Get Twitter updates from Berea, starting at 11 a.m. as the Cleveland Browns hold their first organized team activity (OTA) this morning. The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) will be tweeting updates and her opinions throughout the day.

Get Twitter updates from Berea, starting at 11 a.m. as the Cleveland Browns hold their first organized team activity (OTA) this morning.

The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) will be tweeting updates and her opinions throughout the day.

The Browns' will hold their first OTA through Wednesday, which includes the full roster, and hold their second OTA May 30 - June 1. Minicamp begins June 5.

This will be the first time rookies Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden will get to be on the field with veterans, including QBs Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.

You can follow Mary Kay's tweets below. Reload or refresh for the latest Tweets.

Tom Heckert has faith Phil Taylor will return this fall.

AP Phil Taylor

Cleveland, Ohio - Will injured Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor take the field this year?

General manager Tom Heckert spoke last night at an event in Akron, and he is quoted In today's cleveland.com article by Mary Kay Cabot saying that he has no doubt Taylor will be back in October or early November:

"Oh, 100 percent, yeah," Heckert said before his keynote address at the Akron Browns Backers Banquet at Tangier Restaurant. "I don't think there's any question about that. We think he'll probably be [ready] end of October, early November, but he'll definitely be back, no doubt, no question about it."

Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson missed all of 2010 with the same injury, but Mary Kay writes how the difference is that Jackson's occurred in August.

While the Browns wait on Taylor's return, rookies John Hughes and Billy Winn will have to fill the gap in a defense, with Taylor last year, finished 30th against the run in the 32-team NFL. 

No wonder Heckert is focused on a speedy recovery.

More Cleveland Browns

At least Tom Heckert expects Brandon Weeden to start for the Browns (Cleveland.com).

GM Heckert expects Phil Taylor to play this season (Ohio.com).

More on Heckert about Weeden (The News-Herald).

Plenty of position battles for the Browns (CantonRep.com).

Heckert says Sheldon Brown not moving to safety (CBSSports).

Former Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. is traded from Tampa Bay to Seattle (Washington Post).

Plain Dealer reporter says impact of Tribe's losing streak vs. Detroit can't be overestimated. Watch video

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

The Indians are primed for tonight's three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston had a column today, in which he says he thinks the Indians have playoff-caliber talent. Do you agree? That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff, who has thoughts on that question and other topics. Dman says it's hard to overestimate the importance of this week's Detroit series, or any Tribe games against the Tigers this season. He also talks about what Ubaldo Jimenez must do tonight to be successful; and how he thinks Tribe reliever Chris Perez will be received by fans if he enters the game tonight.

SBTV returns Wednesday with Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises as the guest.

Join cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff as they chat with you during the Tribe's opening game of the three game stand with the Detroit Tigers.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerUbaldo Jimenez throw for the Tribe tonight against the Detroit Tigers.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 2 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports. Terry will chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about Chris Perez's comments to the fans, the upcoming series against the Detroit Tigers and talk about the Browns' first OTA.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions today at 2 P.M.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 2 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

Terry will chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about Chris Perez's comments to the fans, the upcoming series against the Detroit Tigers and talk about the Browns' first OTA.

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.

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy didn't ask to be traded after the team drafted Brandon Weeden because he was told he could compete for the starting job.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Colt McCoy said after practice Tuesday that he didn't ask to be traded because the Browns promised him a chance to compete for the starting job.

"As long as I'm given an opportunity to compete, if it's a fair competition, that's all you can ask for,'' McCoy said after the first day of organized team activities.

He said he got a call from the Browns after they drafted Brandon Weeden No. 22 overall out of Oklahoma State.

"(They) said 'just come in here and compete,''' he said. "As a competitor that's all you need to hear, really. You're just coming here with your head on right and giving it all you have every day.''

He said of his reaction to Weeden's drafting: "It is what it is. I've just got to go out and compete. I'm coming out here everyday working as hard as I can.''

He neither confirmed nor denied a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Browns told McCoy they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round.

"I don't want to get into the 'he said, she said' stuff,'' he said. "All I know is that I'm here, I'm excited to be here and we had a great first day of OTAs. The ball was coming out well. There's been a lot of improvement from the end of the season until now.''

 He also didn't apologize for the fact that he sent out a congratulatory tweet to Trent Richardson, but not Weeden.

"You must have missed it,'' he said with a laugh. "To be honest, I was just thrilled that they drafted Trent. I played against him in college, I've watched him for a long time and think he's a great football player...You've got to have a running game.''

He acknowledged he wants his teammates to see how he handles adversity.

"I want to be the same guy everyday,'' he said. "Amidst some difficulties as a quarterback, you've got to be able to thrive in those situations. At the same time, you've got to regard them as routine.''

He said his first meeting with Weeden "was fine.''

He also said he'll help Weeden in any way he can.

"If he asks questions, yea, I'll totally help,'' McCoy said. "I really don't want to make this about me vs. another guy, me vs. Seneca (Wallace) or me vs. Brandon. I want to make this about what's going to get us wins when Fall comes around.

"I don't want there to be any distraction as far as 'am I the quarterback or is Brandon the quarterbac?'. I want it to be about, hopefully the best person will play.''

He wouldn't speculate on what he'll do if Weeden wins the job, which the Browns fully expect him to do.

"I don't really deal with hypotheticals,'' he said. "The only thing they've really told me right now is 'you can compete for the job.' I kind of regard this as a day-by-day thing.''

As for GM Tom Heckert's statements that the Browns "fully expect Weeden to be the guy,'' McCoy said, "I can only go by what they tell me.''
 
As far as him getting a fair shake, he said, "You can't make any excuses. This is the card that's been dealt. I'm working as hard as I can.''

He also said he hasn't had any lingering effects from his concussion Dec. 8 after his helmet-to-helmet hit by Pittsburgh's James Harrison.

He stressed of his current situation, "Let's make it about the Cleveland Browns being a good football team next year. If that's the case I'm all in.''

Weeden said of Heckert's remarks: "I've got to go out and compete. It's not my job. I have to go out and take it.''

Weeden also said he preferred winning the job instead of being handed to him.

He added that things between him and McCoy have been "good, cordial, nothing out of the ordinary.''

McCoy took the first snaps in all of the drills, including 11-on-11s. Weeden was second and Seneca Wallace was third. All three quarterbacks looked efficient, but there's at least one pass McCoy would like to have back. On the first play of an 11-on-11 period, he was picked off on a short pass by linebacker Chris Gocong.

Other than that, McCoy had good timing with the receivers, as did Weeden and Wallace. 

"The ball's coming out really well,'' said McCoy. "I've made strides since the end of last season.''

Will Colt McCoy be traded? Is this a must win series for the Tribe? Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerBrandon Weeden and Colt McCoy took the field together for the first time. Who will be the starting quarterback in the fall?

Will Colt McCoy be traded? Is this a must win series for the Tribe?

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:

• Will the Indians bring up Matt LaPorta?

• Chris Perez's comments to the fans.

• Upcoming series with the Tigers.

• Will the Cavs try to trade up for the first overall pick if they don't get it via the lottery?

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.

Cavs rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson were named to the first and second teams, respectively, of the NBA All-Rookie Team announced on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, the 2011-12 Rookie of the Year, was the leading vote getter for the NBA's All-Rookie first team announced on Tuesday, and teammate Tristan Thompson made the second team.

In voting by the league's 30 coaches, Irving finished with 58 points, followed by Minnesota's Ricky Rubio with 49, Never's Kenneth Faried with 46, Golden State's Klay Thompson with 43 and New York’s Iman Shumpert, San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard and Detroit's Brandon Knight, each of whom received 40 points to tie for fifth place.

Named to the second team were Houston’s Chandler Parsons with 33 points, followed by Sacramento’s Isaiah Thomas with 27, New Jersey’s MarShon Brooks with 18 and Tristan Thompson and Minnesota’s Derrick Williams with 16 points apiece.

Former Cleveland State star Norris Cole of Miami got two votes.

The coaches were asked to select five players for the first team and five players for the second team, regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Two points were awarded for first team votes and one for second team votes.

Irving got all first-team votes, and Tristan Thompson got two first place votes and 12 second-team votes.

Indians' fade last season included their being overwhelmed in games with the Tigers. Indians' home crowds -- or lack of -- remain a topic. Links to more Tribe stories.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerTeammates greet Carlos Santana (41) at home plate after he slugged a grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Indians a 9-5 win over the Tigers last April 29 at Progressive Field.

I would love to go to sold-out games, even if it meant paying a little more and sitting further from the field. I would love to feel the energy of a packed ballpark even when it wasn’t Dollar Dog Night. I would love to actually hear cheering and applause before the game when each player’s name is announced. As a fan, I would love to know that I am part of a group of people devoted to the team they love.

It’s no fun to go to a game when the first ten rows behind home plate are barely filled. It’s no fun when there’s hardly anyone cheering in the bottom of the ninth. I hate seeing people jump ship and flood toward the exits around the seventh or eighth inning when the team is losing.

After the first day of organized team activities, Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy talked with the media for the first time since the Browns drafted quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round of the NFL draft. Watch video

Josh Tomlin is getting closer to rejoining the Indians starting rotation. His next step will be throwing a simulated game later this week.

Mark Duncan, Associated PressJosh Tomlin's bullpen session Tuesday impressed Manny Acta.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Right-hander Josh Tomlin could be back in the starting. rotation in the near future.

"Josh threw a good bullpen today," said manager Manny Acta on Tuesday afternoon. "I was there to witness it. He threw the ball well and he threw all his pitches."

Tomlin has been on the disabled list with soreness in his right wrist since being scratched from a May 12 start against Boston.

"He'll probably throw a simulated game in a couple of days if he responds well from the bullpen session," said Acta. "He'll probably throw around 50 pitches in that game."

Acta said if Tomlin gets through the simulated game, he probably wouldn't have to go on a rehab assignment to the minors.

"Our plan right now is have him pitch that simulated game and put him in our rotation," said Acta. "We don't think he's been out long enough to affect him."

Zach McAllister took Tomlin's spot in the rotation.

Player of Week: Third baseman Kyle Bellows has been named Indians Minor League Player of the Week.

Bellows, 23, hit .417 (10-for-24) with a three doubles, three homers, nine RBI at Class AA Akron from May 14 through Sunday. He had a .440 on base percentage and a .917 slugging percentage. Bellows raised his batting average from .193 to .244.

The Eastern League also named Bellows player of the week.

The Indians drafted Bellows in the fourth round of the 2009 draft out San Jose State University.

Today's lineup:

Tigers (20-21): 2B Ramon Santiago (S), LF Andy Dirks (L), 3B Miguel Cabrera (R), 1B Prince Fielder (L), DH Delmon Young (R), RF Brian Boesch (L), SS Jhonny Peralta (R) C Alex Avila (L), CF Don Kelly (L), RHP Rick Porcello (3-3, 5.12).

Indians (23-18): RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), C Carlos Santana (S), CF Michael Brantley (L), LF Johnny Damon (L), 1B Casey Kotchman (L), 3B Jose Lopez (R), RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 5.09).

Lineup note: Tiger center fielder Austin Jackson was scratched from the starting lineup with a strained abdominal muscle. He's missed five straight games. Second baseman Ramon Santiago replaced him in the leadoff spot and

Tigers vs. Jimenez: Young is hitting .533 (8-for-15) with one homer and Cabrera is hitting .368 (7-for-19).

Indians vs. Porcello: Kipnis is hitting .500 (4-for-8) with one homer and Santana is hitting .375 (6-for-16) with three homers.

Umpires: H Scott Barry, 1B Jerry Meals, 2B Gary Darling, 3B Paul Emmel.

Next: RHP Zach McAllister (1-1, 4.34) vs. RHP Doug Fister (0-2, 1.59).

Law designed to prevent overbagging fish challenged in court

View full sizeLisa DeJong, Plain Dealer file photo

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A stringent new fishing rule requiring skin to be left on fish fillets has been snagged in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court.

The rule was designed to prevent poaching, said Chief Scott Zody of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

The main thrust was to prevent people from overbagging fish and then cutting the fillets into chunks. That can prevent a wildlife officer from identifying the species of fish or the number of fish in a package.

However, it only created confusion for anglers, especially the early-season crowd of walleye fishermen around Western Lake Erie. To make the poorly publicized rule more palatable, it was revised recently by wildlife officials to require only a small patch of fish skin to be left on a fillet, not the entire skin.

That did not placate Stow's James Merlitti and his family, who have a summer residence on Marblehead. In court on Friday, Akron attorney Adam VanHo negotiated a temporary restraining order requiring wildlife officials to remove the words "permanent residence" from the regulation. That would allow fishermen who are staying in trailers, motels or cottages along the Lake Erie shoreline to possess fillets without any skin.

VanHo issued a release that said while the change might sound minor, removing the word "permanent residence" from the code will let anglers clean fish once they reach where they are staying without the fear of a ticket for poaching. Ohio has no possession limit, which allows fishermen to keep and freeze an unlimited number of legally caught fish.

"We're going to take a hard look at the fillet rule and either amend or clarify it as part of a fall package of rules changes," said Zody. "We plan on holding a round of public open houses in August, like our regular winter open houses, to listen to sportsmen's concerns. When wildlife officials are really close to an issue like this, it's obvious we need to step outside and make sure we're touching all of the bases."

Phillies' veteran Thome, eighth all-time on the home run list, buys 8,154-square-foot house with six full baths, two half baths, a home theater, hardwood floors, limestone finishes, custom cabinetry and a seven-car garage. The 2-acre property includes a tennis court.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJim Thome after his return to the Indians for the last few weeks of the 2011 season.

Although he no longer plays for the Chicago White Sox, slugger Jim Thome and his family love the Chicago area so much they plan to make it their permanent home.

The 41-year-old Downstate native and future Hall of Famer now plays for the Philadelphia Phillies -- he was with the Sox from 2006 until 2009 -- but Thome and his family are here for the long haul, his wife, Andrea, told Elite Street. They have paid $4.6 million for a seven-bedroom mansion in Burr Ridge and are selling their longtime, six-bedroom stone and brick mansion in nearby Hinsdale for $3.8 million.

"The move is driven by finding a place that fit our needs long-term," Andrea Thome said.  

"We love the area, but we wanted to move to a little less congested street."

All Colt McCoy wants is a fair shot to compete with Brandon Weeden for the starting job, and the Browns have assured him he'll get it. Watch video

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerColt McCoy, right, says he is taking the Browns at their word that he will have a fair shot at beating out rookie Brandon Weeden, left, for the starting QB job.

BEREA, Ohio -- Colt McCoy never considered asking for a trade after the Browns drafted Brandon Weeden, because they offered him exactly what he wanted: a chance to fight for the starting job.

"I got a phone call and (they) said 'Just come in here and compete,' " the Browns' third-year quarterback said Tuesday after the first practice of organized team activities. "As a competitor, that's all you need to hear, really. I understand the idea, and if it's a fair competition, then that's all you can ask for."

McCoy, speaking to the media for the first time since the end of the season, said folks can imagine how he felt when the Browns pursued other quarterbacks, such as Robert Griffin III, and then drafted Weeden.

"It is what it is," he said. "It happened and I've just got to go out and compete. I had to earn my job at (Texas) every year basically except for my senior year," he said. "I had to earn my job in high school. I had to play when I was a sophomore. I don't want this to be a situation where it's me vs. him or him vs. me. I want it to be a situation of -- and I think we can all agree to this -- let's help our team the most. Let's make it about the Cleveland Browns being a great football team next year. And if that's the case I'm all in."

He said he's determined to show his teammates that he's going to be the same, professional, hard-working quarterback every day.

"Amid some difficulties as a quarterback, you've got to be able to thrive in those situations," he said. "At the same time, you've kind of got to regard them as routine. Those things are going to happen throughout your career."

McCoy took all the first reps in team and individual drills on Tuesday, even though Browns General Manager Tom Heckert said Monday night that the club "fully expects (Weeden) to be the guy" after the competition.

"I can only go by what they tell me," McCoy said, referring to his shot at the job.

As for whether or not he'll ask to be traded if Weeden wins the job, McCoy said: "I don't really deal with hypotheticals. The only thing they've really told me right now is 'you can compete for the job.' That's the only thing I think about. I kind of regard this as a day-by-day thing."

He declined to confirm or deny a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Browns had told him they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round. The Browns have said that's untrue.

"I don't want to get into the 'he said, she said' stuff," said McCoy. "All I know is that I'm here, I'm excited to be here and we had a great first day of OTAs. I felt like the ball was coming out well. I felt like there's been a lot of improvement from the end of the season until now."

Has he gotten a fair shake? After all, last season, he was the one trying to teach the new West Coast offense to his teammates during the lockout.

"You can't make any excuses," he said. "This is the card that's been dealt. I can just say that I'm working as hard as I can. I thought today went great, the first day of OTAs, you never what to expect. One of my favorite quotes by the Navy SEALS is 'The only easy day was yesterday.' That's just kind of how I have to live right now."

He didn't apologize for sending a congratulatory tweet to Trent Richardson on draft day and not Weeden.

"You must have missed it," he said with a laugh. "To be honest, I was just thrilled that they drafted Trent. I played against him in college, I've watched him for a long time and think he's a great football player. It's hard to tell in shorts and T-shirts, but so far, I've loved playing with him. I've talked to him a lot and up to the point before they got here. I was excited we went after him."

He said he has no qualms about helping Weeden, who took the second set of reps behind McCoy. Seneca Wallace went third Thad Lewis fourth.

"If he asks questions, yeah, I'll totally help," said McCoy. "Again, I really don't want to make this about me vs. another guy, me vs. Seneca or me vs. Brandon. I want to make this about what's best for our team. I don't want there to be any distraction as far as am I the quarterback or is Brandon the quarterback. I want it to be about, hopefully, the best person will play."

Weeden said he doesn't think the situation is awkward.

"This is part of the business," said Weeden. "When I was in baseball, you're coming in to take someone's job. We're worried about each other and winning games, not who is going to be the starting whatever position."

Tight end Ben Watson said there is no split in the locker room.

"There aren't different camps," he said. "Especially right now in OTAs, we're all here to learn. The real competition time will come later. We're just all trying to improve.'

Weeden isn't taking anything for granted despite Heckert's statements.

"It's not my job," he said. "It's my job to win. I have to take it. I have to be competitive and continue to get better.

"They came and got me in the first round for a reason, but (Heckert) said it best -- I have to earn that job. I have to compete and show I belong on the field. Every position, mine in particular with Colt and how good he played and how good of a player he is, the competition is fun. It should be better for everybody involved. That's the mentality I'm taking."

He said the relationship with McCoy has been good.

"Obviously we're from the same conference, so there's a little rivalry there between Oklahoma State and Texas," said Weeden. "We joke about that. Everything's cordial. Everything's fine. Nothing out of the ordinary."

All three top quarterbacks looked efficient throwing the ball Tuesday, and McCoy can already see the difference in having an off-season to work with the coaches.

"(Last off-season) I was flying guys in and we were going over things and I had the playbook and I was just trying to teach myself what was the right thing to do," he said. "Then you come here and you learn the ins and outs, how he wants the play run vs. kind of how you taught yourself. (Now) all of a sudden, even after just two weeks, I feel like we're running an offense. I feel like guys know what to do, I know what to do and we're more effective."

McCoy threw one interception in team drills, but overall looked more accurate than in the early part of camp last year, hitting receivers in stride with good zip on the ball. He knows he'll have his work cut out competing with Weeden, whose strong arm has impressed the Browns.

"I just need to focus on being the best I can be for the Cleveland Browns," he said. "If I have that attitude every day, then the right thing will happen."

Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, who was suspended three games for his alleged bounty program involvement, is quoted in an ESPN.com report as saying, "....unfortunately for a lot of us, we're on public trial and that's unfortunate...."

Associated PressNFL commissioner Roger Goodell at a news conference following an owners meeting on Tuesday in Atlanta.

The league's bounty investigation and subsequent fallout were at the center of much of Goodell's public address Tuesday, including the recent defamation lawsuit filed against him by Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma after he suspended Vilma for the 2012 season.

One of the suspended players, linebacker Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland, believes the league's evidence in the bounty case should be disclosed now. Fujita said the claims against him have hurt him personally and that he's now pitted in a battle of his word against the league's.

"That's the reality of the situation that we're in, and unfortunately for a lot of us, we're on public trial and that's unfortunate," said Fujita, who was given a three-game suspension.

As for Goodell, Fujita added: "It's a challenging position he's in and I'm sensitive to that. But I think there's also a better way to go about doing things."

All-Star closer Chris Perez says he didn't criticize Indians fans because he wants out of Cleveland. He says he likes being an Indian. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Closer Chris Perez didn't say what he did about Indians fans Saturday to force the team to trade him.

"I don't want out," said Perez. "I'm not happy. You're allowed to be unhappy in your work situation."

Perez criticized Indians fans for booing him and being last in the big leagues in attendance, even though the team opened Tuesday's three-game series against Detroit in first place in the American League Central.

He added that poor attendance and the negative reaction of fans are two of the reasons the team doesn't attract top free agents.

"There's an old saying in baseball: 'If you don't like it, play better,' " said Perez. "It doesn't matter about your situation. If you don't like it, play better and everything will take care of itself. That's my viewpoint.

"I'm not going anywhere as long as I'm getting saves. The team's not going to trade me as long as I'm getting saves. I know that."

Perez has converted 13 straight saves after blowing a save in the season opener. He's tied for second in the AL in saves.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerChris Perez, left, says he hopes to have many more celebrations in Progressive Field as he did on Saturday with Carlos Santana, right.

"If I really wanted out, I'd start tanking it on the field," he said. "I'd be injured. Be a bad teammate. Not talk to you guys. Tell the fans to go [bleep] themselves. Not sign autographs.

"I don't want out. I want to win. I'm here. My friends are here. What do I want to do, get traded in the middle of the season and make 30 new friends again? Get thrust into that?

"I've already been through that when I got traded here. . . . I'm comfortable here. I like it here. I've got a good relationship with the media. I'm not out, I'm in. I'm here."

Asked what he thought the fans' reaction would be the first time he takes the mound, Perez said: "If I go one, two, three, there will be cheers, just like there always is.

"I don't care what the fans do. Hopefully, they're loud and make it hard for the other team. If I get booed when they introduce me, I'll feel like it's a road game."

When Tribe manager Manny Acta was asked the same question, he said: "If I knew that, I'd hit the Lotto on Sunday, and you wouldn't be seeing me on Monday. I can't answer that. . . . I think he's going to be good because he's been good for us, and they appreciate that."

Injury update: Josh Tomlin (right wrist) threw a good bullpen session Tuesday and should throw a 50-pitch simulated game later this week.

Acta said if Tomlin gets through the simulated game, he would probably rejoin the rotation without going on a rehab assignment. Zach McAllister replaced Tomlin when he went on the disabled list.

Third baseman Jack Hannahan (back) missed his eighth straight game. He went through batting practice and infield drills Tuesday.

Left-hander Rafael Perez (left back muscle) is playing long toss.

Acta said outfielder Grady Sizemore (back) continues to take batting practice but isn't close to going on a rehab assignment.

Mr. Emergency: If the Indians needed another infielder, with Hannahan hurt, backup catcher Lou Marson would get the call at third, and Acta would have to shuffle the rest of the infield.

"I hope we don't have to get to that," said Acta. "I think at this point, if we asked Jack to get out there, he could get out there."

In Hannahan's absence, Jose Lopez made his eighth straight start at third. He went into Tuesday's game hitting .360 (9-for-25) in the first seven games.

High stakes: Johnny Damon, like Perez, doesn't want to go anywhere.

"I know there are circumstances surrounding the team with Grady possibly coming back soon," said Damon. "Hopefully, I won't give them an option. Hopefully, I'm swinging the bat great at that time and I'll be stuck here for the rest of the year."

Finally: Class AA Akron third baseman Kyle Bellows was named Indians Minor League Player of the Week. Bellows, 23, hit .417 (10-for-24) with three doubles, three homers and nine RBI from May 14 through Sunday.

Perez didn't know what to expect from the crowd of 15,049 when he ran in from the bullpen in the ninth inning Tuesday night at Progressive Field. After ripping fans for not supporting the first-place Indians on Saturday, he received a standing ovation from them Tuesday as he saved the Tribe's 5-3 victory over Detroit. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tribe closer Chris Perez writes killer endings to games for a living. He does it nightly.

But even Perez, the author of so many walk-off lines, didn't know how Tuesday night was going to end as he ran in from the bullpen to save the Indians' 5-3 victory over Detroit at Progressive Field.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Perez.

Perez criticized Indians fans Saturday for being last in attendance in the big leagues. He ripped them for booing him and blamed them, in part, for the team not being able to attract top free agents.

It didn't take Perez long to realize what the crowd of 15,049 thought of him. As he neared the mound, the fans gave him a standing ovation. The cheers grew louder as he retired Don Kelly to start the ninth. Then things veered off course, as they tend to do during a Perez save attempt.

Ramon Santiago walked, and Andy Dirks singled to put runners on the corners with the heart of the Tigers lineup, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, due to hit. Perez struck out Cabrera and induced Fielder to hit into a force play at second to convert his 14th straight save in 15 chances.

"I'm truly humbled," said Perez of the fans' response. "It didn't go unnoticed. Trust me. I'm humbled. It was really nice."

The reaction did not surprise Tribe manager Manny Acta.

"The majority of our fans are positive and supportive of this ballclub," he said. "It's just like in everything else, negativity is louder.

"Our fans appreciate it when people want to win and when people care. That guy does. Whether he says what people want to hear or not is another story. He gets out there and gives you everything he's got every day."

Asked if he regretted any of his statements over the past few days, Perez said: "The only thing I would take back is try to keep it away from the team this much. The last thing you want to do is bring undo attention to the team. Especially in this kind of light.

"At the same time, I think it kind of picked us up. The guys kind of said, 'Yeah, we're feeling like that, too. I'm glad you said something. I'm glad you didn't back down.' "

The win moved the first-place Tribe four games ahead of the third-place Tigers in the American League Central. The Chicago White Sox, in second, fell 31/2 games back with a 9-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 5.02 ERA) went six innings for the victory. He improve to 3-5 lifetime against Detroit.

Jimenez, despite walking six, allowed just three runs. He struck out two and allowed five hits in 99 pitches.

Casey Kotchman and Jose Lopez gave the Indians a 5-3 lead in the sixth off Rick Porcello (3-4, 5.29). Michael Brantley opened the inning with a single and stole second. Johnny Damon struck out, but Kotchman singled to center for a 4-3 lead.

Porcello moved Kotchman to second with an errant pickoff attempt at first. Lopez, the only pure right-handed hitter in the Tribe's lineup, brought him home with a double off Brennan Boesch's glove in right field.

Lopez's double ended Porcello's night. Porcello allowed five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits in 51/3 innings.

Kotchman had three of the Tribe's 12 hits. After hitting .149 (10-for-67) in April, Kotchman is hitting .306 (19-for-62) in May.

"We found some holes and got great pitching out of Ubaldo and our bullpen," said Kotchman. "Ubaldo gave up three [runs] and kept us in it right there. Our bullpen . . . what more can you say? They just shut it down."

The Indians took a 1-0 lead on Asdrubal Cabrera's double off the center-field wall in the first inning. Jimenez held the lead for all of one out.

After retiring Delmon Young on a fly ball to center to start the second, Boesch doubled, Jhonny Peralta walked and Alex Avila hit a line-drive homer over the center-field wall for a 3-1 lead. Avila came into the game hitting .375 (3-for-8) against Jimenez.

"I learned a lesson," said Jimenez. "I started throwing my breaking ball earlier in the count. They were really aggressive in that inning."

Travis Hafner made it 3-2 with a two-out single in the third. He tied it in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez talks about the warm reception from the fans and closing out the Tribe's 5-3 win over the Tigers. Watch video

Yes, it's a long season, but Tuesday night's win over the Tigers comes at a good time for the Indians.

View full sizeTony Dejak, Associated PressIndians fans responded to Chris Perez's recent criticism with a standing ovation for closer in the ninth inning Tuesday at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For the Indians, this was more than a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

It was exactly what the first-place Tribe . . . needed.

I'm going to repeat that phrase again . . . the First-Place Tribe.

Before the game, if someone had told you that Ubaldo Jimenez would hold the Tigers to three runs in six innings . . . would you have signed up for it?

Well, that's what Jimenez delivered.

Don't ask me how.

Not with walking six, bouncing two wild pitches and allowing five hits . . . including a three-run homer.

In some innings, Jimenez was surrounded by more runners than the guy with the starter's pistol at last weekend's Cleveland Marathon. But after six innings, Jimenez had held the Tigers to three runs.

So Tribe fans, take it (along with a couple of Tums for the anxious stomach) and say "Thank you!"

Remember that Jimenez had a 9.98 ERA in his past three starts against the Tigers last season.

Then came Chris Perez out of the bullpen . . . to a standing ovation from 15,049.

This was the hardcore crowd, most of whom agreed with some criticism by Perez about the lack of support for a team that is last in attendance and deserved a larger crowd for this game.

Perez pocketed his 14th consecutive save. Yes, he put two runners on base. He had to whiff Miguel Cabrera and induce Prince Fielder into a groundout to end the game. Those two power hitters are being paid a combined $44 million . . . that is more than all the salaries of the Tribe's starting lineup Tuesday.

When it was over, Perez pumped his fist in the air. The fans stood and stomped and screamed. Suddenly all the attention was back where it should be -- on the diamond -- rather than dissecting the views of Perez on everything from booing to Tribe attendance to the players' opinions of the franchise.

Afterward, Perez seemed surprised by the love he felt from the fans, calling it "humbling."

And hopefully, it also will lead to some healing for those still reluctant to embrace this scrappy team.

If the Tribe is to contend in the AL Central, they need Perez owning the ninth inning.

Baseball is not figure skating. Saves are not "judged" by whether they look pretty. The game is either saved or not -- and Perez saved the fifth victory of the season for Jimenez. He's 14-of-15 in save opportunities this season.

That should make every Tribe fan feel good.

The Indians also need Jimenez (5-3, 5.02) to be at least a respectable starter.

They need Travis Hafner, who entered the evening batting .122 with runners in scoring position. But the Tribe's cleanup man did just that -- knocked in one run with a single, another with a sacrifice fly.

They need Michael Brantley, who broke out of a 1-of-19 slump with a single in the sixth. Then he stole second and scored what became the winning run on a Casey Kotchman single.

They need more than Kotchman's pure glove at first base. He has been Mr. May, batting .307 this month after a soggy .142 in April.

They need more wins like this against the Tigers, who finished last season with a 10-game winning streak against the Tribe en route to the Central Division title.

It seems impossible to believe, but the Tigers have not won two games in a row since April 18. That ended a four-game winning streak for Detroit, making the Tigers 9-3.

Since then, they are 11-19.

You can say that the Tigers seemed clawless early last season. OK, they were 22-20 at this point, compared to 20-22 now.

And the Indians are 24-18, not bad after their 1-4 start.

Yes, it's a long season. And yes, the Indians were 27-15 at this point last season -- and finished 80-82.

But this is a new year. The Indians are playing well. They opened their first of 18 games this season against the Tigers by beating them.

And yes, everyone in Wahoo red, white and blue needed that.

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

However, the Clippers, Aeros and Mudcats all lose on Tuesday.

View full sizeAPColumbus Clippers pitcher Chris Seddon.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Yankees 6, Clippers 2 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) scored five runs in the first inning off Chris Seddon (4-3, 4.70 ERA) and coasted to an International League victory in Columbus.

Seddon gave up six runs in seven innings for the Clippers, striking out three and walking one.

RF Jared Goedert (.333) hit his first home run for Columbus, hitting in the cleanup spot.

AA Akron Aeros

Thunder 3, Aeros 2 Akron scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but fell short in an Eastern League game in Trenton, N.J.

Paolo Espino (0-1, 2.45) gave up three runs over five innings for the Aeros, who also got one scoreless inning from Bryce Stowell (0.00) and two scoreless innings from Jose De La Torre (3.57).

1B Adam Abraham (.272) and RF Thomas Neal (.292) each went 2-for-4 for Akron.

Advanced A Carolina Mudcats

Keys 6, Mudcats 1 Frederick scored five runs off Carolina starter Michael Goodnight (1-4, 4.89) over six innings to win the Carolina League game in Maryland.

3B Giovanny Urshela (.277) went 2-for-3 for the Mudcats, while C Jake Lowery (.250) knocked in their only run with a second-inning double.

A Lake County Captains

Captains were idle. Lake County returns to action against the West Michigan Whitecaps tonight at 6:35 in Comstock Park, Mich.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers 4, CornBelters 2 Lake Erie won its first game of the season after three losses, defeating Normal in a Frontier League game in Illinois.