Pirates Vs. Tigers, 18 May 2012

Charlie Morton and Justin Verlander, 7:05 p.m.

There will almost surely be some kind of transaction before this one as the Pirates set their interleague roster. I'm traveling today, so I might not get to it before this thread goes up, although hopefully I will. Of course, if I do, then I'll delete all this and replace it with the relevant information, so you'll never see what I'm writing right now. So why am I writing it? I don't know.

UPDATE from David: As has been posted, the Pirates have optioned Evan Meek back to Indianapolis and recalled Gorkys Hernandez, who will be make his major league debut with his first appearance. Apparently Gorkys was asleep at 2 am when he got the news he would be headed to Detroit. Really? I realize it's a tough decision to call up a player when you don't actually have anyone who deserves to be called up, but the Pirates couldn't come to some sort of decision a little more quickly? I'm pretty sure everybody has been aware the Tigers are on the schedule this weekend for a while now. And they are an AL team.

At least they decided to add a position player. Hurdle had hinted they might keep an extra pitcher around since they were facing "a tough AL lineup in an AL park." That would not have been the best idea. Nobody seems too pleased that Gorkys got the nod, but with Indy scoring one run in their last five games, I'm not sure it makes any difference and no corresponding 40-man roster move needed to be made

Gorkys won't be in the starting lineup tonight, however, as Nate McLouth gets the nod against JV, who has gone at least six innings in something like his last nine million starts. Oh, and Josh Harrison will be the DH. And bat leadoff. He has three career walks.

For the Pirates:

Harrison DH
Walker 4
McCutchen CF
Alvarez 6
Jones 9
McGehee 3
McLouth 7
Barmes 6
McKenry 2

Charlie Morton on the mound.