Saturday Stuff

The news today:

-- The Padres are 26-20 on the road going into tonight, the only NL team to register a winning record away from home.

-- The beat guys say Andrew McCutchen is still day-to-day; he could play tonight or be held out until the Tuesday road trip starts.

-- Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes that "It will be interesting to see if the Pirates surrender a guy like Evan Meek or Joel Hanrahan. Both could interest the Rockies. And I expect them to call about them. But the price on all bullpen guys is high right now."

Hopefully, sky-high for that pair. Both are under team control for years; Hanrahan hits arbitration next season, and Meek in 2012.

-- Bryan Morris has been skipped in Altoona rotation, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette. Aside from the fact that he's been getting toasted of late, he's at 103 innings of work, a career high, and may be getting worn down. He'll be treated with kid gloves from here on out.

-- Altoona Curve RHP Jeff Sues, who's been on the DL with an ankle sprain since July 3rd, was suspended for violation of club policy. As usual, the Pirates had nothing to add, report the beat guys.

-- RHP Teddy Fallon (0-0, 5.06) and LHP Justin Ennis (2-0, 5.40) were both promoted from short season State College to Class A West Virginia. Fallon, 24, who has walked ten batters in five innings, was a low pick in the 2009 draft and Ennis, 23, was a late pick this season. Age before beauty, hey?

-- Ramon Vazquez was released for the second time this season. The Astros cut him loose after the Mariners had done the same earlier in the year. $2M doesn't get you what it used to, we see.