Lineup, Notes

LHP Erik Bedard goes against Card's RHP Kyle Lohse at 1:35. Bedard has had a hard luck start with an 0-3 record but a 2.65 ERA. Lohse has been tough, with a 2-0 mark and 0.89 ERA. The game will be on Root Sports, as the networks are carrying the Pens today.

The lineup: Nate McLouth LF, Jose Tabata RF, Andrew McCutchen CF, Neil Walker 2B, Garrett Jones 1B, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Clint Barmes SS, Mike McKenry C, Erik Bedard P.

We find it kinda odd that Clint Hurdle finds spots to work in his bench except in Barmes' case (can't blame him for penciling in Cutch and The Kid every day). Yamaico Navarro and Josh Harrison have pretty much been spectators so far this season. Hurdle didn't sit Cedeno much last year, so he either likes a regular pair in the middle or doesn't have much faith in his bench infielders, ala Pedro Ciriaco in 2011.

• Alex Presley has hit safely in a career-best seven straight games, tied for the fourth longest current streak in the NL. He has a hit in 12 of his 13 starts.
• Andrew McCutchen ranks fourth in the N.L. with a .377 batting average and fifth with a .431 OBP. He has reached base safely in 12 of the first 14 games.
• Today's lineup is the twelfth different batting order used by Clint Hurdle in fifteen games.
• From Elias Sports: A.J. Burnett became the first pitcher to work at least seven shutout innings with seven+ strikeouts in his Pirates debut since Nick Maddox, who did it on Sept. 13, 1907.
• With a snow warning in effect, tomorrow's game against Colorado may be pushed back to Thursday, a scheduled travel day for the clubs.