James, after leaving the Cavaliers as a free agent, signed a six-year, $110 million contract with the Miami Heat.

David Adame, Associated PressLeBron James signing with the Miami Heat last Friday. He may soon sign to purchase a big, big home.

Miami's new "Big Three" of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh have all signed contracts with the Heat for less (yes, less) than the maximum salaries.

The six-year deals are worth $107 million to Heat veteran Wade, and $110 million each to James and Bosh. James left the Cavaliers as an unrestricted free agent; Bosh left the Raptors in like manner.

Reports have indicated that James will keep his home in Bath Township, several miles from where he grew up in Akron.

James, whose contracts and endorsements now have totaled a few hundred million dollars, is looking for a home near his new workplace. Looks like he might have found one, as reported by Life and Style Magazine:

Life & Style can reveal that LeBron has started paperwork to purchase a $49.5 million 20,088- square-foot mansion at Casuarina Concourse -- the most expensive home in the Coral Gables, Fla., area!

Wonder if LeBron will trim the lawn with a push mower. Life and Style further describes the mansion, which Heat president Pat Riley once called home:

The estate faces the open waters of Biscayne Bay and is surrounded by 80 linear feet of waterfront. With three suites, all including full baths, an upstairs master suite with a full gym, a 12-camera security system, a billiards and media room, LeBron¹s new bachelor pad is equipped for party after party after party. And if his guests need to crash after a night out, a private guest suite with a tennis court and courtyard on its own acre of land is just another special feature.

Some golfers weren't done with the second round when play was stopped for the day due to darkness. Earlier, stiff winds caused a delay. Oosthuizen holds 5-stroke lead. Woods eight back; Mickelson makes the cut, while Watson, 60, won't.

Alastair Grant, Associated PressTom Watson (center) shakes hands with Ryo Ishikawa and Padraig Harrington looks on after the group finished the second round of the British Open.

St. Andrews, Scotland – Fierce wind wreaked more havoc than any player Friday at the British Open, even causing a rare weather delay.

South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen surged to a five-stroke lead in the morning, then watched from the comfort of his hotel as first-round leader Rory McIlroy and plenty of others stumbled in the blustery conditions.

The flags flapped wildly, caps blew down the fairways and there were 80s all over the scoreboard, including one by McIlroy's name.

The 21-year-old hotshot from Northern Ireland went from the lowest score ever in a major championship to an 8-over 80. No other player has ever taken a bigger tumble after shooting 63 in one of golf's biggest events. It left him with an 11-shot deficit heading to the weekend.

Despite sunny skies mixed with puffy white clouds, officials decided the Old Course was unplayable because the wind was gusting to 41 mph, causing balls to wobble on some of the exposed greens, especially those along St. Andrews Bay.

Second-round play was suspended 1 hour, 5 minutes at midafternoon, shortly after Phil Mickelson finished his round in brutally tough conditions and Tiger Woods had teed off.

The last wind delay at the British Open was at Royal Birkdale in 1998, when gusts reached 40 mph, forcing a 38-minute stoppage during the second round. No one seemed more hurt by it than McIlroy, who had parred the first three holes. After the delay, he bogeyed No. 4 — and three of the next four holes, as well.

"It was just very, very difficult out there," McIlroy said. "I just let it get away from me a little bit."

During the break, players returned to their lounge near the first tee to wait for conditions to calm. Caddies sprawled on a grassy knoll, munching on sandwiches and bananas. Some fans claimed a patch of ground and caught a nap.

Oosthuizen (WUHST'-hy-zen), a 27-year-old from Mossel Bay whose given name is Lodewicus Theodorus, shot a 5-under 67 for a 12-under 132 at the midway point of the tournament. He was done before McIlroy teed off, hoping to put up another solid round after tying the major-championship record with a 63 on Thursday.

Not in these conditions.

Mark Calcavecchia, trying to strike another blow for the senior circuit, was closest to Oosthuizen among those in the clubhouse. The 50-year-old American shot a 67 that left him at 137, with Lee Westwood and Paul Casey another shot behind.

Woods held on in wind that was gusting more than 30 mph even after play resumed. He bogeyed the first two holes, but a fortunate break at the par-5 fifth helped him pick up his first birdie of the day.

His second shot was sailing right, toward the treacherous rough, but the ball struck a golf cart loaded with television equipment and stopped in the short grass. Woods was able to get up and down from there, leaving him 4 under for the tournament as he approached the midway point of his round.

Woods nearly finished with a flourish, driving the green — the ball skidding about a foot wide of the flag — on the par-4 18th hole. He missed the 20-footer for eagle but tapped in for birdie at a 73 that kept him in contention for the weekend, though eight strokes behind Oosthuizen.

Woods is trying to win his third straight Open at St. Andrews, having romped to victories in 2000 and 2005. Before he putted out, Tom Watson made what was likely his final walk over Swilcan Bridge. The 60-year-old who nearly won last year at Turnberry was likely to miss the cut after shooting 75, but he paused to kiss the famous stone walkway and posed atop it long enough for everyone to get a picture.

The weather made it a typical British Open roller-coaster of a day. The early starters found blue skies when they arrived, but heavy rains rolled in shortly after the start of the round. The sun peeked through the clouds again, then more showers struck just before noon.

"I got up this morning and it wasn't looking real pretty at 4:30," said Calcavecchia, who played in the first group. "It was actually beautiful when we teed off. Then we saw a little bit of everything."

Oosthuizen wasn't worried about any of that, and he was already done when the wind started to blow around lunchtime.

"I'm very confident with the way I'm playing," he said. "It's probably the position anyone wants to be in playing a major on the weekend, and I think it's what we work to achieve, and I'm just very happy with the two rounds I put together."

There was nothing to indicate he might contend at golf's oldest major championship. He missed the cut this year at the Masters and the U.S. Open, and did the same at last week's Scottish Open.

This is only the second time he'll make the cut in nine major appearances. The other time, at the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, he finished last among those playing on the weekend. But he did claim his first win on the European Tour this year, earning a spot at Augusta National.

With the wind at his back, Oosthuizen went with shorter clubs off the tee to keep the dreaded pot bunkers out of play. He got a bit wild on the back nine, starting out birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie before he settled down with a couple of pars and a 15-foot birdie at the final hole to leave him with a good feeling going to a weekend that will be like none he's ever experienced before.

Oosthuizen strung together three birdies in a row beginning at the par-5 fifth, where a driver and a 4-iron left him with a chip that he left 5 feet from the flag. Maybe if he's walking up the 18th fairway with the claret jug in his grasp come Sunday, someone will break out the vuvuzelas, those South African horns that made the World Cup sound as though it was under attack from swarming bees.

Until then, he said, leave 'em at home.

"On the golf course? No, not on the golf course," Oosthuizen said.

Westwood gave no indication that he's bothered by a ruptured muscle in his right calf. The world's No. 3 player, generally recognized as the best player without a major title, followed an opening 67 with a solid 71.

Casey managed a 69 despite a triple-bogey at No. 17, the famed "Road Hole." A drive into the thick rough left of the fairway led to big trouble; even aiming sideways, he needed two whacks to get out, then he came up short on the approach and two putted for a 7.

Calcavecchia? Nothing new about a senior holding lofty status at this event.

The American will try to finish what was started by 53-year-old Greg Norman (the 54-hole leader in 2008) and Watson (who had a potential winning putt on the 72nd hole last year at age 59). Both came up short of becoming the oldest major champion in golf history, a title that still belongs to Julius Boros, who was 48 when he captured the 1968 PGA.

"You see a guy like Tom Watson last year, almost winning when he was almost 60, and you realize that it doesn't really matter how old you are," said Calcavecchia, relishing his best round ever at St. Andrews. "The old guys can hang with the young guys."

Mickelson, who made only one birdie in his opening round of 73, went out with hopes of getting back into the mix — or at least to avoid going home. He didn't make much of a charge, finishing with a 71, but that was likely to be good enough to at least get him to the weekend.

But his sense of timing at this Open was terrible. He played Thursday with a more unfavorable afternoon tee time, and caught the worst of the wind before the suspension.

"It's very difficult," Lefty said. "Every hole is a tough par in these conditions."

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the opening round was 1995 Open winner John Daly, who pulled off a stunning 66 while wearing the flashiest outfit on the course: lavender paisley pants, pink shirt, sky blue sweater and turquoise cap.

Daly didn't tone it down Friday, donning pink paisley pants, a lime green cap and a neon shirt as he got in six holes before play was halted. But he, too, was bedeviled by the wind and tumbled to a 76.

A final-round 71 was good enough to crown the youngest winner of the oldest tournament in Ohio.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerMichael Bernard drives off the 10th tee in Friday's final round of the Ohio Amateur Championship at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby. Bernard, at 16, became the youngest player to take the title.

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio -- Michael Bernard added a new chapter to the 104-year history of the Ohio Amateur Championship on Friday.

Playing near-flawless golf, the 16-year-old from the Dayton suburb of Huber Heights put the finishing touch on a superlative four-day performance with a final-round even-par 71 to become the youngest winner of the oldest tournament in Ohio with a score of 7-under 277.

Bernard's 72-hole total at Kirtland Country Club was five shots better than Dublin's Matt Stauch, Mansfield's Tom Ballinger and Cincinnati's Bill Williamson, the 36-hole leader.

Frank Stranahan was 19 when he won the first of his back-to-back titles in 1941.

"I just talked to my wife and she said, 'It's not every day that your kid gets to make history,'" said Doug Bernard, who followed his son on every hole over the last four days. "Now, we head to the U.S. Junior Amateur (at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Mich.) and start all over again."

Stauch, who helped Florida Southern win the Division II national championship and Dublin Jerome back-to-back state high school titles, climbed seven spots with a 5-under 66 -- equaling the best round of the tournament -- to earn his share of second place.

Williamson, a corporate attorney who played collegiately at Akron, lost his sole hold on second place with a final-round 75.

Ballinger, a Kent State grad, chipped in for birdie from off the 18th green to shoot 73 and finish at 282.

Bernard, who will be a junior at Wayne High School, never let his lead dwindle to fewer than two shots, mostly because he saved par with a series of clutch putts. When asked how it felt to become the Ohio Am's youngest champ, he said, "It really hasn't sunk in yet."

He formulated a game plan after taking the lead during Thursday's third round and stuck to it.

"My plan on the front nine was to hit fairways and try to hit to the center of greens and make two putts," said Bernard. "And, I did exactly that for the first six holes."

He played bogey-free for six holes, saving par by making three six-foot putts. After a bogey on the seventh, he saved par with a nine-foot putt on the eighth before going birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey on holes 10 through 13. He finished with four pars and another birdie. In all he made at least seven par-saving putts, culminating with an 18-footer on the final hole.

"I didn't drive particularly well today, but I scrambled very well," he said. "I think I made two bad decisions all day."

All but eliminated from playoff contention, the Gladiators nevertheless had spirited practices this week.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerThe Cleveland Gladiators will play Oklahoma City on Saturday without receiver Ben Nelson (right), whose season ended last week with severe leg injuries.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Gladiators are all but eliminated from Arena League playoff contention, but that reality did not stop them from having spirited practices this week.

The Gladiators (6-8) host the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (6-7) on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 at The Q.

"It comes down to having pride and realizing we're all playing for jobs," quarterback John Dutton said. "I look at every season like that, regardless of what the record is. You play as hard as you can until no games are left."

To even think about the postseason, the Gladiators need to win their last two, including the finale against the Milwaukee Iron at The Q on July 31, and have Milwaukee (8-5) go 0-3 with at least a 29-point loss to Cleveland. That highly unlikely scenario cannot account for Iowa (6-7 entering the weekend) securing the fourth and final spot in the National Conference.

Oklahoma City, very much alive in the American Conference playoff chase, has won three in a row. It is 1-5 on the road.

The Yard Dawgz beat the Gladiators, 63-50, at home in Week 3. It overcame Dutton's 309 yards and seven touchdowns. Gladiators receivers Ben Nelson and Chris Johnson combined for 27 receptions and five TDs -- but will not be available for the rematch.

Nelson and Johnson suffered serious injuries in a 62-56 overtime loss to Spokane at The Q last Saturday.

"They're both done for the year," Dutton said.

Dutton said Nelson broke a bone in his leg and suffered ligament damage and underwent surgery Wednesday. Johnson's injury is to a knee. Taking their places are Victor Williams and Jermaine Lewis (first start). Brent Holmes also starts at receiver.

Nelson leads the league with 282 points and second with 151 receptions and 1,867 receiving yards. Johnson has caught 107 passes for 1,105 yards and 14 TDs in 12 games.

Two weeks ago, the Gladiators went on the road to defeat the Orlando Predators, 77-70, in overtime. According to team communications director Phil Tesar, the Gladiators are one of just four teams in AFL history to play in back-to-back overtime games. Tesar said no team has done so three straight times.

Browns All-Pro Josh Cribbs, an arena fan, will be a special guest of the Gladiators Saturday night.

This was no tearful goodbye. Rather, a fond farewell.

Alastair Grant / Associated PressTom Watson gives a farewell wave to golf fans at St. Andrews as he completed his last Open round at the Old Course on Friday. Watson does plan to keep playing in the Open until he reaches age 65, but will probably not play again at the home of golf.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Tom Watson put one hand on the Swilcan Bridge, bent over and kissed the ancient stones.

This was no tearful goodbye. Rather, a fond farewell.

Watson played his last round in a British Open at St. Andrews on Friday, assured of missing the cut after shooting a 3-over 75.

"St. Andrews, when I first played here, I didn't like it," he said. "But I learned to like it. And, eventually, to love it."

Several hundred fans stuck around in the fading light for one last glimpse of Watson on the Old Course, and he didn't disappoint. With playing partners Padraig Harrington and Ryo Ishikawa well ahead so as not to steal his moment, Watson kissed the bridge and then took a last, nostalgic walk over it.

As applause and shouts of "We love you, Tom!" rang out, Watson stood on top of the bridge, took off his cap and waved it at the crowd. He gave a thumbs up and then stood still, soaking it all in -- just as his old friends and rivals Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus had done before him.

"It just seemed the right thing to do," Watson said. "I thought of Arnold on the bridge and I thought of Jack on the bridge. Their last Opens were both right here at St. Andrews. My last Open is not, the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise."

Thanks in large part to Watson, the Royal and Ancient now allows past champions to play the Open until they are 65.

He put on a feel-good show for the ages at Turnberry last year, nearly becoming the oldest major champion in history a few months shy of his 60th birthday. He went to the 72nd hole with a one-stroke lead, but there was no magical ending -- he missed an 8-foot par putt and then lost the playoff to Stewart Cink.

While almost everyone outside of Cink's family was crushed, Watson was gracious in defeat. That gentlemanly manner is part of what has drawn fans to him for so many years, and that love was evident Friday night.

Fans leaned out second-floor windows of one of the hotels lining the 18th hole to cheer him. Every time he started to walk off the Swilcan Bridge, they broke into a new round of applause to hold him there just a few seconds longer. Finally, with one long, last look around, he waved and left.

Caddie Neil Oxman put his arm around Watson when he caught up to him, and the two resumed their last stroll up the 18th fairway.

"The main thing is the respect I have for the way the game is played here. And the respect that the people have for their game," Watson said. "The Scots invented golf, and they love the game with a passion unlike any other people. I enjoy that."

And Watson gave them one last thrill, chipping on and rolling to the very edge of the cup. The ball refused to drop for an eagle, but it allowed him to walk away with one last birdie. Just like Jack.

Watson never did win the claret jug on this course, but he leaves with no regrets.

"None at all," he said. "I had my opportunities here."

Indians batter the Tigers' pitching staff to win opener of second half.

UPDATED: 11:13 p.m.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerTrevor Crowe greets Andy Marte at home plate after Marte's two-run homer in the fourth inning gave the Indians a 4-2 lead over the Detroit Tigers Friday night at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A four-day rest did the Indians' bodies and minds plenty of good.

The Tribe stormed out of the All-Star break with a purpose, thumping the contending Tigers, 8-2, Friday night at Progressive Field. Paid attendance: 22,295, including a season-best walk-up of 4,764.

The Indians (35-54) belied their last-place standing with a fundamentally sound performance. They had staggered into the break as losers of seven of 10. Five of the Tribe's 10 hits went for extra bases. The club has at least one extra-base hit in 38 consecutive games.

Intermittently sloppy Detroit slipped to 48-39 overall, 16-26 on the road. It remained second in the Central Division.

Andy Marte and Austin Kearns cracked two-run homers in support of right-hander Jake Westbrook (6-5, 4.67). Westbrook, potential trade bait, gave up two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

A Los Angeles Dodgers scout was among those in attendance. The scout indicated he also would be filing a report on Fausto Carmona, who pitches the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

Westbrook did not exactly dazzle, but made pitches to minimize damage. He tiptoed through the tar pits in the first, giving up just one run despite throwing 32 pitches.

"Very nice job by Jake," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "To have any chance of beating those guys, you have to stop the traffic in front of the three guys in the middle. Jake did a good job of that."

Acta referred to the heart of the Detroit order -- No. 3 hitter Magglio Ordonez (.315), cleanup man Miguel Cabrera (.346) and No. 5 Brennan Boesch (.336).

Westbrook leaned heavily on his defense, which included catcher Carlos Santana erasing two runners attempting to steal, and the bullpen. Four Tribe relievers allowed a combined two hits.

With the Indians leading, 4-2, in the top of the sixth, Austin Jackson led off with a triple. Westbrook got Johnny Damon to ground to the mound and struck out Ordonez.

"Damon is a tough guy to strike out, so it worked out well that he hit it to me," Westbrook said. "Then I needed a big strikeout and got it."

Acta hooked Westbrook for Joe Smith, who walked Cabrera. Lefty Tony Sipp replaced Smith and whiffed Boesch.

The Tribe carried the momentum into the sixth and piled on against two relievers. Santana's sacrifice fly, Travis Hafner's RBI single and Kearns' homer accounted for the four runs.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first. Jackson led off with a single on the 10th pitch of his at-bat. The hard-hit ball bounced off second baseman Jayson Nix and rolled into short-center.

After Damon popped up, Jackson stole second. Ordonez struck out. Cabrera, chasing the AL triple crown, lined an RBI single to deep left. He extended his hitting streak to 20 games.

Cabrera entered hitting .346 with 22 homers and 77 RBI in 83 games. In his career against Cleveland, he was at .321 (63-for-196) with 15 homers and 43 RBI.

Boesch grounded to second on Westbrook's 32nd pitch.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Tigers righty Max Scherzer walked Santana and Hafner. Kearns flied to right.

The Indians pulled ahead by scoring twice in the second. Matt LaPorta led off with a walk and scored on Trevor Crowe's triple down the left-field line. The ball bounced off the side wall and away from left fielder Boesch.

Jason Donald grounded into the hole at shortstop, where Ramon Santiago fielded the ball cleanly and threw low to second baseman Carlos Guillen. Guillen dug it out to get the force, but Donald easily beat the relay. Credit Donald with the RBI as Crowe scored.

After Detroit tied the score, 2-2, in the fourth, the Indians regained the lead in their half. Crowe led off with a double to center. Marte followed with a full-count blast over the wall in left. Scherzer's fastball caught too much of the plate.

Donald doubled and moved to third on a grounder, but Nix struck out and Santana fouled out.

Crowe finished 2-for-3 with the two extra-base hits and a walk. He also reached on a wild pitch after striking out.

Scherzer gave up four runs on five hits in five innings. In his previous four starts, he was 3-0 with a 0.98 ERA.

Hafner exited in favor of pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan in the eighth.

"Travis is fine," Acta said. "We had a nice lead, and I just wanted to get Shelley that at-bat."

Holmgren knows LeBron James' defection turns the heat up on the Browns to fill the void of hope for Cleveland sports fans.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer"If, in fact, all eyes are turned toward us now, that's a good thing," says Browns President Mike Holmgren. "That's a pressure that helps you work harder, helps motivate coaches, players, management."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James is gone and the Indians are buried in last place. So, are you ready for some football?

Mike Holmgren is.

The Browns' president -- who took two NFL teams to the Super Bowl, a place the Browns have never been -- watched in amazement last week as the area-grown James renounced his allegiance to Cleveland and the Cavaliers.

With the Indians in the throes of another long season, Holmgren knows James' defection turns the heat up on the Browns to fill the void of hope for Cleveland sports fans.

"It kind of juices you up a little bit," said Holmgren, who is recuperating from recent foot surgery. "If, in fact, all eyes are turned toward us now, that's a good thing. That's a pressure that helps you work harder, helps motivate coaches, players, management. I believe our team is better than last year, already. Now we have to prove it on the field. Shoot, that's why we all came here to try to get it done."

Holmgren has experienced a region that relies solely on its football to provide a rooting interest. He coached the fabled Packers in Green Bay, Wis., the smallest market in professional sports, from 1992-98. They appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one, before Holmgren moved on to Seattle for a 10-year run.

In Seattle, football wasn't nearly as big, until Holmgren coached the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl appearance following the 2005 season.

"I think the passion -- what the Browns mean to people, a larger number of people, an older group of people for a longer period of time -- is much more like Green Bay," he said. "The city, with its major-league teams, reminds me more of Seattle. There's other entertainment that people can grab hold of. But Seattle's newer. Cleveland and Green Bay have more of a history."

Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer"I think the Indians, the Browns and the Cavaliers are partners in this city and I think it's important for the area that we all work very hard to be good and give the fans what they want," said Holmgren. "Regardless of what happened with LeBron, we have a plan and are sticking to it and I'm optimistic."

Holmgren said he was disappointed in and surprised by James' decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, but he was not surprised by the passionate reaction of Cleveland fans.

"What he had done prior to leaving was so spectacular and they came so close and the expectations were so high for a championship, the reaction didn't surprise me," Holmgren said. "Hey, I don't need a lot of extra stuff to talk about the [passion of the] fan base. As far as our fans, they've been long-suffering, but they're hanging in pretty good with us."

Holmgren has added layers of sales and marketing personnel to the organization to pump up a season-ticket base that sagged from habitual losing since the Browns returned as an expansion franchise in 1999. He said he is encouraged that sales are up from a year ago, when the Browns staggered through an historic 1-11 start before finishing with four wins in a row.

"I think the Indians, the Browns and the Cavaliers are partners in this city and I think it's important for the area that we all work very hard to be good and give the fans what they want," he said. "I really believe, given the passion of [Cavaliers owner] Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers will be back -- just a cast of different characters.

"Our plan is our plan. Yeah, I'm putting a lot of pressure on the guys at work to get this thing right. But it's good. It's football. Regardless of what happened with LeBron, we have a plan and are sticking to it and I'm optimistic."

So why should the fans share his optimism? He broke it down this way: New quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, a draft that he expects to bear fruit immediately, and a better player relationship with Eric Mangini in the coach's second season.

"First, I think the quarterback situation is much more solid and that improves a team immediately," Holmgren said. "By how much? We don't know. But it's solid. I know -- I know -- we're in a better spot at that position than last year.

"The second thing, there are two or three of our rookies [who] are going to make a great contribution right away. They're on the ground floor of a rebuilding program and they're going to have the opportunity. The [defensive] secondary, which is a really important spot, we're better there.

"Lastly, I think with the players having been through a year with Eric ... you know, he's a tough coach, but he's smart and he knows what he wants. And it's been my observation that they kind of understand him now. The fact they finished and won their four last games after that horrendous start, that told me they didn't quit. The relationship, the chemistry, in my observation, is a lot better. And I talked to a lot of [players]."

The Browns open training camp at their team headquarters in Berea on July 31.

Asante signing announced: As reported earlier this week, the Browns formally announced the signing of fifth-round pick Larry Asante on Friday. The team didn't reveal terms, but previous reports had the Nebraska safety agreeing to a four-year deal worth just under $2 million.

Manny Acta says a decision hasn't been made for Sunday's starter against the Tigers.

UPDATED: 10:56 p.m.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerDavid Huff said he had nothing to do with a Twitter file under his name that said he would be pitching for the Indians this weekend.

INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: Of the Indians relievers who regularly weighed in during the LeBron James free-agency drama, Tony Sipp was the only one to correctly predict the Miami Heat as the destination.
“When it didn’t look like he was going to stay in Cleveland, I figured Miami because it’s a great city with the potential for a great team,” Sipp said. “I’ve always been a fan of Dwyane Wade; just the combination of LeBron and Wade is something special. Then you add Chris Bosh. That’s tough to beat.”
Sipp said James could have done a much better job of handling his exit. James told the world on an ESPN special that he was taking his talents to South Beach.
“When he announced his decision, I saw a grown man cry,” Sipp said. “That summed it up for me. LeBron knew how significant this was for Cleveland, but he still went ahead and did it live on national TV. It’s like a girlfriend breaking up with you via text message.”
Reliever Frank Herrmann said: “I was not impressed with how he handled the situation. And, he went way over the top with the introductions in Miami. I completely understand why the people here are upset.”

From the pitch: Shelley Duncan, the Tribe’s World Cup expert, said the 2010 edition was a treat for the fans. Spain beat Netherlands, 1-0, in the final.
“I kind of wish we would have seen more from the star players, especially the guys from Brazil, but overall it was a great World Cup,” Duncan said. “A lot of people picked Brazil, but Spain came in as No. 1 in the world. At times, Spain looked like a team that was full of stars but couldn’t pull it all together. Once the elimination round started, though, they did.”

Stat of the day: The Tribe entered Friday having notched 110 double plays — most in the majors.
— Dennis Manoloff

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A message from David Huff's Twitter account Friday afternoon stated that he will be the Indians' spot starter Sunday against the Tigers.

But Huff, who is with Class AAA Columbus, told The Plain Dealer later in the day that he never tweeted as such and that somebody must have impersonated him. Huff said he was reaching out to the Indians to explain.

Tribe manager Manny Acta, informed of Huff's tweet during his pregame meeting with reporters, said: "We're going to need a spot starter for Sunday. We're still working through it. It's not finalized, and David is one of the candidates."

The Indians are expected to choose between Huff and Josh Tomlin. Carlos Carrasco had been in the mix until he pitched Thursday, giving up one unearned run in seven innings. Carrasco likely will be in the rotation soon enough.

Huff led the Indians with 11 victories in 2009 but struggled out of camp this season. He was sent to Columbus on June 21. He is 3-0 with a 4.15 ERA with the Clippers.

Huff's main objective has been to improve command of his fastball.

Masterson moved: Right-hander Justin Masterson, originally scheduled to work Sunday, has been pushed back to Tuesday at Minnesota. At the moment, the Tribe's upcoming probable starters are Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot Saturday, TBD on Sunday, Aaron Laffey on Monday and Masterson on Tuesday.

The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31.

Jhonny's cooling: Third baseman Jhonny Peralta (fever) did not start Friday. He was replaced by Andy Marte.

Acta said Peralta came to the ballpark Thursday with a high fever. The Indians had an off-day workout.

"The fever broke Thursday evening, and he's doing much better, but we're going to give him the day off for precautionary reasons," Acta said. "He's available off the bench."

Peralta entered Friday leading American League third basemen with a .979 fielding percentage. He had five errors in 240 chances.

Big-league Choo: Shin-Soo Choo (right thumb) took batting practice indoors Friday afternoon and said he felt fine. Acta said all indications are Choo will take outdoor batting practice Saturday or Sunday.

Choo was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 4, retroactive a day earlier, because of a sprain. The first MRI looked bad, Choo and the Indians fearing he might miss 6-8 weeks. Now it appears Choo could be activated within days.

Acta said Choo probably would not need a rehab assignment.

"He's kept himself in great shape," Acta said. "And it seems like he's been out forever, but it hasn't really been that long."

Eager beavers: The Indians entered Friday with the youngest 25-man and 40-man rosters among the 30 major-league franchises.

He's gone: The Tribe released catcher Mike Redmond, who was designated for assignment July 10. Redmond is 39.

Finally: From last year's All-Star break to this year's, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera batted .337 with 108 runs, 44 doubles, one triple, 38 homers and 130 RBI in 158 games. He is the only major leaguer to appear in the top five in all three triple-crown categories during that stretch.

In 83 games this season entering Friday, Cabrera was hitting .346 with 22 homers and 77 RBI.

"Gifted is the word I use to describe him as a hitter," Acta said. "He's 27, and all he's done since he got to the majors is hit."

Class AAA Columbus went 57-85 last season. On the verge of matching the win total, the first-place Clippers have a healthy lead in the International League's West Division.

Ken Carr, Indians Prospect Insider Josh Tomlin, here with the Akron Aeros last season, has helped the Clippers excel with his 8-3 record and 2.58 ERA.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Tonight: Clippers (56-36) at Norfolk (42-51), 8:00. Clippers LHP David Huff (3-0, 4.15) vs. Tides LHP Troy Patton (6-9, 4.67).

Notes: Going into Friday night's game, IF Cord Phelps was batting .370 (34-for-92) with 11 doubles, two triples and three home runs since being promoted to Columbus. He was 15-for-36 (.417) in his last 10 games, with five doubles, one triple and two homers. ... IF Luis Valbuena was batting .344 (21-for-61) with five doubles, one triple and three homers since being sent to the Clippers by the Indians. ... Catcher Wyatt Toregas had slugged a home run in each of his two games with the Clippers, and was 3-for-9 with five RBI. ... IF Jared Goedert (.326) was on an 11-game hitting streak, going 16-for-46 (.348) with three doubles, five home runs and 10 RBI. ... The Clippers went into Friday night's game needing one win to match last season's win total, when they went 57-85. First-place Columbus led second-place Indianapolis by 8 1/2 games in the International League West Division. 

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 8, SeaWolves 1: RHP Paolo Espino (9-3, 3.76) hurled six scoreless innings and combined with three pitchers on a five-hitter, and CF Tim Fedroff (.267) doubled, tripled and drove in two runs as host Akron defeated Erie (Pa.).

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (.333), on a rehab assignment with the Aeros, went 0-for-2 with two walks, a strikeout and one run scored. Espino struck out five and gave up three hits. Akron RHPs Connor Graham (no hits), Omar Aguilar (no hits) and Steven Wright (two hits, one run) each pitched an inning of relief.

Notes: Going into Friday night's game, OF Matt McBride (.276) was 23-for-63 (.365) with 10 homers, five doubles and 19 RBI in his last 16 games. His homer during the Aeros' 6-1 win over Erie on Thursday night was his second homer this season at home, compared to 12 on the road. ... RHP Zach Putnam had struck out 11 and allowed no runs on one hit and a walk in his last five innings, spanning four appearances. ... RHP Alex White, picked by the Indians in the first round of the 2009 draft, is 4-4 with a 1.53 ERA at Akron after going 2-3 with a 2.10 ERA at Advanced A Kinston. In his first professional season, White is a combined 6-7 with a 2.10 ERA in 18 starts, pitching 103 innings with 76 strikeouts and 35 walks. Opponents are batting .196 against him. ... OF Tim Fedroff (.264) had his 12-game hitting streak snapped on Thursday night.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Tonight: Indians (44-45) at Potomac (41-48), 7:03. Indians LHP T.J. McFarland (9-2, 1.99) vs. Nationals RHP Marcos Frias (3-4, 6.29).

Notes: Going into Friday night's game, OF Lucas Montero (.264) was batting .303 (23-for-76) with two doubles, three triples, one homer and five stolen bases since the all-star break. He ranked third in the Carolina League with 23 stolen bases (in 27 attempts). ... OF Bo Greenwell was batting .455 (15-for-33) in his last 10 games, boosting his average with Kinston to .377 (23-for-61) in 17 games. ... RHP Austin Adams made his first relief appearance of the season during the Indians' 6-1 loss to Potomac on Thursday, allowing one earned run and fanning three in four innings. Adams had made three starts with Kinston, going 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings. He began the season going 2-4 with a 3.54 ERA in 13 games (eight starts) at Lake County, striking out 61 in 53 1/3 innings.

A Lake County Captains

River Bandits 5, Captains 1: RHP Clayton Cook (4-6, 3.83) gave up four runs in five innings as Lake County lost at Quad Cities (Iowa). LF Tim Palincsar (.261) went 2-for-4 for the Captains. SS Casey Frawley drove in Lake County’s lone run.

Notes: Going into Friday night's game, RHP Nickolas Sarianides was 1-0 with an 0.93 ERA in his last 19 1/3 innings, spanning seven relief appearances. He had struck out 14, walked three and allowed eight hits. Overall, Sarianides was 6-2 with a 4.14 ERA, pitching 54 1/3 innings in 23 games, all in relief. ... IF Chris Kersten (.294) was batting .343 (12-for-35) with four doubles, one triple and one homer in his last 10 games. ... OF Delvi Cid (.242) was batting .327 (17-for-52) in his last 12 games, with two doubles, one homer and eight stolen bases. ... Catcher Roberto Perez was batting .231, but had drawn 52 walks, seventh in the Midwest League.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Cyclones 2, Scrappers 1: LHP Mike Rayl (0-3, 3.25) allowed two runs in five innings as Mahoning Valley lost to host Brooklyn (N.Y.).

Notes: Going into Friday night's game, 18-year-old 3B Giovanny Urshela (.273) was on a six-game hitting streak, going 11-for-24 (.458). His 16 RBI led the team. ... OF Brian Heere (.233) was 12-for-32 (.375) with 11 walks, two doubles and a homer in his last 10 games. ... RHP Alex Kaminsky is 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA in six starts, striking out 24 while allowing 11 walks and 24 hits in 30 1/3 innings.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers 12, ThunderBolts 1: Drew Saylor homered in the second inning, and host Lake Erie put together a seven-run fourth to cruise past Windy City.

Notes: Going into Friday night's game, 3B Andrew Davis was second in the Frontier League with a .344 batting average, and RHP Josh Roberts (5-0) was fifth with a 2.25 ERA and tied for fifth in wins. ... Since the season's first six games, Davis was batting .366 with 10 doubles, one triple, five homers and 32 RBI in 42 games.

Hickson has been one of the best players in the 20-team summer league so far and is a candidate to win the Most Valuable Player Award.

Louie Traub / Associated PressWith another strong performance in Friday's summer-league victory over Chicago, J.J. Hickson is displaying the dominating performance expected of a third-year player at the NBA's offseason competition.

LAS VEGAS -- Usually what gets a lot of attention in summer league are the surprises, but often the non-surprises are the most important for the real season.

Classify what J.J. Hickson is doing for the Cavs in the Vegas Summer League as one of those positive non-surprises. As a third-year player coming off an good season in which he became a starter, the expectation is that Hickson would have his way at the event for rookies and fringe players.

He's doing just that, adding a 21-point performance Friday in the Cavs' 81-80 win over the Chicago Bulls. The Cavs came back from 16 points down and took their first lead of the game when guard Pooh Jeter hit a 3-pointer with 6.9 seconds left.

While Jeter was the hero Friday, Hickson has been one of the best players in the 20-team league so far and is a candidate to win the Most Valuable Player Award. He's averaging 24.3 points and 7.3 rebounds on 62 percent shooting. It is exactly the kind of performance the Cavs were looking for to give him confidence going into next season.

"He's supposed to be at this level," said Cavs assistant coach Paul Pressey, who is the head coach of the summer league team that is now 3-0.

"Summer league has given him an opportunity to show his skill level and show people that he's ready to go to the next level."

Hickson hasn't just put up the numbers by outjumping less-talented players, though there's been some of that too. He's shown an improving jump shot and a floater. Mostly, he's been relentless in attacking the basket.

Needing scoring, the Cavs will need Hickson so show such game in the fall.

"I know that I'm going to have a different role next season," Hickson said. "I'm just trying to get ready for it."

Free agent update: If it seems like the Cavs are casting a wide net before making their first free-agent signing ... well, they are. The club still intends to use its $5.7 million exception but there's few impact players still on the market. It is a process to judge which players may fit what is on the roster and what the cost will be.

League sources said the Cavs have recently been in contact with forward Matt Barnes. Known for his physical defensive play, Barnes averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Magic last season.

The Cavs have also consistently been in contact with free-agent center Brad Miller. The team was interested in signing Miller even if LeBron James had re-signed. There are several times interested in signing Miller, who averaged 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Bulls last season.

LeBron recruiting Williams: James has already recruited Zydrunas Ilgauskas and former Cavs trainer Mike Mancias to Miami. His latest attempt, a source said, is to bring athletic forward Jawad Williams. He's a restricted free agent after averaging 4.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 54 games last season. The Cavs are believed to be interested in re-signing Williams and can match contract offers to him.

Kaun to stay in Russia: Cavs 2008 second-round pick Sasha Kaun is not expected to sign a contract with the team for next season, sources said.

Kaun, a 7-footer from Kansas, had a breakout season for CSKA Moscow last season. He averaged 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in Euroleague games and 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in Russian League games. Had he signed, he likely would have been a rotation player next season.

Kaun has one year left on his contract with CSKA. The buyout involved in getting Kaun, plus the comparable salary the Cavs would have needed to sign him, to made it complicated to acquire him. But he will be at The Q next season. CSKA is scheduled to play a preseason game in Cleveland on Oct. 16.

McCants a no show: Former lottery pick Rashad McCants was scheduled to join the Cavs for their first summer league practice on Sunday. He did not show up and the team didn't hear a reason for days. It is now believed McCants didn't report for personal reasons, but it caught the team by surprise.

"I have not seen him; he never showed up," Pressey said. "I was kind of looking forward to seeing the guy, he's a heck of a talent."

Pacquiao will open discussions with Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto for a fight in November.

View full sizeBullit Marquez / Associated PressManny Pacquiao, center, will begin looking for another opponent now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has not responded to a contract offer.

Greg Beacham / Associated Press

Manny Pacquiao will start looking for another opponent for his next bout now that promoter Bob Arum's deadline for a deal with Floyd Mayweather Jr. has passed.

Arum said early this morning that Mayweather hadn't responded to their contract proposal. Pacquiao will open discussions with Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto for a fight in November.

Arum still holds out hope Mayweather will agree to what could be the richest fight in boxing history, but he couldn't wait any longer to start the time-consuming process of putting together a fight for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Mayweather are the top two stars in boxing, and a meeting likely would be worth more than $40 million to each fighter. They've discussed a bout for nearly a year, but haven't made a deal.

Everyone is still chasing Louis Oosthuisen, who has a five-shot lead over 50-year-old Mark Calcavecchia.

View full sizeTim Hales / Associated PressSouth Korea's Jeong Jin finished up his second round this morning, getting a birdy on the 18th hole to complete a 2-under 70.

Paul Newberry / Associated Press

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- British Amateur champion Jin Jeong and the other 29 players who returned to St. Andrews early today to finish the second round found the Old Course more to their liking.

Facing only a cool breeze, Jeong birdied the 18th hole to complete a remarkable 2-under 70. Of the last 105 players to tee off in the second round, Jeong, Alejandro Canizares (71) and Darren Clarke (70) were the only players to break par.

Now comes the hard part.

Everyone is still chasing Louis Oosthuisen (WUHST-hy-zen) of South Africa, who missed the wicked wind Friday morning in his round of 5-under 67 that put him at 132 and eventually gave him a five-shot lead over 50-year-old Mark Calcavecchia.

Jeong's birdie allowed him to join the group at 6-under 138 that included Paul Casey and Lee Westwood and Canizares.

The second round was suspended for about an hour because of fierce winds, which made it impossible for all 156 players to complete 18 holes. It was the first delay at the British Open since 1998 because of high wind.

The cut came at 2-over 146, with 50-year-old Tom Pernice Jr. the last one to qualify for the last two rounds.

Pernice was at 1 over and hit what he thought was the perfect tee shot on the 17th, only to find it about a foot into the deep rough. He hit his second shot into the rough on the right, and his pitch toward the green tumbled off the back and onto the road.

He chipped up to 20 feet and took two putts for double bogey, putting him one over the cut.

"What was I thinking on the 18th tee? Well, I've got to give myself a chance," Pernice said. "I wanted to go left because I didn't think I could get to the green. The wind was more across."

He played it perfectly, hit wedge to 3 feet and made birdie.

Not so fortunate was Tom Whitehouse, who birdied the 17th to get within one shot of the cut. But after handling the notorious Road Hole, he failed to birdie the 18th and missed the cut.

Also missing the cut by one shot were Justin Rose, coming off two victories on the PGA Tour, and former Open champion Mark O'Meara, who opened with a 69 but was caught in the wind that topped 40 mph in spots late Friday afternoon.

It all depends on Oosthuizen.

Take the 27-year-old South African out of the mix, and there are 19 players separated by three shots. That includes Tiger Woods, a winner the last two times at St. Andrews. His drive on the par-4 18th late Friday came within inches of hitting the pin, and he settled for a birdie and a 73 that put him at 4-under 140, still eight shots behind Oosthuizen.

The 23 members of the Iroquois Nationals -- whose ancestors helped invent the sport as much as 1,000 years ago -- refuse to use U.S. or Canadian passports, and the United Kingdom won't recognize their passports issued by the Iroquois confederacy.

View full sizePatrick E. McCarthy / Newsday via APThe Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team will not attend the World Lacrosse Championships in England because British authorities refuse to honor their Iroquois-issued passports.

Frank Eltman and Eva Dou / Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Time ran out on Friday for a team of Iroquois lacrosse players who have been blocked from traveling to a tournament in England because of a passport dispute.

The 23 members of the Iroquois Nationals -- whose ancestors helped invent the sport as much as 1,000 years ago -- refuse to use U.S. or Canadian passports, and the United Kingdom won't recognize their passports issued by the Iroquois confederacy.

After a week of appeals to British officials, the answer was still "no." The team is planning to bow out of the tournament because there is no longer time to get to the games, manager Ansley Jemison said. The Nationals already missed their first scheduled game of the World Lacrosse Championships and were bumped to a lower division.

"There comes a time when we finally have to pull the plug," Jemison said.

The team has been camped out in a New York hotel in limbo this week, but Jemison said players will now be returning home.

He said the team still wants to attend the tournament and will go if British officials reverse their decision.

The U.S. initially barred the team from traveling, saying the Iroquois passports lacked the necessary security features for border crossings.

After Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton intervened, the team got a one-time waiver, but the British government still refused to budge.

Team representatives had requested a face-to-face meeting with British consular officials. The National Congress of American Indians, a large tribal advocacy organization, wrote to British Prime Minister David Cameron, asking him to intervene.

But the players received a letter from British officials, reaffirming that they would not be issued travel visas based on their Iroquois documents.

Some countries have accepted the Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee, passports in the past, but many have tightened travel rules in recent years and months to crack down on document fraud and illegal immigration.

Members of the team have been offered passports by the U.S. and Canada, but they say they will only use papers issued by the confederacy, a centuries-old league of semiautonomous Indian nations whose residents mostly live now in New York, Ontario and Quebec.

To do otherwise, they said, would be denying their own ancestry and citizenship in Indian nations that predate the foundation of the U.S. by centuries.

Jemison said the players are still trying to gain recognition for the passports so they can attend future international games.

Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

Gov. Ted Strickland caught his first Lake Erie walleye this week during Fish Ohio Day. Praising Ohio's great lake, Strickland was adamant he will aggressively fight to prevent his favorite fishing hole from being ruined by Asian carp.

TIM DANIEL/OHIO DIVISION OF WILDLIFEGov. Ted Strickland caught a Lake Erie walleye on his first cast of the day during the 31st annual Fish Ohio Day on Monday.

 
PORT CLINTON, OHIO - Gov. Ted Strickland caught his first Lake Erie walleye this week during Fish Ohio Day. Praising Ohio's great lake, Strickland was adamant he will aggressively fight to prevent his favorite fishing hole from being ruined by Asian carp.

"Lake Erie is a precious asset," said Strickland after his fishing trip. "We need to recognize that. We need to protect it. We're all concerned right now about the potential impact of the Asian carp.

"I think there's a lack of urgency among the decision makers about that issue. We tried to encourage them to think about (Asian carp) as similar to what's happening in the Gulf of Mexico."

Can an invasive carp match the destruction of millions of gallons of oil?

"We need to recognize the incredible destructive happening if this fish invades the Great Lakes," Strickland said. "We're talking about a natural jewel that would be forever altered. The Gulf will recover. It may take decades. It may take generations. But the Gulf will eventually recover.

"If the Asian carp gets in to the Great Lakes, we may never be able to reverse that. We don't need a study right now. What we need is action. We need to begin the process of a physical barrier that can keep this fish out of the Great Lakes. If it gets in, it will be an ecological and economic disaster."

 Asian carp have infested the Mississippi, Illinois and other major rivers. They keep popping up in various waterways in Indiana and Illinois that are a stone's throw from Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Federal officials have constructed an electric fence to keep the invasive carp from slipping through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and swimming to nearby Lake Michigan.

President Barack Obama responded to demands from Strickland, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other Great Lakes officials this week, promising to appoint an Asian carp czar within the month to oversee state and federal efforts. At the same time, opponents of shutting down the Chicago waterways that could introduce Asian carp to the Great Lakes criticized any additional controls.

 "There is no place for knee-jerk reactions, unfounded fear of implausible migrations or demonization of regulators," Mark Biel of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois told Chicago Business. Others called for more studies, even though an Asian carp was caught June 22 in Lake Calumet, near Lake Michigan and about 30 miles beyond the electronic barriers designed to stop them.

 "We have been on the phone with the White House, sharing our concerns about this," said Strickland. "We've written letters. I think we've done everything we've been able to do thus far, but we're going to keep the pressure on."

TIM DANIEL/OHIO DIVISION OF WILDLIFEThe Lake Erie walleye caught by Gov. Ted Strickland and all of the fishermen at Fish Ohio Day in Port Clinton were donated to the Victory Temple food pantry in Sandusky. Flanking Gov. Ted Strickland as they put the catch on ice are, left to right, senior pastor Rev. Lonnie Walters, Devan Bath and David Luke Walters.

 Lake Erie and the Great Lakes have a variety of problems to be solved, said Strickland.

 "We have a blimp over the Lake Erie waters right now, studying the algae problem," he said. "We can see the algae in the lake. Problems like this can be dealt with if we take the right action.

"The concern I have is there is a tendency to study something to death before action is taken. Studies and research are important, but we need to act as auickly as we can."

A newcomer to Lake Erie and its boating and fishing, Strickland and his wife, Fran, have become regular visitors.

"This is a jewel," said Strickland. "I think it's not fully appreciated by many Ohioans, and that's quite sad. This is a wonderful recreational spot, a great place for fishing. It contributes so much to our state."

Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan won the stage, but Luxembourg's Andy Schleck retains a 31-second overall lead.

View full sizeAP photoAlexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, right, and Alberto Contador of Spain, second from right, ride in the pack during the 13th stage of the Tour de France. Vinokourov won the stage, which covered 121.8 miles from Rodez to Revel, France, on Saturday, July 17, 2010.

Tigers lead Indians, 3-2, through three.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain Dealer FileKerry Wood

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Tribe plays host to the Tigers this afternoon and tonight at Progressive Field.

Pitching matchups:

1:05 game -- Indians RHP Fausto Carmona (8-7, 3.64 ERA) vs. Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (11-5, 3.82).

7:05 game -- Indians RHP Mitch Talbot (8-8, 3.99) vs. Tigers RHP Rick Porcello (4-7, 6.14).

In-game updates: The Tigers led the Indians, 3-2, through three innings.

Carmona jarred early: Carmona gave up three runs in the first -- and it could have been much worse.

With two outs, Carlos Guillen hit a two-run single and Brandon Inge had an RBI double. Indians shortstop Jason Donald, taking the throw from the outfield, erased  Guillen at the plate on Inge's hit.

Earlier in the inning, right fielder Shelley Duncan made a diving catch to rob Magglio Ordonez.

Tribe uprising: The Indians responded with two in the third. Jason Donald had an RBI double and Michael Brantley an RBI single. Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson robbed Matt LaPorta with a terrific running catch in deep right-center for the third out.

Pregame notes:

Wood sidelined; Lewis in: The Indians have placed closer Kerry Wood on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Jensen Lewis from Class AAA Columbus.

"I was told to be ready for both games,'' Lewis said Saturday morning. "That's all they told me. I'm happy to be here.''

The Indians play a day-night doubleheader against the Tigers at Progressive Field.

Wood has a blister on his right index finger. His DL is retroactive to July 12.

Lewis begins his third stint with the Indians this year. He went a combined 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 appearances (21.0IP, 21H, 9ER, 13BB, 14K, .259 avg.) from April 5 to May 6 and from May 30 to June 23. 

At AAA Columbus, Lewis is 2-0 with one save and a 2.30 ERA in 12 outings (15.2IP, 14H, 4R/ER, 5BB, 18K).  He has limited right-handed hitters to a .138 average (4-for-29).

Wood, who last pitched on July 11 at Tampa Bay, has gone 1-4 with a 6.30 ERA and eight saves in 23 appearances (20.0IP, 21H, 14ER, 11BB, 18K). He is on the DL for the second time this season; he broke camp on the sideline because of a strained right lat muscle.

Over his last six outings since June 27, Wood has allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings (1.72ERA, 5.1IP, 4H, 1R/ER, 7K).
 
The Indians have five players on the major-league disabled list (Anthony Reyes, Grady Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo and Wood).

Still waiting: The Indians are deciding between David Huff, Josh Tomlin and Jeanmar Gomez for a spot start Sunday against the Tigers.

Lineups:

Tigers (48-39) -- 1. Austin Jackson cf; 2. Johnny Damon dh; 3. Magglio Ordonez rf; 4. Miguel Cabrera 1b; 5. Brennan Boesch lf; 6. Carlos Guillen 2b; 7. Brandon Inge 3b; 8. Alex Avila c; 9. Ramon Santiago ss; and Verlander.

Indians (35-54) -- 1. Michael Brantley cf; 2. Jayson Nix 2b; 3. Carlos Santana c; 4. Travis Hafner dh; 5. Matt LaPorta 1b; 6. Shelley Duncan rf; 7. Trevor Crowe lf; 8. Andy Marte 3b; 9. Jason Donald ss; and Carmona.

Umpires: P -- James Hoye; 1b -- Todd Tichenor; 2b -- Mike Muchlinski; 3b -- Jerry Layne.

Oosthuizen began the day 12-under par and with a 5-shot lead. Today, he's 1-over through six holes, while Casey is 4-under on the round through seven.

Tim Hales, Associated PressEngland's Paul Casey, one of the world's best players, is seeking his first majors championship.

The North Sea wind is blowing on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, but not nearly as strong as on Friday.

And, at the moment, a world atlas is necessary to appreciate the leaderboard as the third round gets into its later stages.

South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen began the day 12-under par and with a 5-shot lead. Today, he's 1-over through six holes and 11-under for the tournament. His lead has shrunk to one stroke over England's Paul Casey, who is 4-under through today's first seven holes and 10-under overall.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson shot a 5-under 67 and owns the low tourney score in the clubhouse at 7-under. Tied with him, five strokes behind Oosthuizen, are Spain's Alejandro Canizares (1-under through six holes today), South Korea's Jin Jeong (1-under through six) and Germany's Martin Kaymer (3-under through 12).

Tiger Woods is 4-under for the tournament, and even par through his first 12 holes in this third round. Phil Mickelson rallied to 4-under for the tourney, but a double bogey on No. 16 made him settle for a 2-under 70 today, and 2-under after his three rounds. Defending champion Stewart Cink finished the day 1-under for the round and for the tournament. 

Williams cut her foot on a broken glass at a restaurant. She will have to skip tournaments in Istanbul, Cincinnati and Montreal.

Jon Super, Associated PressSerena Williams could be back to play in the U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 30.

Serena Williams needs surgery on her right foot after cutting it on a broken glass at a restaurant.

The WTA Tour says Saturday the top-ranked women's player was injured last week and will miss three tournaments leading to the U.S. Open.

Williams offers no other details on the tour's website about what happened at the restaurant but says she's "upset" at having to skip the tournaments in Istanbul, Cincinnati and Montreal. The Rogers Cup in Montreal begins Aug. 16. The U.S. Open starts Aug. 30.

Williams won her fourth Wimbledon crown and 13th major title on July 3. She already withdrew from the WorldTeam Tennis season.

UPDATED: Fausto Carmona recovers from a rough first inning to post another quality start as the Indians rally to defeat the Tigers at Progressive Field.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain DealerIndians' outfielder Trevor Crowe hits a go-ahead two-out RBI single in the seventh inning.

Updated at 7:53 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Credit Indians manager Manny Acta with a psychological save Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Acta's visit to the mound in the third inning helped settle right-hander Fausto Carmona, who proceeded to post yet another quality start as the Tribe defeated the Tigers, 4-3.

Trevor Crowe hit a two-out single in the seventh to drive in Matt LaPorta for the go-ahead run.

The Indians are playing the second game a day-night doubleheader tonight. The four-game series wraps Sunday afternoon.

Carmona (9-7, 3.65 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits in seven-plus innings. In 15 of 19 starts, he has pitched at least six innings and given up no more than three earned runs.

Carmona, who had not worked since July 9 because of the All-Star break, needed help to secure victory No. 9. The Tribe's defense -- notably, third baseman Andy Marte -- and bullpen were superb. None of it might have mattered, though, had Acta not personally conveyed his message to a wobbling Carmona.

Detroit led, 3-0, when Johnny Damon walked to open the third. Acta typically does not go to the mound unless he's bringing the hook, but he made an exception here. Carmona, unable to command his pitches, had walked four and given up three hits.

"I could see he was a little agitated," Acta said. "I told him, 'You need to settle down. Forget about the three runs, calm yourself and throw strikes.' "

Carmona said Acta was not upset.

"He just wanted me to make good pitches," Carmona said. "I understood. He helped me a lot right there."

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / PDIndians pitcher Fausto Carmona settled down after getting a visit from manager Manny Acta in the third inning, giving up three runs in seven innings and throwing 118 pitches.

The pick-me-up was not immediately evident. Carmona promptly walked Magglio Ordonez, bringing triple-crown candidate Miguel Cabrera to the plate. Cabrera ripped one ticketed for the left-field corner until Marte, channeling Brooks Robinson, snared the ball with the backhand, spun and fired to second. Jayson Nix turned two.

Given the degree of difficulty, Marte's smoothness and the game situation, it ranks among the Tribe's top defensive plays this season.

"Andy saved the game for us with that double play," Acta said. "It could have been 5-0 with [Justin] Verlander on the mound, which is not a good situation."

Marte continued to fill in for Jhonny Peralta, who had a high fever Thursday. Peralta was better by Friday, but Marte played Friday night and both games Saturday.

The top of the third ended when dangerous Brennan Boesch grounded to short. From the fourth through the seventh, Carmona allowed two hits and walked one.

"It looked in the beginning like Fausto would unravel a little bit, but he kept his composure," Acta said. "He deserves the credit."

In line for the 4-3 victory and having thrown 116 pitches, Carmona came out for the eighth to face Damon. Carmona still felt strong, and Acta did not want to burn a lefty on Damon, who hits lefties well.

When Damon doubled to right on the 118th pitch, Acta called for Joe Smith. The sidearmer got Ordonez to bounce to Marte and struck out Cabrera.

"Smitty was huge," Acta said. "He was fantastic. You couldn't ask for a better outing."

Rafael Perez retired Boesch on a grounder to end the threat.

Chris Perez, resuming his role as substitute closer, worked the ninth and earned his eighth save. The potential tying run reached second with two outs before Ramon Santiago flied to left.

"The defense and bullpen were very important," Carmona said.

Carmona was fortunate Detroit did not do more damage in the first.

Leadoff batter Austin Jackson singled. After Damon popped out, right fielder Shelley Duncan made a full-extension diving catch near the line to deny Ordonez.

Jackson stole second with two outs. Cabrera and Boesch walked to load the bases.

Carlos Guillen bounced a single up the middle to drive in two. Brandon Inge followed with a double to left-center that could have accounted for two more. But Indians shortstop Jason Donald, relaying a throw from left fielder Crowe, erased Guillen at the plate. Catcher Carlos Santana did a superb job of blocking.

The Indians pulled within 3-2 in the third. Donald had an RBI double and Michael Brantley an RBI single. Tigers center fielder Jackson robbed LaPorta with a fantastic running catch in deep right-center for the third out.

The Tribe tied it in the sixth. With two outs, Duncan scored from third on Verlander's wild pitch.

Verlander gave up three runs on six hits in six innings of a no-decision. He walked five and struck out nine.

Crowe's RBI single came against Phil Coke.

Cabrera finished 0-for-3, snapping his hitting streak at 20 games. Tribe second baseman Nix also foiled him with a diving stop.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

Big Z, 35, is the Cavaliers' all-time leader in games, rebounds and blocked shots, and is second on the team's all-time scoring list.

Scott Shaw, The Plain DealerZydrunas Ilgauskas was picked by the Cavaliers in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft.

Miami, Florida -- Zydrunas Ilgauskas has signed a free-agent contract with the Miami Heat, and will now play for a team other than the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time in his NBA career.