Twenty years ago, the greatest basketball team ever was assembled -- the original Dream Team -- and Olympic basketball was changed forever.

View full sizeAP fileIn sweeping their overmatched international opponents in Barcelona, the U.S. Dream Team (including, from left, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler) created by 11 NBA superstars set the standard for future American basketball teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James was 7 in the summer of 1992, far too young to be paying attention to the greatest basketball team ever assembled -- the original Dream Team. Olympians Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook were 3, even more unaware of what was happening in Barcelona.

But Kobe Bryant was 13, and he watched every game, followed every player, knew every stat.

"I remember everything about the Dream Team," Bryant said during the recent 2012 Olympic men's basketball training camp in Las Vegas. "I was 13. I was right there in my important stage of development. I watched absolutely every single game."

It seems impossible that it was 20 years ago, but the anniversary is celebrated with a highly regarded documentary and a critically acclaimed book by Jack McCallum.

Bryant didn't watch the documentary or read the book.

"Most of the stories I know ... and then some, having talked to the guys," Bryant said with a grin.

The "guys" were All Stars then and have become Hall of Famers. Their names are a litany of stars, an assemblage the likes of which will never be seen again: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone and John Stockton -- together, of course -- David Robinson, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler and Christian Laettner, the lone rookie who had just graduated from Duke. They were coached -- or more accurately, managed -- by the late Chuck Daly.

Taking full advantage of the change in international basketball rules that allowed professionals to play in the Olympics, they steamrollered through the star-struck competition, with opposing players posing for pictures and asking for autographs before and after the games that were nowhere near as intense as the practices.

Olympian Tyson Chandler was 9, and he remembers it all as if it was yesterday.

"I just remember being so excited when they were assembling the team," he said in Las Vegas. "It was like a dream to see Barkley and Pippen and MJ and Magic and Bird all on the same team. All those guys were my favorites, but I was a huge Scottie Pippen fan coming up, and Barkley, and everybody loved MJ."

Chandler did watch the documentary before reporting to Olympic training camp.

"It got me excited to come in here," he said.

James considers himself a student of the game, and though he was just a little boy 20 years ago, he knows the team's significance.

"I love talking about the history of the game," he said. "I understand that 20 years ago a team was assembled, probably one of the greatest teams of all time. They paved the way for us today and for future Olympians. They set a standard, and we all just try to live up to it.

"They came together and they believed in one thing -- it was all about team. The goal was to win a gold medal. If everyone has the same goal, you give yourself a chance to win.

"They were grown men. They had a lot of champions on that team. The one thing that strikes me most is that they just played together. They played together and then they let their talent just take over."

They beat their first opponent, Angola, 116-48. In the gold-medal game, they beat Croatia, 117-85. In between, their average margin of victory in their eight games was almost 44 points. The gold medal could have been handed to them during the opening ceremonies.

Bryant raised eyebrows when he claimed the 2012 team would have beaten the Dream Team.

"Right now I wouldn't say that," Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "This team can be very good. The one thing about this team is they're all in their prime or getting ready to go into their prime and Kobe hasn't lost anything, whereas in '92, there were guys at the end of their careers.

"In their prime, all those guys together, there would be no team ever like that."

Even opponents weighed in.

Spain's Marc Gasol told HoopsHype.com, "On a bad day for the '92 team, the current team would lose by just 15 or 20 points."

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo was there, and he settled the issue.

"I was in Barcelona in '92 to see everything that transpired," he said. "They were a rock team in some ways, a rock group, and they made their mark. I'm not sure anyone else can ever achieve what they did, how they did it, when they did it."

Highlights include Tigers at Indians, Olympics women's soccer and top men's soccer matches.

Starting pitching will be the key to the Tribe being a factor in the Central Division race.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerUbaldo Jimenez gave the Indians a strong outing Tuesday night against the Tigers.

What will it take for the Tribe to stay close to the Tigers?

1. If the starting pitching that we’ve seen lately sticks around for the rest of the year. Josh Tomlin has a 3.38 ERA in July. Zach McAllister has been the team’s top starter, and he’s 2-1 in July with a 2.41 ERA. Justin Masterson is 3-1 4.20 ERA in July, and that’s with two lousy games against Tampa Bay (a te...am that tortures him).

2. If the Ubaldo Jimenez who threw six scoreless innings in the 3-2 victory over the Tigers Tuesday stays around. Consider his last 10 games. He had a 2.93 ERA over seven starts. Then gave up 13 runs in eight innings against Toronto and Tampa Bay. It looked like this U-Boat was headed to the bottom – then he was superb against the Tigers, looking like the guy who had the 2.93 ERA.

3. I’m pulling for Ubaldo. I like him personally. He works hard. He cares. But he must find a way to minimize the damage when he has games where his stuff is not strong. Just as he was last season when the Indians traded for him at the July 31 deadline, he’s a huge key to this team. Being 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA vs. Detroit in three starts this season is encouraging.

4. Can Derek Lowe turn around his season? The starting pitching is so critical.

5. Carlos Santana is hitting .309 with 2 HR and 8 RBI in July. He has 16 walks in 18 games. He’s coming up with big hits. If he can be a force in the middle of the lineup…

6. Almost every team in contention is looking for a pitcher, meaning the Indians are more likely to make a deal for a hitter – assuming they make a significant trade. That’s not a given.

7. The Indians are 10-10 in July. They are three games behind the Tigers. Their record is 49-48. They are a strange team to figure, because just as they seem ready to roll – they stall. And when they seem broken down on the side of the road, they seem to get back in the race. If ever a team needed a winning streak (their longest is four games in 2012), it’s this one. But they need strong starting pitching to do it.

Spending an hour with MLS commissioner Don Garber offers a glimpse at the consuming nature of his job and the array of skills required to perform it.

AP File PhotoMLS commissioner Don Garber

PHILADELPHIA—Spending an hour with MLS commissioner Don Garber offers a glimpse at the consuming nature of his job and the array of skills required to perform it.

In one moment, he is standing atop the famous steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, smiling for the cameras and shaking hands with the mayor as the buildup begins toward next Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game. From there, he quickly transitions to spokesperson, sitting for an extensive interview with Sporting News in a museum restaurant. The conversation reveals the myriad of issues and constituencies that Garber, 54, must confront each day, along with the reality that there’s usually no obvious solution to the challenges facing the growing league.

His phone rings several times during the interview. An MLS owner calls twice. But Garber is such an adept multitasker that it hardly feels like an interruption. When the interview is over, he departs to catch a train back to New York City, from where he has run the league since 1999. He’ll be back in a few days, however, for multiple meetings, public appearances and charitable events, and then, finally, the All-Star Game.

The event is a testament to the sport’s growth under Garber: A high-profile, nationally televised game in a new, soccer-specific stadium between an MLS select team featuring the likes of David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan and Chelsea, the champions of Europe. It’s a matchup that was almost inconceivable a decade ago. And while Garber’s dream of a “soccer nation” is more tangible than ever before, complications certainly remain.

In the second part of his Sporting News Conversation (click here for Part I), Garber candidly addressed some of those hurdles, from the clubs that aren’t yet success stories, to the league’s television presence and the nuances of fan perception and behavior.

The health of the clubs

SPORTING NEWS: Now that there are new investors with D.C. United, what club currently represents your biggest worry?

GARBER: I worry about every club. I worry about the ones that are successful as much as I worry about the ones that are challenging. I think that’s an important point. I’ve got to spend my time ensuring the league is healthy overall and not getting too excited about success in a handful of markets and too distracted by the challenges in others.

We have, like all leagues, markets that we’d like to see perform better. Chivas (USA) is an example of that. We have MLS staff in those offices working closely with them to try to improve that situation, just as an example. But there are a handful of markets we’d like to see do better.

SN: Does Chivas need to rebrand in order to appeal to more Southern Californians?

GARBER: I think there are a number of things we need to do in that market, and we’re working on those. And I believe we’ll be able to turn that around.

We’d like to see more support in Columbus. That market, at one point, was our Seattle. I know it could be successful, and I’d like to see a greater level of support. I spent a lot of time with (president/G.M.) Mark McCullers and (owner) Clark Hunt and meeting with city leaders to get more corporate support. We’re very pleased with Barbasol, a local company that came in and put their name on the jersey. That’s a great example of how the community came together to support the team. We’d like to see the fans come out in greater numbers because it’s a good team. It’s a fun team. They’ve got a great little stadium that I think still works.

SN: Why can’t what Sporting Kansas City has done to rebuild that club now serve as a blueprint for every other struggling organization?

GARBER: Because again, there is no magic wand. What worked in Kansas City isn’t necessarily going to work with Chivas or Columbus. It’s just not that easy.

There was a perfect storm of really positive things that happened in Kansas City, with a local ownership group that took the reins from the Hunts, a beautiful new stadium that they got basically a massive level of public support for and they were able to put it together with a new brand and take what was a very struggling market and turn it into a real success story.

It’s one of the great success stories in Major League Soccer. In some ways, that’s a more important story for soccer in our country than even Seattle.

SN: There’s good reason to be excited about the prospect of an MLS team in New York City, but I can empathize with fans in some of the markets we’re talking about who might ask why money and energy are being invested in building a stadium for a club that doesn’t exist yet when there are existing teams that may be struggling or might not have a stadium ...

GARBER: Who doesn’t have a stadium?

SN: D.C.

GARBER: The league is working, and has worked, tirelessly in D.C. — perhaps on the stadium front more than any other market in the last 10 years to try to support their efforts.

SN: So this is not a zero-sum game ...

GARBER: No. The great thing about fans is that they drive our business. They drive our world. But they don’t understand really what it is that we do every day. And that’s OK because that’s not their job.

So we have to do everything. Focusing in one issue or one opportunity doesn’t distract us from some other issue or opportunity. We’ve got to do it all. I was out of the office 135 days last year. So we are doing everything and anything to build this league.

SN: Would you agree that having strong clubs in Columbus and Denver and Dallas is as important as having a team in New York City?

GARBER: It’s more important. It’s more important. But there’s just so much the league can do in those markets. Those markets exist, and the league can support that.

For example, we have a club marketing group — people spread around the country that we’ve hired for years now that work with our clubs regionally to help them with their specific needs. We can do that in Chicago. We can do that in Los Angeles. We can do it in every market. They’re league employees — club services managers.

The league has a sales training center in Minneapolis. We’re the only league in the country that has that, that works on a centralized basis to support our clubs. We have sponsorship folks that work for Soccer United Marketing that are flying in to each club and helping them with jersey-front sponsorships and working on taking national deals and turning them into local deals. We have consumer products group working with all our clubs.

SN: I don’t think people realize MLS is doing all this ...

GARBER: What fans don’t understand, and it’s really not their job to, is what truly is the role of the commissioner of the league. Yes, you are overseeing the sport and are governing it. Ownership issues, player issues and discipline issues. At the same time you’re the CEO and chief salesman, and at the same time you’re the chief spokesperson.

It’s an interesting dynamic of having to do everything and I accept the fact that when there’s a bad in a game — and there are bad calls in games even though we could talk about how officiating has improved — I get nasty, totally inappropriate emails and tweets from people as if I’m the guy who was wearing the shorts and blowing the whistle. That comes with the territory. At the end of the day, the league office is trying to govern the league, grow the sport and ultimately build our league so that it can be bigger and better tomorrow.

Perceptions of MLS’ place in the world

SN: There has been a lot more heat directed toward FIFA, and the recent revelations regarding the ISL bribery scandal and (president) Sepp Blatter’s knowledge of and tacit approval of the whole situation shed some uncomfortable light on the fact U.S. Soccer has supported this regime and voted for Blatter.

GARBER: That’s a Sunil (Gulati, the U.S. Soccer Federation president) issue. The league is not a member of FIFA. We’re a member of our national association, and the national association is a member of FIFA. I’m not even in position to weigh in on what U.S. Soccer does and what decisions they make.

But when Sunil does, and I’m on the board, I’m supportive. I have great faith that he’s going to operate the Federation and make decisions that are going to help grow the sport.

SN: I asked you after the (2022) World Cup (bid) announcement if there was anything MLS could do — considering its growing stature and the size of the U.S. market — to influence U.S. Soccer or FIFA or participate in bringing along some reform and transparency. You weren’t sure at the time and I’m wondering if anything’s changed since.

GARBER: Nothing’s changed there. I really believe we’ve got enough on our plate. This country has massive growth opportunities on the table and we’ve got to try to capture that. I try to spend as little time as possible thinking about global football politics because it can be a huge black hole and one that I don’t have the time to really address.

SN: Is increasing your TV presence and growing ratings your next big challenge?

GARBER: We feel good about the ratings growth (up 12 percent year-over-year on ESPN/ESPN2 and up 78 percent on NBC Sports Network compared to Fox Soccer, which held the package last year). We’re very excited about our relationship with NBC. We had the third-highest rating in our history in the Portland-Seattle game (June 24) on ESPN. The soccer broadcast market is growing, both as it relates to what broadcasters are paying for TV rights but also the size of TV audiences.

SN: Do the networks tell you the league needs to sign more big names, even if those players are 35-year-old Europeans? Is that what will attract out-of-market viewers?

GARBER: They don’t talk about that. Broadcasters are bullish on the game. They’re deeply committed to it. They are very supportive promotionally and programmatically and like us, hope we’re going to be able to show ratings growth in time. Nobody’s saying, “What happened last Saturday?” They’re looking at it on a long-term basis because they believe in the league and they believe in the sport.

SN: Speaking of Europeans in their mid-30s, several clubs have signed older Designated Players recently, reviving some of the talk that MLS might be regarded as a “retirement league” in certain circles. Is that a fair perception?

GARBER: People love to talk about branding the league in certain way. That’s what fans do and media does, and I get that. In the end, we need to manage our product on the field, which today is a mix of young players who are coming up through either college or our development programs or experienced international players who just based on business, the economics of the sport today, are going to come here in the latter part of their career.

If that’s what will provide us with the most attractive product that we can afford today, then that’s what we have to do.

SN: You must enjoy the fact that just about every older player in Europe now seems to express an interest in playing in MLS at some point.

GARBER: I do like that. David Beckham is a great player — one of the most exciting players in Major League Soccer. To think that he could not have played for the (Great Britain) Olympic team and add value to that team and the Olympic Games and his country is absurd.

I’m not the coach, obviously. He (Stuart Pearce) knows more about the game that I do. But nobody can tell me that at 37 years old, David Beckham’s not a great player. To not think of him as being productive because of his age today is silly.

We can’t sort of say, “We’re not going to hire anybody over a certain age.” You’ve got to make the decision that makes sense for your individual club based on the mix. What can that player do in the locker room? What can that player do to sell tickets? What can that player do to add leadership? What can that player do to provide some promotional and marketing value? These are all things that our teams have to decide and then ultimately they come to the league to get that player signed.

Where we do come in is when we think the team wants to pay that player more than we think they’re worth. At the end of the day, that’s a decision we still reserve the right to make and will continue to do so.

SN: The league appears to have stepped in between Houston and Stoke City regarding Geoff Cameron’s transfer. Please explain why MLS would hold up a move that both clubs and the player have agreed to.

GARBER: It’s not just what the player wants and what the (MLS) club might want because the club might have very short-term goals and objectives whereas the league is charged with having broader, long-term goals and objectives.

If Geoff Cameron could be a starter for the U.S. national team in 2014, that is of great value to Major League Soccer and might be more valuable to us strategically than perhaps what the team might be thinking. That’s what leagues are charged to do. That’s why they put us in place to hopefully look at things more strategically. We’re not thinking about what needs to happen every match on Saturday.

That being said, we’ve spoken with Geoff and we’re going to try to do everything we can to help that deal go through. We also weren’t pleased with the amount that Stoke had offered. We sold Tim Ream (to Bolton Wanderers) for far more than was offered (for Cameron), and right now Geoff could be a starting center back (for the U.S.) and Tim isn’t.

So, that’s part of the negotiating process.

Pros and cons of soccer supporter culture

SN: Let’s finish with the fans. I recently took a trip to the Pacific Northwest and was blown away by the colorful support there.

Portland owner Merritt Paulson told me that the reason the Timbers Army had the freedom to enter the stadium early to hang huge banners, administer their own seating, set off smoke bombs and things like that was that they were cooperative and easy to work with. He valued the relationship and open dialogue between the fans and the club.

But there’s a fine line, obviously, and supporters groups in several cities have pushed the envelope by throwing objects toward the field, profanity, things like that.

Are you nervous at all that there’s an element of the fan culture that could start to cross that line at some point or that might be looking up to some of the more unsavory elements we see overseas in pursuit of authenticity? What can the league do to shape the culture in the right way?

GARBER: This is important to me and I’m very passionate about it.

The emerging supporters culture has been a big driver of the success MLS has today. It’s been a great point of differentiation between us and the other pro sports leagues in this country. Fans can celebrate, passionately, in ways they’re not just permitted to do at a basketball game or baseball game. That environment connects us to ways fans celebrate around the world.

Clearly, particularly in Europe, they’ve addressed challenges they’ve had with fan behavior and today we don’t have those issues and will not in any way tolerate those issues in Major League Soccer.

It’s a gift to be a fan of a club, and with that comes some responsibility. The league has a full-time group of people that deals with our supporters. We have three people who deal with our supporters. It amazes me, in a quintessentially American way, how organized and responsible the leadership is of our various supporters groups. So if we have an issue, we meet with those leaders and we say, “We’ve got a problem that you need to address.” And ultimately the supporters themselves addressed those issues.

That’s what happened in Houston (following sanctions levied by the league in February for a variety of offenses, particularly the alleged throwing of objects at last year’s MLS Cup final). There were problems with some fans. We brought the groups together that were behaving well and said, “If you can’t manage yourselves, you’re going to force either us or the police to do it. So let’s figure out a way to do it internally.”

They’ve been remarkable at how they’ve managed it.

SN: So there’s no broader trend or issue that’s concerning you at the moment?

GARBER: No. And when it does we’ll nip it in the bud. I’m not concerned about the blogs and the chat rooms that they have, because we will do everything to protect the integrity of the league and the safety of our fans. We’re not going to give up that right for anything.

What I will say is that I’ve been really pleased with the way our supporters have been organizing support and how they’ve addressed these issues. Really pleased. And I go — part of those 135 days. I went down to Houston and I met with the leadership of the supporters groups myself and we talked about how important this issue is.

One thing I want to say, though, as I attended the game on Wednesday at Red Bull Arena. While the crowd wasn’t what we would have liked it to have been (for an afternoon match that was marketed heavily to youth and families), the (“You Suck A**hole”) chants (popular at stadiums around the league when the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick) were far louder than they would be during a Saturday night at a sold-out match.

That is just infuriating to me. It’s just so uncreative and ridiculous, and we need to stop it. Our broadcast partners don’t like it. When vulgarity is going over the air, it’s an issue with the FCC and we’ve got to stop it. (New England Revolution president) Brian Bilello stopped it in New England, and I really appreciated what the Midnight Riders did. They weren’t happy about it, but I looked to that as I sat with Sunil Gulati at the (Red Bulls) game and I said, “How’d you stop it in New England?”

He said, “We sat down with them and said, ‘You’ve just got to stop.’ ”

They need to stop it in New York, and they need to stop it in a handful of other markets. And if they don’t stop it, we’re going to have to find a way to eradicate it from our game. We can’t have young kids in stadiums listening to vulgarity. No other league would tolerate it. No other public event would have it and we can’t tolerate it in Major League Soccer.

Due to an issue with the archive file of Terry Pluto's chat on Tuesday, we will be unable to post an archive of the chat. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Paul will chat about the upcoming trade deadline, whether the Indians have the assets to make a deal and about the rest of the series against Detroit.

Paul Hoynes answers your Indians questions on Wednesdays at noon.

Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball.

Paul will chat about the upcoming trade deadline, whether the Indians have the assets to make a deal and about the rest of the series against Detroit.

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

Ohio State football fans will celebrate Urban Meyer's debut against Michigan this season, predicts Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Welcome to Wednesday's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Bill Lubinger. Their guest is Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston, who is off soon to the Big Ten football media conference in Chicago.

As is done each year before the meetings conclude, the media will come up with a pre-season forecast for the Big Ten finish. Asked for his predicition, Livingston said he expects Wisconsin and Michigan to be the strength of the league, and that Ohio State will finish 9-3, and possibly 10-2. Games at Michigan State and Wisconsin will be the blemishes, he says. (See the Ohio State football schedule here.) 

Livingston also expects the Buckeyes to beat Michigan in Urban Meyer's debut season as head coach, and he discusses the irony of the names "Leaders" and "Legends" divisions, given the number of Big Ten teams hit with NCAA penalties.       

Cleveland sports bloggers offer thoughts on improving the stadium experience in the NFL and try to gauge the interest in Alonzo Gee.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerA better stadium experience may not help the Browns win, but it may make fans happier.

The Indians take on Detroit tonight at Progressive Field. Get in-game updates and talk about the game.

The Indians their series tonight against the Tigers at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes @hoynsie or click here for a live game box score. You can also download our Cleveland Indians app for Android and also for your iPhone to get Tribe updates on your mobile device. Read on for a game preview.

View full sizeThe Plain DealerDerek Lowe faces the Tigers tonight at Progressive Field.

Now the stadium will host the gold-medal matches in men's and women's soccer. Watch video

LONDON – In 1948, the last time London hosted the Olympics, much of the action took place at Wembley Stadium, which hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the track and field events. Meanwhile, nearby Wembley Arena was the home for swimming and boxing.

For these Games, London built new venues in Olympic Park, but Wembley is still involved. The stadium will host several soccer matches, while the arena hosts badminton and rhythmic gymnastics. I was at Wembley Arena for badminton practice on Wednesday to watch the Team USA doubles duo of Tony Gunaman and Howard Bach, who have an outside shot at a medal.

Bach is a three-time Olympian, while Gunaman won gold in doubles in 2000 – for Indonesia.

Their story will be coming along soon.

About $155 million is expected to be wagered legally on the Olympics, according to an industry spokesperson.

View full sizeCollin Reid, Associated PressUsain Bolt of Jamaica is one of the Olympics' surest bets -- at least according to popular London bookmaker Ladbrokes.

LONDON -- So you think Akron wrestler Justin (Harry) Lester is going to win a gold medal?

Wanna bet? At the London Olympics, that'll get you 14-1 odds.

About $155 million is expected to be wagered legally on the Olympics, according to an industry spokesperson. Betting parlors all over London offer odds on more than 11,000 potential bets, including gold-medal winners in every event at the Olympics and Paralympics -- from Usain Bolt in the 100 meters (5-6) to steeplechaser Bridget Franek of Hiram (100-1).

A bet of 10,000 pounds ($15,500) has been placed on Bolt, said Jessica Bridge of the gambling house Ladbrokes.

"That would return them 18,333 [$28,338]," she said. "However, on the night [of the final], we anticipate the high rollers will come in for Bolt and we will see bets anywhere up to, or even beyond, 50,000 being staked on the Jamaican to retain his gold medal."

Ladbrokes has more than 100 employees research and set odds for pre-event betting, as well as live bets during events. She said Ladbrokes expects about 15-20 million pounds ($23-31 million) in Olympic business, much of it online.

"Punters," as gamblers are known here, can propose their own bets and a gambling house can offer odds. Ladbrokes gave one gambler 100-1 odds that it will rain every day. Gambling house William Hill went further -- offering 1,000-to-1 odds on a flying saucer appearing during the Opening Ceremony.

The International Olympic Committee prohibits athletes from gambling. Lester and several of his Greco-Roman wrestling teammates interviewed Wednesday were stunned to learn odds were being offered on them.

"Really?" Lester said. "I'm a betting man, but I would never bet on amateur sports.

"What are my odds?"

Ladbrokes has Lester at 14-1 to win. "Not bad," he said.

U.S. coach Steve Fraser immediately wanted to know what his wrestlers' odds are. "We like being the underdogs," he said.

Heavyweight Dremiel Byers went along. Upon being told he isn't favored, he said, playfully, "I'm going to kill somebody now -- as soon as the whistle blows."

Two-time Olympian Spenser Mango didn't see the humor.

"That's interesting. I didn't know that was legal," he said. "I don't know if I like that or not, that you can bet on the Olympics. It seems like this is supposed to be about everybody coming together. With betting, it seems like it taints it a little bit to me."

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Browns coach Pat Shurmur has said he wants to name a starting quarterback "sooner than later."

BEREA, Ohio -- Pat Shurmur indicated Wednesday he could name his starting quarterback anytime between now and the first preseason game Aug. 10 in Detroit.

"I think it makes sense to name the starter well before the start of the season, and so that's probably what will happen," the Browns coach said. "I've said all along sooner is better. I want to get all of the guys out here and watch them work again. I've had a chance to go over what everybody did in the spring numerous times and I feel good about what I saw from Brandon [Weeden] and Colt [McCoy] and Seneca [Wallace]. So I'll have some form of an announcement soon."

Everyone knows by now that Weeden, the first-round rookie from Oklahoma State, will get the nod.

During Wednesday's practice, Weeden went first in most of the drills, just as he did during organized team activities and minicamp. The Browns have consistently said they drafted Weeden with the expectation he would start right away.

For Weeden's part, the suspense isn't killing him.

"Whenever coach does it, he'll know and it will be for a good reason," said Weeden. "That's his job. I can only control what I do on the field. He knows what he's doing. He doesn't need people or myself to worry about it. He told me to go play football and the rest will take care of itself."

Shurmur said the quarterback play is superior to last season.

"I saw improvement today from Seneca and Colt and Thad [Lewis], who were here last year," he said. "They made a couple throws today that they wouldn't have been able to make last year just in terms of knowing the progressions."

First-rounders on time: Shurmur also wasn't sweating out Weeden and Trent Richardson being signed in time for camp. Richardson signed a four-year deal worth $20.5 million on Monday, and Weeden signed his four-year, $8.1 million contract on Tuesday.

"I knew all along with some certainty that these contracts would get done," said Shurmur. "I think it's important for all of the guys to be here when camp starts."

Said Richardson: "I'm happy to be here and I'm happy to be paid like I'm getting paid, so it's a blessing."

Rounding into shape: Richardson returned looking a little lighter and quicker.

"I think he's in better shape, most definitely," Shurmur said. "Guys come in when they're drafted that high and as you might expect they're visiting a bunch of clubs, they end up going to New York for the draft, they get caught in that kind of whirlwind of being drafted. So when you see them initially, even though they did a lot of preparation up to the draft, they are a little bit out of shape and I don't sense that now. I think he is in very good shape."

Richardson acknowledged that he's worked hard.

"I ran, got in shape and I was being a daddy [to his two daughters] at the same time," he said. "[Getting] physically and mentally ready for this game that I'm going to have out here on Sunday."

Impressive sight: Richardson got his first glimpse Wednesday of rookie receiver Josh Gordon.

"I can't wait to see what he does on Sundays and what he's going to do when we get the pads on," said Richardson. "He's got a very big body size, very strong and he's fast for his size. He's not dropping any balls and from what I can see, it doesn't look like he's scared of contact, the way he's going back into a pile of men, the defensive guys try to tear his head off."

What, him worry? Shurmur is paying no mind to preseason prognosticators such as cbsports.com's Pete Prisco, who picked the Browns to go 1-15. Profootballtalk.com also put them last in their power rankings.

"It's not my concern," he said. "What I'm concerned about is getting our players ready to play, putting them out there, and watching them perform well. That's what I'm concerned about. If they do that, then I think we'll win games, more than the prognosticators say."

Public debut: The first practice open to the public is Saturday from 8:45-11:15 a.m. in helmets and shorts. The first full-pad practice is Sunday at the same time.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

What if athletes who test positive for banned drugs are telling the truth? What if they are the exception? What then?

View full sizeEric Gay, Associated Press"Every case is not 'doping,'" U.S. Olympic sprinter LaShawn Merritt (right) said of testing positive for a banned substance but then regaining his eligibility for London. "So many things have happened in the past, they try to group everyone in one category. But honestly, in this world, things happen that you don't intentionally want to happen, that you don't try to make happen."

LONDON -- Topping the list of excuses offered by sports drug cheats is the lamest and simplest copout of them all:

"I didn't know what was in it."

These athletes who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs insist they innocently ingested a potion for a purpose other than making them bigger, faster or stronger, and -- whaddya know? -- turns out it contained a banned substance.

They blame their hair-loss treatment, an over-the-counter vitamin or even a "male-enhancement" product.

And the sporting world rolls its eyes. "Yeah, right," is the common reaction. "Hit the road and don't come back, Jack."

But what if they are telling the truth? What if they are the exception? What then?

Consider the cases of Olympians Jessica Hardy, LaShawn Merritt and Zach Lund. All three Americans are or were the best in the world in their events. All three tested positive for banned substances and were suspended. All three encountered varying levels of vindication.

Whether deserved or not, they still are trying to erase the scarlet "C" for Cheat from their damaged athletic resumes, because this stigma sticks.

"Every case is not 'doping,'" Merritt, a sprinter, said. "So many things have happened in the past, they try to group everyone in one category. But honestly, in this world, things happen that you don't intentionally want to happen, that you don't try to make happen."

An inconvenient truth

View full sizeAP file"It was a rough, rough, awful journey, but it leaves me excited and grateful for now," says U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy of regaining her Olympic status after successfully proving a positive 2008 test result was from a contaminated supplement. "I'm grateful to have gotten through it."

Merritt said plunking down six bucks for a "male-enhancement" product at a convenience store wound up costing him millions in competition and endorsement income. While hardly anyone believed his story initially, he had even more trouble believing what had happened to him.

"How could I have bought something at 7-Eleven which is costing me all this?" he remembers thinking. "I wasn't even in training. It was me being a regular guy, if you want to put it that way."

Merritt said he took ExtenZe, which contains DHEA (dehydro-epiandrosterone), a banned steroid. The circumstantial evidence in his favor showed his times never dropped rapidly. He was a high school phenom (44.93 seconds in the 400) who turned pro at age 18. He won the Olympic gold medal in 2008 at age 22, and currently is the world leader (44.12) heading into the London Olympics, and he'll begin running Aug. 4.

But he almost didn't get here because he received a 21-month ban for the positive test. His ban ended before the Olympics, and a rule stated athletes banned for more than six months also were blocked from the next Olympics. Merritt appealed and had the "double-jeopardy" rule overturned.

Contrary to the way he sometimes is portrayed, Merritt said he is not running angry.

"Winning gold wouldn't be redemption for me because I feel like I continued to train and work hard, and this is what I've chosen to do since I was 18," he said. "When I do win, I wouldn't even be thinking about what went on. It will be more the hard work paying off."

A lost opportunity

View full sizeAP fileU.S. skeleton athlete Zach Lund was banned in 2006 for a positive test on a drug that was later removed from the banned list in 2008.

Hardy, a swimmer, was suspended two weeks before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, at which she was a contender for three medals. She tested positive for clenbuterol, and later proved it was the result of a contaminated supplement she was taking. She sued the supplement manufacturer, and the suit was settled out of court.

The damage to her career and health was done. Hardy said she suffered from depression and sought professional therapy.

"I still have that [sense of mourning]," she said. "It's not a positive experience. It was a rough, rough, awful journey, but it leaves me excited and grateful for now. I'm grateful to have gotten through it."

Hardy is the world-record holder in the 100 breaststroke. Like Merritt, she's not looking for redemption. She looking forward to competing, which she'll do Aug. 1 in the 100 freestyle.

"When I step up on the blocks, it's an opportunity. It's not stressful anymore. It's exciting. It's motivating. It's great. I'm really lucky," she said.

Hardy's case is similar to that of skeleton racer Lund, who was a gold-medal favorite at the 2006 Winter Olympics before being kicked out after a positive test for finasteride. He said it was in the anti-balding medication he'd been taking for years. He was suspended a year, and in 2008 finasteride was removed from the list of banned substances because it turns out it was not a masking agent for steroids as previously thought.

"When I found out, I sat there and started laughing until I cried," Lund said in 2010. "You'd think that would be vindicating. It actually was harder on me. This was all for nothing. The whole thing was taken away from me for no reason at all."

Cheating still an issue

Of course, these three cases can't hide the fact athletes still cheat. Two others named to their 2012 Olympic teams recently tested positive and will not compete: American sprinter Debbie Dunn and Czech kayaker Jan Sterba. Dunn's test especially was conspicuous because her 400 times dropped dramatically after she turned 31 in 2009. If either tries to clear their name as Merritt, Hardy and Lund did, they are in for a long road ahead.

For Merritt, his road no longer takes him to a certain store, not even if he craves a Slurpee.

"It's right around the corner from my house," he said. "I stay away from it now."

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Josh Gordon, a wide receiver picked up by the Cleveland Browns with a second-round pick in the supplemental draft, says his past is behind him. Watch video

The Browns are confident he'll remain drug-free here. "We feel this is behind him," said Pat Shurmur. Watch video

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer"Coming out here, I have a new experience, a new foundation to get started and I don't really plan on looking back in the past anymore," rookie receiver Josh Gordon said Wednesday at Browns training camp. "I only look toward my future."

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon came clean Wednesday, admitting that he did in fact, fail that third drug test at Utah last season. But he re-iterated that he's a changed man and that his marijuana use is in the past.

"Yeah, there was a failed test,'' he said. "But definitely something I want to get past. Coming out here, I have a new experience, a new foundation to get started and I don't really plan on looking back in the past anymore. I only look toward my future.''

Gordon admitted to The Plain Dealer on July 12th, the day he was taken by the Browns in the second round of the supplemental draft, that he failed two marijuana tests at Baylor: one in October of 2010 the day after an arrest and one in July of 2011 that got him suspended indefinitely.

He transferred to Utah, but had to sit out the season because of NCAA transfer rules. Gordon originally told The Plain Dealer on July 12 that he stayed clean at Utah, but NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that sources from four clubs told him that Gordon also failed a drug test there.

Gordon left Utah after the year and was trying to enroll at the University of Houston as recently as June 27, two days before he declared for the supplemental draft.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur said the club did its homework on Gordon and is confident he'll stay on the right path.,

"We don’t expect that to happen again and when we go through the process of deciding that we are going to draft this player, we have to come to the conclusion that we feel like this is behind him,'' said Shurmur. "Now, I will say this and it may apply to you, me, everybody, people have things that happen in their background, some adversity and I think it’s fair to say that if they can overcome that it makes them stronger in some ways. We anticipate that this will not be an issue, we are going to watch it closely and I think he understands how important it is to be a good teammate and be a good pro. That being said, I hope we don’t have to discuss it anymore.''

Gordon spoke of his determination to stay clean and repay the Browns for using their second-round pick in the 2013 draft on him.

"For me, just having an opportunity to be out here is definitely all the motivation I need to feel as though I need to stay on the right path,'' said Gordon. "Seeing as I'm already a guy with a spotty background, it would make no sense to go back to doing the stuff that I was doing. I mean I have no thoughts of ever trying to be that person or be the bad guy that everybody [was] like expecting him to be. I don't want to be that person.''

He said he told Browns General Manager Tom Heckert the same thing he's been telling everyone about his past.

"I'm definitely a changed person,'' he said. "The things that happened were such a long time ago and the fact that there's this many people in such a prestigious organization like this, putting their jobs and their necks out on the line for a guy like me, it says a lot about them and their character.

"I just want to meet them halfway on that agreement. And if they're going to be willing to do this for me, I want to just want to be willing to reciprocate with the same thing.''

Gordon (6-3, 224) passed the eyeball test on the first day of practice for rookies, quarterbacks and mostly first-year players. He looked comfortable catching passes from Brandon Weeden, Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace. But he'll have to take it easy early in camp after pulling a quad muscle during his pro day July 10.

"I was going the pace or the tempo that we were going out there,'' Gordon said. "I know we're gonna pick it up a lot more. But because of the leg and whatnot, I'm definitely taking it in smaller steps, baby steps to get there. Just heeding our trainers, (who) want to make sure we do all the things the right way so I can come back with a full recovery.''

On the day the rookies showed up for training camp, there was nary a discouraging word from Browns Town.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerAs rookies Josh Cooper (left) and Trevin Wade worked up a sweat on Wednesday, the signs of fall camp optimism could be found around the Browns' Berea headquarters, says Terry Pluto.

BEREA, Ohio -- Here's the confession: This is a feel-good story as the Browns rookies reported for the first day of training camp.

Not much happened at practice. No one was in pads and there weren't even enough guys to play 11-and-11 football. That will change when the veterans arrive this weekend.

But there was a new quarterback. A new running back. A new right tackle. A new receiver. Make that two new receivers. A new offensive coordinator.

All of that is just on offense, something fans can't hear enough about.

For all the sweat and gnashing of teeth over contract talks, first-rounders Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden were signed and in camp. They are the running back and quarterback of the present and future.

If you think a team that may start as many four rookies on offense will make the playoffs out of the demanding AFC North, you're wrong. But if you are hoping for a more watchable and likeable team, that may very well be the case.

The one sure thing seems to be Richardson. Just write 1,000 yards needs to the rookie's name, and see if he runs for even more. He should be that good, and that good right away.

Taking gambles

There are risks. Weeden is a 28-year-old rookie who played in a system "where we threw it 50-60 times" at Oklahoma State. He admitted that early in minicamps, his head "was spinning so fast." But he caught on quickly. That's not just his opinion, but his coaches'.

Regardless when Pat Shurmur finally announces it, Weeden will be the starting quarterback. Fans attending training camp will be impressed by his arm strength and accuracy, assuming that he continues to throw as he did in earlier camps.

Rookie Mitchell Schwartz should be an upgrade over the ragged group that tried to hold down right tackle last season. Which brings us to the receiver, especially Josh Gordon.

If there was any reason for caution on this sweltering afternoon in Berea, it was that Gordon admitted that he flunked a third drug test when he was a redshirt at Utah last season. He flunked two at Baylor, and then had to leave the Waco school after the 2010 season.

All three were for marijuana. He said all the right things to the media, admitting he has a "spotty background" and adding that it made "no sense" to risk his spot in the NFL by smoking marijuana.

Of course, it made no sense for him to flunk a third test at Utah, after failing twice at Baylor.

So both Gordon and the Browns are counting on him telling the truth when insisting he's a "changed person." The Browns wouldn't draft him unless they believe he can stay straight and have accountability mechanisms in place to keep him focused on what matters the most. They invested a 2013 second-round pick in grabbing Gordon in the supplemental draft.

Gordon is an impressive physical specimen at 6-3 and 225 pounds, displaying the reliable hands the Browns saw when they scouted him on tape during his 2010 season. He comes across as sincere and determined to make the most of this opportunity.

The other rookie receiver is fourth-rounder Travis Benjamin, one of the fastest players on the team. The Browns are working on his ball-catching technique -- he had some drops in the minicamps and Wednesday.

The Browns passed up on some veteran receivers, believing their additions of Gordon, the speedy Benjamin and the sure-handed Josh Cooper (an undrafted free agent who played at Oklahoma State with Weeden) can support Greg Little and Mohamed Massaquoi.

Weeden said it was imperative for a quarterback "to take shots downfield," and he believes that can be done with this group of receivers.

Getting better

In the last four years, the Browns are 18-46. They have had one playoff appearance since returning in 1999.

To dig out of that ditch of despair, they believed some gambles were in order. So they went with Weeden, supposedly too old. They took Gordon, supposedly too risky. Some said they picked Schwartz (second round) and defensive tackle John Hughes (third round) too high. They traded up to grab Richardson despite a new school of draft wisdom that says never to select a running back in the top 10 because they tend to have short careers.

Those decisions will be validated or debated by what happens on the field. But have no doubt, the Browns have almost an entirely new offense.

That includes former Vikings head coach Brad Childress. He is the offensive coordinator, something Shurmur desperately needed during his 4-12 rookie season in 2011. Veteran assistant Nolan Cromwell was hired to work with the receivers and the passing game.

Will they be right about everything? Probably not. But the coaching staff has been improved. Talent has been added, even if it's very young.

The Browns will better than what we've been watching the last few seasons.

The Cavaliers acquired point guard Jeremy Pargo, a 2014 second-round draft choice and cash from the Memphis Grizzlies for forward D.J. Kennedy

View full sizeAP fileNew Cavaliers guard Jeremy Pargo.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers acquired point guard Jeremy Pargo, a 2014 second-round draft choice and cash from the Memphis Grizzlies for forward/guard D.J. Kennedy, Cavs General Manager Chris Grant announced Wednesday night.

"Our approach remains consistent as we try to bring in young talent, create future opportunity with draft picks as potential assets and maintain flexibility,'' Grant said in a press release. "Jeremy adds depth to our backcourt. He is a young, aggressive, athletic guard who we feel fits well with our style of play, both defensively and offensively.''

Pargo, 26, played in 44 games (five starts) for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 assists in 9.7 minutes. In 2010-11, the 6-foot-2, 218-pound point guard played in 32 games for Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv, averaging 10 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 27 minutes per game.

Kennedy played in two games for the Cavs last season after being called up from the DLeague. He averaged 6 points, 3.5 rebounds an 1.5 assists in 29.5 minutes.

No comment: Team officials declined comment on various media reports that free agent small forward C.J. Miles was in Cleveland for a workout on Wednesday.

Miles, 6-6, 222, has played seven seasons with Utah, averaging 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis is fourth on the depth chart, but he's in a number one state of mind. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio ---- If the race for number one is between Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy, then it's obvious Thaddeus Lewis is battling for the number three spot on the depth chart.

Nothing has been made official when it comes to quarterback order, but in the opening of training camp on Wednesday, it appears Weeden is No. 1, McCoy is 2, Seneca Wallace is 3, and Lewis is solidly the fourth QB.

It isn't likely the Browns will keep four quarterbacks, and since there's a chance the Browns could move McCoy, Lewis could move up the ladder.

But Lewis said in a video interview that he isn't in camp hoping for dominoes to fall. He's working to see how he will fit into the rotation. If it means backing up the backup, so be it. But Lewis said he's ready to take advantage of his opportunity.

After a solid career at Duke, Lewis signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He was released the following season and picked up by the Browns and head coach Pat Shurmur, who had been the Rams' offensive coordinator.

Shurmur said Lewis would be solid in a reserve role.

"That's because he's smart," Shurmur said. "He can function without a lot of reps, and that's what a backup has to do. He can move his feet and typically when you put a guy in the game, he has to be able to do that."

Brent Lillibridge was officially added to the Indians' 25-man roster on Wednesday.

View full sizeTony Dejak, Associated PressJust hours after his game-winning squeeze bunt on Tuesday, Aaron Cunningham was designated for assignment by the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One night he gets the game-winning squeeze bunt. The next he gets squeezed off the roster.

Tough game, baseball.

Less than 24 hours after Aaron Cunningham's squeeze bunt gave the Indians a 3-2 victory over Detroit on Tuesday, the Indians designated him for assignment on Wednesday to make room for utility man Brent Lillibridge.

"Aaron did everything we asked him to do," said manager Manny Acta. "We just felt by having a guy like Lillibridge we could use him on the infield, too, to rest Asdrubal Cabrera. It was more convenient for us."

The Indians have 10 days to trade, release or put Cunningham on waivers. Lillibridge, wearing No.1, joined the Indians on Wednesday. If Cunningham clears waivers, Acta said he'd like to keep him in the organization.

"We like Aaron and he likes us," said Acta.

Cunningham hit .175 (17-for-97) with four doubles, one homer and seven RBI in 72 games. He played all three outfield positions. Lillibridge, a right-handed hitter, started the year with the White Sox. He was sent to Boston as part of the Kevin Youkilis deal before being designated for assignment.

He's hitting .165 (13-for-79) with one double and two homers.

After being designated on July 16, Lillibridge and his family stayed in Boston waiting to see where he'd end up. The Indians sent right-hander Jose De La Torre to Boston. He was a combined 8-1 with a 2.91 ERA and two saves at Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus.

"It's been a whirlwind," said Lillibridge on being traded twice in a month. "It's easier on me than it has been on my wife and kid. I'm just happy to be somewhere after the last week or so.

"I'm happy to be back in the Central. I'm looking forward to doing what I do best -- coming off the bench and playing a lot of positions."

He's OK: Michael Brantley slid head-first into Prince Fielder's legs in the fourth inning Tuesday. Brantley was going from first to third on Carlos Santana's single. For a moment, the Tigers left third base uncovered, but the 275-pound Fielder came thundering across the infield from first base to take Jhonny Peralta's throw and tag Brantley.

"I never saw him," said Brantley. Fielder is a hard target to miss. Brantley laughed and said, "I must be blind in my left eye."

It appeared Brantley injured his shoulder or wrist on the slide, but stayed in the game.

"I'm fine," he said.

Toby the Tiger: Toby Harrah joined the Tigers in June as associate hitting coach. Harrah, who played for the Indians from 1979-1983, has been the Tigers' minor-league hitting coordinator for 10 years.

"I've just been working with [hitting coach Lloyd McClendon]," said Harrah. "It's fun being around young people with goals. And it still feels great to win."

The Tigers are one of several teams using two hitting coaches this year.

Pause that refreshes: The Indians haven't taken batting practice outside for the last three days. Players haven't had to report to Progressive Field until 5:30 p.m. On Monday the Indians beat Baltimore. On Tuesday, they beat Detroit.

"I think it's a great idea," said DH Travis Hafner. "You get to spend a couple of more hours at home. You come in, get loose for the game and feel fresh for the game. Our energy has really been good for the first two games.

"We just came in after the third game against Baltimore and saw '5:30 p.m., dress' on the board. I think it's been a great move."

Squeeze me: Catcher Lou Marson, pinch-running for Hafner in the seventh inning Wednesday, scored the winning run on Cunningham's squeeze.

"When I went in as a pinch runner, I didn't know they'd squeeze," said Marson. "I was down in the video room when Hafner tripled. I came out of the room and heard Manny calling for me."

Acta put the squeeze on when Doug Fister went to 1-1 on Cunningham.

"I just tried not to break too soon and give it away," said Marson. "That's the first time I've scored on a squeeze."

Finally: The Indians became the last team in the big leagues to top 1 million in attendance. Tuesday's crowd of 23,637 gave them an attendance of 1,006,686. Wednesday's crowd of 24,029 pushed the total to 1,030,715.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

UPDATED: The Indians, showing little momentum from Tuesday's 3-2 victory, suffer a sloppy and disappointing loss.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It is happening again to Derek Lowe. For the second straight year, he's having a second half to forget.

Lowe pitched six messy innings Wednesday in a 5-3 loss to Detroit at Progressive Field. The best thing that can be said about Lowe's outing is that it could have been worse.

"I've pitched a lot worse than this," Lowe said. "Believe it or not, I've struggled numerous times in my career. But by no means do you go out there and think you're not going to get the job done."

The victory moved the Tigers into a first-place tie with Chicago in the American League Central. The Indians fell to four games off the pace with the daunting task of facing Justin Verlander on Thursday night to win the three-game series.

The deadline for making trades without waivers is Tuesday. If the Indians should lose this three-game series against the Tigers, it could influence GM Chris Antonetti's decision on whether to try and improve the ballclub or trade some of its more attractive players.

Whatever decision Antonetti makes, Acta knows one thing -- he needs pitching help.

"Of course we need pitching help. Everybody knows that," Acta said. "That's a priority. You can't sit here and say if you're second-to-last in pitching (ERA in the American League), you don't need help."

Asked if that pitching was going to be obtained, Acta said, "We're working on it."

Lowe (8-9, 5.09) has lost six of his last seven decisions. Last year he went 4-10 with a 6.20 ERA in 14 starts for Atlanta after the All-Star break. This year he's 0-3 with a 9.60 ERA three starts since the break.

For the year, Lowe has allowed 148 hits and 43 walks in 116 2/3 innings. Lowe was 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA on May 15. He's 2-8 with a 7.59 ERA since.

"Derek started a little flat and up in the zone, but he got better," Acta said. "He fought really hard out there and gave us six innings of work."

The Tigers' victory -- they've won 14 of their past 17 games -- was fueled by consecutive errors by All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the two-run second. Right-hander Max Scherzer (10-5, 4.49) took care of the rest of Detroit's business.

Casey Kotchman's two-run homer represented the Indians' only runs against Scherzer. He went seven innings, allowing three hits, four walks and striking out eight. Scherzer has 142 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings.

"Scherzer beat us all night with his fastball," Acta said.

Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his 19th save. Travis Hafner made it 5-3 with a homer off Valverde after striking out in his first three at-bats.

The Tigers jumped Lowe early and never let up. The Michigan native is 7-4 lifetime against Detroit.

Austin Jackson, Quintin Berry and Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers' first three hitters, opened the game with consecutive singles. Cabrera's single to right scored Jackson for a 1-0 lead.

Detroit made it 3-0 in the second as Asdrubal Cabrera's two errors made Lowe work overtime.

Alex Avila doubled with one out to start the rally. Omar Infante sent a grounder to short, but Cabrera's throw to first was high and late for his first error as Avila went to third.

Austin Jackson sent a grounder into the hole at short. Cabrera made a nice stop, turned and threw to second for the force, but the throw bounced into right field. Avila scored, Infante went to third and Jackson to second.

It was the second multiple-error game by Cabrera this season. He made a career-high three errors June 17 against Pittsburgh.

Quintin Berry followed with an RBI single, but Lowe escaped more damage as Miguel Cabrera hit into a 5-4-3 double play.

"The first error wasn't an error," Acta said. "If you look at the replays, Infante was out. Kotchman had his foot on the bag. I don't know if the umpire got confused when Kotchman came off the bag, thinking he was trying to secure the ball, but he was out.

"The human element got us that time."

Lowe set down the Tigers in order in the third. Kotchman put him back into the game with a two-run homer in the third. It was Kotchman's 10th homer, tying his total from last season.

Lowe found trouble again in the fifth when he walked the bases loaded with no one out. Prince Fielder's sacrifice fly made it 4-2, but Lowe limited the damage. Delmon Young's single reloaded the bases, but Boesch forced Berry at the plate on a grounder to first and Peralta hit into a fielder's choice at second.

The Tigers made it 5-2 in the sixth on Berry's two-out single past third.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie