It wasn’t. At least not the way most would think.

Indians starter Corey Kluber pitched eight shutout innings Sunday against Washington. (AP PHOTO)

“Kluber Lang,” as he is called by teammates in reference to Mr. T’s “Clubber Lang” character in ...Read More]]> CLEVELAND — The Nationals had Stephen Strasburg and the Indians had Corey Kluber. Sounds like a mismatch.

It wasn’t. At least not the way most would think.

Indians starter Corey Kluber pitched eight shutout innings Sunday against Washington. (AP PHOTO)

“Kluber Lang,” as he is called by teammates in reference to Mr. T’s “Clubber Lang” character in “Rocky III,” traded blows with Washington’s phenom right-hander Sunday at Progressive Field. And in the end it was Kluber and the Indians still standing — owning a 2-0 victory.

Emerging from countless jams unscathed and with his fastball still reaching 95 mph in the eighth inning, Kluber outpitched Strasburg to help the Indians continue their recent winning ways.

Since going 4-16 with an eight-game skid, Cleveland has won four of five to climb back to .500, trailing first-place Detroit by 4½ games in the Central Division.

“Wow,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said of Kluber, who allowed seven hits but didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight over eight innings. “He was so good all day. From pitch one, he was aggressive with his fastball. He was in attack mode. That was really fun to watch.

“Right in front of our eyes, we’re seeing a kid emerge into a really good pitcher.”

Kluber, 27, didn’t even make the roster out of spring training, with left-hander Scott Kazmir beating him out for the final spot in the rotation. But since filling in for an injured Brett Myers, Kluber (5-4, 3.58 ERA) has gotten increasingly better.

He has allowed more than three runs in just two of his 10 starts, surrendering one or fewer in three of his last four outings.

“I think I’m making adjustments quicker now,” Kluber said. “Gaining confidence is big. I’m just being aggressive, trying to pound the strike zone and put the pressure on the hitters.”

That much was on display in the rubber match of a three-game series, with Kluber not only having to overcome Strasburg and Washington hitters, but shoddy defense that left him in two dicey situations.

A throwing error on outstanding fielder John McDonald put runners on first and third with no outs in the fourth inning, and Kluber struck out Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond to end the threat.

After an error on first baseman Mark Reynolds left Kluber in the same situation in the sixth, he struck out Ryan Zimmerman and got a double play to keep the Indians in front 1-0.

Kluber got himself into a jam in the seventh after allowing a bloop double to Werth to start the inning. He hit Desmond with a pitch and then failed to field a sacrifice bunt on a diving attempt that left the bases full with no outs.

Kluber got out of it again when Reynolds snared a line drive from Jhonatan Solano to start a double play and Roger Bernadina grounded out.

“We didn’t help him out defensively,” Reynolds said. “He pitched unbelievable. He was fun to play behind. That impressed me.”

Strasburg (3-6, 2.50) was not surprisingly rusty after leaving the disabled list to make his first start since May 31. But he was still good over five innings, allowing a run on one hit and four walks.

“He didn’t look like he was commanding his fastball, which was kind of expected,” Francona said.

Cleveland broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Jason Kipnis walked, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error, then rode home on a one-out single from Carlos Santana.

The Indians’ other run came off right-hander Craig Stammen in the eighth. Michael Bourn led off with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Mike Aviles before Kipnis drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

But it was pitching, namely Kluber, that carried the day for the Indians, who have begun to emerge from their losing funk thanks in large part to quality performances from the rotation.

“We always stayed the course,” Bourn said. “In any season, you’re going to go through stretches like that. Pitching always wins. It’s been that way since Day 1 and it’s always going to be like that. Kluber’s why we won. There’s no doubt about that.

“He’s been a lights-out pitcher for us. Hopefully, he gets some All-Star votes. He’s growing up in front of us, and we need it.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Rose captured his first major championship on Sunday with remarkable calm and three pure shots on the punishing closing holes at Merion. A par on the 18th hole gave him an even-par ...Read More]]> ARDMORE, Pa. — A steady hand gave Justin Rose the shiny U.S. Open Trophy. A wild ride gave Phil Mickelson yet another silver medal.

Rose captured his first major championship on Sunday with remarkable calm and three pure shots on the punishing closing holes at Merion. A par on the 18th hole gave him an even-par 70, and that was good enough to become the first Englishman in 43 years to win America’s national championship.

Justin Rose, of England, poses with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP PHOTO)

Rose hit 5-iron to the first cut of rough, pin-high on the 17th for an easy par. He smashed the most important tee shot of his career down the middle on the final hole, about 15 feet short of the famous Ben Hogan plaque. And his 4-iron rolled near the pin and settled against the collar of the green.

“When I came over the hill and saw my ball laying in the fairway, I thought, ‘This is my moment.’ It was me hitting from the middle of the fairway,” Rose said.

As usual, someone’s big moment in the U.S. Open came at Mickelson’s expense.

Rose was in the scoring area a half-mile from the grandstands behind the 18th green where the fans began to chant, “Let’s go Phil!” as Mickelson paced off a last-ditch effort to force a playoff. It was a long shot — the 18th hole didn’t yield a single birdie all weekend. From about 40 yards away, Mickelson’s chip for birdie raced by the cup, securing Rose’s victory.

Mickelson, already in the U.S. Open record book with five second-place finishes, added another that will hurt as much any of them.

Sunday was his 43rd birthday. It was the first time he was equipped with the outright lead going into the last day. His week began with a cross-country trip home to San Diego to watch his oldest daughter graduate from the eighth grade, returning just three hours before his tee time on Thursday. This was the same daughter born the day after his first runner-up finish in 1999.

All the stars were aligned. None of the putts fell in.

Mickelson surged back into the lead by holing out from 75 yards in thick rough on the 10th hole for eagle, another moment that made it seem like surely was his time. The cheer could be heard across the road, through the trees, loud enough that Rose knew exactly what had happened.

But on the easiest hole at Merion, Mickelson drilled a wedge over the green on the par-3 13th and made bogey.

What hurt Mickelson even more was a wedge from about 121 yards on the 15th hole. It should have given him a good look at birdie, but it came up so short that Mickelson’s best chance was to use one of his five wedges to chip from the front of the green. He hit that one too far, 25 feet by the hole, and the bogey wound up costing him a chance at the major he covets.

Mickelson wound up with a bogey on the 18th for a 74 and tied for second with Jason Day, who closed with a 71.

“Heartbreak,” Mickelson said. “This is tough to swallow after coming so close. This was my best chance of all of them. I had a golf course I really liked. I felt this was as good an opportunity as you could ask for. It really hurts.”

Day appeared to salvage his round by chipping in for bogey on the 11th hole, and he was still in the picture when he made a 12-foot par putt on the 17th to stay one shot behind. But he put his approach into the bunker left of the 18th green, blasted out to about 7 feet and missed the putt.

The back nine was a four-way battle that included Hunter Mahan, who played in the last group with Mickelson. He was one shot out of the lead until he three-putted the 15th hole for a double bogey, and then closed with back-to-back bogeys when his hopes were gone. Mahan had a 75 and tied for fourth with Billy Horschel (74), Ernie Els (69) and Jason Dufner, who had a 67 despite making triple bogey on the 15th hole.

Rose finished at 1-over 281, eight shots higher than David Graham’s winning score in 1981 when the U.S. Open was last held at Merion. The shortest course for a major championship in nearly a decade held up just fine. It was the third time in the last four years that no one broke par in the toughest test of golf.

The last Englishman to win the U.S. Open was Tony Jacklin at Hazeltine in 1970, though Rose added to recent dominance of the Union Jack at the U.S. Open as the third winner in four years. The others were Graeme McDowell (2010) and Rory McIlroy (2011) of Northern Ireland.

Walking off the 18th green, he looked through the patchy clouds and point to the sky, a nod to his late father, Ken, who died of leukemia in September 2002.
“I couldn’t help but look up at the heavens and think my old man Ken had something to do with it,” Rose said.

It seems like more than 15 years ago when Rose first starred on the major scene as a 17-year-old amateur who chipped in on the final hole at Royal Birkdale in the 1998 British Open and tied for fourth. He turned pro the next week, and then missed the cut in his first 21 tournaments. But he stayed the course and slowly picked off big tournaments — including the AT&T National in 2010 just down the road at Aronimink.

The U.S. Open takes him to another level and moves him to No. 3 in the world.

“Just for the last few years has been known as one of the best ball-strikers in the game. He showed that today,” said Luke Donald, who played alongside him. “To win a U.S. Open, you have to have the ultimate control of your golf ball. He did that. He hit some really clutch iron shots down the stretch.”

Tiger Woods turned out to be nothing more than an afterthought. He hit out-of-bounds on his second hole and made triple bogey, and closed with a 74 to finish at 13-over 293, his worst score as a pro in the U.S. Open, and matching his worst score in any major.

The score wasn’t nearly that bad considering the golf course, with its tricky contours on the greens and punishing rough.

Mickelson wore all black when he arrived for the final round, and in a brief TV interview he said, “The best for me is to play well and have fun.”

Sunday at the U.S. Open is rarely fun.

Just ask Donald, who was only two shots behind starting the final round. It all crumbled when he pulled his tee shot on the par-3 third hole — so long and hard that Donald hit a driver — and struck a standard-bearer. She was on the ground for several minutes, and Donald appeared visibly shook. He made bogey, and then followed that with two bogeys and a double bogey. He shot 42 on the back nine.

Steve Stricker took his lumps on one hole, and it was ugly. One shot behind, he pushed his tee shot on the par-5 second hole out-of-bounds. After hitting the next tee shot into the fairway, he tried to lay up with a 4-iron and hit a shank out-of-bounds. Stricker had to make a 7-foot putt to escape with a triple-bogey 8.

Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, trying to give South Africa a major for the fourth straight year, opened with a birdie and a tie for the lead. That became a distant memory, however, when he dropped seven shots over the seven holes and closed out his front nine with a 42.

Horschel wore pants with octopus prints, and he putted like he had eight arms. Out in 39, he opened the back nine with a pair of three-putts.

For a short time, it looked as though Mickelson might join this parade of pretenders when he three-putted for double bogey twice in three holes on the front nine. And then came his shot out of the rough on the 10th, and he was on his way — but not for long.

Rose made his share of mistakes, too, like the three-putt bogey on the 11th and a horrible shot out of the bunker on the 14th. The difference was his approach into the 12th to 3 feet, followed by a 20-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole.

With Mickelson watching so many putts graze the lip, that cushion was all that Rose needed.

Danny Green scored 24 points and broke ...Read More]]> SAN ANTONIO — Manu Ginobili had 24 points and 10 assists in a surprise start to spark the San Antonio Spurs to a 114-104 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, pushing the Spurs one victory away from their fifth championship.

Danny Green scored 24 points and broke Ray Allen’s finals record for 3-pointers in a series with 25. Tony Parker had 26 points for San Antonio.

LeBron James scored 25 points on 8-for-22 shooting for the Heat and Dwyane Wade had 25 points and 10 assists. But the Heat missed 21 of its first 29 shots to fall behind by 17 points in the second quarter of another uninspired performance.

Game 6 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Miami.

Whirling through the defense like the Manu of old, Ginobili shrugged off a postseason full of disappointment to deliver a performance that the Spurs have never needed more desperately. He hit 8-of-14 shots and had his highest points total since June 4, 2012.

Tim Duncan had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Green was 6-for-10 from 3-point range, and Parker gutted through 36 minutes on that tender right hamstring. Kawhi Leonard had 16 points and eight rebounds, and the San Antonio shot 60 percent to overcome 19 turnovers.

Allen scored 21 points and Chris Bosh had 16 points and six rebounds for the Heat, which was stunned by a vintage Ginobili performance early and never really recovered.

Miami missed 21 of its first 29 shots and Green hit three straight threes in the middle of the second quarter to tie Allen’s record of 22. The Spurs led 47-30 on Duncan’s two free throws before the Heat finally showed some fight.

A 12-0 run got them back within striking distance at 47-42 and the Heat surged out of the halftime gates to cut San Antonio’s lead to 61-59 in the first 1:17 of the third.

San Antonio pushed right back, getting a jumper from Parker, a 3-pointer from Green that broke Allen’s record and a lefty layup from Ginobili to get a little breathing room.

Ginobili closed the third with a twisting, off-balance, left-handed runner and a right-handed drive to the bucket to bring cheers of “Manu! Manu!” from the delirious crowd.

Nowhere to be found in the first four games, and for most of these playoffs, Ginobili had his fingerprints all over the opening of Game 5. He hit a step-back jumper, had two pretty assists on a backdoor cut from Green and a thunderous dunk from Duncan and knocked down two free throws for an early 9-4 lead.

Ginobili’s 3-pointer from the wing made it 15-10, bringing the nervous crowd to its feet. The awakening was a welcome sign for the Spurs, who desperately missed their playmaking daredevil.

The Heat reclaimed momentum in Game 4 thanks to a shuffle of the starting lineup by coach Erik Spoelstra, who moved sharp-shooter Mike Miller into the starting lineup in Udonis Haslem’s place, giving Miami a smaller lineup that spaced the floor better and gave James and Wade room to operate.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a move to match that on Sunday night, putting the struggling Ginobili in for center Tiago Splitter. Ginobili was averaging 7.5 points in the first four games and shooting 34 percent. In the final year of his deal, the soon-to-be 36-year-old was asked about retirement on Saturday.

The crowd roared for Ginobili when he was introduced last, with one banner reading “We still Gino-believe!”

Wade had endured a similarly quiet start to these finals before erupting for 32 points and six steals in Miami’s Game 4 victory that evened the series. That carried over to the opening quarter of Game 5, when Wade’s assertive play helped Miami withstand Ginobili’s initial haymaker.

Wade’s trademark euro-step on the break and two free throws kept the game tight and James hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 17 with under 5 minutes to play in the period.

The two teams entered Game 5 riding a pendulum of momentum that was swinging wildly back and forth over the previous three games. A classic, air-tight Game 1 victory by the Spurs gave way to three blowouts — Miami by 19 in Game 1, San Antonio by 36 in Game 3 and the Heat by 16 in Game 4.

The volatility made it difficult for either team to feel like it had a grip on expectations heading into the pivotal Game 5, but the Heat did appear to finally assert themselves with a dominant performance from their three All-Stars on Thursday night.

James, Wade and Bosh broke out of a series-long malaise to combine for 85 points, 30 rebounds and 10 steals, finally finding a way to get to the rim against the paint-clogging Spurs defense.

But for a team as talented and experienced as they are, these Heat have shown a maddening inconsistency over the last month. The team that won 27 straight during the regular season came into the game having going 11 straight games without winning two in a row.

There was so much more riding on this game for the Spurs than the Heat, who reclaimed homecourt advantage with their decisive victory in Game 4. Under the current 2-3-2 format that was adopted in 1985, no visiting team has won both Games 6 and 7 on the road in the finals.

And the Spurs played with more urgency from the start.

Now the Heat’s backs are against the wall one more time. And it was Ginobili who put them there.

Biffle raced to his second straight Sprint Cup win at Michigan International Speedway, easily holding off Kevin Harvick after points leader Jimmie Johnson smacked the wall in the final laps Sunday. It was the 1,000th victory for Ford ...Read More]]> BROOKLYN, Mich. — Greg Biffle gave Ford a milestone victory — right down the road from company headquarters.

Biffle raced to his second straight Sprint Cup win at Michigan International Speedway, easily holding off Kevin Harvick after points leader Jimmie Johnson smacked the wall in the final laps Sunday. It was the 1,000th victory for Ford Motor Company across NASCAR’s three national series — Cup, Nationwide and Truck.

Greg Biffle won the Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday. (AP PHOTO)

“What a great moment this is,” said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing. “We couldn’t be prouder to have this moment come here today at Michigan in front of so many of our Ford friends. What a great race and a great day for Ford.”

It was Biffle’s first win since he overtook Johnson to win at MIS in August. Johnson’s engine faltered with six laps left in that race. This time, he was about a second behind Biffle with three laps to go — but a tire gave way and he dropped all the way to 28th.

“I don’t want to see anybody wreck,” Biffle said. “It makes you feel good when you push the guy over the edge. He made a mistake, and that’s what makes you feel good. You outsmarted him, or you beat him at his game.”

Harvick was second, 3 seconds behind Biffle. Martin Truex Jr. was next, followed by Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart.

Johnson wasn’t the only big name who ran into trouble. Jeff Gordon was out of contention almost immediately when he hit a spinning Bobby Labonte less than 10 laps into the 200-lap, 400-mile race. Gordon finished 39th, one spot behind Kasey Kahne, who led at the halfway point but appeared to blow a tire and went sliding into the wall.

Kahne’s car caught fire, but he was able to climb out quickly.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won at MIS last June, finished 37th Sunday. He led for 34 laps, but his engine acted up about two-thirds of the way through the race.

There were eight cautions for 38 laps.

Biffle cruised to the finish in his No. 16 Ford. He finished second to Johnson the previous weekend at Pocono, but this time there was nobody left to challenge him at the end.

It was Ford’s third Cup victory of the year — Carl Edwards and David Ragan won at Phoenix and Talladega. Sunday was Ford Motor Company’s 110th birthday.

“There have been a lot of great teams and a lot of great drivers, a lot of great engine builders that have contributed to Ford’s success,” Roush Fenway Racing owner Jack Roush said. “I’m just proud and honored to be part of that.”

This was the second Cup win of the year for Roush Fenway.

It’s been an emotional week for the racing community after the death of driver Jason Leffler on Wednesday at a dirt-track race in New Jersey. Biffle was quick to acknowledge Leffler while he celebrated his Father’s Day victory.

“We are thinking about little Charlie Leffler that doesn’t have a father today,” he said.

Biffle earned his 19th career victory and boosted his chances to reach the Chase for the Sprint Cup, moving from 10th to eighth in the standings. Biffle finished in the top 10 for the 13th time in 21 races at MIS, which is about 60 miles from Ford headquarters in Dearborn.

Edwards finished eighth. Kurt Busch qualified second but went into an early spin and finished 35th.

Johnson still has a comfortable lead in standings, although Edwards closed the gap at the top from 51 points to 31. Johnson had a chance at his fourth victory of the year before scraping the wall late.

Johnson has still never won a Cup race at MIS.

“I thought this would be the year,” he said. “Most of the time we’re leading and something happens, but I thought, ‘OK, maybe coming from behind would be the difference.’ But something happened.”

Johnson’s late mishap in his No. 48 Chevrolet did not result in a caution, so Biffle maintained his comfortable lead over Harvick.

“I wasn’t catching the 16 and didn’t really feel it necessary to have a tire failure or an issue at that particular point,” Harvick said. “So our best bet at that point was the 48 catches the 16 and something happening as those two guys were racing. But we just maintained and managed our gap between us and (Truex) to just hold that track position and not have anything silly happen.”

Harvick moved up one spot to fourth in the standings. Earnhardt fell from fourth to seventh.

A sore left shoulder that has been bothering Swisher for much of the season kept him out of the lineup Sunday despite manager Terry Francona’s assertion he would play the night before.

Francona said Swisher was examined Sunday, and though he said the first baseman wouldn’t ...Read More]]> CLEVELAND — Nick Swisher could be headed to the disabled list.

A sore left shoulder that has been bothering Swisher for much of the season kept him out of the lineup Sunday despite manager Terry Francona’s assertion he would play the night before.

Francona said Swisher was examined Sunday, and though he said the first baseman wouldn’t be placed on the injured list today, Swisher won’t be in the lineup for the series opener with Kansas City tonight.

A trip to the DL to rest the shoulder is a strong possibility for Swisher, who told reporters Saturday the injury is affecting his swing. Television replays showed Swisher grimacing and trying to get the shoulder loose after taking swings Saturday.

“You could tell (Saturday) night, he was feeling it,” Francona said. “It’s something that may be there, at least partially, all year.”

Swisher’s shoulder issues surfaced shortly into the season after moving to right field in the wake of an injury to center fielder Michael Bourn. Francona has limited his playing time there since, but Swisher, who is hitting .237 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 61 games, did start there last Monday in Texas. It was his first start in right field since May 15.

Closer chronicles

Right-hander Chris Perez (right shoulder soreness) tossed a scoreless inning Sunday in a minor league rehab outing at Class A Lake County. He allowed two hits and struck out one.

Perez could be activated today, but told reporters that he might need one more rehab appearance before returning to the bullpen.

The closer spoke to reporters Saturday but would not discuss his legal issues. Perez and his wife Melanie have been charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Johnny Mac’s back

Newly acquired infielder John McDonald made his first start for the Indians, playing third base and going 0-for-2 with a walk. Brought aboard for his defense, McDonald had a throwing error in the fourth inning and he flew out deep to left in his first at-bat off Stephen Strasburg in the third inning.

Next up

The Indians continue their nine-game homestand with a three-game series against Central Division rival Kansas City, which begins tonight at 7:05.

Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 15.26 ERA) opens the set for Cleveland against RHP James Shields (2-6, 2,79), while Ubaldo Jimenez (5-4, 4.79) goes for the Indians on Tuesday (7:05 p.m.) against RHP Ervin Santana (5-5, 2.74).

Justin Masterson (8-5, 3.52) starts for Cleveland in the series finale Wednesday (7:05 p.m.) against RHP Luis Mendoza (2-3, 4.08).

Minor details

Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall is still swinging a hot bat at Triple-A Columbus. He went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the Clippers’ 4-2 victory over Charlotte on Saturday, and was batting .386 with six homers and 26 RBIs in 26 games for Columbus through Saturday.

• Double-A Akron OF Carlos Moncrief went 2-4 with his ninth homer in the Aeros’ 6-2 win at Portland on Saturday. Moncrief, a 14th-round draft pick in 2008 who just won Cleveland’s minor league player of the week award, entered Sunday hitting .289 with 30 RBIs in 62 games.

• Prized shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor went 2-for-4 to raise his average to .300, but he also committed two errors — 14 in 65 games — in High A Carolina’s 8-2 win at Myrtle Beach on Saturday.

Roundin’ third

The Indians entered Sunday having not recorded a save in 21 straight games, which was the longest such streak since a 22-game save-less span in 2009.

• Jason Kipnis is batting .455 with a .538 on-base percentage, four stolen bases and seven RBIs over his last nine games and is currently riding a team-high 10-game hitting streak.

• Cleveland has signed 13 of its 40 draft choices, including top pick (fifth overall), outfielder Clint Frazier. The deadline to sign draft picks is July 12.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

Every position player on the Tribe’s roster was wearing a red clown wig in honor of the first-round draft pick — and curly haired ginger — officially joining the organization.

“I thought ...Read More]]> CLEVELAND — When outfielder Clint Frazier walked into the Indians’ clubhouse after signing his first professional contract Saturday, he was greeted in classic baseball fashion.

Every position player on the Tribe’s roster was wearing a red clown wig in honor of the first-round draft pick — and curly haired ginger — officially joining the organization.

“I thought it was hilarious and awesome to see a bunch of major leaguers all wearing red hair, just like I have,” Frazier said, smiling broadly. “I’m still sky-high about signing a major league contract, but to come in today and have them do that, it made me feel accepted right away.”

Frazier, who was the No. 5 selection in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft earlier this month, inked his $3.5 million, multiyear deal early in the afternoon at Progressive Field.

The 18-year-old from Loganville (Ga.) High also took batting practice on the field before Cleveland’s game against Washington, and had private meetings with manager Terry Francona and designated hitter Jason Giambi.

“I remember playing as (Giambi) on a video game, so to get advice from him is more than I could have asked for,” said Frazier, who batted .485 with 17 homers, 45 RBIs and 56 runs in 32 games as a senior. “He has kind of taken me under his wing since yesterday. He even gave me his phone number, along with a lot of great advice, which I’ll take with me for a long time.”

Though Frazier was a third baseman until his junior season at Loganville, Indians amateur scouting director Brad Grant said the organization envisions him “playing center field for the long term.”

The 5-foot-11 right-handed hitter will report to the Tribe’s year-round training facility in Goodyear, Ariz., today. He is expected to make his minor league debut Thursday in the Arizona Rookie League.

Frazier was the first high school outfielder chosen by the Indians since Hall of Fame candidate Manny Ramirez in 1991.

“Guys with his talent usually fly through the system because they’re so talented,” Francona said. “I hope that’s the case here because I found Clint to be very polite and very respectful.

“I’ll talk to him again tomorrow before he flies out, but I’m impressed with what I’ve seen from him so far. Our scouts seem to have done a great job in evaluating him.”

Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Rookie Anthony Rendon belted a solo home run with two outs in the ninth inning off reliever Vinnie Pestano, giving the Washington Nationals a 7-6 victory at Progressive Field. It was Rendon’s first major league homer.

Cleveland Indians shortstop Mike Aviles, top, ...Read More]]> CLEVELAND — A misplayed foul ball wound up costing the Indians dearly Saturday night.

Rookie Anthony Rendon belted a solo home run with two outs in the ninth inning off reliever Vinnie Pestano, giving the Washington Nationals a 7-6 victory at Progressive Field. It was Rendon’s first major league homer.

Cleveland Indians shortstop Mike Aviles, top, throws over Washington Nationals' Anthony Rendon, bottom, to complete a double play on Nationals' Jayson Werth in the sixth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Cleveland. (AP PHOTO)

Two pitches earlier, Rendon hit a high pop foul just beyond the infield, but it fell untouched between Cleveland first baseman Nick Swisher and second baseman Jason Kipnis. Swisher was assessed an error after inexplicably stopping his pursuit of the ball at the last moment.

“It was a little miscommunication, but it shouldn’t have happened to us,” Swisher said. “It did, and it cost us the game.”

Kipnis also chalked up the mistake to “miscommunication,” adding: “He thought I had it, and I thought he had it. Vinnie never should have had to throw another pitch, that’s for sure.”

The Indians had trailed 5-0 after three innings, but rallied for six straight runs — all coming with two outs — off Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann, who entered with a 15-inning scoreless streak.

Kipnis’ single drove home Mike Aviles to start the comeback in the third, while Carlos Santana and Mark Reynolds smacked back-to-back homers in the fourth to pull the Tribe within 5-3. It was Reynolds’ first hit in 12 at-bats and his team-high 14th home run.

In the fifth, Swisher laced an RBI single before Michael Brantley gave Cleveland a 6-5 lead with a two-run double. The right-handed Zimmermann gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings.

“We did a really good job fighting back against one of the best pitchers in the game,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It got pretty exciting, but we just couldn’t finish it off.

“That’s a heartbreaker what happened at the end, but that’s what happens when you give teams extra outs. I think Swish thought he was under it, but at the last minute he wasn’t.”

Pestano (1-2, 4.50 ERA) took the loss because of the unearned run, but fellow reliever Joe Smith deserved some of the blame after giving up a two-out solo home run to Chad Tracy in the eighth.

Tracy’s eighth career pinch-hit homer tied the score at 6 and was Washington’s first run since chasing Cleveland starter Scott Kazmir in the third.

Kazmir lasted 2⅔ innings in his shortest outing of the season, allowing five runs on four hits and four walks. Three of the Nationals’ first six batters of the game — Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond — hit solo shots off the left-hander.

“It was just a poor outing, which is frustrating because of how good I felt going out there,” said Kazmir, who is 0-3 with a 7.98 ERA in three June starts. “The way the guys came back was tremendous, but I can’t put my team in a situation like that again.”

Washington reliever Drew Storen (1-1, 4.67 ERA) earned the victory by retiring one batter to end the eighth, while closer Rafael Soriano picked up his 18th save in working the ninth.

Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen combined to pitch 4⅓ scoreless innings while following Kazmir, but it went for naught as the Indians’ three-game winning streak was snapped.

“This loss had nothing to do with anything about a dropped ball,” Pestano said. “I had the ball in my hand, and I threw a belt-high fastball right down the middle. My assessment is that’s not a good pitch, and I’m getting pretty (expletive) tired of saying I’m feeling good, but not getting results.”

Rendon — a 23-year-old second baseman in his 16th game — laughed when he was asked about the play, saying he was certain Swisher was going to catch it.

“It was a popup, but I thought it was actually going to go fair,” said Rendon, who had three hits and scored twice. “That’s why I kept running. I don’t even know how to explain it, but I guess it’s not a bad one to get on the board with.”

Shortstop Mike Aviles went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two errors for the Tribe. Kipnis had a pair of hits, but was caught stealing and played a key role in the game-losing sequence.

Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.

Yet its charitable institutions lag far behind other northeastern Ohio counties, both in number and size of assets.

Members of the 13 organizations that received grants from the Medina County Community Fund in 2012 hold a $32,500 check. (PHOTO ...Read More]]> MEDINA — Medina County is the fifth wealthiest county in the state, measured by median household income.

Yet its charitable institutions lag far behind other northeastern Ohio counties, both in number and size of assets.

Members of the 13 organizations that received grants from the Medina County Community Fund in 2012 hold a $32,500 check. (PHOTO PROVIDED)

Timothy Hagerty, executive director of the Medina County Community Fund, wants to change that.

Last year the fund, with only $700,000 in income-producing assets, could afford to give only $30,000 to help local charities and other nonprofit groups.

But Hagerty said community foundations in neighboring counties — Lorain, Cuyahoga and Summit — are able to give much more because they are worth much more: $128 million, $2 billion and $150 million respectively.

Those three counties all have larger populations than Medina. But other counties with similar and smaller populations also boast more wealthy nonprofit groups.

Medina County, with a population of about 174,000, has 12 foundations and other nonprofit corporations with annual incomes of $1 million or more, according to GuideStar, a nonprofit group that monitors the financial giving of foundations and other charities across the nation.

But Portage County, slightly smaller with about 162,000 residents, has 19 charities with incomes of $1 million or more.

Wayne County, with only about 115,000 residents, boasts 29 organizations in the $1 million and up club.

Ashland County counts 11 nonprofits on the list — one less than Medina County, which has more than double the population.

Hagerty said there is no clear-cut explanation why Medina County has comparatively few large charitable foundations. But he speculated that one reason is that Medina County has grown so fast and many of its newer residents come from neighboring counties.

“People in the northern part of the county gravitate toward Cuyahoga County; people in Wadsworth tend to gravitate toward Summit County, and people in Medina are pulled in multiple directions,” he said. “Medina has a looser identity than other counties.

“People in Medina County, I think, are extremely generous to those in need, but because they are pulled in other directions they don’t see themselves as part of the bigger picture in the county.”

Hagerty suggested another factor may be that 55 percent of the county’s workers travel outside the county to their jobs, and most of their charitable donations taken from their paychecks go toward charities in the employer’s county.

“Often employers encourage employees to give through the company’s giving plan,” Hagerty said. “Those dollars get contributed but then they stay outside the county.”

Hagerty acknowledged that getting and keeping more donations in Medina County will be a challenge.

Because it has so few assets, the Medina County Community Fund now operates as an affiliate of the Akron Community Foundation.

Hagerty’s goal is to build the fund into an independent foundation by growing its assets from $700,000 to $10 million over the next 10 years.

If the fund gets enough donations to achieve that, it would be able to give $500,000 annually and help hundreds of local organizations.

Hagerty said when someone donates to the community fund their money gets invested so it can be used year after year.

“The more that people in Medina County are aware of the fund’s existence as a credible place for them to make gifts, invest in something that has historically yielded excellent returns and trust that the distribution committee has operated with integrity, then more people will feel comfortable increasing their giving to the fund,” he said.

At the fund’s 2012 Fall into Winter event, which is held each December, 13 local groups were given a total of $32,500.

In total, the fund has given $378,000 to local nonprofits since it was founded 19 years ago.

Those receiving the money represented an array of institutions, including groups helping children with cancer, the county’s free annual arts week and feeding the hungry.

Nancy Sprowls, executive director of the Medina County Arts Council, thanked the fund for making the county’s arts week possible.

“Because of the fund, the council is able to pay performers and keep the performances of art week free,” she said. “Arts week enables us to provide quality entertainment to people who might not be able to afford it, and we are very grateful to the community fund because without them we would not be able to do what we do.”

This Friday, Medina County Community Fund will grant 14 more charities with $30,000 at its summer event — Spring into Summer.

Hagerty has set the goal to give $50,000 by next year.

“We are always looking for newer projects that we can get off the ground and help become self sustaining,” he said.

For people interested in donating to the Medina County Community Fund or attending the Spring into Summer event you can contact Timothy Hagerty at tim@mccfund.org or (330) 723-9039.

Contact reporter Andrew Davis at (330) 721-4050 or adavis@medina-gazette.com.

Navy veteran Robert Erb III describes his bonus for service in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan war eras as a “real blessing” for him and ...Read More]]> Time is running out for eligible military veterans to claim Ohio bonuses of up to $1,500, and officials are worried that thousands of veterans may miss out by not applying.

Navy veteran Robert Erb III describes his bonus for service in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan war eras as a “real blessing” for him and his family.

“You don’t join for the benefits, but they can really help when you come back home,” said Erb, 41, of Northeast Ohio’s Fairport Harbor.

Ohio voters in 2009 approved a $200 million bond issue to fund bonuses for veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq war eras, and the Persian Gulf-era application deadline is Dec. 31.

While more than $55.7 million has been paid to more than 66,000 veterans or family members for all three bonus periods since August 2010, there could be as many as 90,000 who haven’t applied, including several thousand from the Persian Gulf era, according to the Ohio Department of Veterans Services.

“Our Persian Gulf-era veterans need to take action right away,” department Director Tom Moe said.

According to the Census Bureau, as many as 2,300 Medina County veterans of the Mideast conflicts could be eligible for the bonus.

While about 10,000 veterans from that era have received bonuses, officials can’t say how many still need to apply, department spokesman Michael McKinney said.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates just over 100,000 Ohioans served during the Persian Gulf era. But the VA looks at a longer time period than the bonus period and state and county officials say they don’t get general information from the Department of Defense on returning veterans and when they served.

The VA estimates that 75,000 to 80,000 Ohioans have served since 9/11.

State officials and county veterans commissions that help with the applications have worked to provide bonus information through traditional media ads, social media, veterans events and other means. The state last week approved a direct mailing to Ohioans with birthdays from 1950 or later who identify themselves as veterans on driver’s license renewals, McKinney said.

The executive director of the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission in northeast Ohio says veterans tend to put more weight on “what they hear from fellow veterans.”

The executive director of the Butler County Veterans Service Commission in southwest Ohio believes some may be reluctant because “they think it’s a handout.”

Eligible veterans must have been Ohio residents when entering the service and when applying for bonuses. They also must have served at least 90 days of active duty — excluding training — in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Ohio National Guard or reserves.

Persian Gulf-era bonuses require service sometime from Aug. 2, 1990, through March 3, 1991. The Iraq-era time is March 19, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2011, with a Dec. 31, 2014, application deadline. The Afghanistan eligibility period covers Oct. 7, 2001, to an end time yet to be determined until the conflict’s official conclusion.