What an absolutely perfect day for a doubleheader. It’s days like this that make me think I should pay to watch The Beautiful Game, not the other way around. I’m still waiting for someone to yank the media pass off my neck and say, “Sorry. We were only kidding.”

What makes today even more special is the fact the Bucs and Rockies are playing a traditional twin-bill. None of that day-night-kill-a-few-hours-in-between ballapalooza.

The guys in uniform certainly prefer the traditional approach.

“Less taxing. You get into a routine and just continue to play,” Clint Hurdle said. “I like that. You don’t stay on ‘pause’ for an extended period of time. There is a more continuous flow.”

Scheduled doubleheaders are extinct. In the course of the season, postponements will lead both to single-admission and day-night doubleheaders, the latter necessary to protect revenue in ballparks that regularly are filled.

But another thing totally extinct is the single-admission, twi-night doubleheader. Those used to be staples at old Forbes Field, catering to steelworkers off the day shift. I remember attending many memorable twi-nighters, which typically began at 6 p.m. and late in the season would proceed without curfews (since the visiting team would not be making subsequent appearances).

Such as the one against the Cardinals, with both games long, drawn-out extra-inning affairs. The final pitch was made at something like two o’clock in the morning. There was nothing lik seeing Elroy Face kick high and throw forkballs into the dirt at 2 a.m.

This was a terrific win for the Bucs, whose timely hitting checked in before their terrific pitching checked out.

In the post-game clubhouse, there were so many exhales of relief, it briefly felt like a wind tunnel.

It takes more than one breakout game to get well. Too much of the lineup is still well below the Mendoza Line. But at least a trio found its way onto the Interstate: Clint Barmes (.146), Rod Barajas (.108) and Yamaico Navarro (.100) lifted their averages out of beginning with an “.0″

Speaking of that threesome … Neal Huntington had almost as good a night as did Barmes. Those three were among the GM’s offseason acquisitions. Add Casey McGehee, and four newcomers contributed a collective 6-for-13 to arguably the Pirates’ best win yet of the young season.

Considering the offensive vacuum that has drawn so much negative national attention, it’s remarkable that the Bucs could be one day away from reaching .500. They could reach that plateau in Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Rockies.

How consistently amazing has the Pirates’ pitching been? They have now gone the season’s first 16 games yet to allow more than five runs. Modern baseball’s toughest pitching staff — the 1968 Bob Gibson Cardinals, whose domination had a lot to do with causing the pitching mound to be lowered — yielded 48 runs in its first 16 games; the Bucs have also allowed 48.

Some people were surprised by the Pirates’ early Monday call to cancel that night’s game, setting up a traditional doubleheader for Wednesday afternoon. The ranks of the surprised and somewhat confused grew as the day went on, with little rain coming down and temperatures actually going up.

Other than the fact the forecast was indeed discouraging, this might further explain the early call: There is a revolutionary new rule in the fresh Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows teams to temporarily add a 26th player for doubleheaders: But only if the twin-bill is scheduled with a 48-hour notice.

The Pirates notified MLB of Monday’s postponement at about 12:30 p.m., a half hour before word went out to the media and, through them, the public. The first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader is scheduled to start at 12:35 p.m.

Manager Clint Hurdle did confirm a few minutes ago that the Bucs will be adding a reliever for the twosome. The Pirates bullpen has been an arm short anyway, since Jared Hughes was optioned to Indy to make room for A.J. Burnett’s activation. Most likely addition for tomorrow is a lefty to support Tony Watson, someone like Daniel Moskos.

The 26th man is a one-day-and-done deal. Unless another roster move is made to accomodate a longer stay, he must return to the Minors immediately after the games’ conclusion.

Through my window, looks like a beautiful day in Pittsburgh. Looks aren’t deceiving. But neither do they come with a thermometer.

A couple of cold nights at the yard don’t figure to light a fire under those Pirates bats. It may be coincidental, but it occurred to me the other day that they’ve played in only two warm-weather spots all year: Florida, where they were the top hitting team for most of the Grapefruit League season, and Phoenix, where they took a series from the D-backs.

So, yeah baby, it’s (still) cold outside. 

Tomorrow’s doubleheader will be the earliest in Pittsburgh since April 23, 1978, when the Bucs swept the Cardinals at Three Rivers. It’ll be the Bucs’ earliest twin-bill on the baseball calendar since an April 20, 1983 DH in Shea Stadium; the Bucs were swept in that one.

The only previous PNC Park April doubleheader? April 28, 2002, a split with the Padres.

Twin-bills, of course, are no longer scheduled and result from postponements. With balanced schedules including only one inter-divisional visits, host teams must immediately double-up to make up any weather casualties. Thus that ’02 twin-bill and tomorrow’s with a pair of West Division clubs.

PHOENIX — Jeff Karstens on Wednesday was placed on the 15-day DL by the Pirates, who recalled right-hander Bran Lincoln from Indianapolis to take his place on the roster and in the rotation.

Karstens had departed his start here Tuesday night after one inning, suffering from inflammation in his right, pitching shoulder. He is returning to Pittsburgh with the club following the Wednesday matinee here, but the Pirates did not await results of his examination by team doctors before making the move.

Lincoln had entered Spring Training as a candidate for the rotation after making eight 2011 starts with the Pirates, going 2-3 with a 4.72 ERA in them. In two starts this season for the Triple-A Indians, he has a 2.25 ERA, with no walks and nine strikeouts in 12 innings.

The Bucs’ 2006 No. 1 Draft choice (fourth overall selection) could be only a placeholder for A.J. Burnett, who is scheduled to make one more rehab start — on Saturday with Class-AA Altoona — before coming off the DL for his debut with the Pirates.

A.J. Burnett could be less than two weeks away from joining the Pirates’ rotation — putting him right on target for the early end of the 8-to-12 week recovery window he’d been given following his March 2 surgery.

Burnett is due to join the club tonight in time to take in the game against the D-backs in Chase Field, fresh off his rocky but start Monday night in Indianapolis.

The plan is for Burnett to be examined by the team’s medical staff, travel back East with the Bucs and throw a side under pitching coach Ray Searage’s watch, make one more rehab start on Saturday with Class-AA Altoona — then hook up with the Pirates.

Manager Clint Hurdle said he hasn’t been even “penciled” into the rotation yet. The scenario will be re-visited following that fourth, and final, rehab start.

This is definitely an odd situation for the Pirates. whose last need would appear to be rotation help. The five current starters have been nails, yet to allow more than three runs in any of their starts. And, of course, Burnett’s arrival would have to mean the exclusion of a current starter.

The original design was for a starter to be moved to the bullpen – -someone like Jeff Karstens or Kevin Correia — but the current Pirates relievers have been even more effective than the starters.

Sounds like GM Neal Huntington faces some big decisions, with Hurdle’s input. A trade is very much possible — several Major League teams have already suffered key losses to their bullpens and loom as logical trade partners.

In what is certain to be an unpopular move among the team’s fans, the Pirates cleared roster room for right-hander Charlie Morton by optioning infielder Matt Hague to Class AAA Indianapolis.

An infielder was certain to surrender his spot on the 25-man roster to Morton — who is coming off the DL to fasce the Giants tonight — but the likelier choice appeared to be either Josh Harrison or Yamaico Navarro. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez, struggling with 10 strikeouts in 16 at-bats compared to only one hit, also seemed more likely to go than Hague.

In his first week as a Major Leaguer, Hague was 1-for-9, with two strikeouts.

Trying to get their teams out of an offensive slumps, some managers might tinker with their lineups.

Not Clint Hurdle. He blew up his for tonight’s game against the Dodgers.

Josh Harrison (at second), Yamaico Navarro (in left) and Michael McKenry (catching) are all in there against Los Angeles lefty Chris Capuano. McKenry has started once, but it will be the first start for the other two. Among them, the trio brings a total of six at-bats into the game.

The shakeup is understandable, considering the Bucs have scored an MLB-low nine runs in their first five games.

The mutual starts of Harrison and Navarro are also intriguing because they could be playing off for a roster spot once Charlie Morton is activated, as expected, in time to start Saturday’s game in San Francisco.

That said, it is curious that Alex Presley, who has started every game — opposing lefty or righty — and hit in each has to sit to accomodate Navarro in left.

Nate McLouth, easily the most multitasking outfielder in the Majors, is getting his first start of the season tonight, replacing Jose Tabata in right field against the Dodgers and right-hander Chad Billingsley.

McLouth enters the game with only one at-bat off the bench, but manager Clint Hurdle’s commitment to keep his reserves fresh made it inevitable that he would soon break into the starting lineup.

“McLouth has to play also. He’s a guy who can flex against Billingsley,” Hurdle said. “It gave Tabata chance to come out and get in some work early.”

McLouth enters the game lifetime 4-for-13 off Billingsley.

“I know my job is to be ready when I’m called on,” McLouth said.

The once-again Pirate is not only the team’s fourth outfielder, but also its fifth and sixth outfielder. Although Josh Harrison and Yamaico Navarro could both be used in a corner in a pinch, the Bucs unusually are carrying only four outfielders.

PITTSBURGH — This was a crowd that came to cheer. Opening Day fans at PNC Park couldn’t hold their voices during the always-patriotic, sometimes solemn ceremonies that set the stage for the beginning of the Pirates’ 126th season.

With United States Military representatives presenting the colors around second base and introduced Pirates and Phillies lined up on their respective baselines, the observations began with a video montage of all the former Pirates who have passed away since the last Opening Day, followed by a request for a moment of silence.

Instead, the fans almost immediately broke into a standing ovation of gratitude for those players who’d thrilled them in bygone years.

Thinking they had heard the final verse of 11-year-old Shane Treloar’s stunning rendition of America the Beautiful, the crowd broke into appreciative applause. But Shane was only catching his breath, and continued on to an even louder ovation.

Then members of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Army Field Band Ensemble harmonized through a touching rendition of the National Anthem.

Grateful recognition of the military and of veterans culminated with Pittsburgh-native Jeremy Feldbusch delivering the ceremonial first pitch. Feldbusch lost his sight during his tour of duty in Iraq, when the Army Ranger’s unit came under fire and an explosive detonated near him.

Feldbusch, representing the Wounded Warriors Project, still delivered a perfect strike to get a perfect day of baseball’s perennial rebirth underway.