PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates closer Jason Grilli has no intention of sitting out the Pirates bid for their first post-season appearance in more than two decades. Grilli remains out indefinitely with a strained tendon in his right (throwing) arm, but said Monday "Im going to be ready before the seasons out, you can mark my word on that." The 36-year-old made the first All-Star team of his career earlier this month and has converted 30 of 31 save opportunities but experienced searing pain in his right forearm while trying to finish off a victory over the Washington Nationals last Monday. Grilli acknowledges hed been dealing with some discomfort in the arm for awhile and wasnt 100 perfect but doesnt see any benefit in wondering if he should have come out sooner. "Im not going to put myself in a position, could I have shut myself down earlier? Thats all in hindsight," he said. "I could have. But Im the type of guy that wants to get the ball every time. Thats the way Ive been my entire career." An MRI revealed no damage to his elbow, something Grilli called "the best possible scenario." Instead of surgery he will rest the arm for another week before being re-examined. Though there is no timetable for his return, the usual recovery period for a strained flexor is 1-2 months. Still, it hasnt exactly been fun for Grilli to play the cheerleader instead of the hammer at the back of one of the best bullpens in the majors. "Its hard to watch baseball going on without you," he said. "But Im here in this clubhouse and not on a surgery table." Mark Melancon, who made the All-Star team as a setup man, is filling in for Grilli and has converted both save chances since moving into the closers role as the Pirates try to chase down St. Louis in the NL Central race. The Cardinals have a 1.5-game lead heading into a five-game set in Pittsburgh that is the biggest series at PNC Park since it opened in 2001. Its a showdown Grilli has been pointing to for weeks. Hell spend it watching rather than playing as the Pirates try to take an important step toward escaping from the cloud of 20 consecutive losing seasons. Its a cloud hes done his best to part. Whenever his right arm tells him its ready to go, he believes there will still be important games to play. The Pirates and the Cardinals meet in St. Louis from Aug. 13-15 and again in Pittsburgh Aug. 30-Sept. 1. "My turn will come again," Grilli said. Dru Samia Jersey . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. Mike Hughes Womens Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Adam-Thielen-Vikings-Jersey/ . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Adam Thielen Vikings Jersey . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Dalvin Cook Jersey . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. CHICAGO -- Yu Darvish was pleased with his first start since June 8 after recovering from shoulder discomfort, even though his pitch count quickly rose and he fell short of pitching five innings.Darvish returned from the disabled list to strike out nine but was inefficient and wild at times, and Anthony Rizzos two-run double helped lead the Chicago Cubs past the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Saturday.Darvish (2-1) reached 98 mph and allowed only two runs and two hits, but the Japanese right-hander lasted just 4 1/3 innings thanks to four walks and shoddy defense.My shoulder felt fine, Darvish said through an interpreter.Jason Hammel (8-5) struck out seven in six innings for the Cubs, who won their second straight in the interleague matchup of division leaders.Hector Rondon pitched a perfect ninth to complete the three-hitter for his 15th save.Darvish, a three-time All-Star, was making his fourth start since missing all of 2015 following Tommy John surgery. A dominant slider dipping out of the strike zone accounted for seven of his strikeouts.I was throwing the ball well, Darvish said. It was a little different feeling from the last rehab outing in a good way.But he was lifted after 90 pitches when second baseman Rougned Odor dropped what could have been an inning-ending double play.We would have liked to got him the complete five, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. I felt like he pitched well enough to handle that. We saw what we needed to see from him. The secondary stuff was exceptional, the fastball control, command, felt like (that) was there.Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he wanted his players to be patient at the plate, knowing Darvish faced a pitch count. Darvish got Kris Bryant looking on a 98 mph fastball in the first, but his velocity dipped as the game wore on.A guy like that, if you just let him have his way, hell be sitting on 70 (pitches) in the sixth inning, hes going to beat you up, Maddon said. His stuff is that good. KB has really not been in chase mode, and when hes chasing the slider you know how good it actually is.Darvish walked Miguel Montero, who entered hitting .201, to lead off the third. Then Rizzos two-out double to right extended hiis hitting streak to 11 games and put the Cubs ahead to stay.ddddddddddddI threw that slider where I wanted it to be, and I struck him out on the previous at-bat, Darvish said. I threw it where I wanted. Got to tip my hat to him.Hammel allowed three hits in his first victory since June 4. Matt Szczur pinch-hit for the right-hander in the sixth and hit a two-run single off Shawn Tolleson. It was Szczurs 10th pinch hit and second for an RBI in as many days.Texas lone run in the game -- and the series -- came in odd fashion in the second.Ryan Rua singled and scored from second on Elvis Andrus infield single after the first baseman Rizzo threw wildly to the plate.Texas has dropped a season high-tying four straight and nine of 11.Weve got to find a way of putting a good combination of a solid start and some solid offense on the board and play good defense, Banister said.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: RF Shin-Soo Choo (back) was out of the lineup for a second straight day, but an MRI showed no major issues. . RHP Kyle Lohse (oblique) threw a bullpen session before the game. Hes scheduled to start Tuesday against the Angels. . RHP Jose Leclerc was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to make room for Darvish.DARVISH AT THE DISHDarvish batted for the first time since 2014 and went up left-handed. He didnt swing while striking out on three pitches in the third. Darvish batted right-handed in the past. Banister said Darvish has been hitting left-handed during batting practice.I thought it was easier hitting left-handed, and hitting right-handed put more stress on my right shoulder, right elbow, and I kind of didnt want to do it, Darvish said.KELA RETURNSRangers RHP Keone Kela struck out the side and walked one in a hitless seventh in his first appearance since April following elbow surgery.UP NEXTTexas LHP Cole Hamels (9-2, 3.21 ERA) on Sunday makes his first start at Wrigley Field since throwing a no-hitter against the Cubs last July. It came in his final start for Philadelphia. Cubs RHP John Lackey (7-5, 3.70) is winless in his last four starts. ' ' '
