The Cleveland Indians and USO of Northern Ohio are teaming up in a “Tribe for Troops” video game and toy drive contest. Until Jan. 15, those attending Indians Snow Days at Progressive Field downtown can donate video games or toys and be entered for a chance to play video games against their favorite Tribe player. The donated games and toys will benefit families served by the USO and active military overseas.

Those 18 and older can donate a new or gently used video game, unwrapped in its original packaging, or a new or unwrapped toy with a minimum value of $20, to be eligible for one entry in the contest. Collection bins are located near Gate A of Progressive Field and in the Indians Snow Days Kidsland warming area.

Video games of all ratings are accepted; those rates above PG-13 will be distributed to active military.

Indians Snow Days are open every day. For a schedule, visit indians.com/snowdays.

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Indians are teaming up with the wind to supply ballpark power and build awareness for renewable energy.

The Plain Dealer reports the Indians and Cleveland State University have announced plans to install an 18-foot-wide turbine by March atop the southeast corner of Progressive Field. The turbine’s design resembles a corkscrew with four wheels on its outside.

Ballpark assistant director of operations Brad Mohr says the turbine will generate about 40,000 kilowatt hours per year, roughly the amount of energy that would power four homes. The stadium uses about 17 million kilowatt hours a year.

The head of Cleveland State’s engineering technology department says he hopes the turbine’s high profile location will help pump up interest in wind power.

The Cleveland Indians’ ballpark is teaming up with the wind to draw power and build awareness for renewable energy.

The Plain Dealer reports (http://bit.ly/qGo58p ) the Indians and Cleveland State University have announced plans to install an 18-foot-wide turbine by March atop the southeast corner of Progressive Field. The turbine’s design resembles a corkscrew with four wheels on its outside.

Ballpark assistant director of operations Brad Mohr says the turbine will generate about 40,000 kilowatt hours per year, roughly the amount of energy that would power four homes. The stadium uses about 17 million kilowatt hours a year.

The head of Cleveland State’s engineering technology department says he hopes the turbine’s high profile location will help pump up interest in wind power.

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com

Major-league hitters can work on swing mechanics until their fingers bleed, but none of it matters without confidence.

If a hitter is tentative in the box, the pitcher likely will own him.

Indians third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall said he is a more confident hitter than he was a month ago. Hits have resulted.

Chisenhall is 15-for-48 (.313) in his past 11 games, including 1-for-3 Monday in the Tribe’s 12-6 loss to Seattle at Progressive Field.

“My swing feels good, and I feel good physically,” Chisenhall said, “but the main thing is, I’m being more aggressive. I know what I want to do at the plate, and I’m not being timid.”

Chisenhall is hitting .246 in 59 major-league games. He made his debut June 27 amid much hype.

“He has some learning and adjustments to do, but it’s a matter of time,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “Sometimes people forget this guy was in [Class AA] Akron last year. He’s only 22 years old. That’s a fifth-year senior in college.”

Against lefties, Chisenhall is 10-for-43 (.233) but has hit five of his seven homers.

“I don’t foresee him struggling down the road against lefties,” Acta said. “We see him as a good hitter, period. He has a very good swing. It’s short and compact. He’s not a guy bailing or leaking out the front side or anything like that.”

Chisenhall turns 23 on Oct. 4.

Supermannahan: Acta said infielder Jack Hannahan (left calf) was available off the bench Monday and likely will return to the lineup today. Hannahan exited a game Sept. 4 because of the calf.

“I’m ready to go,” Hannahan said. “The calf feels great.”

Hannahan has hit in 15 of his past 19 games, going 24-for-63 (.381) with three homers and 14 RBI.

Tomlin close: Right-hander Josh Tomlin, recovering from a sprained elbow ligament, will throw a simulated game today. If all goes well, Acta said, Tomlin will start one of the two games against the Twins on Saturday at Progressive Field. Tomlin is scheduled to throw five innings, or 80 pitches.

Tomlin has been on the disabled list since Aug. 26, retroactive to Aug. 25. He is 12-7 with a 4.25 ERA in 26 starts.

“We’re not in the business of shutting a guy down just because he was hurt,” Acta said. “It’s not like we need to see him one more time this season, but if he’s good to pitch, why not? We think he’s fine, and he wants to pitch. We don’t think there’s a risk.”

All good: A smiling Michael Brantley was in the Tribe clubhouse before the game. Brantley is thrilled with the progress of his right hand since surgery Aug. 31 removed the hook of the hamate bone.

“At this point, less than three weeks out, I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “There’s no brace, no cast. The strength is coming back. The only things that remind me I had surgery are the stitches.

“Without a doubt, I will be 100 percent ready for spring training.”

Doctors have told Brantley, who plays left field or center field, that he will have no restrictions going forward.

No bologna: Mariners third baseman Alex Liddi, a native of Italy, hit a two-run homer off Tribe lefty David Huff in the second inning. Liddi notched his first major-league homer and RBI.

Liddi is the first graduate of the Major League Baseball European Academy to play in the majors. He is the first Italian-born and developed player to appear in the majors, the seventh Italian (previous: Remo Bertoia, 1962).

Finally: Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who starts Wednesday against White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle, is 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last five starts.

When: Friday through Sunday.

Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio all games; WKYC, Ch. 3 Friday; WTAM AM/1100.

Series: Indians lead, 10-5, this season. They lead, 293-277, all-time.

Pitching matchups: Indians RHP Justin Masterson (10-8, 2.83 ERA) vs. LHP Bruce Chen (10-5, 3.94), Friday at 8:10; LHP David Huff (2-2, 2.08) vs. RHP Luke Hochevar (9-10, 4.97), Saturday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Jeanmar Gomez (1-2, 4.55) vs. LHP Jeff Francis (5-14, 4.64), Sunday at 2:10 p.m.

Indians update: They are 29-36 on road, including 4-2 at Kauffman Stadium. … Masterson ranks among American League leaders in ERA. … Among Indians who have performed well against Kansas City this season: 3B Jack Hannahan (15-for-43, two homers, 13 RBI); SS Asdrubal Cabrera (20-for-62, two homers, seven RBI); and reliever Joe Smith (2-0, 4 2/3 scoreless innings).

Royals update: They have lost at least 10 games in the season series for eight straight years. … Chen is 2-0 against Indians this season and 5-0 since joining Royals in 2009. He gave up one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings last Sunday in a 2-1 victory over Masterson at Progressive Field. … Among Royals who have performed well against Cleveland this season: LF Alex Gordon (18-for-59, three homers, 11 RBI); CF Melky Cabrera (20-for-61, two homers, 13 RBI); and RF Jeff Francoeur (17-for-54, three homers, eight RBI). All three have been good defensively — notably, Gordon.

Injuries: Indians — RF Shin-Soo Choo (left oblique), OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder), CF Grady Sizemore (right knee), RHP Carlos Carrasco (elbow), RHP Josh Tomlin (elbow), DH Travis Hafner (right foot) and 2B Jason Kipnis (right hamstring) are on disabled list. OF Michael Brantley (right hand) is out for season. Royals — RHP Felipe Paulino (back) is day-to-day. C Jason Kendall (shoulder) is out for season.

Next for Indians: Three-game series against Detroit begins Monday at Progressive Field.

DETROIT — The Indians arrived in the Motor City with ideas of regaining first place from the Tigers in the AL Central. Good idea, bad execution. Oh, yeah, and the location for such grand plans was lousy.

Manny Acta’s ballclub cut the Tigers’ lead to 1 1/2 games by taking two out of three from the White Sox. But they were headed to Comerica Park and that’s not good for the Indians. The Tigers proved that Friday night with a 4-1 victory. The proved it again, with vigor, Saturday in a 10-1 throttling of David Huff and the Tribe’s invisible offense.

For two years it’s been a standoff. The Indians don’t win at Comerica and the Tigers don’t win at Progressive Field. Last year, the Indians were 8-1 at home and 1-8 in Detroit. This year they’re 5-1 at home and 1-4 in Detroit.

“It’s too bad, because I like this ballpark,” said Acta. “It’s a very nice ballpark. But we just don’t win here.”

Sunday would be a good time to figure out how to win in the massive confines of the Tigers’ lair. The Indians acquired Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado for just such an occasion. He’ll face Rick Porcello as the Tigers decided to give ace Justin Verlander an extra day’s rest after he won his 18th game Tuesday. Any pressure to use Verlander was eased by Detroit outscoring the Indians, 14-2, in the first two games of the series.

“Every five games is a big game for Ubaldo and everybody else,” said Acta. “But it is a very big game for him to salvage the series and send us back home 2 1/2 games back … which is not so bad.”

After Sunday, the Indians and Tigers meet six more times in September, three at Progressive Field and three at Comerica.

After three strong starts, Huff lasted only 2 1/3 innings. It was Acta’s quickest hook of a starter this season when an injury wasn’t involved. He allowed five runs on four hits and four walks. In his three previous starts, he’d walked four in 17 2/3 innings.

“I don’t know what it was,” said Huff. “I was just trying to get the ball down and find the strike zone. When I did, it was up and over the middle.”

Said Acta, “We were never in this one from the beginning. David didn’t give himself a chance. He didn’t throw the ball over the plate. Against a lineup like that, you’re not going to get away with it.”

Huff (1-2, 2.70) threw only 53 percent (35-for-66) of his pitches for strikes.

Doug Fister (5-13, 3.49) held the Indians to one run on six hits in seven innings. The only run he allowed was Shin-Soo Choo’s first homer since May 13. Choo hit that homer off Fister when he pitched for Seattle.

The Tigers led, 4-0, after two innings. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez drove in runs in the first. Brandon Inge, just up from Class AAA Toledo, homered in the second and Magglio Ordonez added a sacrifice fly.

Detroit stacked its lineup with eight right-handed hitters, including two switch hitters, and they accounted the four hits and runs that Huff surrendered.

Choo’s homer in the third made it 4-1, but that was the last sign of offense the Indians offered. The Indians stacked their lineup with eight lefties, but they did little damage.

“Fister did a nice job pitching inside to our lefties,” said Acta. “I’m not going to blame our guys. We’re not the ’27 Yankees, we know that. But I’m not going to take credit away from Fister.”

The Indians were still within striking distance when the Tigers pulled away with two more runs in the fifth. Both runs were unearned as Michael Brantley dropped Inge’s fly ball to left with one out and the bases loaded. Martinez scored on the error and the bases remained loaded. Ramon Santiago followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.

It was Brantley’s third error in 112 games.

“He dropped the ball,” said Acta. “He made two great plays Friday. It happens to the best of them.”

The Tigers added three more runs in the seventh on five hits against Frank Herrmann.

On Twitter: @hoynsie