Davis. "I hit one ball hard -- at the wrong guy,

RENTON, Wash. -- While the rest of the wide receivers were going through agility drills, Doug Baldwin joined teammates almost literally twice his size.For several minutes, Baldwin lined up with the Seattle Seahawks defensive linemen, slapping at the pads worn on the forearms of defensive line coach Travis Jones. Its a drill designed for pass rushers to focus on getting off blocks.And it works quite well for wide receivers trying to escape the hands of grabby cornerbacks.With the defensive backs trying to put their hands on me, using the techniques that Cliff (Avril) and Mike (Bennett) have taught me about my hand placement on the defensive backs hands trying to get myself around them. The different techniques theyve taught me I just try and practice it in that drill, Baldwin said.That specific drill -- suggested Avril and Bennett -- is another example of Baldwins evolution.Once primarily known for feeling dissed in every manner possible, Baldwin is no longer Angry Doug all the time. His motivation remains the same, but hes now content entering his sixth season. It helps that Baldwin is coming off the finest season of his career that concluded with him getting rewarded with a $46 million, four-year contract extension. The contract pays him like one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL and kept him from reaching free agency after the 2016 season.It meant a lot to be recognized, to be appreciated and plainly as a human being all of us want to feel loved and appreciated and valued, Baldwin said. When you put a number to it, honestly, its really not about the money, but the money does equate to respect and appreciation and love. It feels great, but at the same time nothing really changes. When we are on the football field we are still going to work because we have an ultimate goal to get to. It does feel good to have that behind me so we can focus on the field.Baldwin was at the center of Seattles offensive progression in 2015. While the Seahawks will always be a run-first team, they discovered a quick passing game during the latter half of last season where Baldwin thrived. Baldwin finished the year with 78 catches and 14 touchdowns, tied for the NFL lead. Eleven of those 14 TDs came in the final six weeks, including a three-game span with eight TD catches.The success of last season seemed to validate what Baldwin claimed for years: that if given the opportunity, Seattles passing game could be among the best in the league.While the underlying expectation is that Baldwin needs to come close to replicating last year to avoid having it considered an anomaly, it may not happen simply because of Seattles offensive focus.It is a mindset you have to have when you come to the Seattle Seahawks, when you come to any run-first offense you have to realize you are going to be called upon to block, more so than scoring touchdowns, Baldwin said. That is a reality we face year in and year out.To that point, Baldwins goal has become efficiency rather than raw numbers. Hell never see anything close to the 193 targets Antonio Brown had last year, so Baldwin must make the most of the throws that come his way. Last year, Baldwin caught nearly 76 percent of the passes thrown in his direction.Even someone who has been around Baldwin for close to a decade can see the continuing evolution of his teammate both at Stanford and with the Seahawks.I told him the other day he had a fantastic feel for the game. He is just a man among boys right now, Richard Sherman said. He knows his spots, he knows where he needs to be on the field, he knows when he needs to be there and he and Russell (Wilson) just have a great rapport going on right now. I think in terms of the skill set was the same, hes still as fast, hes still as explosive, but the feel wasnt the same. He would be running into coverage sometimes, now hes running into spots making sure hes open. Russell is hitting him on time. Hes not juking and jiving, hes making his one cut ... hes more confident in what hes doing.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Custom NCAA Shirts Outlet .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Stitched Custom NCAA Shirts . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. http://www.collegecustomjerseyscheap.com/ . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Custom North Carolina Tar Heels Jerseys . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. Custom College Jerseys Online . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel.NEW YORK -- Things werent going well for Johnny Cueto in his return from the disabled list, so he had a conversation -- with himself. Thats all it took. Cueto responded to the pep talk by striking out six of his last seven batters, then Jay Bruce helped make him a winner by hitting a tiebreaking home run that carried the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night. "I asked myself, What was going on, what happened?" Cueto said through a translator. "I told myself I have to start pitching the way I am. Then after that, I said, That is me." Brandon Phillips had a two-run single for his first career hit off Shaun Marcum in 13 at-bats. Phillips also made two sparkling plays in the field to help the Reds bounce back from a stunning 3-2 loss to the Phillies in which closer Aroldis Chapman gave up two home runs. Chapman, the Reds fifth reliever, struck out two -- one on a 99 mph fastball -- in a perfect ninth for his ninth save. He had blown his two previous save chances. "Got to get back on the horse, right away," manager Dusty Baker said. "Otherwise it festers and grows." Cueto (2-0) started for the first time since leaving his outing April 13 in the fifth inning with a strained left upper-back muscle. Making his fourth start of the season, the Reds ace gave up three hits and three runs with eight strikeouts in five innings. But he walked four, including one in the third, when Marlon Byrd touched him for a three-run homer. "I knew you just couldnt keep getting in trouble like that, walking guys without centring one, but thats just what happened," Baker said. "But he came back and pitched well." After the homer, Cueto struck out four in a row with a fastball that reached the mid-90s. His counterpart, Marcum (0-5), rarely reached 86 mph in pitching at least six innings for the second straight start after failing to finish five in any of his first three starts with the Mets. Still, he remains winless in his first season in New York. Slumping Mets first baseman Ike Davis slid deeper into his monthlong funk, going 0 for 3 and being called for interference in the field when he was clipped at first by Joey Votto, who was making a turn toward second base in the Reds three-run first inning. Davis was lifted in a double switch after striking out in the sixth, his second strikeout of the night. He has two hits in his last 36 at-bats, and only one RBI in May. Marcum appeared headed for another early exit after a 20-minute top of the first. He walked Shin-Soo Choo leading off. After an out, Votto, the NL player of the week, hit a smash that ricocheted off first base and into right field. As he made his turn at first, Votto nudged Davis, who waas nonchalantly standing near the bag, watching the play.dddddddddddd Votto was tagged out at second but Davis was charged with an error for interference and Votto was awarded second. "I was looking for the ball and I took a couple of steps," Davis said. "Thats why I was there longer than I shouldve been." Phillips followed with a two-run single and Bruce doubled in a run, extending his hitting streak to 11. Marcum struck out Todd Frazier and Xavier Paul, and walked off to mock cheers. "Weve been through this now for what, five starts? I get hit, its location. I made four or five mistakes today and they all got hit," Marcum said. "Got to limit the mistakes." The right-hander did not give up another hit until Paul singled with two outs in the fourth. Bruce broke the tie with a scorching line drive into the right-field seats leading off the sixth. "Woo, that was a missile," Baker said. Mets manager Terry Collins took a chance on putting strikeout-prone Rick Ankiel in the second spot in the order because he was 7 for 16 against Cueto, and Ankiel led off the third with a single. David Wright walked and, after Lucas Duda struck out, Byrd sent a drive to left field for his fourth homer this year. Byrd came in 6 for 11 against Cueto. The Mets loaded the bases in the first on two walks and a single by Duda, bringing up Davis. The scoreboard operator urged fans to cheer on Davis, and many of the 23,038 in attendance made some noise. Davis hit a sharp grounder toward second, but Phillips dived to his right to stop it and then threw out Davis. "I hit one ball hard -- at the wrong guy, a Gold Glover," Davis said. Phillips then showed why hes a three-time Gold Glove winner in the fifth, making a long run into centre field for a basket catch with his back to the plate. It was a very difficult play, but he made it look easy. "I practice that," Phillips said. Collins and reliever LaTroy Hawkins were ejected by plate umpire Tom Hallion after the top of the seventh for disputing a call that Phillips was hit by a pitch. Collins and Hawkins insisted the ball hit the knob of the bat and not Phillips hand. NOTES: The Mets signed RHP David Aardsma to a minor league contract. He requested his release from the Miami Marlins organization Wednesday. The former Seattle closer missed all of 2011 and made only one appearance late last season with the Yankees. He will report to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... The Reds sent INF Neftali Soto to Triple-A Louisville to make room for Cueto. ... The Mets will host military appreciation night on Sunday. The Mets have given out more than 3,800 tickets to military personnel and their families for the game against Atlanta. ' ' '