Pirates recall Boscan to aid depleted bullpen

MILWAUKEE -- Regarding a depleted bullpen drafted to work Saturday's game in lieu of Francisco Liriano, scratched with a sore neck, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle classified Deolis Guerra's availability as "only a 911 situation, at best."

But the actual emergency call went out Sunday morning for Wilfredo Boscan, recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis for his third stint of the season with the big league club. "Stint" is used, since Boscan has yet to actually appear for the Bucs.

The team cleared roster space for Boscan by placing outfielder Gorkys Hernandez on the disabled list with discomfort of his left shoulder. Hernandez's DL status is retroactive to July 13, the day after he made a pinch-hitting appearance in PNC Park against St. Louis.

Boscan has gone 6-3 with the Indians and keeps the ball in the park (only two homers allowed in 77 2/3 innings).

Touching all the bases

• First: The Pirates have a monitoring system in place for three starters on pace to log 200 innings, A.J. Burnett, Gerrit Cole and Liriano being on the watch "all for different reasons," said Hurdle, adding that the specifics will be kept "internal."

• Second: Liriano said he felt "better," but he was still keeping his head quite rigid in the clubhouse.

• Third: Andrew McCutchen, resting, and Pedro Alvarez, slumping (7-for-44), were mutually out of the Pirates' lineup on Sunday for the first time this season.

• Home: This is a highly unusual game for Alvarez to miss. Besides the fact right-hander Taylor Jungmann started for the Brewers, Alvarez ranks among leaders in homers against Milwaukee (18) and in day games (41 since the start of the 2012 season).