Vincent Kompany's thumping header gave Manchester City a crucial 1-0 derby win against Manchester United on Monday to overtake its rival atop the Premier League with just two games remaining.

AP PhotoManchester City's Vincent Kompany celebrates scoring what would prove to be the game-winning goal against Manchester United.

MANCHESTER, England — Vincent Kompany's thumping header gave Manchester City a crucial 1-0 derby win against Manchester United on Monday to overtake its rival atop the Premier League with just two games remaining.

In what had been billed as the biggest Manchester derby ever, Kompany connected with David Silva's corner to score the decisive goal in first-half stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium. City then held on for a potentially title-deciding victory as it now leads United on goal difference and once again has matters in its own hands, having erased an eight-point differential in a couple of weeks.

"Absolutely buzzing. ... We've been waiting for this moment," Kompany said. "It's far from over, and we know that, but just to give our fans two wins over Manchester United this season — we have to finish it off."

City still has a tough job to do as it next visits fifth-place Newcastle United and then hosts relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers in the remaining fixtures, while United finishes against Swansea at home and Sunderland away.

"It's great to win tonight, but Newcastle is now our focus," City goalkeeper Joe Hart said.

After leading the Premier League for most of the season, City trailed United by eight points earlier this month but two more wins should now be enough to claim a first league title since 1968.

"I think that we deserved to win this game, we scored, we played well and we had other chances to score in the second half," Mancini said.

As the crosstown rivals have been locked in a two-way fight for the title for most of the season, this game had been hyped up as the most important ever played in the 131-year history of meetings between the two sides. The entertainment level, however, was not nearly as high as the stakes.

The game featured few clear scoring chances for either side, and the tension on the pitch spilled over to the sidelines in the second half as United manager Alex Ferguson and Mancini got into a heated exchange after a tough challenge by Nigel de Jong on Danny Welbeck.

With both managers making hand gestures to suggest that the other should stop talking, Ferguson eventually had to be dragged back to his own technical area, while City's assistant coach David Platt restrained Mancini.

"Sir Alex told me something not kind," Mancini said. "But I can understand, because at that point, tension is high."

Ferguson said he was upset that Mancini was yelling too much at the match officials.

"He was badgering the referee the whole game, the fourth official and the linesman," Ferguson said. "The minute I go out there, he started again. He was complaining about referees the other week — he can't be complaining tonight."

The two did shake hands after the game was over.

With City under pressure to win, Mancini started with former United striker Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero up front, while volatile forward Mario Balotelli was on the bench.

Ferguson relied on experience after making four changes from last week's 4-4 draw against Everton. Ryan Giggs was recalled alongside Paul Scholes, with Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Park Ji-sung also returning.

While United ventured forward in the opening minutes, it was City that controlled possession in the first half and went close in the 25th when Aguero volleyed off target from an angle. That chance had the City supporters on their feet — including Aguero's father-in-law, Argentina great Diego Maradona, who was watching from an executive box.

United seemed happy to soak up City's attacks knowing a draw would all but end City's title hopes, but that plan backfired in first-half stoppage time.

Silva whipped in a corner from the right flank and Kompany got away from Smalling to give City the lead with a firm header — ensuring that the teams went in for halftime with the home fans waving their blue-and-white flags above their heads in jubilation.

"I guess a lot of predictions go wrong, but I remember someone texting me today and saying 'You're going to score a goal today,' and I thought he was a lunatic," Kompany said.

Ferguson moved Park higher up the pitch to support Rooney in the second half, but the South Korean looked rusty and made little impact in his first league start since January.

Uncharacteristically, United failed to create clear chances and Hart had surprisingly little to do in the City goal.

"We had control of some parts of the game but not enough to cause any damage," Ferguson said. "We are disappointed we never tested the goalkeeper."

Gael Clichy had a shot saved by David De Gea in the United goal in the 88th and Samir Nasri thumped the turf in anger as he took too many touches before being tackled in front of goal in the 90th.

Five minutes of stoppage time was not enough for United to find a trademark equalizer and City's fans — including Maradona — erupted in celebration at the final whistle.

That didn't take long. The Indians signed Johnny Damon on April 17, sent him to Goodyear, Ariz., to get in shape and add him to the 25-man roster on Tuesday before they open a three-game series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- First they signed him. Then they sent him to the Arizona desert for testing and sharpening. Now they're bringing him to the big leagues.

PATRICK SEMANSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESSJohnny Damon, then with Tampa Bay, walks back to the dugout after striking out against Baltimore on Sept. 14, in Baltimore. The veteran outfielder will be wearing a Cleveland Indians uniform, starting Tuesday night.

Johnny Damon, 38, will officially join the Indians today at U.S. Cellular Field to open a three-game series against the White Sox. He'll wear No. 33, but it's questionable if he'll be in manager Manny Acta's starting lineup because Chicago is starting left-hander Chris Sale.

When Sale beat the Indians April 9 at Progressive Field, Acta used five right-handers in the lineup. It didn't matter, as Sale cruised through 6 innings on the way to a 4-2 victory, so perhaps the left-handed-hitting Damon will get a start.

Damon spent the past two weeks getting in baseball shape and playing games at the Tribe's spring-training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.

The competition in extended spring training consists mostly of 18- to 20-year-olds who didn't make a full-season minor-league club.

The talent level will be keener at U.S. Cellular, but Damon shouldn't be caught be surprise. He made his big-league debut in 1995, and last year he played 150 games for the Rays. Damon is 277 hits shy of 3,000, so he's been around.

He has been to the postseason eight times in 17 big-league seasons, helping Boston and the Yankees win the World Series in 2004 and 2009, respectively.

Damon will make $1.25 million, with a chance to earn another $1.4 million in performance incentives.

There is an agreement in place that would allow him to request his release if he's not getting enough playing time or doesn't feel as if he's a good fit on the club.

The Indians said they will wait until today before making a roster move to clear a space for Damon. The Indians are his seventh team, all in the American League.

Part of the appeal of Colt McCoy is the name. "Colt" actually is just his nickname. But Daniel, his given name, doesn't summon the same frontier connotations of broad horizons and fresh possibilities. Ki-yi-yippee-yippee-yay. Just hearing the name Colt McCoy made you think of Gordon McCrae singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" in "Oklahoma!" Colt and I would both...

Part of the appeal of Colt McCoy is the name.

"Colt" actually is just his nickname. But Daniel, his given name, doesn't summon the same frontier connotations of broad horizons and fresh possibilities. Ki-yi-yippee-yippee-yay. Just hearing the name Colt McCoy made you think of Gordon McCrae singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" in "Oklahoma!"

DON WRIGHT/ASSOCIATED PRESS Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy is checked out by the trainers as he gets ready to go back into the game after taking a hit from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison during the fourth quarter of a game in Pittsburgh on Dec. 8.

Colt and I would both agree that should be the last mention of Oklahoma. Even after my nearly 40 years of living in the East and Midwest, we both spoke the same language. He looks like the boy next door and sounds like the boy next door in my hometown of Dallas.

He knows what a blue norther is. (Time to bundle up, is what.) He knows the first word in Deaf Smith County in the Texas Panhandle is pronounced "deef." He knows "fix" is an all-purpose auxiliary verb, as in, "I'm fixing to round up some dogies." Which, a Texan knows, is not reason for PETA to get upset, but is merely a reference to motherless calves.

McCoy is from Tuscola (population not a whole lot more than 700). He played with enough distinction to have his number retired at the University of Texas. I grew up as a Longhorns fan who spent Saturday nights listening to Kern Tipps' play-by-play on the old Humble Oil Network. Only six years ago, I got all tongue-tied and wet-palmed when I interviewed legendary coach Darrell Royal for the first time -- on the phone!

As a newspaperman, I spent a few years covering Penn State football and many more opining on the sport at Ohio State. I "get" the romance of the game. Texas fans get sentimental about a big drum, and Ohio State fans get that way about a grove of buckeye trees. There are "Hook 'em Horns" signs and "O!-HI!-O!" semaphores that are like fraternity handshakes. They signify that the fans are members of the same club.

I knew the drill, although trying to be objective in my reporting kept me from being part of it.

Even amid the cynicism and hypocrisy of major college football, even at universities with the inherent competitive advantages of Texas and Ohio State, there is room for the athletic poetry usually associated with college basketball's NCAA Tournament. McCoy was proof that hard work, relentless study and perhaps the push of a Little League father could win the day.

At least, until his body gave out.

A nerve injury, suffered after taking a hit in the opening moments of the Texas-Alabama BCS Championship Game after the 2009 season left McCoy's right arm limp and sent the all-time NCAA leader in career victories at the time to the bench. Texas lost, providing proof for those who needed it that life isn't fair.

It wasn't entirely a fluke injury, though. You could see it coming.

A battered and dazed McCoy, playing the final minutes in a fog, came within one second, which was rightfully restored to the game clock after replay review, of letting time run out against Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game in 2009. It was almost one of sports' greatest sports bloopers because Texas, trailing, 12-10, was in field-goal range.

It was McCoy at his most vulnerable against pocket-shredding pass rusher Ndamukong Suh -- and also at his most resourceful. Somehow, albeit aided by Nebraska mistakes and saved by the second-chance field goal, he found a way to win.

But after the Browns drafted big, tall, strong (and also old) rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round last week, it doesn't look as though more time will be added to the clock for McCoy here. Nonetheless, McCoy showed up as scheduled Monday for the Browns' off-season training program.

Browns fans, every bit as sentimental as those of college teams, say Brian Sipe, the NFL's Most Valuable Player in the Kardiac Kids' season of 1980, was slight in stature and arm strength. That makes one small quarterback without a great arm who became an NFL star. Another is Drew Brees in New Orleans, who has a better arm than McCoy and Sipe and has won a Super Bowl. Brees also plays every home game in a dome. And then there's . . . little Eddie LeBaron?

Maybe the Browns were clear-eyed enough to see McCoy as he is, with arm strength and accuracy deficiencies, along with durability concerns.

Or maybe they were too shortsighted to give McCoy the help he needed in the way of receivers who didn't drop the ball, a line that wasn't a sieve and a running back who wasn't a diva.

McCoy was a great college player whose legacy was left unfulfilled because of injury. With the Browns, it will be left wanting because of his flaws, which were magnified by those of the organization.

He probably didn't deserve this. But in the NFL, the hammer falls on the just as well as the unjust. As in the movie "Unforgiven," deserve's got nothing to do with it.

To reach Bill Livingston: blivingston@plaind.com, 216-999-4672 Twitter: @LivyPD

Links to stories, opinion and videos about the Oklahoma State quarterback the Browns selected with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

Associated PressSome observers have no problem with the Browns drafting Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick; some feel they could have found a way to land him several picks later.

Discussion has focused on Weeden's age, 28, making him the oldest first-round pick in league history. He pitched for five seasons in the minor leagues before deciding to pursue a college football career.

One thing that can be said about Weeden's age -- quarterback is the position, more than any other, at which numerous players have enjoyed success into their late 30s.

Check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage. Cleveland.com's twice-weekly half-hour video feature, PD Sports Insider, has Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot, with Dennis Manoloff and Glenn Moore, re-capping the Browns' draft.

Brandon Weeden story links

Brnadon Weeden believes his age will help him make the transition to the NFL. (By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal)

The Browns are among the teams bringing in familiar receivers for their rookie quarterback. Josh Cooper, an undrafted free agent wide receiver who caught 139 passes for Oklahoma State and QB Brandon Weeden the last two years, will get a chance to make the Browns. (By Bob Evans, National Football Authority)

If Brandon Weeden becomes the Browns' long-term quarterback, it doesn't matter where the team drafted him. (By Jamison Hensley, ESPN.com)

Brandon Weeden and Josh Cooper get a chance to continue as a pass-and-catch combination. (okstate.com, the Oklahoma State athletics website)

Why the Browns will regret drafting Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick. (By Chris Rolling, the Bleacher Report)

Draft night with Brandon Weeden and his family. (By Gina Mizell, the Oklahoman)

Taking a chance on Brandon Weeden is part of the equation that earns the Browns a solid draft grade. (By Nate Davis, USAToday.com)

Analyzing Brandon Weeden and the Cleveland Browns. (By Alen Dumonjic, the Bleacher Report)

An OK for drafting Brandon Weeden in the first round. (By Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository)

The Browns are among the draft's biggest losers. (By Robert Neely, National Football Authority)

The drafting of Brandon Weeden makes the draft a loss for Colt McCoy. (By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports)

A look at the Browns wide receivers that Brandon Weeden might be throwing to. (By Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository) 

Sidearmer Joe Smith, part of The Bullpen Mafia, has turned some bumps in the road into smooth sailing with the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The road to the future is rarely smooth. There are ruts and potholes. A detour here, a run in with a psycho-vampire motorcycle gang there.

All right, maybe there are no such things as hog-riding vampires, but every now and then, you're going to have a blowout.

It's all part of the journey, the test to get from Point A to Point B. Ballplayers such as Joe Smith understand this.

CHUCK CROW/THE PLAIN DEALERCleveland Indians relief pitcher Joe Smith pitched 2 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels on April 27 at Progressive Field. Angels won 2-1.

In June 2010, the Indians called up Smith from Class AAA Columbus after he had spent a shaky April in Cleveland. Three games into his return to the big leagues, Smith gave up four runs on five hits in two innings. It happened in Cincinnati, Smith's hometown, with friends and family watching.

Smith didn't like pitching poorly at home, but there was something else bothering him. He didn't feel comfortable on the mound.

In 2007, Smith made his big-league debut with the Mets. He pitched in 54 games. The next year, he made 82 appearances. Along the way, then-Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson changed his delivery. What had always been a fairly simple motion to the plate grew more complicated, but Smith adjusted and continued to pitch well.

The Indians acquired Smith and Luis Valbuena in December 2008 in a three-team deal with the Mets and Mariners. He made 34 appearances in 2009 and opened the 2010 season with the Tribe. The balloon burst when Smith was sent to Columbus on April 30 with a 7.71 ERA.

When he returned in June, it looked like more of the same. After the game against the Reds, he talked with bullpen coach Scott Radinsky, who is now the Indians' pitching coach.

"Rad asked me, 'How did you feel the most comfortable throwing the ball?' " Smith said. "I told him the most comfortable I felt is when I came out of college.' He said, 'OK, let's try it. We'll throw a bullpen tomorrow.' "

Inwardly, Smith groaned because he'd thrown a season-high 37 pitches against the Reds. But he threw a bullpen session the next day and another shorter version a couple of days later.

"I kept saying, 'I can't change in the middle of the season,' " Smith said. "Rad said, 'Let's just see if you can throw strikes.' "

Smith not only threw strikes, but his velocity jumped from 90 mph to between 91 and 94 mph. Thirty-seven of his last 41 appearances were scoreless.

"It allowed him to drop and drive and let the hill [mound] take him to the plate," Radinsky said. "It was a natural thing for him. It's where he felt comfortable. It's a good story."

The story doesn't end there. There was another chapter, disguised as a five-mile stretch of orange barrels, along Smith's highway.

In spring training last year, he strained an oblique muscle and opened the year on the disabled list. In Cleveland, the Bullpen Mafia was just gaining a rep. Lefty Tony Sipp and righty Vinnie Pestano took over as closer Chris Perez's late-inning setup men, a role Smith flirted with in 2010.

When Smith rejoined the team in mid-April, the middle innings were the only ones open to him. Not the best place to be, but it gave the side-arming, right-handed Smith a chance to do something he always believed he could do -- get left-handed hitters out.

"Manny [Acta] was throwing me in there just to get work, to get back up to speed," Smith said. "We could be up a lot, or down a lot. It wasn't like matchup situations. Fortunately, I was able to get left-handers out and gain some confidence as the year went on."

The change was startling. After hitting .342 (13-for-38) against Smith in 2010, lefties hit .152 (12-for-79) against him last year. By the end of the year, Smith and Sipp were sharing the seventh inning to pave the way for Pestano and Perez in the eighth and ninth.

Smith went 3-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 71 appearances. The opposition hit .217 against him. It was a career year that started with a trip to the disabled list.

"Sometimes in this game, you get one chance to show what you can do," Smith said.

This season, Smith has a 1.74 ERA in nine games. Lefties are hitting .214 (3-for-34) and righties .217 (5-for-23) against him. He has allowed one run in his past six games and already has four holds.

Finally: Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall was placed on the seven-day disabled list at Columbus with a strained calf. . . . Matt LaPorta, another Indian waiting at Columbus, was named the International League Hitter of the Week.

Amare Stoudemire suffered a laceration to his left hand Monday night after breaking the glass on a fire extinguisher case near the New York Knicks' locker room with a punch.

New York Knicks' Amare Stoudemire leaves American Airlines Arena with his left arm in a sling after an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in Miami, Monday, April 30, 2012. The Heat defeated the Knicks 104-94. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Amare Stoudemire suffered a laceration to his left hand Monday night after breaking the glass on a fire extinguisher case near the New York Knicks' locker room with a punch.

Multiple media outlets reported that a frustrated Stoudemire smashed the case after the Knicks' 104-94 loss to the Miami Heat.

TNT's David Aldridge reported Stoudemire needed stitches to close the wound. Stoudemire did not receive X-rays or an MRI exam at Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena.

Stoudemire's hand was bandaged and his left arm was in a sling as he walked to the Knicks' team bus, according to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger.

As the Knicks were traveling back to New York early Tuesday, Stoudemire issued a public apology via his Twitter account.

"I am so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start," he wrote.

Stoudemire did not indicate whether he would miss games because of the injury. Game 3 in the Knicks-Heat series is Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Miami leads the best-of-7 two games to none.

Knicks center Tyson Chandler told reporters that he believed Stoudemire's injury will sideline him.

"He's probably going to be out. I don't know how bad it is. Amare is a huge piece to this team," Spears quoted Chandler as saying.

New York small forward Carmelo Anthony took a wait-and-see approach.

"We’ll have to deal with that when it comes around. We have a couple of days of practice," he said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman.

A pair of local football players who finished their college careers at North Carolina have signed NFL free-agent contracts.

PD FileMatt Merletti with St. Ignatius in 2006.

A pair of local football players who finished their college careers at North Carolina have signed NFL free-agent contracts. Cornerback Charles Brown of Maple Heights High signed with the Baltimore Ravens and safety Matt Merletti of St. Ignatius signed with the Indianapolis Colts.

— Elton Alexander

Moore's a Lion: Boise State standout Kellen Moore agreed to a free-agent deal with Detroit, giving the Lions a quarterback to develop behind starter Matthew Stafford and backup Shaun Hill.

Moore won 50 games in college, a Football Bowl Subdivision record for a starter, but he wasn’t among the 253 players taken in the draft. The Lions acknowledged Saturday night that adding a No. 3 quarterback was on their list.

Around the league: The Chargers agreed to a one-year contract with offensive lineman Rex Hadnot, a former Brown. Hadnot spent the past two seasons with Arizona. . . . Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros is among 14 undrafted college free agents signing contracts with Tampa Bay. . . . Jacksonville signed 17 undrafted rookie free agents, including Ohio State center Mike Brewster and Cincinnati linebacker J.K. Schaffer. . . . Oakland is bringing in quarterback Jim Sorgi for a tryout. The Raiders are looking for a veteran backup to play behind starter Carson Palmer. They are also bringing in Matt Leinart this week. Sorgi spent six years in Indianapolis as Peyton Manning’s backup. . . . Record-setting University of Houston quarterback Case Keenum says he plans to sign with the Texans. Keenum, who wasn’t drafted, finished his career as the Football Bowl Subdivision’s career leader in yards passing (19,217) and touchdown passes (155).

The championships will be March 3-9 and will include men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's swimming and diving, and wrestling.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerThe championships will be March 3-9 at Spire Institute in Geneva and will include men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's swimming and diving, and wrestling.

The NCAA has announced that the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Notre Dame College of South Euclid will host the 2013 Division II Winter National Championships Festival at Spire Institute in Geneva.

The championships will be March 3-9 and will include men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's swimming and diving, and wrestling.

More than 1,200 student-athletes are expected to compete and will contribute an estimated $2 million in economic activity to the Northeast Ohio region.

Spire features 750,000 square feet of Olympic-grade facilities, acres of outdoor fields and a multisport stadium.

Capers to speak at Mount: Dom Capers, a 1972 graduate of Mount Union and defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, will give the university's 166th commencement address at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the south lawn of Chapman Hall.

He will speak on the topic, “Talent Alone is Not Enough.”

A native of Cambridge, Ohio, Capers earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Mount Union in 1972 and a master's degree in administration from Kent State in 1975.

Capers is entering his 27th season in the NFL and his fourth year as defensive coordinator with Packers.

Headed to trials: Emory senior swimmer Claire Pavlak (Hathaway Brown) achieved an Olympic qualifying time in the 50-meter freestyle at the Division III NCAA Championships on March 25 in Indianapolis.

The Olympic Trials will be held in Omaha, Neb., from June 25 to July 2.

During her four years at Emory, Pavlak has earned 20 All-America honors and nine NCAA national championships, including the third straight team title that Emory captured this season.

At NCAAs, Pavlak swam the anchor leg on all three of the winning relays: the 200 medley (1:42.27), the 200 freestyle (1:32.38) and the 400 free (school record 3:22.02).

GoDaddy.com Bowl extension: The Mid-American Conference announced a new four-year contract extension with the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala., through the 2017 football season.

Before 2010, the game was named the GMAC Bowl for nine years.

Like the White Sox, the Indians have a winning record on the road and a losing one at home. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start tonight.

AP PhotoUbaldo Jimenez is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA for the Indians this season.

When: Tonight through Thursday.

Where: U.S. Cellular Field.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100.

Series: The White Sox lead the Indians this season, 2-0. The White Sox lead, 1,037-993, overall.

Pitching matchups: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (2-1, 3.12) today at 8:10 p.m.; RHP Josh Tomlin (1-2, 5.48) vs. RHP Phil Humber (1-1, 4.66), above, Wednesday at 8:10 p.m.; and RHP Justin Masterson (0-2, 5.40) vs. LHP John Danks (2-3, 6.23) Thursday at 8:10 p.m.

Indians update: Like the White Sox, the Indians have a winning record on the road and a losing one at home. Tomlin and Masterson each lost to Chicago in April. Jimenez made four starts against Chicago last year, going 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA. He walked 10 and allowed 22 hits in 24 2/3 innings.

White Sox update: They beat Boston Sunday to end a five-game losing streak. Pitchers have limited opposition to .216 batting average, best in the AL. A.J. Pierzynski already has two homers against the Tribe this year.

Injuries: Indians — LHP Rafael Perez (left side), CF Grady Sizemore (back) and RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow) are on the disabled list. RF Shin-Soo Choo (left hamstring) is day to day. White Sox — RHP Jesse Crain (left oblique) is on the disabled list. Paul Konerko (neck) is day to day.

Next for Indians: Texas arrives at Progressive Field for a three-game series starting Friday.

-- Paul Hoynes

Indians at White Sox game preview

Help is on the way for the Cleveland Indians' struggling offense.

Johnny Damon will be available to make his Indians debut, while Shin-Soo Choo is expected to return when Cleveland opens a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Cleveland has struggled badly at the plate over the past seven games, scoring 17 runs in that span while going 3-4. The Indians (11-9) have also gone 11 games without a home run, their longest drought since a 14-game streak from April 10-22, 1983.

That likely caused the Indians to bring up Damon sooner than anticipated. Cleveland signed the 38-year-old to a minor league contract last month and had planned for him to play in some games in the minors before joining the Indians.

Damon, 277 hits shy of 3,000, is expected to split playing time with Shelley Duncan in left field. He hit .261 with 16 homers and 73 RBIs for Tampa Bay last season.

Choo is also expected back after missing five games with a left hamstring injury. Choo, limited to 85 games because of injuries in 2011, is hitting .237 with five doubles and nine RBIs this year.

Cleveland managed a split of its six-game homestand by defeating Los Angeles 4-0 on Sunday. Despite their offensive struggles, the Indians gave up only four runs in taking two of three from the Angels.

The Indians are above .500 because of their play on the road, where they are 7-2 and have averaged 6.0 runs. They'll try to extend that success against the White Sox, who like Cleveland are 4-7 at home.

Chicago (11-11) avoided a four-game sweep by visiting Boston with a 4-1 victory Sunday. After wasting Jake Peavy's complete game in a 1-0 loss Saturday, the White Sox bounced back behind Gavin Floyd, who took a no-hitter into the seventh.

Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer in the first and Matt Thornton earned his first save with 1 1-3 innings, retiring Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz in the ninth.

Manager Robin Ventura turned to Thornton instead of Hector Santiago, who is 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA and two blown saves. He's allowed four homers in 6 1-3 innings.

Despite Santiago's issues, Ventura still has confidence in the closer.

"It is nothing against Hector, he still will be in there in the ninth, but you're looking at a guy with a body of work against those three guys," Ventura said. "I felt confident leaving Matt in there."

Ventura has good reason to feel confident about Chris Sale (2-1, 3.12 ERA) as well. Sale, in his first year as a starter, went a career-high eight innings at Oakland last Wednesday, allowing two runs in a 5-4, 14-inning loss.

The left-hander also pitched well against the Indians on April 9, allowing one run and three hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-2 victory.

He'll be opposed by Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1, 4.50), who surrendered four runs on a pair of homers in six innings of an 8-2 loss to Kansas City last Wednesday.

The right-hander went 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA in four starts against the White Sox last season, pitching at least six innings three times.

This is the first of 10 meetings between the AL Central rivals this month. Chicago won the first two in an abbreviated series in Cleveland in April.

-- KATE HEDLIN, STATS Writer

Softball season in the Suburban League has seen more than its share of new wrinkles, and host Highland came close to adding another one Monday. League-leading Copley (11-2, 9-2) needed three runs in the top of the seventh inning to salvage a 6-5 victory.

Softball season in the Suburban League has seen more than its share of new wrinkles, and host Highland came close to adding another one Monday.

League-leading Copley (11-2, 9-2) needed three runs in the top of the seventh inning to salvage a 6-5 victory.

The defending league champion Indians were led by senior Emma Fish's home run and her two runs scored. Junior Kaitlin Krajcik went yard for Highland, along with scoring two runs and driving in three.

Amherst 5, Olmsted Falls 4

The Comets (14-5, 9-2) stayed atop the Southwestern Conference, but they needed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Catcher Taylor Muhic provided a home run and a double, and South Dakota recruit Jennifer Sutton pitched a seven-hitter with nine strikeouts.

Westlake 2, North Olmsted 1

The Demons (12-5, 9-2) kept pace with the defending SWC champion Comets thanks to Jamie Screen, who collected two hits, an RBI and two stolen bases.

Avon 1, Bay 0

Kayla Wysocki had four hits, including the game-winner, for the Eagles (14-7, 7-3) in the West Shore Conference game, while Marshall recruit Brittanie Fowler pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts.

Walsh Jesuit 5, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 3

The Warriors (14-6, 5-2) handed NDCL (16-2, 5-1) its first North Coast League Blue Division loss behind freshman Taylor Rahach, who hurled a three-hitter. Courtney Iacobacci's double, home run, two RBI and two runs scored sparked Walsh.

Lake Catholic 8, Beaumont 1

The Cougars (15-2, 6-0) grabbed first place in the NCL Blue Division, as sophomore Savannah Korako finished with a single, two doubles and two RBI.

Woodridge 4, Rootstown 0

Amy Donze pitched a no-hit, 17-strikeout masterpiece to keep the Bulldogs (17-2, 9-0) as the Portage Trail Conference County Division front-runners.

Baseball

Bay 1, Avon 0

The title race in the West Shore Conference got more interesting thanks to the Rockets' (5-13, 4-6) upset of Avon (18-2, 9-1), ranked No. 8 in the Division I state coaches poll. Bay scored the game's lone run in the bottom of the seventh on Craig Linder's leadoff single, Rob Rising's ground-rule double and Griffin Watterson's one-out, bases-loaded single that plated pinch runner Scott Pailes. Marty Schuerger silenced the Eagles on six hits and five strikeouts.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 3, Walsh Jesuit 2

Zach Zupancic homered and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the second inning, as the Lions (9-7, 4-4) shocked Walsh Jesuit (16-3, 7-2) in a North Coast League Blue Division upset. The Warriors are ranked 17th in the Division I state coaches poll.

Independence 4, Cuyahoga Heights 0

J.P. Sorma had just one hit on the day, but it was huge in leading the Blue Devils to a Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division win between two state-ranked teams. Sorma's grand slam in the top of the seventh inning was all Independence (15-7, 6-3) needed. The Blue Devils are ranked seventh in the Division III state coaches poll. Cuyahoga Heights (15-4, 6-3) is 18th in Division IV.

Berkshire 7, Fairport Harbor 5

Luke Coleman gave up seven hits and fanned six while also going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, as the Badgers (8-8, 8-1) handed the Skippers (16-3, 8-1) their first CVC Valley Division setback. Fairport is ranked 18th in the Division IV state coaches poll.

The Nets, who have been playing in New Jersey since 1977, are leaving their red, white and blue look behind as they move across the Hudson River. The Nets will be the only team in the NBA with black and white as its only primary colors. The logo was designed by part-owner, music mogul Jay-Z. Watch video

New Brooklyn Nets apparel, featuring the logo designed by Jay-Z, went on sale Monday morning. Jerseys will be available in September.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are open for business. The team's formal attire will be black and white.

The Nets began settling into their new neighborhood Monday, unveiling new colors and logos at a sporting goods store on Flatbush Avenue, across the street from its soon-to-be-completed home arena, the $1 billion Barclays Center.

"Hello Brooklyn,'" center Brook Lopez said. "I've been waiting a long time to say that. It's very exciting."

Lopez was joined by coach Avery Johnson, General Manager Billy King, Bruce Ratner, the real estate developer and minority owner who was the catalyst behind the team's relocation, and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

"Today is a great day for Brooklyn It's been one decade, 10 years, since I started discussing this with Marty. It's taken 10 years, but they are officially the Brooklyn Nets," said Ratner, who faced both legal and political resistance to the building of the arena and the relocation of the team he bought in 2004. "Ladies and gentleman, the curse of O'Malley is officially over today."

The O'Malley family controlled the Dodgers from 1950-98 and moved the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles after the 1957 season.

The Nets, who have been playing in New Jersey since 1977, are leaving their red, white and blue look behind as they move across the Hudson River. The Nets will be the only team in the NBA with black and white as its only primary colors.

Adam Silver, NBA deputy commissioner, said the league has been trying to steer teams toward emphasizing their traditional primary colors instead of black, which many teams use for an alternative jersey, to make them more easily identifiable on television. But it had no problem with the choice of black and white for the Nets.

"We agreed with the Nets that this color scheme made sense for this market," Silver said.

The team's shield logo has Nets spelled out above a basketball with a block B on it. Below the shield, Brooklyn is printed. The Nets say the logo and color scheme were designed by minority owner Jay-Z and inspired by the New York City Transit Authority subway signs from 1957.

The Nets are hoping the move to Brooklyn will also bring a change of fortune for a franchise that has mostly toiled in the shadow of the New York Knicks. The Nets have never won an NBA title, though they went to the finals twice with Jason Kidd in 2002 and '03, and have not made the playoffs since 2007.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov bought the Nets in 2009, knowing that a move to Brooklyn was coming.

The team moved out of its longtime home arena at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., after losing 70 games in the 2009-10 season. The team has spent the past two years playing at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

"Hopefully, around this time next year you guys will be at our press conference for the 2013 playoffs," Johnson said. The Nets finished 22-44 this season.

Nets have been touting the move to Brooklyn as a way to lure big-time free agents to the team. That didn't work out, as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and others passed on the team's offers.

"We've been talking about it, but now the reality is we are the Brooklyn Nets," King said. "The arena is on schedule. It's going to be one of the best arenas in the league."

King traded for All-Star point guard Deron Williams during last season, hoping he would sign an extension. Instead, Williams will become a free agent July 1.

Is there a free agent wide receiver out there the Browns should try to sign?

AP photoPlaxico Burress

So the Cleveland Browns only drafted one wide receiver in the NFL Draft. Did they entirely miss the boat, or do they have plans in the works to sign a free agent wide receiver?

There are a few free agent wide receivers out there that could fit in nicely with the Browns, like Braylon Edwards, Plaxico Burress or Patrick Crayton.

So which receiver do you choose?

Who will return and who will stay when it comes to the Cavaliers?

Associated PressCleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving (2) goes to the basket over Memphis Grizzlies' Tony Allen.

Jason Lloyd writes on Ohio.com how once upon a time, actually in mid-January, the Cleveland Cavaliers were still in contention for a playoff spot when a couple of coach Byron Scott’s old media acquaintances were asking about the Cavs’ roster.

“We’re nowhere near where we need it to be,” Scott said.

The roster only regressed from there, with the Cavs flipping Development League players in and out through a turnstile over the season’s final six weeks. The Cavs’ final roster had eight players on it who spent at least part of this season in the D-League.

Lloyd writes how the Cavaliers have four of the top 34 picks in this summer’s draft, and the goal is obviously to improve the talent. In order to do that, the present roster needs to be evaluated.

Lloyd takes a look at the player-by-player look at the Cavs’ final roster and the prospects for each player returning next season:

Definitely, most likely, 50/50, not likely and no chance.

Omri Casspi

The good: He stayed healthy. That’s about it.

The bad: Casspi was probably the most disappointing player of the season. He lost his starting job, posted career lows in nearly every offensive category and was criticized by Scott for not knowing the playbook late in the season. But other than that …

The future: 50/50. The Cavs will spend the summer trying to upgrade at the wing positions.

 Daniel Gibson

The future: Most likely. The front office is high on Gibson, and he’s a leader in the locker room. But he must rediscover his stroke or else next year will be his last in Cleveland.

More Cleveland Cavaliers

The best is yet to come for Kyrie Irving (The News-Herald).

Joe Tait speaks at HOF Lucheon (CantonRep.com).

The Cleveland Cavaliers review (Bleacher Report).

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 12:15 P.M. as he talks Cleveland sports. Terry will chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about the NFL Draft and how the Browns did with their picks. He will also discuss the first-place Cleveland Indians.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions today at 12:15 P.M.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 12:15 P.M. as he talks Cleveland sports.

Terry will chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about the NFL Draft and how the Browns did with their picks. He will also discuss the first-place Cleveland Indians.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Terry's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

Vikings GM Rick Spielman says again that the Browns didn't get bluffed into trading up.

Associated PressRick Spielman

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Vikings general manager Rick Spielman reiterated Monday that he didn't fool the Browns into trading up to No. 3 to draft Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

He first said it on ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning the day after the trade.

"We did have offers on the table, I can tell you that. I'm not going to tell you who or what. But I will say Cleveland did the right thing," Spielman told the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Monday.

The Vikings did talk to Tampa Bay about trading up, but the Bucs were never serious about it, according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King.

But Browns President Mike Holmgren said Sunday that he urged General Manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur to do whatever it took not to let Richardson slip away.

"I think both teams benefited from that trade," Spielman said. "Cleveland got a very unique running back [Trent Richardson], and it's very important for their offense -- and I think we were able to accomplish what we wanted."

The Browns surrendered fourth-, fifth-, and seventh-round picks to move up a spot. The Vikings selected former USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil at No. 4, Arkansas wide receiver Jarius Wright with the fourth-rounder (118 overall) and Notre Dame cornerback Robert Blanton with the fifth-round pick (139th).

They traded the seventh-rounder -- 211 overall -- to the Titans for a 2013 sixth-rounder.

Wright, who caught 66 passes for 1,137 and 12 TDs last season, was rated the 24th-best receiver out of 284 by nfldraftscout.com  and projected him as a fifth- or sixth-rounder. The Browns passed on Wright in favor of speedy Miami receiver Travis Benjamin (100 overall).

Blanton was projected as a sixth-rounder by nfldraftscout.com

Dennis Manoloff sounds off on the national media's rant on the Browns' draft. Watch video

CLEVELAND --- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.

The NFL Draft ended last weekend, but the criticism continues to linger when it comes to the Browns' draft, especially nationally, says Dennis Manoloff. Despite selecting the best running back in the draft in Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden, the Browns are not receiving the praise they deserve.

Dennis also talks to the crew about Weeden's potential and which free agent wide receiver the Browns should pursue, if any.

SBTV returns Wednesday.

MENTOR, O - Tom Horvath recently resigned as Mentor's softball coach in the middle of his eighth season. Assistant coach Faith Kover has agreed to take over the program through the remainder of the year.

MENTOR, O - Tom Horvath recently resigned as Mentor's softball coach in the middle of his eighth season.

Assistant coach Faith Kover has agreed to take over the program through the remainder of the year.

 "Tom resigned for personal reasons,'' said Mentor athletic director Jeff Cassella. "He'll remain a math teacher at the high school but we'll start looking for a new softball coach once the season is over.''

 Horvath, who began the year with a 113-68 career record, did not return a phone call.

The Cardinals entered the week 9-13, 1-5 in the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division.

How did the Browns do in the NFL Draft? Should the Tribe consider bringing up Matt LaPorta? Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey/The Plain DealerWill Brandon Weeden have Colt McCoy looking over his shoulder next season? Terry Pluto discusses this and more during his weekly podcast.

How did the Browns do in the NFL Draft? Should the Tribe consider bringing up Matt LaPorta?

Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore.

Among other topics discussed:

• What will Johnny Damon bring to the offense?

• What do you think of the John Hughes pick?

• What will it take for the fans to start coming to Tribe games?

• Who are some players the Cavs will target in the draft?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to also like Terry Pluto on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

The 2012 draft belonged to Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, but what about 2013? Next year, two other quarterbacks should be in the mix for No. 1.

AP Photo/Chris CarlsonWill USC quarterback Matt Barkley be the first overall pick in next year's draft?

View full sizeJoshua Gunter/ The Plain DealerCould St. Edward Eagle and University of Michigan recruit Kyle Kalis be a top pick in a future NFL Draft?

"Weeden is better tham McCoy - period. He has a stronger, more accurate throwing arm. Given the same talent around them, Weeden would do far better, no matter how good (or bad) that talent is. Quarterback is the most important player on the team, and Weeden is better. If you want to build a championship contender you need the best quarterback you can find." - boomboom77

View full sizeThomas Ondrey/The Plain DealerMany cleveland.com readers believe Brandon Weeden is an upgrade for the Browns over Colt McCoy.

"Weeden is better tham McCoy - period. He has a stronger, more accurate throwing arm. Given the same talent around them, Weeden would do far better, no matter how good (or bad) that talent is. Quarterback is the most important player on the team, and Weeden is better. If you want to build a championship contender you need the best quarterback you can find. Trying to draft weak-armed guys that no one else wanted the past 5 years, and hoping for a miracle, has not worked. (Charlie Frye, Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy)."