Die Macht » Omar Infante hit a grounder to third baseman

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Carson Palmer will turn 37 before the coming football season is over and he sure doesnt look or act like someone closing in on the end of his career.Speaking before the Cardinals first training camp workout on Friday, Palmer said he feels as good as Ive felt ever.It helps that hes surrounded by talent on a team he believes should be better than the one that went 13-3, won the NFC West and made it to the NFC championship game last season.I love what I see, absolutely, he said. Theres a lot of good football players in that locker room and guys recognize it and I think thats really important because a lot of times you can have young guys that dont quite realize the opportunity. But we have guys that realize that we have something special going on.Coach Bruce Arians said that when he and Palmer joined the Cardinals in 2013, he figured the quarterbacks window of opportunity was five years.But now I dont know if there is a window, Arians said. ... What he does physically training-wise is amazing. Ive seen him get younger just since his knee injury. All what he did, his core, his entire body, the way he eats and all those things now. Hes adding longevity to his career.Palmer said that, from people hes talked to, quarterbacks know when the end of a career is coming when the mental grind starts getting to them.I still love that stuff, he said. I love Mondays and Tuesdays, getting game plans and breaking down other teams and watching other quarterbacks. All that stuff is still not work to me.And theres no sign of a hangover from that awful performance in the blowout loss to Carolina in the NFC title game.Arians said Palmer dealt with that just the same way he does from any other adversity, any other interception.His preparation from day one after the Carolina game has never changed, Arians said. If anything, its stronger. And the guys, they gravitate to him because of his resolve.Besides, Arians said, Palmer had plenty of company in that ugly loss.It was coaches, it was everybody on the field, he said. He threw an interception, but the fumbles were because somebody didnt block somebody. There were 53 guys that stunk that night, and 25 coaches.Palmer doesnt think that game will set the tone for whats to come.We dont need motivation, he said. This is a group that loves football. You talk about the group of guys in the locker room being special. Its a group that loves to work. Its a group that enjoys the game. Its not pulling teeth.He must get accustomed to a rebuilt offensive line, with a new center (A.Q. Shipley), right guard (Evan Mathis) and right tackle (D.J. Humphries). But every player at the skill positions -- wide receivers, tight ends, running backs -- is back.After an offseason of work, they return better than ever, Palmer said.Weve grown leaps and bounds, he said. Weve taken big steps and strides. Its the same guys and, yeah, a bunch of guys have caught touchdowns and run touchdowns and all those things, but were a totally different unit just because of our knowledge within the system.Palmer is entering his 14th NFL season. The former No. 1 draft pick spent a lot of those years on mediocre teams, racking up big numbers but not victories. Last season, coming back from major knee surgery, he set personal bests in yards passing (4,671), touchdown passes (35) and passer rating (104.6), breaking the Cardinals franchise record in all three categories.It doesnt matter how good you play individually, if you lose it makes for a long week, he said. But winning 13 games and being on streaks and being in a locker room after a win, coming into work on a Monday after a win, showing up on Sunday at an opposing teams stadium when youve won a bunch of games in a row and you know youve got them kind of in a mental pace thats to your advantage, is fun.... Being on a winning team makes you feel younger, for sure.Arians, who used to talk about he and Palmer riding off into the sunset together, was asked about how long his window will be open.Thats up to God. I dont know, the 63-year-old coach said in typical fashion. The way I treat myself, not long.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Charlie Brown jersey . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Kevin Huerter Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. https://www.thehawkslockerroom.com/Mike-Bibby-City-Edition-Jersey/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Josh Smith Jersey .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Dikembe Mutombo Hawks Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. PITTSBURGH -- For Russell Martin, it was all about staying positive. The Pittsburgh Pirates catcher remained optimistic when the Detroit Tigers were seemingly putting runners on base in every inning. And he was still looking on the bright side when he stepped to the plate with a chance to win the game despite having already struck out three times. Martin hit a bases-loaded single off the left-centre wall in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Pirates a 1-0 victory over the Tigers on Thursday night. "Youve got to believe you can do it," Martin said. "If you think youre going to fail then youre probably going to fail. Its all a matter of having a positive attitude and believing in yourself. Our whole team is like that right now." Neil Walker opened the inning with a sharp single to right off Luke Putkonen (1-1) and Andrew McCutchen walked. Gaby Sanchez loaded the bases by bouncing a single through the left side of the infield. Martin then ripped a 2-1 pitch into the gap to give the Pirates (34-20) their 16th win in 20 games. Martin came into the game having gone 4 for 29 in his previous eight games. However, he singled in the ninth inning and wound up with a multi-hit game. "The great thing about Russell is he never takes his offence behind the plate," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said "He struck out his first three times up tonight yet he went right back behind the plate and it was all about the pitcher. Thats why it was so good to see him come through at the end." The Tigers left 11 runners on base in losing their third straight. "Baseball is always a hard game and tonight it was really hard," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Thats what I always say, on-base percentage is great but the biggest thing is you need to drive those guys on base in. We had a hard time with that tonight. Weve had a hard time with that the last few days. Detroit was shut out by the Pirates for the second time in three days as Jeff Locke and five relievers combined on a nine-hitter. Bryan Morris (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning to finish. "You know how good the Tigers offence is, one of the best in baseball," Walker said. "You feel like youre playing with a ticking time bomb when they dont score but you cant give enough credit to our pitching staff. They got so many big outs in this game." Detroit starter Doug Fister struck out 12 in seven innings and allowed four hits. Miguel Cabrera hit two doubles for the Tigers, including the 400th of his career. Fister came in with a 5.20 ERA in five May starts after going 4-0 with a 2.38 ERA in five starts in April. "I felt like I was executing well," Fister said. "I was able to keep the ball down, move the ball in and out and make them hit the ball on the ground, which is the name of my game.dddddddddddd." Both teams failed to cash in on consecutive outstanding scoring opportunities in the middle innings. Pittsburgh hit three singles in a row to start the fourth and Detroit had four consecutive singles to start the fifth. Walker led off the Pirates fourth with a single but was caught stealing at second base. McCutchen and Garrett Jones then singled to put runners on the corners but were stranded when Martin struck out and Travis Snider lined out. In the Tigers fifth, Matt Tuiasosopo and Bryan Pena hit back-to-back singles but Tuiasosopo was thrown out at home by Snider, the right fielder, while trying to score on Avasail Garcias single. Fister then singled to load the bases, but Omar Infante hit a grounder to third baseman Brandon Inge, who threw home to force Pena for the second out. Andy Dirks grounded out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded. Detroit missed more chances. The Tigers had runners on first and second with one out in the sixth when Vin Mazzaro relieved Locke and struck out Tuiasosopo and got Pena to ground out. Mazzaro escaped a first-and-third jam with one out in the seventh by getting Dirks to pop out and Cabrera to ground out. After Infante doubled with two outs in the ninth, McCutchen, the centre fielder, tracked down Dirks drive to the gap in right-centre to end the inning. "It goes back to the staples of pitching weve been talking about since the start of spring training," Hurdle said. "Have intent with every pitch and have conviction with every pitch and execution will follow. Our guys really executed and we were able to hold a very good team off the board for 11 innings, which is something we can feel good about." NOTES: Detroit RF Torii Hunter sat out with a bruised left elbow, which he injured Wednesday night when he was hit by a pitch from Morris. Hunter will miss games Friday and Saturday at Baltimore to attend his sons high school graduation in Texas, but expects to play Sunday against the Orioles. ... Tigers SS Jhonny Peralta was ejected in the top of the fourth inning by home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez for arguing a called third strike. Peralta went 0 for 2, ending his 10-game hitting streak. ... Pittsburgh 3B Pedro Alvarez was not at the ballpark Thursday after having dental surgery earlier in the day to remove two wisdom teeth. ... LHP Wandy Rodriguez (6-2, 3.58) will pitch for the Pirates against Cincinnati RHP Johnny Cueto (2-0, 2.76) on Friday night in the opener of a three-game home series. ... Detroit RHP Max Scherzer (7-0, 3.42) will face Baltimore RHP Miguel Gonzalez (2-2, 3.94) in the opener of that three-game series. ' ' '