Blogs

HOUSTON — Ronny Cedeno is back in the starting lineup … for the moment, at least. Cedeno, who’s missed six starts due to a sore shoulder, was penciled into the lineup last night, then was a late scratch.

Manager John Russell is preaching patience with Ryan Doumit at right field, where the now-backup catcher made his third start of the season and second in two days on Tuesday.

With just over an hour until game time, there’s still no word yet on the Pirates signing top two picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie, and it would surprise nobody if it goes down to the 11:59 p.m. wire. “I know they’ve worked very hard on it,” manager John Russell said in his pregame Q&A [...]

HOUSTON — No matter how the question was phrased, GM Neal Huntington had the same answer — non-answer, actually — Sunday afternoon about the status of contract talks between the Pirates and top two draft picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie.

HOUSTON — GM Neal Huntington and scouting director Greg Smith are here at Minute Maid Park, and I’ll be chatting with them later this afternoon. Tomorrow’s deadline to sign draft picks will be a topic, but I’m not expecting either exec to say much — MLB has urged clubs to hold off announcing signings until [...]

HOUSTON — Right-hander Jeff Sues has been released. Sues was on the suspended list at Double-A Altoona for an unspecified violation of team rules. Sues, 27, was the Pirates’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2008 and was placed on the 40-man roster that offseason. Sues was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis near the end [...]

HOUSTON — Jose Tabata glanced at the lineup card hanging in the clubhouse and stopped in his tracks. “What the …” Tabata wondered aloud. Manager John Russell gave the lineup a major facelift, moving around everyone from the Nos. 2 to 7 spots in the order. Garrett Jones is hitting second, Pedro Alvarez is at [...]

HOUSTON — Jose Tabata went 0 for 4 for the second game in a row. It’s the first time this season he’s gone hitless in back-to-back games. Don’t be too quick to blame Tabata, though. Before the game, media relations guru Dan Hart nervously joked about whether he’d jinxed Tabata by putting the 0-fer item [...]

HOUSTON — Shortstop Ronny Cedeno is not in the lineup tonight and might miss the entire weekend series against the Astros due to a left shoulder injury. “It feels really tight,” Cedeno said. “I won’t be ready (to play) for a couple days.”

Zach Duke lost his second decision in a row, with a no-decision against Colorado on Aug. 6 in between, against the Padres today. But his numbers – six hits and two earned runs allowed in six innings – were better than the three earned runs and 10 hits surrendered in six innings to Colorado and the six runs, seven hits in five innings against St. Louis on Aug. 1.