CHICAGO -- Jason Grilli is off to a rough start for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and manager Clint Hurdle thinks he knows the best way to get the key reliever back on track. Hurdle announced Friday that Mark Melancon would close games for the Pirates in place of Grilli, who has blown four save opportunities this year after converting 33 of 35 chances last season. "Theres no safety net for a closer. There never is," Hurdle said before the opener of a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs. "So he wont have to deal with that for a while, which I think will help." Grilli allowed a tying homer to Devin Mesoraco in the ninth inning of Thursdays 4-3 victory over Cincinnati. The veteran right-hander, who made the All-Star team last year for the first time, has yielded at least one run in three of his past four outings, and his four homers allowed this season matches his total from all of last year. The 37-year-old Grilli is 0-2 with 11 saves and a 4.34 ERA in 20 games this year. He was sidelined for a month after straining his left oblique in late April. For now, Hurdle said he will use Grilli when the Pirates are trailing. "Hes all about doing whats best for the club and getting better," Hurdle said. "Well definitely need him as the season plays out." Melancon is 1-2 with 10 saves in 13 chances and a 1.89 ERA in 35 games this year. He has not allowed a run in eight games and 7 1-3 innings in June. Hurdle said he also could use Tony Watson in a save opportunity. Cheap Vans Shoes Online Australia .Y. -- Major League Soccer has agreed to new measures to protect gay players from discrimination and harassment as a result of meetings with New Yorks attorney general. Vans Shoes Wholesale Australia . -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. http://www.vansaustraliawholesale.com/.com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to complete a sweep of the Washington Capitals when the clubs cap a quick home-and-home series Tuesday night in the Steel City. Cheap Vans Shoes Wholesale . I kept my eyes focused up on the camera during each approach. I just tried to stay focused on my form, as I didnt know what the ball reaction was. I was quite emotional at the end. I did not actually see any of the shots in the game until I got home and watched the video. Vans Outlet Australia . NORRIS COLE (Heat): Its funny, you watch a guy play and now really produce and it just jumps off the page at you - why? You put a young player with potential in a winning environment where there is veteran leadership, outstanding coaching and management and a way that things are done and its a wonderful environment for growth, improvement in a climate of constant accountability and expectation of achievement/production.Before the 2013-14 NCAA season began, CBSSports.com listed Syracuse point guard and Toronto native Tyler Ennis at 69 on its "Top 100 Players in college hoops." Michigan guard and fellow Canadian Nik Stauskas was one ahead at 68. With 42 days before the NBA Draft in New York City, two of three analysts of the same website have Ennis getting selected in the top 10, while all three have Stauskas going in the 10-14 range. "Ive played against some of the best players in the world and Ive played against some of the best players in my class," Ennis said at the NBA Combine, which began Thursday. "I just have the confidence and I know how hard I work and I know my abilities." Played is the operative word in that sentence. For as much as the 19-year-old Ennis and 20-year-old Stauskas did to get noticed on the court, they both understand to fulfill their NBA dreams theyll have to impress potential employers off the court just as much. "People know how I play and I think the main thing for teams is to get to know me and know if they are going to draft me, what theyre going to deal with," Ennis said. "They want to see, as a nineteen-year-old coming out of college, if youre able to lead grown men in the NBA and I think they are able to get a feel for that in the interviews." The process is something all players have to go through and Stauskas is doing his best to combat the expected nerves. "The main thing for me is to just try to be myself and let teams know what kind of person I am and how I grew up and how I got to this situation right here," the Mississauga native said. Stauskass upbringing could serve him well when talking to NBA clubs. His family originally hails from the basketball-mad Lithuania. "t;Im a good person, really hard-working, and I come from a great family.dddddddddddd I think thats important for people to know and I just want them to know that Im not doing this because I want money or anything like that," he said. "Obviously, the moneys great, but Im really doing this just because I love the game of basketball. This is whats made me happy since I was seven or eight-years-old. I feel like if teams really get that vibe from me, theyre going like that." Both Stauskas and Ennis sat out the first day of the combine. Each player was officially measured - height, weight and wingspan - but neither participated in any of the on-court drills. "Before the combine started, knowing what the drills were going to be, I felt a lot of it was just jump-shooting," Stauskas said. "Obviously, thats the strongest part of my game and I feel that teams already know I can shoot the ball, so coming in, I felt that even if I had a great day shooting the ball, it wasnt really going to do much for me because teams already know thats my strength." Both Canadians, however, will participate in physical testing and the aforementioned team meetings. And although the footage of their abilities is likely endless at this point, both players say there will be a few surprises awaiting any and all who will be watching. "Im not the one dunking all the time but Im able to jump pretty high and Im a lot faster than people think," Ennis said. "Going through the combine I think my numbers will show that its more surprising than people expect. "I dont think people realize I can jump the way I do or run the way I do," Stauskas echoed, "so Im really looking forward to tomorrow, getting in there and working." ' ' '