INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Malik Hooker looks around the Indianapolis Colts‘ newly renovated locker room and reflects on his long journey back to football.He smiles Marquise Brown Jersey , he laughs nervously and, naturally, he’s a little anxious to test his surgically repaired right knee.The Colts’ starting safety has never faced such a severe injury or such a complex recovery, and the next step is seeing how it holds up in game conditions.“I’ll definitely be out there Saturday,” Hooker said. “Of course everybody has questions about ‘what if I’m not the player I need to be when I get back’ and stuff like that. But that’s where you’ve just got to be mentally tough and say that’s part of the plan to get back out there. I have no doubts.”Neither do the Colts.They’ve waited patiently and proceeded cautiously as their 2017 first-round pick works his way back, fully anticipating him to continue being the playmaker he flashed in the first seven weeks last season.General manager Chris Ballard considered Hooker, at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds,a perfect fit in his young secondary.He started all 13 games of his senior season at Ohio State; picked off seven passes; led the Football Bowl Subdivision by returning three for scores; helped the Buckeyes reach the College Football Playoff; and was selected a first-team All-American in 2016.And though he couldn’t work out at the NFL’s annual scouting combine because of hip and sports hernia surgeries, many regarded him as the top safety in the draft. Ballard had Hooker rated as the best athlete in the draft and when he slid to No. 15, Ballard wasted no time in making his selection.“He’s got a unique skill set. He’s got size. He’s got speed. He’s got great instincts and ball skills,” Ballard said of Hooker on draft night. “Guys that can take away the football are hard to find, and we think he can do that at this level.”Hooker certainly lived up to the billing early last season.He moved into the starting lineup in Week 2, picked off passes in each of his first three starts and appeared headed toward a huge rookie season — until a blindside block forced his knee to buckle as he was chasing Jacksonville receiver Allen Hurns down the sideline Oct. 22.Later that night, Hooker was diagnosed with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jaylon-ferguson-jersey , ending a promising rookie season. He spent the next seven months rehabbing, returned for on-the-field individual work in May, and opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Now, three weeks after being activated, Hooker has been cleared for game duty and is expected to start against San Francisco.“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “For me to finally get out there and get cleared to be able to go out there and play on Saturday, it’s a great feeling.”Indy’s coaches are excited for another reason: Saturday marks the first time they’ll see their two projected starting safeties in a game. Hooker’s injury, coupled with Clayton Geathers‘ inability to return from neck surgery until late last season, meant the projected pairing never had a chance to work together.But as both recovered from knee surgeries during the offseason, they worked together, challenged one another and raced to come back. Geathers got there first, making his preseason debut in Monday night’s loss to Baltimore.Now, Hookier finally is about to join him.“They have what we talked about, the instincts and the strike and the speed and all those things, and the quickness Miles Boykin Jersey ,” new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said. “And those guys, as they get playing with the system and with other guys in the unit, we should see them blossom. We should see them really take off and see them make really impactful plays that will change the game for our team.”Hooker believes he will be as good as new, and working in unison with Geathers will make the Colts a better defense. All he wants to do now is prove he’s back.“I feel like this organization knows what I bring to the table and I know what their standard is for me to bring to the table,” Hooker said. “So I’m just going to go out there and continue to do whatever I can to help this team win.”NOTES: The Colts signed free agent defensive tackle Brandon Banks and placed receiver Matt Hazel on the waived-injured list. If Hazel clears waivers, he will go on injured reserve. For Braves manager Brian Snitker, playing the matchups meant pitching to Manny Machado with first base open and a marathon game on the line.

The Orioles slugger made that strategy look foolish.

Machado hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 15th inning, lifting Baltimore to a 10-7 win over Atlanta on Friday night after each team staged dramatic ninth-inning rallies.

The Braves surrendered six runs in the ninth, and then scored four times in the bottom of the inning.

Peter Moylan, Atlanta’s eighth pitcher, hit Craig Gentry to open the 15th. Gentry moved to second on Austin Wynns‘ sacrifice.

With first base open, the Braves pitched to Machado and he responded with his 19th homer, a drive into the Orioles’ bullpen in left.

Snitker said the right-handed Moylan is tough on right-handed hitters but acknowledged ”you hate like hell (Machado) is one of them.”

Machado said an intentional walk ”crossed my mind at first. I thought they were. In that situation they probably had faith in Moylan out there that he could get some ground balls to the left side of the infield.”

Machado hit a 0-2 slider Moylan said was ”supposed to be middle in.” Moylan said the pitch ”slipped out of my hand and ended up middle middle.”

Moylan (0-1) gave up another run on singles by Colby Rasmus and Jonathan Schoop.

Mike Wright Jr. (1-0), Baltimore’s seventh pitcher, threw two scoreless innings.

The game lasted 5 hours http://www.packerscheapshoponline.com/cheap-authentic-darnell-savage-jr.-jersey , 21 minutes.

The Orioles trailed 3-1 heading into the ninth, and the Braves rallied against closer Zach Britton in the bottom of the inning. Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino was not used while Dan Winkler allowed four runs while recording only one out.

Snitker said he rested Vizcaino because of shoulder soreness and he might be available on Saturday.

Chris Davis hit a drought-breaking homer and drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly as Baltimore opened a 7-3 lead.

Britton got one out and was charged with four runs and five hits. He gave up a single to Johan Camargo and a double to Danny Santana before hitting Ender Inciarte to load the bases.

Ozzie Albies‘ bases-loaded single drove in Camargo. Freddie Freeman’s two-run single cut the lead to one before Nick Markakis tied the game with a double to right field.

Atlanta had jumped in front on Charlie Culberson’s tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth.

Davis, making his first start since June 11, hit his first homer since May 9 in the fifth. Camargo tied the game with his run-scoring double in the seventh.

Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb allowed five hits in seven innings.

Orioles right-hander Alex Cobb permitted four hits in seven innings

The start of the game was delayed 11 minutes by rain.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: OF Trey Mancini (stiff neck) struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. He did not start for the second straight game. … INF Tim Beckham (core muscle surgery) could return Monday. He has been out since April 25.

Braves: RHP Mike Soroka was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday, with right shoulder inflammation. It is the rookie’s second DL stint with the shoulder issue. He missed 24 games from May 17 to June 13. He allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings and his velocity dropped in the Braves’ 11-4 win at Toronto on Tuesday. Santana was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. … RHP Mike Foltynewicz (right triceps tightness) threw on the side without problems and could come off the DL to start Monday against the Reds.

THROWBACK

As part of the team’s celebration of Hank Aaron this week, the Braves wore 1974 throwback uniforms.

NO FIREWORKS

Fans booed after the Braves announced the length of the game forced the team to cancel the postgame fireworks show.

DRASTIC CHANGES

Davis was hitting only .150 when he was given 10 days to work on his swing with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh and vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson. Davis, in the third season of a seven-year, $161 million contract, described changes to his swing as ”drastic.”

”I think the break was obviously more just to give me an opportunity to sit down and try to make some of these adjustments and not have to go out and do it in the game,” Davis said.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (5-7, 3.81 ERA) is 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA in eight career interleague games, including seven starts. He will be making his first career appearance against Atlanta on Saturday.

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (5-4, 3.97 ERA) will make his second career start against Baltimore.

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