Game 2 Notes

Nothin' better than the second game of a doubleheader after you've won the opener.

Second Game: RHP Brad Lincoln faces LHP John Lannan (5-5, 3.48). The match is scheduled to start at 7:05 PM and will be aired on Root Sports.

The lineup: Alex Presley LF, Chase d'Arnaud SS, Andrew McCutchen CF, Garrett Jones 1B, Matt Diaz RF, Neil Walker 2B, Josh Harrison 3B, Eric Fryer C, Brad Lincoln P.

The usual switches - Fryer in for C Mike McKenry, Harrison at third instead of Brandon Wood, and Garrett Jones at first for Lyle Overbay, a case of going with the hot bat. Should happen more, we think. And Walker's back must be feeling OK; he's in the lineup for the second game, too.

• McCutch's last five hits have been for extra bases. He's hit three doubles and two homers in that span.
• Tim Wood was officially sent back to Indy and Brad Lincoln called up; it was announced about 15 minutes before his start.
• The Pirates announced that Ronny Cedeno was placed on the seven day disabled list with a concussion he got breaking up a DP last night. Pedro Ciriaco was recalled from Triple A Indianapolis to replace RC. Get yer scorecard here...
• Xavier Paul is close to returning to duty (he came in as a defensive sub in the first game and got an at-bat). Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review was told by manager Clint Hurdle this afternoon: “Is he 100 percent? I don’t think so, but he’s close enough (to play).”
• The betting line is that after tonight's game game, Lincoln will return to Indy and RHP Chris Leroux (3-2, 3.00 ERA, 40 K in 45 IP) will join the bullpen. The 27 year old Leroux has appeared in 28 games between 2009-10 for Florida and Pittsburgh and compiled an 0-1, 7.67 ERA stat line with 24 K in 29-1/3 IP. If that happens, Lincoln and Leroux will be the 43rd & 44th players the Bucs have used this season, still a good hop, skip and jump to the record 51 players of last season.
• Bob Smizik of the Post Gazette reprinted Joe Sheehan's newsletter, which concluded "This is a neat little June story with very little chance of being a neat little August story. The Pirates are still building, and if moving a Jones, a Doumit, a Snyder, a Paul Maholm or a Joel Hanrahan will make the 2013 team even a half-win better, Neal Huntington should pull the trigger without hesitation."