Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (3-5, 3.64) has won three of his last four starts at home, including a one-hit shutout against Kansas City on June 5.

COSTA MESA Brian Burns Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Most rookies hit the figurative wall late in the season as the rigors of a full first year in the NFL catch up quickly. Derwin James, though, still feels like he did at midseason.James will need to be at his best as the Los Angeles Chargers meet the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild-card playoff game. Sunday’s matchup comes two weeks after the Ravens posted a 22-10 victory.“I don’t feel like it affects me because in high school and college I was active the whole year doing different sports, so I feel like my body is acclimated to it,” James said. “There have been some games where I have felt sore, but off the field I got the right treatment.”James, who was the 17th overall pick in last April’s NFL draft, has made an immediate impact across the league. He led the team in tackles (105), becoming the first rookie in franchise history to have 100 or more stops. He also joined the Rams’ Corey Littleton as the only players in the league with 100-plus tackles, three or more sacks (3.5) and three or more interceptions.According to Pro Football Focus, James graded out as the fifth-best safety during the regular season, including second in pass coverage. What James has done to date has even surprised defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who had his share of talented young defensive backs when he was at Seattle.“What he’s brought to the table for us just as a skillset and the flexibility it offers us, I mean http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-greg-little-jersey , I can’t say enough about it,” Bradley said. “People talked about his energy, his fear and his love for the game, but I’d be lying if I said I thought it was to this level.”Bradley has deployed James in a variety of roles depending on the opponent. There have been some weeks where he has played mostly in the box to support the run defense and others where his coverage skills have been used to play the middle third of the field. One consistent thing week in and week out has been James being used as an extra pass rusher.“I knew what type of player I was. I knew what I wanted to do when I came here,” James said. “I feel like I’ve done those things here.”James’ run-stopping and pass-rushing skills will be needed against the Ravens, who come into the game ranked second in the league in rushing. Since Lamar Jackson became the starting quarterback, Baltimore is averaging 229.6 yards on the ground over the final seven games.James is the 13th-best safety against the run, according to Pro Football Focus, and eighth in pass rushing.“When he blitzes, he gets to the quarterback,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He also can disrupt the run game. He’s a dominant player.”With both teams likely not changing their strategy from two weeks ago, James likes the fact the Ravens are focused on the run.“That should put a chip on your shoulder there alone,” he said. “They’re going to run it right at us. We know that. We gotta stop ’em.”This will be the fourth time that James has faced Jackson. The first two times were in college when James was at Florida State and Jackson was at Louisville. James said the biggest difference now is the players around Jackson.“I feel like he has better blockers around him, which allows him to be more patient in the pocket and find receivers. He’s doing good Will Grier Jersey ,” James said. “This is Round Two, though, this year. This is the one the really counts.” Kole Calhoun, Luis Valbuena and the Los Angeles Angels seem to be hitting their way out of a long funk.

Valbuena homered twice, Calhoun connected for the second consecutive game and the Angels defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 on Thursday night.

The Angels have won two straight after dropping seven of eight. They handed the Blue Jays their ninth loss in 10 road games.

Calhoun launched a two-run homer off John Axford (1-1) in the fourth inning to put the Angels ahead 4-3. The right fielder went 1 for 3 with a walk, scoring on Martin Maldonado’s double in the sixth, and is 4 for 10 in three games since returning from a stint on the disabled list because of a strained oblique muscle.

”He looks so calm, so comfortable out there. I think he’s seeing the ball much better, more plate coverage. All the things that lead to positive results seem to be in his game,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Calhoun, who was hitting .145 before the injury.

Valbuena made it 6-3 with his two-run shot to center field in the fifth, and added a solo drive to right in the seventh. It was his eighth career multihomer game.

The streaky Valbuena was 5 for 40 over his previous 11 games and hadn’t homered in his last 18. Valbuena went deep twice in that game at Detroit on May 29, and Scioscia had thought that would mark the beginning of a turnaround.

He has the same belief now, and is willing to trade any barren stretches for when Valbuena gets in a groove.

”If you look at Luis’ track record http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-christian-miller-jersey , he gets real hot and at times he gets cold,” Scioscia said. ”There’s no doubt there is more OPS in his game, especially against right-handed pitching. Once he finds it, he usually swings the bat like he did the second half of last year, and that’s something we’re going to need.”

Even the Angels’ erratic bullpen did its part, as Noe Ramirez (3-3) retired all eight batters he faced – striking out four – after relieving John Lamb in the fourth. Justin Anderson got his third save.

Lamb, a late replacement for injured Los Angeles starter Tyler Skaggs, went 3 1/3 innings. Lamb gave up three runs, six hits and one walk in his first career start at home.

For the Blue Jays, they couldn’t remedy their road woes despite home runs from Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel and Kendrys Morales.

”They got a couple big homers off Ax. I mean, he’s been dominating left-handers all year, and two leftys got him today. We hung around, but we just couldn’t get anything going late Jordan Scarlett Jersey ,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

TROUT AT 1,000

Mike Trout went 0 for 2 with three walks in his 1,000th career game, ending his hitting streak at eight games. Trout, who has reached base in 31 of 47 plate appearances over his last nine games, was the designated hitter and is not expected to be used in the outfield during the four-game series because of a sprained right index finger.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez was pulled after the first inning due to a bruised right index finger. The Blue Jays said X-rays did not reveal any further injury. ”He’d been pitching pretty good lately, but hopefully this isn’t a big deal,” Gibbons said.

Angels: Skaggs was scratched because of tightness in his right hamstring. Scioscia said there’s a chance Skaggs could start Sunday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (4-6, 4.66 ERA) tries for his third straight win. Estrada has allowed three runs in 18 2/3 innings over his last three starts.

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (3-5, 3.64) has won three of his last four starts at home, including a one-hit shutout against Kansas City on June 5.

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