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Monday 14 SepteMber 2020
Mistakes doom Browns in season-opening dud against Ravens

BALTIMORE (AP) — Odell secondary thinned by in-
Beckham Jr. watched the juries, dropped a 9-yarder
ball hit his hands, then the between Browns lineback-
ground. er B.J. Goodson and safety
The Browns fell just as easily Karl Joseph to make it 24-6.
and quickly. It was halftime. It was over.
In a season opener filled The Browns don't have any
with mistakes and looking time to dwell. They'll host
like so many in previous No. 1 overall pick Joe Bur-
Cleveland seasons, Beck- row and the Cincinnati
ham's dropped pass on a Bengals on Thursday night.
crucial third-down play late Stefanski also has some in-
in the first half of Sunday's juries to worry about, the
38-6 loss to the Baltimore most notable to starting
Ravens may have been rookie left tackle Jedrick
the most costly. Wills, who went out with a
There were plenty to knee injury. Mayfield spent
choose from. the offseason trying to put a
"They out-coached us, rough 2019 season — 21 in-
they outplayed us," Browns terceptions — behind him.
coach Kevin Stefanski But on Cleveland's open-
said after a painful debut. ing drive, defensive end
"We did a lot of things los- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser (54) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker May- Calais Campbell dropped
ing teams do. We turned it field (6), during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Baltimore, MD. into coverage, tipped a
over three times, didn't play Associated Press pass intended for receiver
complementary football. KhaDarel Hodge and cor-
We've got a lot to clean row, the opener was a co- and field goal — and may onds left. nerback Marlon Humphrey
up." lossal letdown for a Browns soon get the boot himself A completion would have picked off the deflection.
With no margin for error team seeking a fresh start. — and Stefanski's first gam- given the Browns a first Mayfield finished 21 of 39
against one of the NFL's best Last season, it was a brutal ble backfired badly when down and the chance for 189 yards, and had a
teams, the Browns made 30-point loss to Tennessee, he faked the first punt this to carve into the Ravens' few nice moments. But just
way too many against the and this one was just as season. lead. Instead, they had to as last year, the No. 1 over-
Super Bowl-craving Ravens, bad — maybe even worse "That's on me," Stefanksi settle for a field-goal at- all pick in 2018 struggled to
and Stefanski's first game since it came against a di- said. "It didn't work out." tempt, but Seibert pushed find chemistry with Beck-
with Cleveland went the vision opponent. Little went right for the his 41-yard try to the right. ham, who was targeted
same way as it did for most "Sometimes a wake-up call Browns, and yet despite Earlier, he clanked his first 10 times and finished with
of his predecessors. is good for everybody," numerous early issues, they PAT of 2020 off the left up- three catches.
The Browns fell to 1-20-1 in quarterback Baker May- were still within 17-6 and right. "I have to be better and
season openers since the field said. "A punch in the possibly driving for a late "I expect him to make those give him a chance on
franchise's rebirth in 1999, mouth and that's how we score in the second quarter kicks," said Stefanski. some of those things," May-
and Cleveland is now win- should take it." when Beckham, known for The Ravens took over and field said. "Like the free-play
less in 16 straight openers Mayfield threw an intercep- his one-handed catches, went 69 yards for a touch- late in the game, just give
— an NFL record it already tion on Cleveland's first pos- tried to run before securing down as quarterback La- him a chance. He is a great
owned. session, kicker Austin Seib- Mayfield's short pass at the mar Jackson, who had his player so I just need to give
For the second year in a ert missed an extra point Baltimore 20 with 50 sec- way against a Cleveland him a chance."q

Keller 1st MLB shutout, K.C. tops Pirates for 6th win in row

the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 pitchers and I think it sends the strike zone. He walked
on Sunday. a message to the rest of our six, helping set up nine runs
Keller (4-2) was in total staff," Matheny said. in 2 1/3 innings. Only 31 of
command, allowing only Salvador Pérez and Hunter his 70 pitches were strikes.
three hits until the ninth in- Dozier homered to help After giving up a single in
ning. Kansas City win its second the third, he walked three
"I just wanted to do this for consecutive series after los- of the next four batters and
our bullpen," he said. "I felt ing its previous eight. Pitts- was yanked. Nick Trope-
like we used their aggres- burgh lost its fourth game in ano relieved him and pro-
siveness to our advantage a row. ceeded to walk Nicky Lo-
and it was just fun today." "They're playing well right pez, then give up a two-run
Making his 55th career start now," Pirates manager single to Whit Merrifield that
in the big leagues, he struck Derek Shelton said. "They're made it 9-0.
two, walked one and threw coming off a sweep of Seven Royals starters had
111 pitches. It was his sec- Cleveland, one of the best an RBI with Merrifield and
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller throws during the
ninth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates ond complete game in the teams in baseball and Salvador Pérez both having
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. majors. they're doing a nice job. a pair.
Associated Press "He was so in control to- They're creating a lot of op- Maikel Franco drove in a
day," Royals manager Mike portunities for themselves, run in the first inning after
By AVERY OSEN major league shutout, toss- Matheny said. their bullpen is pitching singles by Merrifield and
Associated Press ing a five-hitter as the Kan- So few strikeouts "means well." Perez. Alex Gordon also
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — sas City Royals won their trusting the guys behind The Royals thrived off Chad tacked on an RBI later in
Brad Keller pitched his first sixth in a row by beating him. This is a big deal for our Kuhl (1-2) who couldn't find the inning. q