PITTSBURGH — They've been referred to as the cavalry. They are expected to provide the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for long-suffering Pirate fans.

Time will dictate how that turns out.

Regardless, the Pittsburgh Pirates' brass is ready to sink or swim on the talents of hot prospects Neil Walker, Brad Lincoln, Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez.

With the Alvarez call-up Wednesday, all five are on the big club for the first time.

"This is something I've envisioned for a long time," Pirates manager John Russell said of Alvarez' arrival.

"I'm excited about all of this."

But he tempered that excitement.

"The learning process will continue. The development will continue," Russell said. "Only now it will take place at the major league level."

McCutchen, Walker and Tabata all hit the ground running upon their call-up to the Pirates.

McCutchen was a candidate for National League Rookie of the Year honors last season despite not joining the Pirates until June. He is hitting over .300 this year and is among the NL leaders in stolen bases.

Walker hit .321 with 18 doubles, and six homers in 43 games this season at Indianapolis, the Pine-Richland product practically forcing his way on to the big club. His average has hovered around .300 with the Bucs and he's cemented himself at second base as the team's No. 2 hitter.

Walker has homered twice to the opposite field.

Tabata hit .308 at Indianapolis and led the International League with 25 stolen bases when he joined the Pirates June 9. He reached base safely in each of his first five games in the big leagues as the Bucs' leadoff batter and hit his first major league home run Wednesday.

Lincoln, however, has struggled in his first two big league starts. He's walked six batters in 12 innings after allowing just 14 free passes in 68 innings at Indianapolis, where he was 6-2 with a 3.16 earned run average.

"I just have to slow myself down," Lincoln said. "The adrenaline is still flowing and I need to harness it.

"I need to get ahead of hitters and put up good innings early. Leaving a game with the score tied or us in the lead is where I need to be."

Lincoln's curve ball is rated the best in the Pirates' organization.

"He's just relying on it too much early in the game," Russell said.

"Brad has to trust his fastball, mix his pitches and set up that curve for later.

"He's still learning, too. He was more aggressive during his last two innings (Tuesday). He'll figure out how to use what he's got and set hitters up."

The Pirates carried an 11—game losing streak into this weekend's series with Cleveland, one of the franchise's three longest skids in the last 42 years, but Lincoln insisted the team's morale is OK.

"This is a good clubhouse. We know we're not gonna lose every game," he said. "Guys have each other's backs here. It's a family. We're all brothers in here.

"Baseball is baseball. It's just played on a bigger stage here, that's all. We all know how to play the game. We just have to adjust."

This quintet will be joined by others, but not likely from Class AAA. First baseman Steve Pearce is due to come off the disabled list from his sprained ankle and pitcher Charlie Morton is beginning to make rehab appearances after battling shoulder fatigue and a bruised ego from early-season struggles.

The Pirates' transition has forced Aki Iwamura to be designated for assignment, Andy LaRoche to be benched and Lastings Milledge to be a part-time starter.

Class AA Altoona is where the next round of pitching prospects are. Justin Wilson, Rudy Owens and Bryan Morris have ERA's at 3.02 or lower there. Wilson and Morris are averaging a strikeout an inning.

Tim Alderson — acquired from San Francisco in the Freddy Sanchez trade — is 5-3 with a 4.70 ERA at Altoona and former first-round draft choice Danny Moskos has a 1.63 ERA and 14 saves as the Curve's closer.

"There really are signs we're ready to turn this thing around," Russell said. "That can be a hollow thing to say, but I can see it."