Brewers (8-6) 5, Indians (5-3-2) 4

Hits: Mitch Talbot strengthened his bid for one of the two openings in the rotation. He tossed three scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out three. … Reliever Rafael Perez pitched a scoreless eighth inning and hasn’t allowed a run or hit in four appearances. … Mega prospect Carlos Santana had an RBI double and a walk in two trips to the plate.

Misses: Rotation candidate David Huff had his worst outing of the spring. The left-hander started and allowed five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of a scheduled four-inning appearance. … Austin Kearns struck out three times in three at-bats. … Backup catcher Mike Redmond went 0-for-2 and was credited with a passed ball.

Falling short: The Indians rallied for two runs in the ninth inning, but couldn’t push the tying run across the plate against John Halama, who was filling in for closer Trevor Hoffman.   

Attendance: 6,763 at Maryvale Baseball Park.

President Barack Obama has wrapped up his speech at a recreation and senior center in Strongsville to rousing applause after being introduced by Connie Anderson, the sister of Natoma Canfield of Medina, who wrote the president she gave up her health insurance after it rose to $8,500 a year.

Obama gave Anderson a hug and kiss and thanked her and her family, adding that it’s not easy to share such a personal story.

In his introduction Obama thanked U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown for his work on health care and received a huge response from the crowd.

Listen to The CT’s Bruce Bishop talk to Medina Gazette reporter Maria Kacik about what the scene looks like:

Listen to Kacik’s interview with U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton:

As the president discussed health care, perhaps a sign of the need for it was unfolding around him. Within minutes of Obama taking the stage, two elderly people in the crowd had collapsed and had to be removed by security. According to the CT’s Bruce Bishop, the crowd was packed in, and many people had been standing for about three hours.

Health care was very much on the minds of the standing-room only crowd as they waited for Obama to arrive.

Obama supporters were chanting back and forth, “What do we want?” “Health care!” “When do we want it?” “Now!”

Carmen Shock of North Ridgeville seemed to be the lone dissenter among those in attendance. Shock, whose son recently returned from serving overseas, said she was against “socialized health care” and that she wanted the president to listen to the American people as a whole and not to follow his own agenda.

Listen to Shock talk about her stance on health care:

Other protesters were lined up this morning along Royalton Road in Strongsville to protest everything from health-care reform to spending policies.

President Barack Obama is set to arrive about 1 p.m. as he tries to drum up more support for his health insurance overhaul.

Obama originally planned the trip after receiving a letter from cancer patient Natoma Canfield of Medina, who wrote the president she gave up her health insurance after it rose to $8,500 a year. Canfield’s sister, Connie Anderson, is scheduled to introduce the president at the event.

After the event, Obama will return to Washington for afternoon meetings in the Oval Office with senior advisers.Oth

ELYRIA — Alverno Howse was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for the killing Charles “Chuckie” Howard Jr.

Howse continued to maintain that he had nothing to do with Howard’s Aug. 19 death, telling Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski that the judge was sending an innocent man to prison.

Howard’s father, the Rev. Charles “Chuckie” Howard Sr., told Howse that he didn’t want revenge and that no amount of prison time would bring his son back. He urged Howse to give himself to Christ.

“I consider that a life for a life,” the elder Howard said.

Howse was convicted last month of reckless homicide and tampering with evidence following a trial plagued by shifting witness testimony and allegations of intimidation on the part of Howse’s supporters. Police and prosecutors contend that Howse is a member of M.A. Zone, an Elyria gang.

But Howse said today that there was no proof he was in a gang.

Read Tuesday’s Chronicle for more on this story.

VERMILION TWP. — A Lorain County sheriff’s captain is in good condition today after he accidentally shot himself over the weekend.

Reiber

Lorain County Sheriff’s Captain John Reiber was test-firing a weapon on a relative’s property in Vermilion Township when it misfired, according to Capt. Paul Sigsworth with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

A single bullet went through Reiber’s right hand and lodged in his abdomen, according to Sigsworth.

The gun is an off-duty weapon belonging to Reiber’s wife, who is an officer with the Avon Police Department, Sigsworth said.

The handgun was malfunctioning, and Reiber took it to the property at 5300 Cleveland Road East (U.S. Route 6) to test-fire it and try to determine why it was malfunctioning, Sigsworth said. He was attempting to clear it, and it discharged.

Reiber was able to walk to a neighbor’s house, and the neighbor drove him to Community Regional Medical Center in Lorain. CHP called Vermilion police, who contacted the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office got the call at 3:08 p.m., Sigsworth said, and Reiber told them the incident happened between about 2:30 and 2:45 p.m.

A deputy spoke with Reiber and his wife at the hospital, Sigsworth said. Reiber was later transferred to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where he is listed in good condition this morning, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

There is no indication of criminal conduct or foul play, Sigsworth said.

“We’re considering this strictly an accidental shooting,” Sigsworth said.

The shooting occurred on private property in a rural area, where it is legal to fire a gun, Sigsworth said.