CINCINNATI Pirates' manager says team is bracing

Lloyd McClendon stressed his team will not be devastated by recent trades.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- When the Pittsburgh Pirates showed up Wednesday at Great American Ball Park, guards checked their names against an edited list.
Several had been crossed out -- those gone in a flurry of trades -- and others scrawled in.
It's tough to tell who's coming and going in Pittsburgh these days, but manager Lloyd McClendon insists his team won't be devastated even as it's getting divested.
The Pirates lost two regulars and their top two relievers through trades in the last three days as the front office writes off the season and starts over again.
Skipper's view
"Do you think they're going to lay down?" McClendon said before a game against the Reds. "Those guys are better men than that. Sometimes, it's how you act, how you get up and deal with adversity that determines who you are. I think our guys will dust themselves off and be ready tonight and the night after that and the night after that."
McClendon understands fans' frustrations over another roster overhaul. They entered the season convinced they could have their first winning season since 1992, in part because the front office had brought in free agents in an effort to win this year.
"Nobody is more frustrated than me," McClendon said. "Nobody is tied into this more than me. I realize it's been 10 years. I realize that I'm the last guy in uniform from that team."
Down-sizing
Pittsburgh started down-sizing by trading All-Star reliever Mike Williams. The Pirates then dealt left-hander Scott Sauerbeck to the Red Sox on Tuesday, and sent center-fielder Kenny Lofton and third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Cubs later in the day for infielder Jose Hernandez and two minor leaguers.
Right-hander Brandon Lyon, acquired as part of the trade for Sauerbeck, hadn't joined the team before Wednesday's game. Hernandez, who leads the NL in strikeouts, started at third base and went down swinging in each of his first two at-bats.
The Pirates also called up right-hander Brian Meadows from Triple-A Nashville. He was 7-0 with a 1.41 ERA in nine games, including eight starts, but will pitch out of the patchwork bullpen.