Notes

The Bucs are off to Toronto. The pitchers tonight will be RHP Kevin Correia (9-6, 3.65) and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (3-6, 4.34). The game will start at 7:07 PM and will be shown on Root Sports.

The lineup: Alex Presley LF, Chase d'Arnaud 3B, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Matt Diaz DH, Garrett Jones RF, Ronny Cedeno SS, Mike McKenry C, Kevin Correia P.

Pretty much the same ol' lineup against a lefty. Today's call-up, Alex Presley, doesn't have much of a righty/lefty split, so he's Clint Hurdle's choice against LHP's instead of Xavier Paul, who has a .171 lifetime BA against southpaws. Chase d'Arnaud gets another start. We expected him to see some playing time, and with JT out, the Pirates need a guy at the top of the order, a spot that Brandon Wood is not at all suited for.

• The Pirates haven't won an interleague road game since June 17th, 2009, when they whipped the Minnesota Twins. The Pirates have had some seriously bad baseball teams during that period, but the lack of a bench masher to slide into the DH role is one of the main reasons the AL houses kill the Bucs. 
• Tim Williams of Pirate Prospects reports that Jose Tabata is going on the DL and Josh Harrison will join the team in Toronto. It makes sense. Why should the team be short an infielder and bench bat? It also should remove the temptation to play JT too soon and allow him enough time to let his quad heal properly. Pedro Alvarez has been out six weeks with his quad problem and just now beginning minor-league rehab.  His estimated return is after the All-Star break.
• Cory Giger of the Altoona Mirror tweeted that the Curve's 24 year old SS Jordy Mercer (.268/13/48) and 26 year old OF Anthony Norman, who has only played nine games so far this season (.342/0/4), have been promoted to Indy.