Begrüßungen » ging progress in the left-handers rehab from a ba

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Ryan Mallett is a second-string quarterback making the most of a second chance.Mallett joined the Ravens in December after being cut two months earlier by Houston. Thrust almost immediately into a starting role, he carried Baltimore to a victory over Pittsburgh before throwing for 292 yards in a loss at Cincinnati.Now that Joe Flacco stands atop the depth chart again following offseason knee surgery, Mallett has returned to the role hes held for much of his career: backup.Im still going to prepare like Im the starter every week, Mallett said after Wednesdays practice. Thats the only way Im going to be ready to go if something happens and my number is called.Flacco started 137 straight games before tearing two ligaments in his left knee on Nov. 22. Until that time, being the Ravens backup quarterback pretty much meant tossing your helmet aside on Sunday and watching from the sideline.Because theres no telling if Flaccos knee can take a pounding in game action, Mallett had better be ready to go.Ive definitely spent more time in the offense. Im a lot more comfortable, Mallett said. Its not just a week of preparation. Ive had a spring now and a summer to prepare myself, and these first two weeks of training camp.Mallett has been nothing but professional since arriving in Baltimore. His tenure with the Texans, on the other hand, will be remembered for his misdeeds.He was late for a practice session and late for the team bus. The Texans finally cut him after he missed the team charter flight for a game in Miami.None of that matters to Ravens coach John Harbaugh.Thats the thing about life, football, whatever. It doesnt end at your first mistake, Harbaugh said. You have a chance, hopefully, to do the right things. To bounce back.The 28-year-old Mallett is eager to move on. Short term, hes focused on facing the Carolina Panthers in Baltimores preseason opener.Im here to play football. Im ready for the season to get started, Mallett said. Im ready for Thursday night.Mallett was drafted in the third round in 2011 by the Patriots, who kept him on the bench behind Tom Brady for three straight seasons. He played in three games with Houston in 2014, starting twice, before bouncing from the Texans to Baltimore last year.Big guy, big arm, really sharp, Ravens quarterbacks coach Marty Morningweg said. Hes had an outstanding camp. He can make some tremendous throws down the field.Mallett has the talent to start. For now, he remains in waiting mode.I wouldnt play if I didnt want to be a starter, Mallett said. Thats not the situation right now. I understand my role on this team and Im going to do that to the best of my ability.With Flacco likely to remain on the sideline Thursday, Mallett will get plenty of playing time leading up to the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against Buffalo.Ryan is a heck of a guy. Hes a hard worker. Hes a pro, Harbaugh said. Its going to be fun to watch him play. As far as a player for us, hes 1-1. Hes .500. Its time for him to win some more games, and hell have a chance to do that for us in the preseason.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Jamal Lewis Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Eric Zeier Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. http://www.customravensjersey.com/ . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Marlon Brown Jersey . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Marshal Yanda Jersey . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. LOS ANGELES -- With their bats finally catching up to their pitching, the Los Angeles Dodgers are taking a three-game winning streak and a jolt of confidence into the All-Star break.Everybodys swinging the bat really well, said Howie Kendrick, who had three hits in the Dodgers 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.It took us a little while to get it going. (Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez) had a little lull there. (Corey) Seagers been hot all year, but its good to see different guys get it going.Rookie Kenta Maeda (8-6) struck out a career-high 13 over seven innings and held San Diego to a run on two hits, including a solo homer to Derek Norris. He retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced and struck out six straight near the end of his outing.It seemed like everything played off the fastball, catcher Yasmani Grandal said. He was commanding it, and then he was the same ol Kenta, throwing curveballs for strikes, sliders for strikes, good pitches for changeups. But we kept them honest with the fastball.Gonzalez got his first homer in 25 games to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the fifth against Christian Friedrich (4-5). Gonzalez has hit safely in five straight games and is batting .455 over his past 12 games.Kendrick extended his hitting streak to seven games. He doubled and scored in the first and drove in the Dodgers second run with line-drive single in the second. He also reached safely on an infield single in the sixth.Corey Seager, voted into the All-Star Game by the players, continued his hot-hitting with an RBI single in the first. The rookie has hit safely in 19 of his last 21 games, batting .366 during the stretch.The Dodgers fought off an anemic offense early in the season to go into the All-Star break a season-high 11 games over .500.For our guys it was just staying focused on winning each game, and not getting focused on what players are hurt, what people are saying about us, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. There were a couple of stretches in there where we could have gone the other way.Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 27th save.For the Padres, the three losses to end the first half left them 18-18 since June 1 and headed into the break needing to regroup.I thought it was just bad baseball, Padres manager Andy Green said. Theres nothing else to say. I thought we weree somewhat listless offensively.dddddddddddd We had opportunities to square up the baseball and didnt.One Padre did, when Norris drove the first pitch he saw from Maeda with one out in the fifth over the left-field wall for his 12th homer.Friedrich lost for the fourth time in five starts, giving up three runs and seven hits over five innings.BULLPEN SESSIONClayton Kershaw threw 25 pitches off a mound before the game and Roberts said there was definitely encouraging progress in the left-handers rehab from a back injury.The Dodgers have not set a timetable for the three-time Cy Young Award winners return.He will not be in the rotation when we come back from the break, Roberts saidFIRST SERVETennis player and Thousand Oaks resident Sam Querrey threw out the games ceremonial first pitch. Querrey upset top-ranked Novac Djokovic in the third round at Wimbledon on July 2.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: 2B Jemile Weeks (right hamstring strain) continues to progress through his running program. The Padres hope to get him into minor league rehab games after the All-Star break. ... 2B Corey Spangenberg (left quad strain) suffered a setback running on Friday and has been sent back to San Diego to be re-evaluated. ... RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder inflammation) has suffered a sprained ankle and will see a doctor on Monday. Hes been throwing still, but just cant get off the mound from a stability standpoint with the ankle, Padres manager Andy Green said.Dodgers: Bud Norris, Brandon McCarthy and Maeda are slated to start the first three games after the All-Star break in Arizona, with Scott Kazmir and Hyun-Jin Ryu to go in Washington. ... Long-time Dodger announcer Vin Scully, in his final season at age 88, took a routine day off on Sunday.NEXT UPPadres: Andrew Cashner (3-7, 5.40) will make his third start of the year against the Giants when the Padres open the second half hosting San Francisco. Cashner has lost five of his last six decisions, dating to May 8.Dodgers: Bud Norris (4-7, 3.98) will make his third start in a Dodger uniform when Los Angeles opens the second half in Arizona on Friday. Norris is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA for the Dodgers since being acquired in a five-player deal from Atlanta on June 30. ' ' '