The Royals, with the best record in the American League at 84-58, stumble into Progresssive Field for a four-game series having lost seven of their last 10 games. The Indians, meanwhile, have won six of their last nine games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Join beat writer Paul Hoynes for a live chat and updates as the Indians and Royals open a four-game series on Monday night at Progressive Field.

Game No. 142: Indians (70-71), Royals (84-58)

First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM, WMMS

Michael Reghi's Riled Up segment on our Monday Browns show was all about the Browns needing to play like Browns. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns fell to the Jets on Sunday. From turnovers to penalties, it was a sloppy performance all around.

As part of our Monday morning Browns show, Michael Reghi focused on the sloppiness for his Riled Up segment. Reghi says the Browns need to start embracing the mantra of "Play Like a Brown."

Mike Pettine might discipline Justin Gilbert for the road rage crash, but he'll likely keep it in in-house if he does. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine acknowledged that Justin Gilbert's road-rage accident on Friday was disturbing, and he's still deciding whether or not to discipline him.

"At the time did not have all the information yet from the police, so that'll be discussed,'' said Pettine. "I do have a meeting later (Monday) with security just to make sure we have all the facts before we would move ahead and decide to do anything internally.

But Pettine admitted that Gilbert being involved in the chase through multiple communities and crashing his car into a ditch was a red flag for the Browns 2014 No. 8 overall pick.

"It is troubling,'' said Pettine. "It is troubling.  I don't know what else to say on it. Anytime a player is involved in any type of incident like that, we gather as much information as possible and you try to provide as good a counsel as you can and we're always stressing to our guys, understand who you are and who you represent when you leave this building. That's not just with Justin, we try to get that message to all of our players.'

Gilbert has supposedly come a long way since his tumultuous rookie season, during which he was late to meetings numerous times, including the night before the season finale in Baltimore. He was suspended for that game, but recently said that was a turning point for him. He said in June that he's turned himself around and was poised to live up to his draft status.
 
From that standpoint, the incident seems to be a setback. According to the police report and 9-1-1 calls, Gilbert cut off Parma resident, David Bock, on the road, and threw tobacco juice that hit Bock's windshield. Bock tailed him, and Gilbert ran off the road and into a ditch. Neither driver was hurt and no alcohol was involved. Gilbert was cited for driving with a lack of reasonable control and Bock, 55, was cited for disorderly conduct.

"It's certainly troubling,'' said Pettine. "When he had not been injured, he was coming in and putting in, stacking good days of work together. As always it was his playing at a consistent level and then also carrying it from the practice field to the game. Some of the struggles that he had in the preseason games were not indicative of how he was practicing. But that's what this league is all about. You have to be able to take it from the meeting room to the practice field and then it has to carry over to the game.''

Pettine stressed that Gilbert was inactive because of the strained hip flexor suffered Aug. 18 in Rochester, N.Y. and not because of the incident. He said Gilbert made the trip because the Browns always bring their inactives on the road.

"The information that we had on the vehicle incident wasn't anything where we felt would warrant leaving him behind,'' said Pettine. "We bring our players, we even bring some of our practice squad guys, we'll bring some of our IR guys on the road, depending on their circumstances. He was another guy similar to (Dwayne) Bowe that we feel is just not fully back from an injury yet. That's why he was inactive.''

Check out the first Associated Press state football poll for Ohio high school football.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here's how a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the first weekly Associated Press poll of 2015, by OHSAA divisions, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses).

Check out how cleveland.com voted in each of the seven divisions as well, and share your thoughts on the state poll in the comments section below.

DIVISION I
1, Cincinnati Elder (9) 3-0 221
2, Huber Heights Wayne (4) 3-0 157
3, Lakewood St. Edward (5) 2-1 128
4, Westerville Central (4) 3-0 111
5, Fairfield 3-0 97
6, Cincinnati Colerain (2) 2-1 96
7, Berea-Midpark 3-0 87
8, Findlay 3-0 81
9, Cincinnati St. Xavier 2-1 80
10, Powell Olentangy Liberty 3-0 54
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Mentor (1) 50. 12, Cincinnati Moeller 43. 13, Lancaster 30. 14, Columbus Upper Arlington 23. 15, Cleveland St. Ignatius 19. 16, Stow-Munroe Falls 18. 17, Shaker Heights 17. 17, Beavercreek 17.

DIVISION II
1, Cincinnati La Salle (21) 3-0 237
2, Perrysburg (1) 3-0 144
3, Aurora (1) 3-0 122
4, Avon 3-0 119
5, Mayfield 3-0 113
6, Lima Senior 3-0 91
7, Worthington Kilbourne 3-0 79
8, Kings Mills Kings 3-0 74
9, Warren G. Harding (1) 3-0 53
10, Holland Springfield 3-0 36
(tie) Dresden Tri-Valley 3-0 36
Others receiving 12 or more points: 12, Maple Heights 32. 13, Cincinnati Glen Este 29. 14, Grafton Midview (2) 28. 15, Logan 27. 16, Cleveland Glenville 22. 16, Hudson 22. 18, Uniontown Lake 17. 19, Chardon 16. 20, Miamisburg 13. 21, Mount Vernon 12.

DIVISION III
1, Cleveland Benedictine (9) 3-0 179
2, Akron Hoban (7) 3-0 177
3, Trotwood-Madison (1) 3-0 156
4, Poland Seminary (3) 3-0 136
5, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (2) 3-0 117
6, Ashland (1) 3-0 108
7, Wapakoneta 3-0 66
8, Granville 3-0 60
9, Medina Buckeye 3-0 47
10, Zanesville 3-0 46
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Clyde 31. 12, Sandusky Perkins 30. 13, Jackson 26. 14, Bay Village Bay 24. 15, St. Marys Memorial 23. 16, Tipp City Tippecanoe 19. 17, Mentor Lake Catholic 15.

DIVISION IV
1, Steubenville (5) 3-0 170
2, Columbus Bishop Hartley (7) 3-0 160
3, Kettering Archbishop Alter (5) 3-0 134
4, Perry (3) 3-0 113
5, Hamilton Badin 3-0 101
6, Ottawa-Glandorf (1) 3-0 86
7, Hubbard (1) 3-0 81
8, Johnstown-Monroe 3-0 56
9, St. Clairsville 2-0 54
10, Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 3-0 49
(tie) Wauseon (1) 3-0 49
Others receiving 12 or more points: 12, Germantown Valley View 48. 13, Mogadore Field 44. 14, Cincinnati Wyoming 43. 15, Middletown Bishop Fenwick (1) 30. 16, Clarksville Clinton-Massie 14. 17, Byesville Meadowbrook 12.

DIVISION V
1, Coldwater (21) 3-0 233
2, Apple Creek Waynedale 3-0 152
3, Columbiana Crestview 3-0 104
4, Magnolia Sandy Valley (2) 3-0 99
5, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 3-0 94
6, Wheelersburg 3-0 85
7, Chillicothe Zane Trace (1) 3-0 65
8, Johnstown Northridge 3-0 60
9, Cadiz Harrison Central 3-0 51
10, Millbury Lake 3-0 46
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Canton Central Catholic 45. 12, Doylestown Chippewa 42. 13, Swanton 39. 14, London Madison Plains 29. 15, Milan Edison 27. 16, Gates Mills Hawken 25. 17, Brookville 24. 18, Versailles 23.

DIVISION VI
1, Maria Stein Marion Local (14) 3-0 171
2, Smithville (2) 3-0 134
3, St. Henry (1) 3-0 124
4, Cincinnati Country Day (3) 3-0 104
5, Columbus Grove 3-0 78
6, Columbus Grandview Heights (1) 3-0 70
7, Newark Catholic 3-0 65
8, Spencerville 3-0 59
9, Columbia Station Columbia 3-0 57
10, Bainbridge Paint Valley 3-0 53
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Lucasville Valley (1) 52. 12, Kirtland 50. 13, Defiance Tinora 40. 14, Mechanicsburg 37. 15, Lisbon David Anderson (1) 34. 16, Gibsonburg 33. 16, Cleveland Cuyahoga Heights 33. 18, Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas 16. 19, Cincinnati Summit Country Day 14. 20, Attica Seneca East 14.

DIVISION VII
1, Warren John F. Kennedy (10) 3-0 177
2, Danville (1) 3-0 156
3, Caldwell (3) 3-0 118
4, Minster (8) 2-1 113
5, Lucas 3-0 86
6, Fort Recovery (2) 3-0 84
7, Vienna Mathews 3-0 83
8, Mogadore 2-1 78
9, West Unity Hilltop 3-0 59
10, McComb 2-1 53
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Miami Valley Christian Academy 49. 12, Toronto 48. 13, Troy Christian 43. 14, Bellaire St. John 36. 15, North Jackson Jackson-Milton 35. 15, Norwalk St. Paul 35. 17, Ada 22. 18, Glouster Trimble 18.

The message on Monday from veterans in the Browns locker room was simple: Keep your head up.

BEREA, Ohio -- Tramon Williams has been in winning locker rooms and he has a message for his teammates if they hope to change the culture of the Browns.

"It just seemed like a couple circumstances went on throughout the game, then the whole feel of the team went down. The momentum of the team went down," Williams said on Monday. "You know, guys sitting down on the sideline with their heads down. It's too early for that. We gotta come out and play. We gotta always believe and I think that's what we do need to get to."

"I wouldn't say frustration," wide receiver Brian Hartline said. "I would just say disappointment. I think that half the teams are going to feel that way at the beginning of the year. For everyone that picked us to go 16-0, it's not happening, and we'll move onto the next one."

"One of those things that, you work so hard throughout training camp, you work so hard throughout preseason and when it comes your time to just go out there and put it all together and you fall short," said linebacker Christian Kirksey. "It's kind of devastating, but, like I said, it's week one."

Disappointment and moving on were the themes in the team's locker room on Monday following their 31-10 loss to the Jets the day before. For his part, Hartline's message was simple: "It's just, 'Listen. It's going to happen. It's a loss, and I don't think everyone thought we were going to go 16-0.' Not that we're looking down on ourselves, but let's move forward."

"It's easy to fall into 'here we go again,'" head coach Mike Pettine said. "I think some of that might be a function of our youth, and I did talk to some of our veteran players today and that came up in our meeting, that in-game, that we can't ride that roller coaster, that we've got to be more even keel." 

"I was involved in a lot of games like that (in Green Bay)," Williams said, "but we still believed that we can win those games and that's what we need to get to."

"There's lots of ups, lots of downs," Pettine said, "and the teams that can withstand those and maintain their focus, their poise, composure throughout are the ones that are going to be successful."

Painful penalties: One area where the Browns will look to improve against the Titans on Sunday is discipline. The team ended up with 12 penalties that cost them 109 yards against the Jets.

"To me the pre-snap ones -- first-and-goal at the 10, the next thing you know it's first-and-15 -- self-inflicted," Pettine said. "Those ones probably hurt the most. We had some critical penalties on third down offensively where we got conversions. There was a chop and a couple holding calls that cost us. It's disappointing because I thought through the preseason we handled that aspect of it pretty well."

Pettine said the number of penalties was disappointing.

"It's something we talk about all the time," Pettine said. "It's always a point of emphasis. You talk about negative plays. You want to stay out of adverse down and distance situations. That's exactly what we did."

Add one: The Browns defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles to the practice squad, the team announced on Monday. Quarles, 6-4 and 310 pounds in his second season out of South Carolina, was most recently with the Colts, who waived him on September 5. Quarles originally signed with the Giants in 2014 as an undrafted free agent.

What a catch: Hartline wasn't as impressed with his one-handed catch in Sunday's loss to the Jets as some others might have been.

"I just catch the ball every time I can," Hartline said. "I don't know what to say about it."

Just let the catch do the talking.

Browns' ground game struggled in the opener after being a source of concern all preseason.

BEREA, Ohio - The Browns' first rushing attempt of the regular season Sunday produced one yard and one memorable Vine.

In the same venue that gave football fans the "Butt Fumble," Isaiah Crowell was rudely introduced to the hind quarters of Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The Browns' halfback carried the ball outside of left tackle Joe Thomas only to run into the ample rump of the Jets' rookie, who made the tackle despite not facing the line of scrimmage.

The surprising impact knocked Crowell's head back like a driver having an air bag deployed in his grill. The highlight made the rounds Monday on the Internet. While it can't rival Mark Sanchez's fumble three years ago in MetLife Stadium - the former Jets quarterback ran into his own teammate - it typified the Browns' frustration in the running game during a 31-10 loss and, also, since the start of training camp.

"No creases," said Crowell, who finished with 20 yards on 12 carries. "We just really had to take what they gave us."

Which wasn't much unless you enjoy your starting quarterback getting "helicoptered" and concussed at the goal line and his backup being treated like a tackling dummy for two quarters.

The Browns finished with a deceiving 104 yards rushing, but their top two carriers were Josh McCown, who didn't make it out of the first quarter, and Johnny Manziel, who absorbed some big shots, as well.

It ain't easy being Isaiah Crowell https://t.co/B9q9AL2RK7

-- Matt Franciscovich (@m_franciscovich) September 14, 2015

There was plenty not to like in a brutal season opener in which some players were hanging their heads on the sideline, according to cornerback Tramon Williams. Fan reaction was predictable and justified, but it is only one game.

What is worrisome, though, is the state of the Browns' rushing attack. Everyone knew the club's passing game would be challenged given the quarterbacks on the roster and the shortage of playmakers in the receiving corps. The hope coming into the summer was the ground game could return to its productive ways prior to center Alex Mack's broken leg last Oct. 12.

It wasn't the case in the preseason, and prospects looked just as grim against the Jets, who have been excellent against the run in recent years. Browns running backs gained 46 yards on 20 carries Sunday. That's not all on the guys carrying the ball and coach Mike Pettine made a point of it Monday in his news conference.

"The offensive line to a man will tell you that's not the performance they envisioned having," the coach said.

The offensive front and the secondary are supposed to be the strengths of the team and neither unit performed well Sunday. Tackle Joe Thomas doesn't believe the absence of Andy Moeller - the offensive line coach suspended indefinitely while police investigate an alleged assault - played a factor in the poor showing.

Regardless of the cause, the continued running woes are troubling. Assistant coach Wilbert Montgomery ripped his backs early in camp and the club jettisoned 2014 leading rusher Terrance West to Tennessee last week. West and the Titans visit FirstEnergy Stadium this weekend.

The Browns need rookie Duke Johnson to discover his form after missing virtually all of camp with a hamstring injury and concussion. The third-round pick had a few decent runs in the opener, but finished with 22 yards on seven carries while not featuring in the passing game.

Johnson said after watching the film, the backs did miss a few holes. Pettine also wants them to challenge their defenders, something the 36-year-old McCown regrettably has shown no fear in doing.

"We need to break more tackles," the coach said. "We can't be one and done with our backs. It's going to be rare where (there's a) block and there's a gaping hole and you're running untouched for a while. We're going to have to make some guys miss and we're going to have to break some tackles. That needs to be a point of emphasis."

Crowell hasn't run the ball effectively since rushing for 88 yards and two TDs against the Falcons in Week 11 a year ago. Shaun Draughn is working his way back from a hand injury and recently acquired Robert Turbin is still weeks away from playing due to a high-ankle sprain.

(Show of hands from Browns fans who were thinking Sunday: "If we only had Robert Turbin in the lineup.")

Again, it's only one game and overreaction is the venom of choice for every fan base of a Week 1 loser. But the Browns need to get their running game in gear unless they're comfortable seeing their quarterbacks abused the way they were against the Jets.

"If (McCown) had hung onto the ball and got helicoptered in (to the end zone) ... and if we'd won the game, we're carrying him off the field in a good way," Pettine said.

Browns references to quarterbacks and "helicoptered in" should be used sparingly in the same sentence unless it refers to Cardale Jones flying home to sign his rookie deal.

There we go again with overreaction. In the meantime, the club needs a more reliable and safer means of transport to the end zone.

Corey Kluber, who hasn't pitched since Aug. 29, is expected to rejoin the rotation Tnursday night against the Royals. That wil lput six starters at manager Terry Francona's disposal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If and when Corey Kluber rejoins the Indians rotation - ETA is Thursday night against the Royals - the Indians will find themselves with six starting pitchers and a dwindling number of games to use them in.

Manager Terry Francona was asked if he could go with a six-man rotation of Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin, Trevor Bauer and Cody Anderson. He didn't say yes and he didn't say no.

"What we'd like to do is let everybody pitch this week and assess every day after they pitch and say, "OK, what do we want to do next?'" said Francona. "What we want to do is put ourselves in the best position to win as many games as we can.

"I don't know if anybody knows today what that will be a week from now or 10 days from now."

Francona said a starter could be skipped or moved back a couple of days.

"There is a lot of things we can do," he said. "Some of that will be determined by our needs."

Kluber, who has not pitched since Aug. 29 because of a strained right hamstring, threw a short bullpen session Monday and went through fielding drills.

"He'll do some fielding specific stuff on Tuesday with the hope that leads to a Thursday start," said Francona. "I think Kluber is very confident that will happen."

Francona said James Quinlan, Indians head athletic trainer, is confident Kluber will be ready for Thursday's start.

Rainout option: It's believed MLB is pushing the Indians and Tigers to play Saturday's rained out game sometime during the remainder of the regular season instead of waiting until the end of the year to see if the game is necessary.

One of the options being discussed by the Indians is having a three-team doubleheader on Oct. 1. The Tigers have an off day on Oct. 1, while the Indians are playing the Twins in a 7:10 p.m. game at Progressive Field.

The Indians set the precedent for such an arrangement on Sept 25, 2000 when they played White Sox and the Twins on the same day at Progressive Field. The White Sox game was a makeup from earlier in the season and the Twins were the Tribe's regularly scheduled opponent. They beat the White Sox, 9-2, but fell to the Twins, 4-3, to damage their playoff chances.

The three-team doubleheader ended a hard six-day stretch for the 2000 Indians in which they played nine games, including three doubleheaders. The Indians went 90-72 that year, but lost the wild-card race to Seattle, which finished at 91-71.

Clemente nominee: The Indians have named Carlos Carrasco as their nominee for the Roberto Clemente award. The award will be presented during the World Series.

The award goes to the player who best represents the late Clemente's involvement with his community and concern for his fellow man.

So far so good: The Indians have been pleased with the progress No. 1 pick Brady Aiken is making as he recovers from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.

He's been working out in Goodyear, Arizona, the Indians' spring training site. Ross Atkins, vice president of player personnel, said Aiken could start his throwing program in two or three weeks after the plyometric phase of his rehab. Plyometrics are a series of explosive exercises to strengthen the body's core.

Houston made Aiken the first pick in the 2014 draft. They agreed to a $6.5 million deal, but they changed their offer becoming concerned about the size of the UCL in his left elbow.

Aiken, a high school senior at the time, refused to sign and attended IMG Academy in Florida so he could be eligible for this year's draft. He injured his left elbow in his first start and needed Tommy John surgery. The Indians drafted him with the 17^th overall pick and paid him a $2.5 million signing bonus.

Finally: Jason Kipnis, dealing with a stiff neck, opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff homer Monday night. It answered Alex Gordon's homer that started the game. ... Ray Mabus, secretary of the Navy, threw out the first pitch Monday night. He has now done it in all 30 big-league ballparks.

Check out high school sports highlights from Monday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Monday. See below for information on how your team’s accomplishments can be recognized in these daily roundups.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Tiffin Cross Country Carnival Division I

(Event was held on Saturday)

St. Ignatius finished first in the Carnival on Saturday with a score of 60 led by Luke Wagner in second with a time of 15:33.73.

Mentor (252) and Wadsworth (335) finished among the Top 10 teams fourth and ninth places, respectively.

Tiffin Cross Country Carnival Division II

The Bay Rockets had the highest finish among local teams with a time 1:27.02 for fourth place.

Buckeye’s Colin Theis earned the highest honor among local runners with a time of 16:14.77 finishing in sixth place.

Tiffin Cross Country Carnival Division III

Western Reserve Academy finished in ninth place with 357 points behind event team champion Maplewood (108).

Black River’s Tanner Hawley led the area’s runners finishing second with a time of 16:02.74. Jacob Caniford of St. Thomas Aquinas finished first with a time of 15:59.00.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Tiffin Cross Country Carnival Division I

(Event was held on Saturday)

Chardon won the team title on Saturday with a score of 188 points ahead of Dublin Jerome (207) and Shaker Heights (214) taking second and third place respectively.

Brunswick’s Felicia Pasadyn was the area’s fastest finisher in second place with a time of 18:22.93. Carly Davis of Dublin Jerome finished first with 18:21.57.

Tiffin Cross Country Carnival Division II

Rachel Iacofano placed fifth (19:25.43) to help lead St. Vincent-St. Mary to a second place finish with 80 points. Lexington was the team champion with 36.

Tiffin Cross Country Carnival Division III

Fairview’s Katie Crittes had the finish among local runners with a time 20:32.34 for 23^rd place. Black River finished with 338 points for seventh place behind team champion Minster with 58.

BOYS GOLF

Kenston 169, Willoughby South 177

Emmett Weil was medalist with a 40 for the Kenston Bombers that improve to 10-1 in the Western Reserve Conference. Zach Stenger led Willoughby South (9-3) with a 42.

GIRLS SOCCER

Avon Lake 2, Elyria Catholic 0

Sophomore Stephanie Carr scored in the first half off an assist by Lauren Anthony. Freshman Allie Heschel scored in the second half from a pass by Olivia Siko. Senior goalkeeper Elise Duvall recorded her 13th career shutout. Avon Lake moves to 5-1 on the season while Elyria Catholic drops to 4-3.

Mentor 3, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 1

Ashley Frank scored two goals to help Mentor defeat Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin. Mary Malone scored the lone goal for the Lions.

GIRLS TENNIS

Strongsville 5, Mentor 0

Strongsville’s Alaias Bertrand made a comeback performance to help the Mustangs preserve a shut out victory against Mentor. She won in two sets 6-3, 6-4.

VOLLEYBALL

East Tech 3, Whitney Young 1

Tahynaya Smith led East Tech with nine aces followed by Kiaria Thompson with seven kills. Tionna Barnes and Thompson each had two blocks.

How your team can be included in these roundups

These roundups are based on box scores and game notes entered in cleveland.com’s database by school or team representatives. If your team is not participating in the box score program please contact your athletic director or coach and encourage them to do so. They can obtain instructions and database login information from High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis at kdavis@cleveland.com.

The Cleveland Indians improved to 16-7 since Aug. 20 after defeating the Kansas City Royals, 8-3, Monday night at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carlos Carrasco gave up one run in six innings and Lonnie Chisenhall went 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals, 8-3, Monday night at Progressive Field.

Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

Scratching and clawing: The Indians (71-71) are 16-7 since Aug. 20. The run has vaulted them into the hunt, albeit still on the perimeter, for the second AL wild card.

Progressive Field progress: The Indians remain sub-.500 at home for the season (32-35) but have won 13 of 16 since July 29.

Slumping: The Royals (84-59) will win the AL Central Division but are 2-8 since Sept. 4.

Spreading it out: The Tribe scored in six innings. According to Fox SportsTime Ohio research, it marks the second time that has happened this season (May 16 @ Texas; W, 10-8).

Bat men: The Indians amassed 12 hits, including seven for extra bases. They had  numerous quality plate appearances against a good starter, righty Edinson Volquez (5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB) and good reliever, righty Kelvin Herrera (IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB).

Volquez, who threw 100 pitches, slipped to 13-8 with a 3.59 ERA.

Fast fact: The Indians own 10+ hits in 15 of their past 16 home games.

Gettin' Chizzy Wid It: Chisenhall has been good, on balance, since his recall from Class AAA Columbus in late July. But he had been 2-for-28 with one double in September entering Monday.

Chisenhall's defense in right field has been superb since the recall. The latest exhibit was a spectacular diving catch in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday against the Tigers.

Fox SportsTime Ohio ace reporter Andre Knott spoke with Chisenhall on the field after Monday's game.

"Tonight, 3-for-3,'' Knott said. "Last night, you had the play of the year. What's going on with you, man?''

Chisenhall said: "I'm just trying to be able to talk to you. I've got to do some crazy things to get on the air.''

Point, counterpoint: Royals left fielder and leadoff batter Alex Gordon ambushed Carrasco, sending the first pitch of the game deep to right for a homer. Gordon smoked a fastball.

Indians designated hitter and leadoff batter Jason Kipnis answered with a homer to right-center off Volquez. Kipnis hit the fourth pitch, in a 1-2 count.

Kipnis, who has been struggling, dug out a plus-fastball.

"We tried to get (Kipnis) to swing at the first pitch,'' Chisenhall told Knott. "Fortunately, he worked a good at-bat and put a good swing on it.''

Cookie Express: Carrasco (13-10, 3.62) gave up five hits, walked two and struck out nine. His breaking pitches and changeup were nasty.

Difference maker: Carrasco was dominant, no doubt, but he benefitted from shortstop Francisco Lindor's silky smooth defense in the sixth.

With the bases loaded and two outs and the Royals trailing, 4-1, ultra-dangerous Kendrys Morales ripped Carrasco's first pitch to the left of second. Lindor, shaded up the middle because of the shift, backhanded a dicey hop and planted from the outfield grass to erase Morales.

Lindor had made a challenging play, one that could have altered the course of the game, seem routine.

Oh, by the way: Lindor went 1-for-3 with one triple, two walks, one RBI and two runs. He is batting .309.

Not so fast: The Royals pulled within 4-3 in the seventh, but the Tribe answered with three in their half against the hard-throwing Herrera. Chisenhall hit a changeup for an RBI single and Yan Gomes hit a fastball for a two-run double.

In the seventh inning or later, Gomes is batting .349 with eight homers and 26 RBI.

Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "He's got to program it into his mind that it's the seventh inning every time he goes into the batter's box.''

Lots of Buckeyes on social media noticed Hyde's NFL spin move touchdown - including Miller.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It was one thing when much of Twitter went off over former Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde's spin move on a touchdown run for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.

It was another thing when Braxton Miller chimed in.

In 2013, Miller and Hyde were the stars of the Ohio State backfield that sped through an undefeated regular season and nearly into the national title game before a Big Ten Championship loss to Michigan State derailed the Buckeyes.

Hyde ran for 1,521 yards that season with a 7.3 yard average.

Miller ran for 1,068 yards with a 6.2 average.

They must have been in the same spin class.

Miller said that he didn't see his spin move against Virginia Tech on TV replays because he didn't have cable. But he quickly caught Hyde's move when the second-year running back, established as the 49ers' starter now, scored on a 10-yard second quarter run.

[?] pic.twitter.com/ixWnSqMZRe

-- BRAXTON MILLER (@BraxtonMiller5) September 15, 2015

Miller has described his own spin move as hitting the B button, the way to make players spin in football video games. So a B button comment is Miller's highest form of spin move compliment.

[?] button @elguapo

-- BRAXTON MILLER (@BraxtonMiller5) September 15, 2015

Miller wasn't the only former teammate of Hyde's at Ohio State who noticed his move.

Los GUda [?] [?] @elguapo

-- Etienne Sabino (@bino6) September 15, 2015

That was mad ill @elguapo [?] [?]

-- Devin Smith (@dsmithosu) September 15, 2015

Carlos going off

-- Not Mike Bennett (@mike96bennett) September 15, 2015

Ok Carlos #breakoutseason

-- DevonTorrence II (@DeVonTorrence) September 15, 2015

First Braxton Miller, now Carlos Hyde. Ohio State should be called Spin U. #MNF #MINvsSF pic.twitter.com/DPtpNBbvYQ

-- ESPN Monday Night (@ESPNMondayNight) September 15, 2015

Just in case you forgot what Miller's spin move looked like.

Jason Kipnis and Giovanny Urshela homered and Lonnie Chisenhall drove in three runs as the Indians opened a four-game set against the AL Central-leading Royals with a convincing victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - For the second time in as many days the Indians bathed in the lukewarm water of .500 baseball. If you're not impressed, you haven't been watching them swim upstream through the arctic ice floe for much of the season.

Carlos Carrasco pitched six strong innings Monday night and Jason Kipnis and Giovanny Urshela homered as the Indians beat Kansas City, 8-3, at Progressive Field to even their record at 71-71. The Royals, with the best record in the AL, have lost eight of their last 11.

After an exchange of leadoff homers by Alex Gordon and Jason Kipnis, Carrasco controlled the game through the middle innings, while the Indians pecked away at Edinson Volquez (13-8, 3.59) for a 4-1 lead.

Lonnie Chisenhall doubled home Francisco Lindor in the third to break the tie. Lindor walked and stole second, his 12th steal of the season. Chisenhall's double to right came with two out and gave him 36 RBI.

Urshela pushed the lead to 3-1 with a one-out homer in the fourth. He hit a 1-1 pitch into the bleachers in left center, his sixth homer of the season. Chisenhall, who came into the game hitting .323 (10-for-31) against the Royals, made it 4-1 with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Carrasco (13-10, 3.62) left after six innings and just 82 pitches. He struck out nine and walked two in his second start since coming off the disabled list. He is 3-0 against the Royals this year, 5-4 in his career.

Volquez allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. He's 1-1 against the Tribe this season.

It looked like Carrasco's exit might have been premature when the Royals made it 4-3 on two soft singles to third base in the seventh.

Zach McAllister left with two on and two out as Bryan Shaw relieved. Shaw opened by wild-pitching Salvador Perez to third and Alex Rios to second. Gordon followed with a slow grounder that Urshela fielded, but made a poor throw. Carlos Santana had to come off the bag as Perez scored.

Ben Zobrist, with Urshela playing off the line at third, sent a slow roller down the line to score Rios. Shaw retired Lorenzo Cain to preserve the one-run lead.

Then the Indians did something they rarely do - score against Kelvin Herrera. And not just one run, but three in the seventh to extend their lead to 7-3. After Michael Brantley doubled and Santana walked with one out, Chisenhall singled to right for a 5-3 lead. He ended the night with three RBI.

Yan Gomes followed with a double to the wall in right to score Santana and Chisenhall. Herrera, in five previous appearances against the Tribe this season, allowed one run in five innings.

What it means

The Indians (71-71) have won 13 of their last 18. They are also approaching respectability at home, improving to 32-35 after owning one of the worst home records in the big leagues for much of the season.

They remained 4 1/2 games behind Texas for the second wild card spot.

The Royals (84-59) are in their worst skid of the year. They hit Cleveland having lost three straight series for the first time this season and are 4-9 in September.

Their lead in the AL Central is down to nine games.

Opening salvo(s)

Gordon, hitting leadoff since he returned from the disabled list, parked Carrasco's first pitch of the game in the right field seats. It was the first leadoff homer of the season for Gordon.

Kipnis answered to start the Tribe's half of the first. It was his third leadoff homer of the season. Kipnis came into the game nursing a stiff neck. He also unveiled a new walk-up song - For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield. It was a nice touch.

Long-time coming

Urshela's homer, a drive to left center over the 19-foot wall, was his first since Aug. 14 against the Twins.

Run, Frankie, run

The Indians last run came on a triple that Lindor thought was a home run.

Jose Ramirez doubled off Franklin Morales to start the inning. Lindor, with one out, followed with a drive to the wall in right field. He thought it was a homer and broke into a trot, but it was ruled a triple on the field as Ramirez scored.

A review by crew chief Jeff Nelson upheld the ruling on the field.

After the game manager Terry Francona said Lindor was told to run hard no matter what because he could have easily had an inside-the-park home run.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Royals drew a small circle of family and friends (10,356) to Progressive Field. The Indians have drawn 1,202,002 fans for the season.

What's next?

Kansas City right-hander Kris Medlen (3-1, 4.58) will face RHP Josh Tomlin (5-1, 2.85) Tuesday night at 7:10. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Tomlin has won five straight starts, but has yet to face the Royals. He's 6-3 in his career against them.

Medlen has faced the Indians once, throwing seven scoreless innings as a member of the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 29, 2013.

Cleveland Heights’ athletic department and football coach Mac Stephens confirmed they were informed after the season began that Scott High School double booked games for Week 4.

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio – A scheduling error has left the Cleveland Heights football team without an opponent this weekend.

Both the Tigers and Akron Buchtel were scheduled to play Toledo Scott, but Scott will visit Buchtel on Saturday.

Cleveland Heights’ athletic department and football coach Mac Stephens confirmed they were informed after the season began that Scott High School double booked games for Week 4. Cleveland Heights scrambled to find an opponent, Stephens said, but was unsuccessful.

Instead, the Tigers will play an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday.

“I was told two or three weeks ago we might not have a game,” Stephens said Monday night.

Buchtel athletic director Melissa Powers said Tuesday morning, “We were aware of it, but I was told they chose to honor our contract.”

A message was left for Scott athletic director Wakeso Peterson. Stephens said he believed Buchtel beat Cleveland Heights to filing the proper paperwork for the game, which decided Scott’s opponent. Powers concurred and added her school never feared it would lose the Week 4 matchup.

Buchtel’s contract with Scott is for two years and will send the Griffins to Toledo next season, Powers said.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are still overcoming a summer in flux.

The athletic department changed directors this summer, hiring Dwight Hollins to replace Kristin Hughes, who left in May for a similar job at Smith College in Massachusetts. Cleveland Heights High School itself is undergoing renovations scheduled to last until fall 2017. On the football field, Stephens is beginning his first season as coach.

The Tigers have struggled to an 0-3 start, but Stephens acknowledged the impromptu bye could help.

“We’ve had quite a bit of injuries,” he said. “We’re kind of hoping everything comes together next week and we can get on a roll, winning some games.”

Coincidentally, its next scheduled game on Sept. 25 is against another Toledo City Athletic League school. The Tigers will visit Toledo Start before opening Lake Erie League play Oct. 2 at Maple Heights.

Most Northeast Ohio schools begin their league schedule this week, but the LEL has only five members.

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul),by email (mgoul@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

The Indians, no matter how you cut it, are going to have to win a big chunk of the 20 games left on their schedule to have a chance at winning an AL wild card spot.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Point and counterpoint on the Indians' chances of winning an AL wild card spot.

No. 1. The Indians will win a wild card because the starting rotation keeps getting stronger.

Corey Kluber is expected to rejoin the rotation Thursday after being sidelined since Aug. 29 with a sore right hamstring. Kluber would be the third starter to rejoin the rotation since late August after dealing with an injury.

Cody Anderson is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA in four starts since being activated on Aug. 26 after going on the DL with a strained left oblique.

Carlos Carrasco is 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA since returning on Sept. 8 from a sore right shoulder.

Josh Tomlin, who took Anderson's spot in the rotation, is 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA since arriving from Class AAA Columbus and making his first start on Aug. 15. Tomlin's arrival and the returns of Anderson and Carrasco have resulted in a 8-2 record in 12 starts for the Tribe.

Counterpoint: The Indians won't win a wild card because the bullpen is showing signs of wear.

Manager Terry Francona needs to find some bridge builders to get the ball from the starters to the late-inning arms of Bryan Shaw and closer Cody Allen. Right now Shaw, in particular, is getting overexposed.

Jeff Manship has been great in that role as was Zach McAllister for much of the season. McAllister, however, has struggled of late and Francona doesn't have a whole lot of other options.

On the left-hand side, Francona misses veteran Marc Rzepczynski. The Indians traded Rzepczynski to San Diego on July 31 for Abraham Almonte. They couldn't be happier with Almonte's contributions at the plate and in center field, but Francona could use a veteran lefty to ease the load on youngsters Kyle Crockett and Giovanni Soto.

No. 2. The Indians will win a wild card because the players finally believe they can do it.

They are playing pressure-free baseball and loving it. As Mike Aviles said over the weekend, "No one expected us to be here but us."

They're 7-5 in September and 29-25 since the All-Star break.

"Everyone in this locker room knows how good we are," said Manship. "We are definitely aware of where we are. All we can do is keep winning games because someone, I'm sure, is going to falter at some point. So all we can do is keep winning games and hope for the best."

Counterpoint: The Indians won't win a wild card because they're running out of games.

There's always another game in baseball until there isn't. The Indians have 20 games remaining.

"That's more than enough time," said Manship.

Is it really?

No. 3: The Indians will win the wild card because the schedule favors them.

"We're playing the right teams in September," said right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall.

The Indians, starting tonight, will play the Royals six times, the Twins seven times, the White Sox three times and Boston three times. They also have a makeup game against Detroit that has not been rescheduled.

The Royals have a nine-game lead in the AL Central. Barring a catastrophe by manager Ned Yost's team, the Indians' best shot is the wild card, in which they trail No. 2 wild-card Texas by 4 1/2 games. The Twins and Angels are the two teams separating the Indians from the Rangers.

So those seven games against Twins are important.

Counterpoint: The Indians won't win a wild card because the schedule hurts them as much as it helps them.

Yes, the Indians play the Twins seven times, but they're 5-7 against them. The Indians have out-hit Minnesota, .294-.243.

While the Indians have plenty of games against the Twins, they do not play the Yankees, Texas and Angels. The Yankees hold the first wild card spot, three games ahead of Texas. The Twins trail Texas by one game and the Angels are four games back.

The Indians are a combined 12-7 against the Yankees, Rangers and Angels this season, but now they have to rely on the help of others and that's always a tricky proposition.

No.4. The Indians will win a wild card because they're getting contributions from the entire lineup.

Michael Brantley, who has played himself into the AL MVP picture for the second straight year, is hitting .365 (70-for-192) with 10 homers, 35 RBI and a 1.053 OPS since the All-Star break. On Thursday, he had a Jason Giambi moment with consecutive homers in the seventh and eighth innings to lift the Indians to a 7-5 win over the Tigers when things were at their darkest.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor is hitting .351 (74-for-211) with six homers, 28 RBI and a .930 OPS since the break. In doing so, he's made himself a leading contender for the AL Rookie of the Year award.

Chisenhall is hitting .333 (35-for-105) with two homers and 19 RBI since the break. He's also made the switch from third base to right field where he's played exceptional defense.

Yan Gomes isn't hitting for average, but has supplied some thunder in the second half. He's second to Brantley with eight homers and 32 RBI in the second half.

Ryan Raburn, Chris Johnson, Jose Ramirez, Roberto Perez, Jerry Sands, Almonte and Aviles have all had their moments since the break.

Counterpoint: The Indians won't win a wild card spot because of the second-half struggles of Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana.

Kipnis and Santana are two of the Indians' most trusted hitters. Kipnis, who has batted leadoff much of the year, went to the All-Star Game hitting .323 (112-for-347) with 59 runs, six homers, 37 RBI and a .889 OPS. He's hitting .253 (39-for-154) with 19 runs, two homers, 10 RBI and a .673 OPS since the break.

He also went on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder in August.

Santana has hit cleanup for most of the year. He hit .221 (63-for-348) with 10 homers, 40 RBI and a .736 OPS in the first half while dealing with a sore back. In the second, he's hitting .253 (50-for-198) with five homers, 28 RBI and a .751 OPS.

Rarely does an entire lineup get hot at the same time, but if the Indians are going to play baseball past Oct. 4, they're going to need help from Kipnis and Santana.

The Columbus Clippers seek their third International League Governors Cup championship since 2010 against the Indianapolis Indians. The best-of-five game series begins Tuesday night in Columbus.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Columbus Clippers begin play today for the International League Governors Cup in best-of-five championship series against the Indianapolis Indians.

The Clippers are going for their third Cup title in six years, and are giving away free tickets to Tuesday's and Wednesday's home games.

Columbus is the Indians' Class AAA affiliate, and Indianapolis' parent club is Pittsburgh.

Here's a preview:

International League Governors Cup

Championship series

Columbus (83-61) vs. Indianapolis (83-61)

(Best of five)

• Game 1: Indianapolis (Chris Volstad, 1-7, 3.18) at Columbus (Ryan Merritt, 12-7. 3.63), Tuesday, 6:35 p.m.
• Game 2: Indianapolis (Wilfredo Boscan, 10-3, 3.07) at Columbus (Toru Murata, 15-4, 2.90), Wednesday, 6:35 p.m.
• Game 3: Columbus (Will Roberts, 9-6, 3.45) at Indianapolis (Tyler Glashow, 7-5, 3.49), Thursday, 7:05 p.m.
• Game 4: Columbus (Jarrett Grube, 13-4, 2.57) at Indianapolis (Chad Kuhl, 11-5, 2.48), Friday, 7:15 p.m.*
• Game 5: Columbus (Mike Clevinger, 9-8, 2.73) at Indianapolis (TBD), Saturday, 7:05 p.m.*

*--If necessary

Broadcasts

• Video live stream: MILB.TV
• Radio: WMNI 920 AM.
• Audio live stream: clippersbaseball.com.

Clippers update

The Clippers were 20-9 in the final month of the season and tied Indianapolis for the West Division title. The Clippers received the division champion slot in the playoffs because they owned an 11-10 edge face-to-face.

Columbus is in the playoffs for the fourth time in six years, and beat Norfolk in the first-round series, 3-2. It was the Clippers' first playoff series victory since winning back-to-back championships in 2010-11.

Columbus was fourth in the IL in runs scored, allowed the fifth-fewest runs and featured the league's top defense.

Clevinger pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in the Game 5 clincher, in his first Class AAA start. 

Clippers right-hander Toru Murata led the IL in wins (15-4) and was sixth in ERA (2.90). He struggled in his last start, giving up five runs in four innings of a playoff loss that also featured the Clippers' first triple play in nine years.

Zach Walters hit a key two-run homer in a Game 3 victory against Norfolk. 

Third baseman Yandy Diaz, a recent call-up from Akron, had three hits in Game 5 and started the triple play in Game 2.

Indians update

Indianapolis qualified for the playoffs as a wild card and swept Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 3-0, for its first playoff series win in a decade.

The Indians led the league in ERA (3.09) and stolen bases, and were third in hitting (.260). They led the league in come-from-behind victories and wins when scoring first. 

Boscan was 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA in his last 10 starts.

The reigning Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the court in front of fans for the first time on Oct. 5 as the team announced ticket information for their upcoming annual Wine and Gold Scrimmage.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The reigning Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the court for the first action of the 2015-16 season on Oct. 5 as the team announced ticket information for their upcoming annual Wine and Gold Scrimmage.

In front of fans for the first time since an NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors last season, the intrasquad scrimmage will take place at Quicken Loans Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.  

Free tickets for the event will be available on Cavs.com starting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 18 and at any of Discount Drug Mart's 72 Northeast Ohio locations. All seats for the scrimmage will be general admission and fans are once again limited to six tickets per person.

Doors for the event open at 5:30 p.m. and fans will receive a 2015-16 Cavs roster card. There will also be numerous concourse activities and special offers, including discounted concessions featuring $1 sodas, $2 popcorn and $3 beers. 

Prior to the annual scrimmage, the Cavs will be hosting a free youth basketball clinic on Gateway Plaza, powered by the National Basketball Academy. The clinic will begin at 5 p.m. and is limited to the first 200 participants that register at on the Cavs' website. 

Second-year head coach David Blatt will split the team into two squads, which will compete in two 20-minute halves. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, two players recovering from surgery, are expected to attend, but it's unknown at this point what their extent of activity will be on the court. 

Fans will also be treated to performances from the Cavalier Girls, Scream Team and mascots Sir C.C. and Moondog. Following the scrimmage, Cavaliers players will give away their jerseys to fans in attendance. 

Ohio State tackle Taylor Decker talks about why the offensive line had such a hard time with Hawaii. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State was pegged as having one of the top offensive lines in the country coming into this season, four starters back for a unit that paved the way for a torrid rushing attack and a national championship will do that.

Phil Steele had the Buckeyes as the No. 4 offensive line in the country in his preseason preview magazine, behind Michigan State, USC and Georgia. There's a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in Taylor Decker, another rising pro prospect in right guard Pat Elflein.

One bad game against Hawaii doesn't change any of that.

The Buckeyes struggled to protect either quarterback against the Rainbow Warriors, and running back Ezekiel Elliott averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. So there are clearly things Ohio State's offensive line needs to work through heading into Game 3 this Saturday against Northern Illinois.

Decker assessed the offensive line play on Monday. Here are 5 reasons for the offensive line's struggles:

1. This isn't last year. If the struggles of Ohio State's offensive line remind you of what happened last year, know that this isn't that. Last year the Buckeyes were inexperienced. Decker was the only returning starter, and was in a new position moving from right tackle to left.

It didn't look good against Navy and Virginia Tech to open the season last year, but that was a real struggle to move the ball. This isn't exactly as dire. The Buckeyes had over 300 rushing yards against Virginia Tech, and got the ball moving better in the second half against Hawaii.

Last year was about trying to find how good this offensive line can be. This year is about living up to the expectation.

"I think last year there were a lot of questions marks about the level of our execution," Decker said. "I think we already know that and we already expect more. I think that will kind of progress us as far as our improvement week to week. I think we'll be fine and we know what we expect of ourselves this year as opposed to last. "

2. Was that the effect of short week? Ohio State players and coaches will tell you that playing Hawaii on a short week is not an excuse for the offensive struggles -- while in the same breath telling you why it was a factor.

The Buckeyes did not have their normal preparations for Hawaii after playing at Virginia Tech last Monday night. Hawaii's defense gave the Buckeyes a different look, and they didn't have enough time to prepare for it.

"There's all the excuses you can use, but we're not gonna use them," Decker said. "We have a high level of expectation regardless of a short work week, or a quick turnaround from a Bear defense to an odd defense. We just gotta get better. I didn't necessarily expect it to be a finished product this early in the season. I did think we played a lot better against Virginia Tech than we did against Hawaii. I think we're in a good position that we did win 38-0, and we're unhappy with the way we played."

Maybe the short week accounts for the procedural penalties and the snap problems we saw on Saturday.

Taylor Decker hugs Ezekiel Elliott after Elliott scored a touchdown in the first quarter against Hawaii.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

3. What exactly was Hawaii doing? I'm not a football coach, but Hawaii was having a lot of success getting pressure up the middle.

Let Decker explain it:

"It was kind of difficult to identify where their blitzes were coming from. They threw all kinds of blitzes at us," Decker said. "We had one week in pads going into it. They just did some odd things, sometimes they would slant their defensive line into a blitz, which you don't see. That's kind of unorthodox.

"We had to slow down our footwork a little bit. I think guys were coming off the ball a little too quick and just missing stuff. At times we were getting in the wrong plays because we thought they were bringing a blitz that wasn't necessarily what they're were gonna bring."

4. So is this how you stop Ohio State? Last year it was the Bear, the front Virginia Tech threw at Ohio State, which was subsequently mimicked by other teams the Buckeyes played.

The odd front that Hawaii used was similar to the one Indiana used against Ohio State last year; both teams found success. So is the odd front this year's Bear, the style of defense opposing teams will use to try to beat Ohio State?

Maybe, but after one game the Buckeyes think they'll be prepared down the road. Maybe Northern Illinois will try it this week?

"If they see something that worked or slowed us down, of course they're gonna try it. It would be dumb not to," Decker said. "

"Teams are gonna come up with new schemes, new blitzes, just different stuff to do to us to try to throw us off. You can't just sit back and play a base four-down defense against us."

5. Maybe the solution is simple. Ohio State had better success running the ball in the second half, when the Buckeyes abandoned the original game plan and decided to go back the power run that was their bread and butter at the end of last season.

The Buckeyes had 22 carries for 120 yards in the second half.

"That's what we, the offensive line, were asking for on the sideline," Decker said. "We came in with a game plan and then it didn't work as well as we wanted it to. Go with what works. We like running tight zone right up the middle. Even a weird defense you don't see -- our tight zone works great against four down -- but we think it can work good against anything. We'll run it against a Bear, an odd team. That is actually what we were wanting as an offensive line on the sideline, just run it up the middle, run our base plays. It ended up working."

Urban Meyer said Cardale Jones will start on Saturday, but left the game-by-game, series-by-series quarterback scenario on the table.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The sort of bizarre nature of Ohio State's quarterback battle played out in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over Hawaii.

Cardale Jones trotted out onto the field after the Buckeyes took a 31-0 lead, tossed a jet sweep to Curtis Samuel, then came off the field. Then J.T. Barrett came in and finished off the drive.

It looked more like confusion, who was supposed to be out there? Maybe the confusion stemmed from the way Urban Meyer has been using Ohio State's quarterbacks so far this year.

Jones has started both games -- and he'll start again this Saturday against Northern Illinois. Barrett has played, too. It was mop-up duty against Virginia Tech, then as a change-of-pace option against Hawaii when things weren't clicking with Jones.

It's at times confusing to watch, surely it must be confusing for the guys involved. But Meyer is sticking to the game-by-game model, maybe series-by-series if the moment dictates it. Naming one guy and rolling with him isn't on the table just yet.

"We do have one (quarterback)," Meyer said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches teleconference. "We have one, and then one that's gonna play. If we're gonna say J.T. won't play, or if J.T. eventually becomes the quarterback, then Cardale won't play, I don't think that's gonna happen. It's game to game, and as of now Cardale will start against Northern Illinois and J.T. will be ready to go."

Jones is QB1, Meyer said he met with him on Sunday and reiterated that. But the question is whether Barrett is QB1A or QB2. There's a big difference.

As long as Jones is playing well, expect him to stay in his starting role. But the door isn't closed for Barrett to still take over the job.

"Both of them will continue to get reps," Meyer said Monday. "The approach I've taken is Cardale started. He's the starting quarterback. I met with him yesterday. J.T. has not beat him out yet. He's going to continue to have opportunities to do that because J.T. is a very good player and Cardale's got to perform."

The Strongsville football team's top two linebackers share the same last name.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Football players often refer to their teammates as brothers and it's certainly not uncommon for actual family members to don the same jersey as their sibling(s). 

It's not even uncommon that they play the same position at the same time and have remarkably similar stats, making them their team's top two defenders during a given season. 

Okay, maybe that last tid bit makes this story of two brothers a tad more intriguing than others. 

Strongsville linebackers Alex and Tommy Zacharyasz entered Week 3 against Brush as the Mustangs' No. 1 and 2 tacklers. Alex, a senior captain, led his sophomore brother 29-23 in the tackling department but Tommy led in sacks with four compared to Alex's one. 

Though they wouldn't describe it as telepathy, per se, the brothers feel they are excellent at reading what the other is feeling or thinking when they're on the field together more than most. 

One could easily assume that intuition comes from years of playing together and learning the other's tendencies but that theory has one major flaw. 

"This is really the first year we've played on the field at once," Alex said. "We've never been on the same team before."

The idea of eventually working side-by-side to dominate Strongsville's defensive backfield is not some grand scheme the brothers cooked up a young kids growing up by any stretch of the imagination. It just sort of happened. 

Tommy came into high school playing linebacker but Alex played wide receiver before switching to linebacker for his sophomore year, during which time Tommy was still in middle school.

Knowing this year had potential to be the first time the two got to share a field together added to both players' personal drive and desire to push each other. 

"The whole offseason I was just pushing as hard as I could," Tommy said. "Playing with family is great and I've played linebacker all my life. I just love it." 

Alex, having already established himself as a leader and strong defensive presence for the Mustangs coming into this season, loved every minute of watching Tommy fight for a starting spot and ultimately succeed. 

"I was excited because I knew that if he could prove to the coaches that he could be out there it would be great," Alex said. "I love playing with him. It's awesome." 

Alex suffered an undisclosed injury in Week 2 against Hudson. Both players have a light-hearted attitude regarding Alex's injury though, even joking about their friendly on-the-field rivalry.

"It's not too bad, it's just about getting back on the field before the end of the season," Alex said. "We have a lot of tough games at the end of the season."

"He's out for three games so we'll see, I might pass him up (in tackles) for a little bit," Tommy said.

Strongsville defeated Brush, 49-14, in Week 3 and will face Shaker Heights at home this Friday. 

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The Cleveland Browns will give Johnny Manziel first-team snaps this week. They have no other choice. But McCown clearly gives them their best chance -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mike Pettine won't say for sure what he'll do if Josh McCown is okayed to play late in the week after missing a chunk of first-team snaps. How late is too late?

The guess is Pettine is not a fan of hypotheticals and -- like most NFL coaches -- doesn't mind keeping opponents wondering.

Because there's only one thing to do if McCown is released from concussion protocol even as late as Friday: Start him.

The notion that the Browns "need to find out" about Johnny Manziel in 2015 has gained recent life again within a frustrated fan base.

You don't "hand the reins" to Manziel for any reason other than a lost season or, barring that, by default.

There is a third option, I guess: his own excellent work as a backup.

Sunday wasn't that.

The standings will dictate the lost season. An injury to McCown will trigger a necessary bugle call.

McCown had one drive, a 17-play, 10-minute possession before his helicopter crash-landed. He was sidelined by two Jets defenders and -- some would say -- his own recklessness. I prefer to see it as his best intentions.

He did nothing to lose his status and Manziel did nothing to earn a promotion.

What's the rush to give Manziel a job he hasn't won? A year ago, he looked pretty good early at Buffalo when he got the SOS and not so good the more the Bills saw of him.

Sunday was the same scenario with Manziel turning the ball over three times after his 54-yard TD pass to Travis Benjamin.

First-team snaps are always good for a quarterback's preparation. Manziel didn't get many last week. But the flip side of that is the Jets didn't game plan for him.  Cincinnati did last year. Tennessee will. 

McCown was the starter all through camp. I would've thought that was the end of the drum beat to "see what you have in Manziel."

But I'm hearing it again this week, from Browns fans and national media outlets.

 When his performance suggests he's not a backup, the big change can come and it might even be acceptable in the locker room.

Until then the stated goal of Pettine's "words into action" (remember that slogan?) is aimed at building on a 7-9 season.

Maybe Sunday suggested that's a Kilimanjaro climb no matter the quarterback. 

But all we can say is McCown was effective and Manziel was less than that. Making a living as a pocket passer is his big challenge and now he's sore-armed.

His pass to Benjamin might suggest otherwise. But it's not a good sign that after a training camp shutdown and limited throws during the Jets' practice week that his arm still didn't look great the longer he played.

Is it why he ran a few times when he should have given receivers more time in their routes? Or was that just Johnny being Johnny?

The Browns so desperately need to wring a win out of this matchup with Tennessee that McCown should get every benefit of the doubt.

The only knock on him against the Jets was that he was too reckless at the goal line.

Given McCown's injury history, Manziel will get called on this season, maybe even often.

But this early? That's only by necessity. That can't be a choice.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Tuesday's contest between the Indians and Royals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Tuesday's contest between the Indians and Royals.

Pitching matchup: Josh Tomlin (5-1, 2.85 ERA) vs. Kris Medlen (3-1, 4.58 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. SS Francisco Lindor

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. DH Carlos Santana

5. RF Lonnie Chisenhall

6. C Yan Gomes

7. 1B Chris Johnson

8. CF Abraham Almonte

9. 3B Giovanny Urshela

Royals

1. LF Alex Gordon

2. 2B Ben Zobrist

3. CF Lorenzo Cain

4. 1B Eric Hosmer

5. DH Kendrys Morales

6. 3B Mike Moustakas

7. C Salvador Perez

8. RF Alex Rios

9. SS Alcides Escobar