for accuracy, a quality the Marines were eager to polish with the best instruction and as much ammunition as Zins cared to shoot.

"I was only in the Marine Corps for nine months when I took a bronze medal in a division rifle match, then a silver in the Marine Corps Championships." Zins said. "I was asked if I could shoot as well with a pistol. I told them I was better at shooting a pistol."

Zins became a star of the Marines' service team and sparkled on the firing line at Camp Perry, where the prestigious National Rifle and Pistol Matches began this week. Zins won his first National Pistol Championship in 1996, and proved it wasn't a fluke by winning the crown again in 1998.

Zins put together a record-setting run, winning the pistol crown in 2001-2005 - more than any pistol shooter in history - and again in 2007. As a civilian shooter, he was the champ in 2008 and 2010.

Zins, 41, returned to Camp Perry this week for the month-long matches. The former military policeman won't fire a shot, but did bring lots of ammunition. His goal these days is building a better bullet, resulting in the recent creation Gunny Zins Ammo, which is making its debut on Commercial Row at the National Matches. Zins says his pistol ammunition is both accurate and affordable.

"Camp Perry is the Mecca of shooting," he said. "For more than 100 years, the National Matches have been a simple matter of who is the best marksman. There's no gaming aspect here, just strict, fundamental shooting."

The pistol competition, which wraps up today, challenges shooters with three different types of pistols: .22 caliber; center-fire pistols of .32 to .45 caliber; and .45 caliber pistols. The course of fire with each pistol is 30 rounds of slow fire, 30 rounds of timed fire (five shots in 30 seconds) and 30 rounds of rapid fire (five shots in 10 seconds) at targets 25 or 50 yards away. All of the shooting is one-handed. 

 "When I was shooting for the Marines, it was nice if I won the pistol competition, but even better when the team won the Gold Cup," said Zins. "We were here to win as a team."

Zins said there is stiff competition between service teams, but friendlier these days because the country is at war around the world.

"We're all fighting, and losing friends," said Zins, who served in Iraq in 1990. "You can walk around Camp Perry and see guys from various service teams getting together. We're all friends, and all of us are supportive of the civilian shooters, who spend their own time and money to be here."

Zins thoroughly enjoyed "Top Shots," the History Channel reality show testing top shooters with unlikely weapons.

 "I met some of the most super people in the world," he said. "The competition was different, but fun. We shot .22 rifles, blow guns, Tommy guns, military weapons, even compound bows. I think those of us who were marksmen, rather than action shooters, adapted better.   

"The show producers promoted the clashes between the various personalities to gain a wider audience, and there was a little friction between shooters. You'll get that when you bring together a bunch of Type A personalities."

  2011 National Rifle and Pistol Matches

WHAT: Hosted by the National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program with support from the Ohio National Guard and hundreds of volunteers, the National Rifle and Pistol Matches present pistol, smallbore rifle and high powered rifle competitions.

 WHEN: The Pistol Championships end today. Coming up are the Smallbore Rifle Position Championships (Thursday-July 23); Smallbore Rifle Prone Championships (July 24-28); Springfield M1A Match (Aug. 7); National High Power Rifle Championships (Aug. 9-12); National Defense Match (Aug. 13-14); and Long Range Championships (Aug. 13-17).

WHERE: Camp Perry, an Ohio National Guard facility on Ohio 2, five miles west of Port Clinton, Ohio.

ADMISSION: Admission and parking are free.

 ATTRACTIONS: Visitors can watch the shooting competitions and browse Commercial Row and various shooting museums.

INFORMATION: Visit nrablog.com or call 1-877-672-6282.


In evaluation from 2005-06, former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel found unacceptable in reporting violations

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In evaluation from 2005-06, Jim Tressel found unacceptable in reporting violations.

jim.jpgJim Tressel

COLUMBUS, Ohio - An evaluation of former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel’s job performance in 2005-06 rated him as “unacceptable” when it came to self-reporting rules violations in a timely manner. In addition, Tressel was issued a letter of reprimand barely 6 months into his tenure for giving a Buckeyes jersey to a recruit in violation of NCAA bylaws.

He was also warned that he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the cars the Buckeyes players were driving - an issue that would arise years later as the NCAA investigated the football program.

Tressel also had reprimands in his personnel file for permitting an outside person to coach kickers before a full team practice and allowing the mother of a recruit on an official visit to make a call for $7.93 that was billed to the university.

In addition, his file contained at least two “letters of caution and education” about potential NCAA violations. The records on Tressel were all released Friday by the university as part of a public-records request. He was forced to resign on May 30 for knowing about NCAA violations by players but hiding that knowledge.

Ohio State is now facing an Aug. 12 meeting before the NCAA”s committee on infractions as a result of the scandal. In his ’05-’06 evaluation, Tressel was graded “excellent” in 10 of 12 area. Yet the unsigned NCAA-Ohio State evaluation form also rated Tressel unacceptable in self-reporting violations and in “timely and accurate completion of phone and unofficial visit logs.”

Tressel lost his job after it was discovered he knew back in April 2010 that players were receiving cash and discounted tattoos from the owner of a local tattoo parlor in exchange for OSU football memorabilia, but did not report them to his superiors or NCAA compliance officers until confronted with the evidence last January.

This spring, the NCAA also investigated the cars driven by Ohio State players. That subject was broached in a letter from then-athletic director Andy Geiger dated Sept. 9, 2003, that cautioned Tressel that he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the players’ cars.

“In the course of the investigation, there were questions surrounding, among others, (redacted name’s) automobiles and cell phone use,” Geiger wrote to Tressel. “I am writing to make it clear that the University expects you and your staff to pay attention to auotomobiles driven by the football student-athletes and report to the Athletic Compliance Office any unusual circumstances with respect to such automobiles.”

In the more recent investigation, the NCAA and Ohio State delved into the cars owned by and loaned to Terrelle Pryor, the Buckeyes’ three-year starting quarterback. Pryor announced shortly after Tressel was forced out that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to make himself available for an NFL supplemental draft.

The material released Friday by Ohio State also included: - A letter of reprimand for allowing Dr. Pat Spurgeon to work with kickers before a full team practice. Geiger wrote: “It is our goal to avoid all violations. ... It is your responsibility to adhere to the NCAA rules and make sure you and your coaching staff understand the importance of strict compliance with all NCAA rules.” - Another letter of “caution and education” in Tressel’s file, that said he allowed an unidentified student-athlete to “practice with the team during fall camp for 19 days despite (his) not having completed his NCAA Drug Testing Consent Form.”

Tressel’s attorney has said that the ex-coach intends to join Ohio State officials, including current athletic director Gene Smith and interim head coach Luke Fickell, for the August meeting before the committee on infractions.

Ohio State has suspended six players (five after Pryor’s departure) for the first five games of the 2011 season and has vacated its 12 wins from the 2010 season, including its victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. In addition, it also self-imposed a two-year NCAA probation. The NCAA can choose to accept those penalties or can add to them.

Cleveland Browns rookie Jabaal Sheard is one player I'm excited to see in 2011, says Tony Grossi (SBTV)

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Plain Dealer Browns reporter says he's eager to see Sheard, Colt McCoy and Montario Hardesty take the field. Watch video


CLEVELAND, Ohio - Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Bill Lubinger and Branson Wright.

It's Friday, which means it's your day to ask Plain Dealer Browns reporter Tony Grossi questions about the team through his weekly Hey, Tony! feature.

Today's question topics include what the Browns need to do when free agency finally begins; whether the the Browns will ever be a top-flight organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers; and which players have Tony looking forward to seeing the 2011 Browns play.

Which Browns player are you most excited to see take the field in 2011? That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

SBTV will return Monday with Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff talking Tribe.




Kent State's Jarekious Bradley suspended after incident with girlfriend

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Jarekious Bradley of Kent State gets suspended.

kent.jpg

KENT, Ohio - Kent State freshman Jarekious Bradley has been suspended from the team indefinitely after an incident with his former girlfriend resulted in charges of aggravated burglary for entering her apartment without permission and criminal damaging for bending her debit card.

"On Wednesday, we were made aware of the situation involving freshman men’s basketball player Jarekious Bradley,'' said assistant athletic director for communications Alan Ashby in a statement.

"The off-the-court conduct of our student-athletes is something we take very seriously, and therefore we are suspending Bradley indefinitely from all team-related activities pending the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings. We will reevaluate his status at the conclusion of those proceedings.''

According to reports Bradley, from Memphis, entered the girlfriend's apartment and demanded money he felt was owed to him. A physical confrontation between the two followed with others in the apartment ultimately giving Bradley money before he left. Bradley, 20, was later arrested without incident, released after posting a $200,000 bond and given a July 22 court date.

This is the second arrest in 12 months involving a KSU basketball player and a current or former girlfriend. It is the fourth incident overall within the program involving five current players on the team.

First-year basketball coach Rob Senderoff is currently on the road recruiting and has not returned phone requests for comment.

LeBron James' popularity also goes South

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LeBron James drops out of popularity ranking.

lebron-crystal-jk.jpgLeBron James

Derek Jeter was criticised by many fans because he chose to sit out the All-Star Game. But despite his decision, Jeter still remains one of the most popular athletes.

In fact, Jeter is No. 1 when it comes to America's favorite sports stars. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Mannings is No. 2 and a tie at No. 3 between Kobe Bryant and (retired) Michael Jordan.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,163 adults surveyed online between June 13 and 20, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

One big surprise is the athlete that is no longer on the list.

Since there is one sports star returning and three new comers to the list that means four stars dropped off this year's list.  Those stars are: Packers, Jets and Vikings quarterback Brett Favre who was previously number 4, NBA star LeBron James (was number 6), New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees (was number 9) and NASCAR great, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (was number 10).

 

Jim Brown on the Cleveland Browns, his past and the NFL future

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Jim Brown talks about his career and the NFL lockout in this video interview.

jimbrown.jpgJim Brown

In this video interview with New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden, former NFL great Jim Brown talks about his career, time with the Cleveland Browns, and the NFL lockout.

In the discussion, Brown talks about his relationship with Muhammad Ali and how the NFL owners and players need to settle on a rookie salary cap, a better pension plan, and more guaranteed money for more players.

When Brown was asked if he could compete with today's players he said:

"I was with the Browns and I was looking at what they had, and I was thinking, 'You telling me I couldn't play with these guys?'"

 

World Cup 2011: United States women's physical, sweeping style vs. Japan's quick-passing, combination play

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Teams play for the championship on Sunday.

christie-rampone.jpgUnited States captain Christie Rampone (right) says Japan is a "very" technical and patient team and attacks with numbers.

FRANKFURT, Germany -- With two World Cup titles and three Olympic gold medals, the United States has history on its side in Sunday's final against Japan.

With their lightning quick passing and slick combination play, the Japanese may well have a grip on the future of the game.

The physical, sweeping game of the Americans stands in sharp contrast with the close, possession-oriented game of Japan, turning Sunday's match into an intriguing clash of styles.

The United States beat Japan in two pre-World Cup exhibitions, but that will count for little in the final.

"They're a different team here in the World Cup," U.S. captain Christie Rampone said. "It brings a different level."

The accolades for Japan have been coming in from all angles, comparing its style with that of Barcelona and Brazil's "beautiful game."

Japan has sought to develop that flair for years, but only this time do they have the confidence to execute it at the highest level. Japan coach Norio Sasaki said his team was ready to reach the Olympic semifinals three years ago in Beijing and "this time we said, let's go to the final."

The cup itself is within reach, he said.

"It's definitely not impossible," Sasaki said. "It is a once in a lifetime chance to win this and beat the number one team in the world."

Japan's breakthrough victory came in the quarterfinals last weekend when it beat host Germany, the two-time defending champion, in extra time when it proved fitter than its big, lumbering opponent.

Even if Sunday is Japan's first final in the record books, Sasaki said his players already have one under the belt — against Germany.

"This was almost like playing the final in term of pressure, attitude and expectations," Sasaki said of the game against Germany. "The actual final will be a very similar situation."

That same weekend the United States had a similar experience, rallying in an intense match against Brazil with a penalty-shootout win. It created a groundswell of support across the United States.

"Obviously, coming from behind against Brazil is historic," said Abby Wambach, who scored in the last minute of extra time to tie it 2-2 and force a shootout. "It's one of those moments that may never happen again.

"I want it to be life-changing at the end of the road. Because right now, I'm still very much involved in this and I'm not trying to think anything other than Sunday and winning."

Both rode their emotional surge through the semifinals, with Japan beating Sweden 3-1 and the United States posting the same score over France.

The Americans can draw inspiration from beating the only side that comes close to Japan's level of skills.

"Playing France and the amazing team France was, it was kind of good preparation for Japan," Rampone said. "They're both very technical teams, both very patient on the ball, very offensive, attack with a lot of numbers."

Another American confidence boost comes from the history books. In 25 matches dating back to 1986, it has beaten Japan 22 times and remains unbeaten.

However, there is a first for everything. Japan already reached it first semifinal and final.

"We are just ready to face that challenge," Sasaki said.

So is the nation, which has been lapping up the feel-good story of its overachieving women while recovering from the devastation the earthquake and tsunami on March 11. It's bonded the Japanese women even closer by playing for a cause bigger than soccer — providing some balm for a nation in pain.

Right before the match against Germany, Sasaki showed pictures of the devastation to his players to heighten their focus and determination. They responded in kind.

Sasaki will keep the pictures under wraps this weekend.

"I don't have to remind them of the disaster in Japan before the match against the United States because they know exactly," he said.

Back home, their story has bumped baseball and sumo off the sports front pages.

"They're not just playing a soccer game, they're playing to heal a wounded country," said Tony DiCicco, the U.S. coach of the 1999 World Cup-winning team. "They have won fans not just in Japan and not just here in Germany, but all over the world."


 

Darren Clarke surges up British Open leaderboard with another 68

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Darren Clarke shot his second straight 2-under 68 on Friday, taking a lead role heading to the weekend and showing his younger countrymen a thing or two at Royal St. George's.

British Open Golf Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke reacts after putting on the 18th green during the second day of the British Open Golf Championship at Royal St George's golf course Sandwich, England, Friday, July 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

SANDWICH, England — A player from Northern Ireland charged up the leaderboard at the British Open.

Just not the one you might expect.

Darren Clarke shot his second straight 2-under 68 on Friday, taking a lead role heading to the weekend and showing his younger countrymen a thing or two at Royal St. George's.

Latest results: Updated leaderboard

Once the face of Northern Ireland golf, the 42-year-old Clarke became an afterthought when first Graeme McDowell, then Rory McIlroy claimed major championships. Maybe it's time for the old guy to get his title, too.

"It would mean an awful lot," Clarke said. "But obviously, this is only after two rounds. There's an awful long way to go yet."

Clarke rolled in a 90-footer for eagle at the seventh and closed his round with a birdie at the tough 18th, sending him to the clubhouse tied for the top spot with Lucas Glover at 4 under 136.

Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, followed an opening 66 with a solid 70 on a warm, sunny day on the English seaside.

"I didn't hole as many putts as I did yesterday," the bearded Glover said. "But I'm happy to grind out even par."

The U.S. has gone five straight majors without a title — its longest drought of the modern Grand Slam era. Glover shrugged off the slump; besides, he could be in line to snap another streak.

"They told me no one has won the Open championship with a beard since the 1890s," he said.

Also in contention from the other side of the Atlantic: Chad Campbell, who shot 68 and was one shot back at 3-under 137; Dustin Johnson (68) and old-timers Davis Love III (68) and Tom Lehman (67), all at 138; and, yes, even Phil Mickelson, who came to England trying to forget his Open record.

Lefty has only one top-10 finish in 17 previous appearances. Despite missing several short putts over the first two days, a 69 made him a factor at 139.

"It's fun to be in contention heading to the weekend of the British Open," he said.

McIlroy won't run away with this championship as he did last month at the U.S. Open, but the 22-year-old wasn't complaining about his position. Playing in the afternoon, after the wind picked up, he shot an impressive 69 and was at 140 overall.

He saved his best for last, pulling out a par after plugging his approach in a pot bunker in front of the green. McIlroy somehow knocked it on the green and sank a 12-foot putt, pumping his fist as he walked toward the cup.

All four current major champions were headed to the weekend, but not the top-ranked player in the world. England's Luke Donald closed with four straight bogeys for a 75.

PGA champion Martin Kaymer (67) was at 137, with Masters winner Charl Schwartzel (68) another stroke back. Defending British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (70) also was safely above the cut line at 142.

The forecast was much worse for the final two rounds, with both wind and rain expected.

Bring it on, said Mickelson.

"One of the things I'm looking forward to is actually the bad weather," he said. "I hope it comes in."

Bjorn, playing in the same group as Dyson, was in danger of falling completely out of the mix when he bogeyed three straight holes at the start of his round. But the 40-year-old Dane pulled himself together, playing 1 under the rest of the way for a 72 that left him one stroke off the lead heading to the weekend.

"It wasn't the prettiest of days golfwise, but I'll take where I stand in the championship," Bjorn said.

So will Miguel Angel Jimenez, also at 137 after shooting 71.

There was plenty of experience on the leaderboard with 40-somethings Clarke, Jimenez, Bjorn and Love, plus the 52-year-old Lehman, who won the Open 15 years ago.

"The round just kind of flowed," Lehman said. "I hit it solidly, made a few nice putts, drove the ball extremely well, so I feel like I wasn't really pressured all day long. It was a good day."

The opening round produced a pair of unlikely leaders. Bjorn had missed the cut in four of five events before he got to Royal St. George's, his game in disarray, his heart heavy after the death of his father, and lugging around plenty of baggage at this place.

Eight years ago, Bjorn squandered a two-stroke lead in the final three holes, allowing Ben Curtis to sneak away with one of golf's most improbable wins.

Getting into the tournament on Monday as an alternate when Vijay Singh dropped out, Bjorn played only one practice round, then went out and shot a 65.

So did 20-year-old Tom Lewis, who became the first amateur to lead the Open since 1968, the first to pace any major since Mike Reid at the 1976 U.S. Open.

But Reid looked more his age in the second round, bogeying the final two holes for a 74 that dropped him three strokes off the pace. At No. 18, Lewis knocked his approach over the green, striking a fence post in front of the grandstands and forcing him to play a chip off a gravel road.

Still, he's made it through to the weekend — his primary goal.

"If you asked me that two days ago, I would have taken it," Lewis said. "But at this moment, it doesn't feel so good."

At least he had a good view for the shot of the day.

Playing partner Tom Watson, the five-time Open champion Lewis is named after, sent a charge through the place with a hole-in-one at the sixth.

Pulling out a 4-iron, Watson sent the ball soaring to the green, then watched it bounce one time before dropping into the cup. The 61-year-old threw both arms in the air, high-fived Henrik Stenson, shook hands with Lewis, then took a bow toward the grandstand.

"Wish I could have seen it go in," Watson said as he walked toward the hole to retrieve the second hole-in-one at this Open. Johnson aced the 16th during the opening round.

Watson missed some short putts, though, and finished with a 70 for a 142, good enough to send him through to the weekend.

The morning starters definitely caught a break with the weather. Early on, there was barely a cloud in the sky and little wind off the Strait of Dover, the flags hanging limply above the grandstand.

Clarke took advantage, though it had nothing do with being spurred on by the success of his younger countrymen.

"I've been personally delighted for both of them," he said. "We've got back-to-back U.S. Open champions from a small, little country like Northern Ireland. That's a massive achievement."

Clarke will likely be carrying on this weekend without McDowell, who stumbled to a 77 for a 5-over 145.

"It's getting to be a bit of a habit, these type of days," McDowell moaned. "A bad habit to get into, obviously."

Donald's finish epitomized the woes for the English, who had hoped to make a big splash at the club that has hosted more Opens outside Scotland than any other course.

Lee Westwood, No. 2 in the world, shot 73 and was in danger of missing the cut. Ian Poulter headed home after a 78.



P.M. Cleveland Browns links: Joe Haden could make big plays at cornerback for years to come

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Haden had a strong rookie campaign, indicating he could be one of the playmakers the Browns so desperately need.

joe-haden.jpgJoe Haden could be an impact player for the Browns for years.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns have been short of playmakers on both sides of the football since they returned as an NFL franchise in 1999.

Obviously, look at the record (64-128 and a loss in their only playoff game).

Joe Haden, though, indicated he could be an impact player last season as a rookie.

Even better, Haden plays cornerback, where mistakes are extremely costly and big plays very rewarding. Better, too, cornerback is a position where the best players tend to have long careers.

James Walker of ESPN.com expects Haden to be among the best players in the AFC North for years to come.

Walker writes:

Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns cornerback: There was some skepticism a year ago about whether Haden was worthy of the No. 7 overall pick. Despite a slow start, Haden put all those concerns to rest once he entered the starting lineup in the second half of the season and finished with 64 tackles and six interceptions. Haden displayed very good ball skills, solid tackling and the willingness to mix it up and compete with the physical receivers in the AFC North. He's only 22 and should continue to develop into one of the better corners.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes a Starting Blocks TV interview with PD Browns beat writer Tony Grossi; Grossi's report that former Browns executive Bill Hampton Jr. has died.

About the Browns 

A story on unrestricted free agent defensive end Robaire Smith, from The Sports Xchange on Scout.com.

Rookie fullback Owen Marecic is making a strong impression at "Colt Camp IV," writes Samuel Ingro for the National Football Authority.

Rookie defensive end Phil Taylor has also been impressive at "Colt Camp IV," Kris Knox writes for the National Football Authority. 

(Both National Football Authority stories link to reports by Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot: a note about Marecic, and a story about Taylor)

A Browns blog by Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Observations about the Browns, etc., by Zac Jackson of FoxSportsOhio.com.

Bob Frantz answers readers' questions about the Browns, etc., for the News-Herald.

Drew Pomeranz, elite pitching prospect, promoted to Akron from Kinston by the Cleveland Indians: Update - starts tonight

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Left-hander, the Indians' first pick and the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft, was leading the Carolina League with a 1.87 ERA. Pomeranz will start tonight for the Aeros at Harrisburg.

drew-pomeranz.jpgDrew Pomeranz during the Cleveland Indians' spring training in February.

Updated at 4:37 p.m.: Pomeranz will start tonight for Akron in its game at Harrisburg (Pa.).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, one of baseball's premier pitching prospects, has been promoted to the Class AA Akron Aeros from the Advanced A Kinston Indians, by the Cleveland Indians.

Pomeranz, 22, was Cleveland's first pick and the fifth overall in the 2010 draft. He was dominating at Kinston, going 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA in 15 starts. The ERA leads the Carolina League.

Pomeranz struck out 95 in 77 innings for the Indians. He walked 32 and held hitters to a .202 batting average, including just two home runs.

This is Pomeranz's first season of professional baseball after being drafted out of the University of Mississippi. 

Pomeranz last pitched for Kinston on July 6. Akron plays at Harrisburg (Pa.) in an Eastern League game tonight. Pomeranz pitched 2/3 of an inning and gave up four runs in last Sunday's All-Star Futures Game, featuring baseball's best minor league players.

(Pomeranz, now announced as Akron's starting pitcher for tonight, will face outfielder Bryce Harper, assuming he is in the Harrisburg lineup. Harper, 18, was selected by the Washington Nationals with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft)

 Right-hander Paolo Espino was promoted to the Class AAA Columbus Clippers from Akron.

Espino, a 24-year-old from Panama and a 10th round pick by the Indians in the 2006 draft, was 4-0 with one save and a 2.79 ERA for the Aeros in 20 games, including three starts. He struck out 65, walked 17 and held opponents to a .226 batting average in 71 innings.

British Open 2011: Lucas Glover, Darren Clarke tied for lead after 2 rounds; Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy in contention

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Mickelson is three back, McIlroy four. In all, 31 golfers are between par and 4-under midway through the tournament.

lucas-glover.jpgLucas Glover (photo) and Darren Clarke are tied at the top of a crowded British Open leaderboard.

Darren Clarke carded his second straight 2-under par 68 to tie Lucas Glover for the second-round lead at the British Open in Sandwich, England.

Glover, too, is at 4-under for the tournament, following his first-round 66 with Friday's 70.

One stroke behind at 3-under are Miguel Jimenez (66-71), Thomas Bjorn (65-72), Chad Campbell (69-68) and Martin Kaymer (68-69).

Among the seven players at 2-under are Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (71-67). Phil Mickelson (70-69) is among the five players at 1-under, and the group of 13 players at even par includes U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy (71-69).

Five-time champion Tom Watson, 61, made a hole-in-one on the 178-yard sixth hole and is 2-over (72-70), as is defending champion Louis Oosthuizen (72-70).

Among those missing the cut by one stroke at 4-over were Lee Westwood (73-71) and two-time champion Padraig Harrington (73-71). Also not playing on the weekend will be Luke Donald (71-75) at 6-over. Donald is first in the Official World Golf Rankings.

British Open 2011: Crowded leaderboard -- 31 golfers within a 4-stroke range -- with wild weather ahead

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"(T)he course is going to play very, very tough," co-leader Darren Clarke said. "If that's the case, then the tournament is still wide open for an awful lot of players."

darren-clarke.jpgDarren Clarke after making a putt during the second round of the British Open.

SANDWICH, England -- Darren Clarke marched along bumpy fairways on a wild ride at Royal St. George's that was filled with blunders and brilliance, and one final birdie that brought the kind of ovation he had not heard in a decade at the British Open.

Right behind him was Lucas Glover, far more steady in closing his solid round with eight straight pars.

When a sun-baked and wind-blown second round finally ended Friday, they shared the lead in a major that is living up to its proper name.

The Open Championship is every bit of that.

Before anyone could get excited about the prospects of Clarke delivering yet another major to Northern Ireland, all it took was one look down the leaderboard — all the way to the bottom — to realize this championship was just getting started.

Only seven shots separated first from worst going into the weekend.

"There's still two days of tough golf and tough weather ahead of us," Clarke said.

Clarke, a forgotten figure as Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy captured the U.S. Open the last two years, bounced back from a double bogey to make a 90-foot eagle putt and survived a few more hiccups on his way to another 2-under 68.

Glover, playing the kind of golf that won him a U.S. Open two years ago in New York, has made only three bogeys in the opening two rounds. He had a 70 to join Clarke in the lead at 4-under 136.

"Unlike often when you're in contention in a championship where it may be between six, seven, eight of you, now it's between the whole field," Thomas Bjorn said. "You've just got to go out there and knuckle down and see where it gets you to on Sunday afternoon."

Bjorn (72) was one shot behind along with PGA champion Martin Kaymer (69), Chad Campbell (68) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (71). The 29 players within four shots of the lead included U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, who met his goal of getting to even par for the tournament with a spectacular save from a buried lie in the pot bunker in front of the 18th green.

McIlroy will play Saturday for the third straight time with Rickie Fowler, a fellow 22-year-old who fought his way to a 70 and then summed up the state of this British Open going into the weekend.

"It's basically a new tournament starting tomorrow," Fowler said.

That won't be the case for Luke Donald, who became the second No. 1 player this year to miss the cut in a major. His hopes ended when his ball plugged so badly in a bunker on the 17th that he had to play back toward the fairway, only to see it roll back into the sand. Donald at least was in good company. Lee Westwood at No. 2 also missed the cut and refused to speak to reporters.

Even with a beloved figure like Clarke in the lead, nothing is drawing more attention than the weather.

The forecast is strong wind and increasing rain late in the morning, followed by heavy rain and even stronger gusts in the afternoon. Depending on the weather, it could be a repeat of 10 years ago at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, when David Duval started the third round seven shots out of the lead and wound up with a share of the lead by the end of the day.

"There's an awful long way to go yet, and I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor, which I quite look forward to," Clarke said. "But the course is going to play very, very tough. If that's the case, then the tournament is still wide open for an awful lot of players."

phil-mickelson2.jpgPhil Mickelson during the second round of the British Open.

So many players, in fact, that it was easy to overlook Phil Mickelson, who has never fared well at the British Open and suddenly finds himself within three shots of the lead going into the weekend.

"I'm looking forward to that challenge, and I'm hoping I've got the shots now to be effective in it," Mickelson said.

The eclectic mix of contenders still includes 20-year-old amateur Tom Lewis, who shared the lead after the first round with a 65 and held it together until the end of his round when he three-putted the 17th and was fortunate to make bogey on the final hole. His shot from the rough went over the green and was headed out of bounds until the ball hit the stake. He shot 74, and was still only three shots behind.

On the other end of the spectrum was 61-year-old Tom Watson, who put on another memorable show with a hole-in-one on the sixth hole, hitting a pure 4-iron from 160 yards into the wind that took one hop and banged off the pin before dropping into the cup.

"They're all lucky when they go in," Watson said. "But that's what I was aiming at."

The group at 2-under 138 included a former Ryder Cup captain in Tom Lehman (67) and the current captain in Davis Love III (68). They were joined by Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, who has experience with a crowded leaderboard. He was among eight players who had a share of the lead on the final day at Augusta National until he birdied the last four holes to win by two.

McIlroy was the favorite going into the British Open, and it's hard to rule him out at only four shots behind. At times the kid looked as though he was ready to make a move, only to miss a key putt for find a bunker that led to bogey.

Even so, he was right where he needed to be.

"I think you'll see a lot of chopping and changing at the top of the leaderboard," he said. "It's the most open Open I've seen in a long time. Yeah, I think it'll be excited to be a part of, and it'll be excited to watch over the next two days."

rickie-fowler-rory-mcilroy.jpgRickie Fowler (left) and Rory McIlroy during the British Open's second round.

It wasn't much fun for him to be watching from his house early Friday, when the day started under so much sunshine and so little wind that low scores were anticipated until the gusts arrived in the afternoon, about the time McIlroy was to tee off.

"It's the first Open Championship round I've played in short sleeves the whole time," Glover said.

But it didn't work out that way. There were enough tricky pins to keep anyone from doing better than a 67, and as lunchtime approached, the wind shifted to the opposite direction and made the closing holes as tough as ever.

Glover fired at a tight pin on No. 2 for birdie, and picked up another shot on the downwind, par-5 seventh that could easily be reached in two. A bogey on the 10th hole was his last of the round.

"I didn't hole as many putts as I did yesterday," Glover said. "But I'm happy to grind out even par."

It was the first time Glover has put together consecutive rounds at par or better.

Clarke got into trouble on No. 4 when he missed the green to the right, his chip didn't get up the slope and he wound up missing a 4-foot putt to take double bogey. Then came the long eagle, a birdie on the next hole and a back nine that featured three bogeys, three birdies and three pars.

"It was a little bit more adventurous today," Clarke said. "There was some good and some not-so-good. But overall, 68 is very pleasing."

Equally pleasing was the ovation Clarke received on just about every green. He was runner-up in the Open at Royal Troon in 1997, and tied for third at Royal Lytham in 2001. Still strong are the memories from the Ryder Cup in Ireland five years ago, when he played a month after his wife died of cancer and went 3-0 at The K Club.

"The support I've had the first two days has been fantastic," Clarke said. "The shouting and roaring, it's been a while, but it's been very enjoyable, and it's definitely helped."

There figures to be plenty more noise this weekend. The only mystery is for whom.

A young competitor's view of a Hunter Jumper Classic event: Rider's-eye video

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Ride along as Stefani Lopresti, 13, of Wellington and her horse Laurino compete in the Low Child Adult Jumper class of the Chagrin Valley Hunter Jumper Classic Friday. Watch video

Top riders from around the country and a sizable collection of young competitors are in the midst of the Chagrin Valley Hunter Jumper Classic at the Metroparks Polo Field in Moreland Hills through this weekend.

The video displayed here comes from a camera mounted on the helmet of Stefani Lopresti, 13, of Wellington as she rode through the competition.

rider-with-camera-helmet.jpgView full sizeWith a video camera mounted on her helmet, Stefani Lopresti, 13, of Wellington waits to begin her ride in the Low Child Adult Jumper class during the Chagrin Valley Hunter Jumper Classic in Moreland Hills. Stefani placed fifth.

The $10,000 Welcome Stake event starts at 5:30 Friday night.

Organizers of the event, which expects as many as 10,000 spectators and participants, dubbed Saturday Family Fun Day, with the $30,000 Cleveland Grand Prix on Sunday. The entire event continues through July 23 and ends with the $25,000 Chagrin Valley Professional Horsemen's Association Grand Prix on July 23.

Admission: Saturday, $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens, no charge for children 12 and under; Sunday, $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children. No admission charge July 19-23.

More information: www.clevelandhorseshow.com, or call 330-903-9915.

Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field is in Moreland Hills at the intersection of S. Woodland Road/Rt. 87 and Chagrin River Road.

Carlos Santana caught in the switches: Cleveland Indians daily briefing

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Carlos Santana, Indians catcher/first baseman/cleanup hitter, still trying to get it right from both sides of the plates.

carlos-santana-swing.jpgCarlos Santana still trying to find the answer from the left and right side of the plate.

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, one of the best switch-hitters in history, said life is hard for players who hit from both sides of the plate.

Just when you think you're doing all right from one side of the plate, the other side needs repair. Carlos Santana knows what Murray was talking about.

Last year, Santana's first in the big leagues, he hit .314 (32-for-102) against right-handers and .146 (7-for-48) against lefties.

Santana went to spring training this year with the express purpose of improving against lefties. Consider that done.

He went into Friday night's game against Baltimore hitting .281 (25-for-89) with one homer and eight RBI against lefties. Santana's average against righties, however, was .212 (43-for-203). On the plus side, 10 of his 16 doubles and 13 of his 14 homers came at the expense of lefties.

"Santana has been better the last three weeks," said manager Manny Acta. "Using the whole field is helping him. He continues to work with Bruce (Fields, hitting coach)
on that and not over swinging with two strikes."

Acta is preaching patience with Santana.

"It's going to be a process with him. . .this whole season," said Acta. "It's his first full season in the big leagues. He still has to eliminate some of that body movement at the plate. It started with the taking away to toe tap. Now he has a little bit of leg kick.

"But I continue to say, I don't think I've ever seen a more productive .230 hitter in the big leagues."

Acta sees big things for Santana.

"Carlos projects to be a close to .300 hitter," said Acta, "because of his ability to walk. Once he makes the adjustments in the big leagues, starts using the whole field more and becomes the hitter everyone expects, he's going to be scary.

"He has the potential to be a superstar hitter."

Santana entered Friday's game hitting .233 (68-for-292) with 42 runs, 16 doubles, 14 homers and 44 RBI. He has 62 walks, 70 strikeouts and a .364 on base percentage.

Tonight's lineups:

Indians (48-42): LF Michael Brantley (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), C Carlos Santana (S), CF Grady Sizemore (L), 2B Orlando Cabrera (R), RF Travis Buck (L), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), RHP Josh Tomlin (10-4, 3.81).

Orioles (36-53): SS J.J. Hardy (R), RF Nick Markakis (L), CF Adam Jones (R), C Matt Wieters (S), 1B Derek Lee (R), 3B Mark Reynolds (R), DH Nolan Reimold (R), LF Felix Pie (L), 2B Robert Andino (R), RHP Jake Arrieta (9-6, 4.90).

Him vs. me: Adam Jones is 2-for-5 with a double against Tomlin. Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera are each 1-for-2 against Arrieta.

Lefty righty: Lefties are hitting .263 (62-for-236) with eight homers and righties are hitting .207 (42-for-203) with seven homers against Tomlin. The Orioles have six right-handers and a switch-hitter in the lineup.

Lefties are hitting .231 (43-for-186) with eight homers and righties are hitting .253 (45-for-178) with seven homers against Arrieta. The Indians had seven lefties, including two switcher-hitters, in the lineup.

Umpires: H Bob Davidson, 1B Brian Knight, 2B Chris Conroy, 3B Hunter Wendlestedt. Davidson, crew chief.

Quote of the day: "I don't think, in all the years I managed them, I ever spoke more than thirty words to Frank (Robinson) and Brooks Robinson," Orioles Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver about Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson.

Next: RHP Carlos Carrasco (8-6, 4.28) will face Baltimore RHP Alfredo Simon (1-2, 4.28) on Saturday night at 7:05. STO/WTAM will cover the game.

Lonnie Chisenhall back in the Tribe's lineup: Cleveland Indians Chatter

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Thursday was third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall's first game back in the lineup since getting hit in the face by Toronto's Carlos Villanueva on July 7.

lonnie chisenhall.JPGView full sizeOrioles catcher Matt Wieters, left, blocks the plate and tags out Lonnie Chisenhall in the sixth inning Friday.

Clubhouse confidential: Thursday was third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall's first game back in the lineup since getting hit in the face by Toronto's Carlos Villanueva on July 7.

"I felt fine," said Chisenhall, wearing a batting helmet with a protective bar extending from the right earflap. "I'd rather not have the bar on the helmet, but I can't take any chances."

Chisenhall, who went 0-for-3 before being replaced by Jack Hannahan for defense, suffered a fractured sinus bone which will take six weeks to heal.

"The main thing when you're coming back from an injury like that is fear at the plate," said manager Manny Acta. "He didn't look like he had any fear up there."

Count to 10: The Indians, with Jeanmar Gomez and Fausto Carmona scheduled to be activated for their respective starts Sunday and Monday, have come out of the All-Star break with a 10-man pitching staff and 15 position players.

Manager Manny Acta, to say the least, has a crowded bench with Hannahan, Luis Valbuena, Ezequiel Carrera, Shelley Duncan, Lou Marson and Austin Kearns.

The numbers will change when Gomez, Carmona and an unnamed starter are activated before Sunday's game with Baltimore and Monday's doubleheader against the Twins.

Stat of the day: Vinnie Pestano and Tony Sipp entered Friday's game having each struck out five of the last six batters they've faced.

-- Paul Hoynes


Tribe game was surprise birthday present: Cleveland Indians Memories

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When I was 5 years old, my parents split, leaving my mother to raise six children on her own. Money was tight and my baseball gear consisted of hand-me-downs of hand-me-downs. For my 6th birthday, my maternal uncle announced we were going to a sporting goods store so I could pick out my first new piece of equipment. I was as excited as a 6-year-old could be.

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 of you 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 Chas Nebe of Eastlake:

When I was 5 years old, my parents split, leaving my mother to raise six children on her own. Money was tight and my baseball gear consisted of hand-me-downs of hand-me-downs. For my 6th birthday, my maternal uncle announced we were going to a sporting goods store so I could pick out my first new piece of equipment. I was as excited as a 6-year-old could be.

We took off and soon found ourselves on the freeway, which, at the time, could only mean we were headed to downtown Cleveland. Even at that age, I thought it was a little odd, since there were certainly closer stores. Turned out, we were not headed to a store, but to Cleveland Municipal Stadium for my first baseball game.

The stadium was the biggest place I'd ever been. It was the most people I'd ever seen. Everything about it, the grass, scoreboard, the players, even the announcer, were amazing. I could have happily lived there.

After the game, which the Tribe unfortunately lost to the White Sox, 8-6, we stopped at a souvenir shop, where I was presented with a baseball signed by the whole team. I probably slept with it the first week I had it. My older brother made a stand for it in shop class and it stood proudly on my dresser for many years.

Somehow, during a family move, the ball, like so many things from our youth, got lost. Even to this day, once in a while I try to figure out where it went and think how nice it would look, old and faded. Unfortunately, severe arthritis now limits my trips to games, but when I do go, whether to Progressive Field or spring training or a minor league game, when I walk up to the gate, the pain is a little less and I get that excitement again -- that this is a magical place and I'm a happy 6-year-old again.

Columbus Clippers rally in 10th inning to defeat Indianapolis: Minor League Report

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The Akron Aeros and Lake Erie Crushers also get victories on Friday.

chen-lee.jpgChen Lee is in the midst of his third superb season in the Cleveland Indians' farm system.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 4, Indians 3 LF Jerad Head doubled in the 10th inning and later scored on C Paul Phillips' sacrifice fly to left as Columbus beat Indianapolis in the International League game at home. Josh Judy (3-2, 2.91) got the win, pitching two scoreless innings of relief.

Notes: Going into Friday night’s game, RH reliever Chen Lee was 1-0 and had pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innnings in six games with Columbus, striking out 15, walking two and giving up six hits. Lee began the season with Akron, where he was 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 23 games. He struck out 56, walked 11 and allowed 27 hits (one home run) in 39 2/3 innings with the Aeros....Lee, 24, is from Taiwan and was signed by Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2009. In 2009, he was 4-6 with two saves and a 3.35 ERA in 45 games at Kinston, striking out 97 and walking 28 in 83 1/3 innings. In 2010 at Akron, Lee was 5-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 44 games. He struck out 82 and walked 22 in 72 2/3 innings....Lee is holding opponents to a .194 batting average. Batters hit .220 off him in 2009 and .219 last season.

IF Jason Donald (.304) was 8-for-14 (.571) with two homers, two doubles and five RBI in his last four games....RH Justin Germano (0-1, 4.07) was 0-0 with an 0.71 ERA in his last seven games (including one start), striking out 15 while allowing no walks and five hits in 12 2/3 innings....LH Nick Hagadone (3-1, one save, 4.07) was 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA (allowing two unearned runs) in 10 1/3 innings over his last seven games. He had struck out 12, walked three and given up 10 hits....RH reliever Josh Judy (2-2, 13 saves, 3.09) was 0-1 with six saves in his last 10 games. He had given up five runs -- all unearned -- struck out 17, walked five and allowed six hits in 11 2/3 innings....RH Paolo Espino (4-0, one save, 2.79 at Akron) has been promoted to the Clippers from Akron. He was 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last nine games with the Aeros, including two starts. He had struck out 23, walked nine and given up 28 hits in 33 1/3 innings during the span.

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 4, Senators 3 C Chun Chen scored the winning run on a catcher's throwing error and drove in a run, and second baseman Karexon Sanchez homered as the Aeros won the Eastern League game at Harrisburg, Pa. Top Tribe pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz did well in his debut since being promoted from Kinston. RH Matt Langwell got the win for Akron.

Notes: Going into Friday night’s game, Beau Mills (.287) was 9-for-20 (.450) with two home runs and two doubles in his last six games....Catcher Chun Chen (.279) was 9-for-25 (.360) with two doubles, one triple and one homer in his last seven games....Juan Diaz (.258) had a nine-game hitting streak, going 13-for-40 (.325) with four doubles....RH closer Cory Burns (2-3, 25 saves, 2.11) had not given up a run in his last 18 appearances. He had fanned 17, walked three and allowed nine hits in 19 1/3 innings during the span....LH reliever Eric Berger (2-0, 3.52) was 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last eight games, striking out 18, walking five and yielding 11 hits in 13 innings....LH T.J. McFarland (5-4, 4.30) is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last four games. In 25 innings, he has fanned 20, walked eight and given up 15 hits....The Aeros’ starting pitcher tonight at Harrisburg (Pa.) was LH Drew Pomeranz, who has been promoted from Kinston. Pomeranz, 22, was Cleveland’s first pick and the fifth overall in the 2010 draft. He was 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA in 15 starts at Kinston. The ERA leads the Carolina League. Pomeranz struck out 95 in 77 innings for Kinston. He walked 32 and held hitters to a .202 batting average, including just two home runs.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Nationals 4, Indians 3 Jeremie Tice's run-scoring single and Abner Abreu's run-scoring groundout in the ninth inning were not enough to rally Kinston in the Carolina League game at Woodbridge, Va.

Notes: Going into Friday night’s game, RH reliever Kyle Landis (3-0, one save, 0.84) had struck out 25 while allowing just 10 hits and four walks in 21 1/3 innings....OF Abner Abreu (.227) was 9-for-23 (.391) with four homers, two triples and two doubles in his last four games....OF Anthony Gallas, of Strongsville High School and Kent State, was hitting .161 in 87 at bats since being promoted from Lake County. He was in a 1-for-28 slump over his last seven games, the hit being a home run. In Gallas' last 24 at bats, he had struck out just once, putting the baseball in play in his other 23 at bats, but getting just the one hit -- the homer. Gallas began the season at Lake County, where he hit .314 with six homers in 207 at bats and, at the time of his promotion, was leading the Midwest League with 24 doubles....3B Adam Abraham (.256) was 5-for-13 (.385) with two homers in his last four games.

A Lake County Captains

Chiefs 6, Captains 5 Elliot Soto drove in Ryan Cuneo with the winning run in the 10th inning as host Peoria (Ill.) topped Lake County in Midwest League action. Joey Mahalic took the loss for the Captains.

Notes: Going into Friday night’s game, 1B Jesus Aguilar (.292) was 18-for-52 (.346) with five doubles and four homers in his last 14 games. Aguilar's 18 homers were second in the Midwest League. He was first in slugging percentage (.551) and total bases (172); fifth in RBI (59); sixth in doubles (23)....3B Giovanny Urshela (.233) was 20-for-65 (.308) with four doubles, one triple and one homer in his last 18 games....OF Carlos Moncrief (.231) was 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles and a triple in his last five games....RH reliever Dale Dickerson (1-1, two saves, 1.52) had not allowed a run in his last 12 games, fanning 10, walking three and allowing 12 hits in 14 1/3 innings....RH reliever Clayton Ehlert (1-2, 10 saves, 2.04) had given up one run on seven hits in his last 12 innings for an 0.75 ERA....RH reliever Bryce Stowell (0-1, 1.84) had struck out 20, walked eight and allowed six hits in 14 2/3 innings with the Captains.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Tigers 7, Scrappers 4 Cody Elliott drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Scrappers temporarily ahead, but a three-run seventh by Connecticut sank the Scrappers.

Notes: Going into Friday night’s game, C Alex Lavisky (.170) had one homer (on Thursday) and three doubles in 94 at bats with the Scrappers. He began the season at Lake County, where he hit .207 with 10 doubles and eight homers in 184 at bats. Lavisky graduated from Lakewood St. Edward High School in 2010 and was an eighth-round pick by the Cleveland Indians in that June’s draft....OF Jordan Smith (.329) was 11-for-30 (.367) with four doubles, one triple, seven walks and six RBI in his last nine games....SS Tony Wolters (.296) was 16-for-49 (.327) with two doubles, one triple, eight runs and five RBI in his last 11 games....Enosil Tejeda (1-2, three saves, 3.38) was 1-2 with three saves and a 2.38 ERA in his last nine games, striking out 18 while allowing four walks and six hits (no homers) in 11 1/3 innings.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers 5, Wild Things 3 DH Nick Mahin scored on C Kyle Shaffer's single for the go-ahead run as Lake Erie won the Frontier League game in Washington,

Notes: Going into Friday night’s game, RH reliever Kelyn Schellenberg was 1-0 with one save and an 0.61 ERA in 23 games. He had struck out 13, walked one and given up 20 hits in 29 2/3 innings....OF Kevin Kulbacki (.304) was on a 14-game hitting streak, going 22-for-52 (.423) with five doubles....3B Andrew Davis (.292) was on an eight-game hitting streak, going 17-for-30 (.567) with one homer, one double, eight runs and six RBI....C Joel Collins (.311) had hit in six straight, going 8-for-21 (.381) with five RBI.

Offense, bullpen save the night for Cleveland Indians in 6-5 victory over Baltimore Orioles

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UPDATED: Josh Tomlin didn't have his best start Friday night against the Orioles. What he did have was plenty of offense and a good bullpen to help him win his 11th game of the season.

Gallery preview BALTIMORE, Md. — If there's one thing a starting pitcher loves more than a fast outfield, it's a good bullpen.

Josh Tomlin will vouch for that after the Indians beat Baltimore, 6-5, Friday night at Camden Yards for their second straight win since the All-Star break. "The Bullpen Mafia" pitched four scoreless innings, and the offense collected 12 hits to assist Tomlin in winning his 11th game.

"This is the hardest Josh has had to work in the year-and-a-half that he's been here," said Tribe manager Manny Acta. "He threw 96 pitches in five innings. But he battled, and our bullpen, one more time, was untouchable and gave us the ballgame."

Tribe relievers have thrown seven scoreless innings in the first two games of this four-game set.

Tomlin (11-4, 4.03) allowed a season-high three homers to run his total to 18. He allowed five runs on six hits in five innings.

"I knew it was going to be one of those games," said Tomlin. "For a lot of the game, I didn't know where the ball was going when it left my hand. . . . That's scary."

The Indians, 5-0 against the Birds this year, are 7-5 in July as they continue to distance themselves from the smoldering ash of a 10-17 June. The Orioles have lost a season-high nine straight games and 14 of their last 15.

The victory gave the Indians a one-game lead in the AL Central. They came out of the break trailing Detroit by a half-game.

Rookie third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall gave the Indians their margin of victory in the sixth with a single off Jim Johnson (5-3) for a 6-5 lead. Matt LaPorta, who doubled past a diving Felix Pie in left field to start the inning, scored to break a 5-5 tie.

The way the two teams were scoring, it didn't seem as if that would be the final run, but the Tribe's bullpen made sure the Orioles bats remained silent.

"I was just trying to get LaPorta over [to third]," said Chisenhall, his right eye still bloodshot from getting hit in the face by a pitch on July 7. "I just happened to put one in the gap."

Said Acta, "Lonnie Chisenhall came up big after that double by LaPorta and pretty much won the game for us."

The bullpen relay race started in the sixth. The lead went from Chad Durbin (two-thirds of an inning) to Rafael Perez (one-third) to Joe Smith (one inning) and Vinnie Pestano (one inning). All-Star closer Chris Perez took the baton in the ninth and recorded his 22nd save in 23 chances.

"You can't say enough about the bullpen or the offense," said Tomlin. "They both picked me up huge."

Said Durbin, who won a World Series in the Phillies bullpen in 2008, "This bullpen stacks up. The guys hold the rope. . . . they get it to the guys who pitch the seventh and eighth inning and then they get it to the closer."

Michael Brantley led the Tribe's offense with three hits. Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera homered. The Indians have 23 hits in the first two games of this series.

"We swung the bats well," said Acta, who spent the first half of the season praying for offense. "The homers by Asdrubal and Sizemore were huge."

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the second on Sizemore's leadoff double and LaPorta's two-out single off Jake Arrieta.

The Orioles took the lead, 2-1, on solo homers by Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold in the second.

The Indians responded with Asdrubal Cabrera's two-run homer in the third for a 3-2 lead. It was Cabrera's 16th homer of the season and second in as many games.

The Orioles tied the game in the bottom of the third on Adam Jones' two-out double.

Sizemore put the Indians back in front, 5-3, with a two-run homer off Jake Arrieta in the fifth. It came with two out as Sizemore sent a 1-0 pitch over the fence in center for his 10th homer in 31 games.

Tomlin, however, could not hold the lead.

Jones crushed a two-out homer in the fifth to tie the score once again at 5-5. Tomlin is 2-0 against the Orioles this year, but has allowed five homers along the way.

"Every mistake I made they hit hard," said Tomlin.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Tribe is not looking at Arizona's Wily Mo Pena: Cleveland Indians Insider

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Wily Mo Pena might not be on the Indians' radar when it comes to adding a right-handed hitter, but there are a lot of names out there that interest them.

wily.jpgThe Tribe was impressed by Arizona's Wily Mo Pena, here celebrating after hitting a home run to beat the Indians on June 28, but team officials are not looking to bring in the right-handed hitter now that he has been designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks. Tribe officials say they already have a right-handed power bat off the bench in Shelley Duncan.
BALTIMORE, Md. — It doesn't sound as if the Indians are interested in Wily Mo Pena, the powerful right-handed hitting outfielder/DH who was just designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Not that Pena didn't make an impression on the Indians during their recent interleague tour of NL ballparks. Pena beat the Indians with a walkoff two-run homer against Tony Sipp on June 26 at Chase Field.

The Indians feel they have the equivalent of Pena in Shelley Duncan as a right-hander power bat off the bench.

The right-handed hitting outfielders they are interested in include Carlos Beltran of the Mets, Ryan Ludwick of the Padres and Josh Willingham of the Athletics. It doesn't mean they're going to get them, but they do have interest.

What the Indians are looking for is a right-handed hitting outfielder who can play right field on a regular basis and balance the Indians' predominantly left-handed hitting lineup.

Beltran, a free agent after this season, is making $18.5 million this year and has a full no-trade clause in his contract. He's hitting .285 (93-for-326) with 28 doubles, 13 homers and 58 RBI.

He's played only right field this season.

Ludwick, the Padres' left fielder, is hitting .242 (80-for-330) with 14 doubles, 11 homers and 55 RBI. He's on a one-year, $6.75 million contract and is a free agent after the season.

Willingham is hitting .241 (59-for-245) with 12 doubles, 11 homers and 44 RBI for Oakland. He's playing left field and is on a one-year, $6 million contract. Like Ludwick and Beltran, he's eligible for free agency after the season.

The Mets entered Friday's action 11 games out of first place in the NL East, while the Padres were 13 games out in the NL West and Oakland was 121/2 out in the AL West.

Other players are available as well. Some with more experience in the AL Central than Beltran, Ludwick and Willingham. It just depends on what kind of talent the Indians are willing to part with and how much salary they'll absorb.

Bring on the funk: Sidearmer Joe Smith hasn't allowed an earned run in his past 26 appearances. The streak covers 24 innings.

It's the third-longest single-season stretch by an Indians reliever since 1919. Paul Assenmacher went 31 straight games in 1997 and Jose Mesa went 29 games in 1995.

Right-handers are hitting .265 (22-for-83) and lefties are hitting .118 (4-for-34) against Smith this year.

"He's been very aggressive with his fastball and he's been throwing it over the plate," said bullpen coach Scott Radinsky. "Sometimes you get on these runs. I don't know if there's an explanation other than he's healthy and he's throwing the ball over the plate."

Not only is Smith's sidearm delivery difficult to pick up for hitters, but he throws between 90 mph and 93 mph. Sidearmers usually rely on deception rather than velocity. Smith has both.

"He's got some funk to him," Radinsky. "He's always going to benefit from that deception and delivery. It's unconventional. Hitters aren't used to it. I can't imagine hitters want to face him . . . especially right-handers. And when he's coming at you throwing strikes, that makes him tougher."

Testing, testing: Fausto Carmona did some agility drills before Friday's game to test his strained right quadriceps muscle. Today he'll do some fielding drills while coming off the mound.

"That will be the last hurdle," said Acta.

Carmona is scheduled to be activated and pitch one end of Monday's day-night doubleheader against the Twins at Target Field.

Patience: Acta said it's too early to tell just what effect new hitting coach Bruce Fields has had on the Indians. Fields replaced Jon Nunnally on June 19 with the Indians offense in a long slump.

"What we were looking for here is for our younger guys to take to Bruce and make some progress," said Acta. "I think the majority of the veteran hitters here were not affected that much. . . . We just have to give it time."

NFL, players: We're making progress toward deal

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NFL owners and players wrapped up a round of intensive talks Friday without a full agreement to end the league's four-month lockout, but determined to keep pushing over the weekend.

Noting that "progress has been made," NFL owners and players wrapped up a round of intensive talks Friday without a full agreement to end the league's four-month lockout, but determined to keep pushing over the weekend.

NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith expects to speak with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the next couple of days, possibly in person, while the two sides' legal and financial teams continue working. After about eight hours of negotiations in New York on Friday — tacked onto more than 25 hours across Wednesday and Thursday — the league and players issued a joint statement, saying: "The discussions this week have been constructive and progress has been made on a wide range of issues."

jerry.jpgJerry Jones, left, owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and John Mara, president, CEO, and co-owner of the New York Giants, arrive for labor talks in New York, Friday, July 15, 2011. Significant progress on a major sticking point in the NFL labor impasse — soaring rookie salaries — during marathon talks Thursday raised hopes that a tentative agreement in principle could perhaps come within 24 hours, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

They did not reveal any details, citing a gag order imposed by the court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan.

"I wouldn't dare speculate on where we are," said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, one of six members of the owners' labor committee participating Friday.

But people familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press that Friday's talks moved beyond economic issues to cover other remaining areas where gaps need to be bridged to finish off a deal. That included player health and safety matters, such as offseason workout rules.

The aim was to build upon the significant steps made Thursday, when the framework for a rookie salary system was established, including that first-round draft picks will sign four-year contracts with a club option for a fifth year. On another financial matter, the per-team cap figure for 2011 will be in the range of $120 million in salaries plus about $20 million or so in benefits, according to people with knowledge of the talks.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the negotiations aimed at breaking the impasse are supposed to be confidential.

One person also told the AP that owners first learned Thursday that the NFLPA set up $200,000 in "lockout insurance" for each player if the 2011 season were lost entirely, a policy that cost at least $10 million and was taken out nearly a year ago. That policy was first reported by SI.com.

The NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 began in March, when owners locked out players after negotiations broke down and the old collective bargaining agreement expired. Now the preseason is just a few weeks away.

The Hall of Fame game that opens the exhibition season is scheduled for Aug. 7 between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, who hope to be in training camp by next weekend. Yet camps won't start before a new CBA is in place.

Boylan, who has been on vacation, ordered both sides to meet with him in Minneapolis early next week, and the owners have a special meeting set for next Thursday in Atlanta, where they potentially could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then.

Any agreement also must be voted on by groups of players, including the named plaintiffs in a class-action antitrust lawsuit pending in federal court and the NFLPA's 32 team representatives.

"We made some progress; we continue to have a lot of work to do," Smith said as he left Friday's session at a Manhattan law firm. "I know everybody is frustrated, and they want a definitive answer. I hate to disappoint you; you're not going to get one right now. We're going to continue to work, and I think that's a positive sign."

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AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner and AP Sports Writers Rachel Cohen, Ronald Blum, Teresa Walker, Ira Podell and John Wawrow contributed to this report.



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