Morton Leads Pirates To 5-0 Win Over Giants
Pittsburgh (KDKA)- The streak is finally over! The Pittsburgh Pirates no longer have to hear about their losing streak, which reached a season high of 10 games.
Charlie Morton (9-6) and Jose Veras combined on a six-hit shutout as the Pirates blanked the San Francisco Giants, 5-0.
The shutout was the Pirates ninth of the season and sixth on the road.
Offensively, the Bucs were led by RF Garrett Jones, who collected 4 hits and LF Ryan Ludwick's 2 hits and 2 RBIs.
The Pirates offense which had struggled lately got to Giants All-Star pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, tagging him for five runs on nine hits in five innings.
The impressive thing about the offense was that 4 of the 5 runs scored were with 2 out hits:
*1st inning: Ludwick 2-out single drives in Neil Walker (who had doubled in Jones)
*3rd inning: 2-out bases loaded walk by Pedro Alvarez scored Andrew McCutchen
*5th inning: Ludwick 2-out single scores Jones
*5th inning: Brandon Wood's 2-out single drives in Ludwick
Morton finished his night with four strikeouts and recorded 13 of his 20 other outs via ground balls. The only right-handed hitter to reach base against him did so on a throwing error by Brandon Wood in the eighth.