Welcome to the PLC live blog of the major league debut for Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata. I am using the Cover It Live software, but I will only be providing occasional updates. If you are looking for a full-blown chat, Raise the Jolly Roger is the place to go. I will kick things off around 6:45 PM.

As long-suffering Pirates fans, we are desperate for some sort of hope. With an awful major league team, that hope generally resides in the minor leagues. Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata, the first of three prospects labeled by some as “The Big Three” before the season, are making their major league debuts tonight. With Pedro Alvarez knocking on the door, it is easy for us as fans to get caught up in the excitement of these potential tides of change. But it is important to keep our expectations reasonable.

Dejan Kovacevic reports that Dana Eveland will move to the bullpen with the addition of Brad Lincoln. Jeff Karstens will remain in the rotation.

The Altoona Curve and the Harrisburg Senators were rained out tonight. �They will play a double header on Thursday, beginning at 5:30 pm.

The West Virginia Power have a scheduled day off today.

That leaves just the Marauders:

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Fort Myers Miracle �3, �Bradenton Marauders �2 (box)

A late-inning rally by the Miracle broke the 2-2 tie, and the Marauders could not answer back. �Starter Brian Leach pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits. �The Miracle got onto the scoreboard first, scoring both of their runs in the 2nd inning. �The frame opened with three consecutive singles, loading the bases. �A grounder to 3B Jeremy Farrell produced a force out at second base, but one run scored, and the Marauders could not complete a double play. �Another grounder to third drove in a second run, and gave the Marauders another out at second base. �Leach hit the next batter with a pitch, and then got a strikeout to end the inning.

Those were the only hits Leach allowed. �He retired the side in order in the 1st and 3rd innings. �He hit another batter in the 4th, but then erased him with a double play. �He gave up a walk in each of the 5th and 6th innings, but had one get caught stealing second, and then just left the other on base.

The Marauders' bats were not scoring runs over the first four innings. �SS Greg Picart opened the game with a single, but was left on base. �Both LF Quincy Latimore and 2B James Skelton walked in the 2nd, but a double play ended that inning. ��Both DH Tony Sanchez and 1B Calvin Anderson singled in the 4th, but were also left in scoring position. �This was Sanchez's first game back in the lineup after being hit in the head by a pitch last week.

C Andrew Walker put Bradenton onto the scoreboard in the 5th inning with a solo home run over the left field wall. �Picart followed the homer with a walk, then stole second base. �He scored on 3B Jeremy Farrell's RBI double, tying the score at 2-2.

Tom Boleska relieved Leach to begin the 7th inning. �He gave up back-to-back singles with one out, then threw a wild pitch that allowed the runners to move up to second and third bases. �A walk loaded the bases, and another single drove in the go-ahead run. �CF Austin McClune and Walker kept another run from scoring with an on-target throw in from center field and a tag at the plate.

The Marauders were not able to answer that run. �After their run-scoring 5th inning, the next 12 Bradenton batters were retired in order. �Ramon Aguero pitched the 9th inning for the Marauders and he also put them down in order.

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Indianapolis Indians �6, �Pawtucket Red Sox �5 �(11 innings) (box)

It took 11 innings and a throw into the dugout, but the Tribe opened a 4-game series against the Pawtucket Red Sox with a win at Victory Field tonight.

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And the best part, at least for Pirates' fans, is the news that came down after the game: �pitcher Brad Lincoln will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to make his major league debut with a start against the Nationals on Wednesday. �In addition, Lincoln will be going with a buddy -- outfielder Jose Tabata has also earned a promotion to the Pirates.

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Charlie Morton (photo here and above) was making his first rehab start with the Indians, and in fact his second start ever for the Tribe. �He had made one start in 2009, shortly after being traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Pirates' organization, but has been with the Pirates' club ever since.

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This start was not exactly all he could have hoped it would be. �Morton pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 1st, sandwiching a ground out between two strikeouts. �He went deep into counts, though, and it took him 16 pitches to get through the inning.

The Indians scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the 1st. �LF Jose Tabata worked a walk, and stole second (his 24th steal of the season) (photo). �After two fly outs, 3B Pedro Alvarez drove a double into the right-center gap, which rolled all the way to the wall and easily scored Tabata from second base.

Morton took the mound with a 1-0 lead to begin the second inning. � PawSox' 1B Lars Anderson dribbled a slow roller toward third base, then beat out 3B Pedro Alvarez's throw to first base. �DH Aaron Bates singled into right field, sending Anderson to third base. �RF Kevin Melillo's throw in from right field was off-target, and Bates was able to advance to second base on the error. �A strikeout and a fly out to short right field had the runners holding, but 3B Jorge Jimenez drove both of them in with a line drive into right field. �This time, Melillo's throw back in was on-target, and Jimenez was out as he tried to make it to second base, but the PawSox had taken a 2-1 lead.

The Pirates added an elite talent on Monday night in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft. Shortly after noon on Tuesday, they made waves by aggressively selecting another impact pitcher in the second round. The Bucs then added 28 more players as Tuesday afternoon furiously unfolded. So how is the team looking after the first two days of the draft?

The Pirates designated reliever Jack Taschner for assignment tonight, and optioned Jeff Clement to Triple-A Indianapolis. Taschner will be replaced by Brad Lincoln, but the second roster move will not be announced until Wednesday. There are unconfirmed rumblings that Jose Tabata will be the one promoted to Pittsburgh.

How many different ways can you say, 'Good as advertised'? I want to leave postive feedback on ebay. Yep, it was 'just the Pirates.' But this was impressive.

Some early games today in the lower minors:

Asheville Tourists �11, �West Virginia Power �5 (box)

All of the Power's scoring was done with home runs today, and even that wasn't enough to catch up to Asheville. �They did not score at all in the first 6 innings, despite getting a reasonable number of runners on base -- 2 walks to CF Evan Chambers and DH Kyle Morgan, one�walk to C Pat Irvine, two doubles by Chambers and one by LF Rogelios Noris, a single by 2B Jarek Cunningham.

The Power were behind 7-0 going into the top of the 8th, when they finally got some runs. �Noris walked, and 1B Aaron Baker blasted his 7th home run of the season to put the Power onto the scoreboard. �They added 3 more runs in the 9th, when SS Benji Gonzalez doubled, then Cunningham and Noris smacked back-to-back home runs. �That was not nearly enough, though.

Nate Baker pitched 5 innings in his start for the Power, and he allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and a walk. �A single, a wild pitch, and two ground outs brought in the first Asheville run in the 1st inning. �Two singles, a double, a triple, a wild pitch, and a double steal all contributed to bring in 3 runs in the 2nd. �Another triple plus a sacrifice fly added a run in the 5th, and the Tourists had a 5-0 lead. �Gabriel Alvarado relieved Baker to begin the 6th inning. �He retired the side in order, for the first time in the game, in the 6th, but then gave up 2 more runs in the 7th, on a single, an RBI double, a walk, and two more singles. �Jhonatan Ramos took over on the mound in the 8th, and he got into trouble quickly, as the first four batters reached base safely -- double, single, walk, and double. �The double plated 2 runs, and after two outs, another double drove in 2 more runs, and the Marauders were down 11-2. �Not even a 9th inning rally could change their fate.

Draft days.... we all know the results of Round One: �Jameson "Jamo" Taillon, a high school pitcher from Houston was the first selection, and second over-all pick, by the Piratres. �Check out more info on Taillon from Chuck Finder and Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette., �and another from a few days ago by Chuck Finder.

Taillon is a righty pitcher from The Woodlands High School, 6' 6 1/2" and 220 pounds. �He has lit up the radar at 98 mph, though usually is mid-to-high 90's. �This season, Taillon has pitched 62.2 innings and earned a 8-1 record and a 1.79 ERA with 21 walks and 114 strikeouts. �That's almost 2 strikeouts per inning. �He uses a fastball, curve, slider, and sometimes a change-up. �He has a scholarship to Rice University.... he'll have to be lured away. � .... 7th round pick Austin Kubitza has also committed to Rice.

The second round pick, Stetson Allie, is another right-handed pitcher from the Cleveland area, where he attended St. Edward's High School. �Allie is reported to have superior arm strength, and can also get into the upper 90's, but he has not always been able to go deep into games.

Pick number three is outfielder�Mel Rojas Jr, son of former MLB pitcher Mel Rojas. � He comes from a junior college, Wabash Valley College, in Illinois.

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So, here's the entire list:

1. �RHP Jameson "Jamo" Taillon -- The Woodlands HS, Houston, TX

2. �RHP Stetson Allie -- St. Edwards HS, Cleveland, OH

3. CF Mel Rojas Jr -- Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL -- J2

4. RHP Nicholas Kingman -- Sierra Vista HS, Las Vegas, NV

5. RHP Tyler Waldron -- Oregon State, �(California) �-- �Jr

6. RHP Jason Hursch -- Trinity Christian Acadamy (HS), TX

7. RHP Austin Kubitza -- Heritage HS, TX

8. �RHP Dace Kime -- Defiance Senior HS, Cleveland area, OH

9. RHP Brandon Cumpton -- Georgia Tech -- Jr

10. RHP Zachary Weiss -- Northwood HS, CA

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11. LF Daniel Grovatt -- U Virginia -- Jr

12. RHP Vincent Payne -- Cypress College, CA -- J1

13. �LHP Christopher Kirsch -- Marple Newtown HS, PA

14. RHP Bruce Weidman -- Southwestern Oregon CommColl �-- J1

15. SS Andrew Maggi -- Arizona State -- So

16. 1B Matthew Curry -- Texas Christian U -- Sr

17. �RHP Ryan Hafner -- Lee's Summit West HS, MO

18. OF Chase Wentz -- Louisiana St. U Shreveport -- Jr

19. LHP Kent Emanuel -- Woodstock HS, GA

20. OF Justin Bencsko -- Villanova U -- Sr

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21. CF Dale Carey -- Wheeler HS, GA

22. 2B Adalberto Santos -- Oregon State -- Sr

23. 1B Jared Lakind -- Cypress Woods HS, TX

24. 1B Justin Howard -- New Mexico -- Sr

25. RHP Casey Sadler -- Western Oklahoma State College -- J2

26. RHP Brandon Pierce -- Gunter HS, TX

27. RHP Kevin Kleis -- Grossmont College -- J1

28. SS Zackary Powers -- Armwood HS, FL

29. RHP Garret Levsen -- Sonora HS, CA

30. C Matthew Skirving -- Eastern Michigan U -- Jr

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31. RHP Jason Townsend -- U Alabama Tuscaloosa -- Jr

32. IF Chase Lyles -- Northwestern St. U -- 5S

33. LHP Justin Ennis -- Louisiana St. U Shreveport -- Jr

34. SS Kelson Brown -- Linfield College -- Sr

35. CF Andrew Muren -- Cal State Northridge -- Jr

36. RHP James Archibald -- McLennan Comm Coll -- J1

37. C William Allen -- Buchholz HS, FL

38. RHP Alex Cox -- Santiago HS, CA

39. RHP Kevin Decker -- Coll of Charleston -- Sr

40. RHP Harrison Cooney -- Vero Beach Senior HS, FL

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41. RHP Bryton Trepagnier -- East St. John HS, LA

42. LHP Stephen Lumpkins -- American U -- SO

43. RHP Garrett Hicks -- Yucaipa HS, CA

44. RHP Cory McGinnis -- Shelton State Coll -- J1

45. RHP Connor Sadzeck -- Crystal Lake Central HS, IL

46. C Ryan Wiggins -- West Seattle HS, WA

47. CF Nathan Sorenson -- Texas HS, TX

48. LHP Dillon Haviland -- South Fayette HS, PA

49. RHP Logan Pevny -- West Milford HS, NJ

50. RHP Dusty Isaacs -- �Lebanon HS, OH

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Wow. Neal Huntington is going balls to the wall with this year's draft. Allie is another high school pitcher who throws in the high 90's. He is reportedly looking for a bonus in the $3 million range. In order to sign both Jameson Taillon and Allie, the Pirates will likely have to spend something like $9 million.

I have no idea. The fun starts today, as the Pirates begin rattling off picks and the fans furiously attack Google in search of any and all information. I am traveling this morning, so I figured I would schedule an auto-post for a few hours before things kick off at noon. I should be home sometime this afternoon, and updates will follow.