Notes, News & Lineup For Fish Part II

Miami sends RHP Carlos Zambrano (5-7, 4.22 ERA) out against RHP A.J. Burnett (10-3, 3.78 ERA) tonight. The Big Z has turned the page on his Cub days and become a model citizen for the Fish; he even tried to soldier through a tight back last outing to save the bullpen. AJ has been a monster at PNC, 6-0 with a 2.10 ERA at home with a WHIP of 1.033. Both guys, in fact, like the park. The Pirates are 9-0 in games A.J. has started here, while Zambrano is 8-1 lifetime at PNC. The game starts at 7:05 and will be shown on Root Sports. Good thing too, as its expected to be the Bucs eleventh sellout.

Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Garrett Jones RF, Casey McGehee 1B, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Rod Barajas C, Clint Barmes SS, AJ Burnett P.

• Everything old is new again: Evan Meek has been recalled from Indy, and Juan Cruz has been placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. Meek went 3-2 with one save and a 2.27 ERA in 27 relief appearances with the Tribe this season. He still had control issues, but his velocity was back in the 93 MPH range. Cruz's shoulder has been achy all month, and the Bucs decided to shut him down and give it a rest before it became a big deal.
• Today marks the one year anniversary of RHP Jason Grilli's signing with the Pirates. In that time, he's gone 3-4-2 with a 2.21 ERA, answering the bell 67 times and earning 33 holds. In his 69-1/3 IP, he's K'ed 93, averaging 12.1 whiffs per nine.
• Jon Morosi of Fox Sports wrote the Pirates had scouts checking out Tampa's RHP James Shields, along with half of MLB. Morosi adds that the Rays would also "listen to offers for starters Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb and Wade Davis."
• This is only the 2nd season in Pirates history in which two players (Cutch & Pedro) reached 20 HR before the team played 100 games. In 1979, Bill Robinson hit his 20th HR in the Pirates' 90th game and seven games later, Pops belted his 20th HR. (Thanks to Elias Sports Bureau) 
• RHP Tim Alderson, who was rebranding himself at Altoona, was placed on the DL with a right elbow injury of yet undetermined severity.
• The X Man, 33 year old Xavier Nady, was DFA'ed by the Nats. He was hitting just .157 with 3 homers, and is currently battling a wrist injury. 
• Gene "Stick" Michael, infielder turned Yankee exec who began his career with the Pirates in 1966 as a SS before being traded to LA as part of the Maury Wills deal, was selected as a member of the Irish-American Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Jim Thome, 41, clobbered his 610th HR last night, moving ahead of Sammy Sosa on the all-time list to seventh place.