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 The streak now stands at 30 consecutive scoreless innings after
right-hander Charlie Morton pitched seven shutout innings and the
Pirates completed a sweep of the White Sox in a two-game series, 3-0
Tuesday at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh's starting pitchers have allowed only five earned runs
over the team's last nine games, good for an 0.69 ERA in 65 1/3
innings. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle calls it professional
competitiveness as he has witnessed a run of starting pitching he
has never seen in his managerial experience.
"Nobody is going to get cut if they don't throw a shutout," Hurdle
said. "They're just going out there trying to keep this thing
moving."
Pittsburgh moved to a season-high 10 games over .500 with the team's
sixth consecutive win.
The Pirates have thrown three consecutive shutouts for the first
time since Oct. 2-3, 1976, when they blanked the St. Louis Cardinals
on Oct. 2 and in both games of a doubleheader the following day.
Morton (5-0) gave up four hits and walked only one batter. He struck
out three and retired 11 batters in a row during the middle innings.
"Anytime you go out there you want a good game," Morton said. "I try
not to make that an issue, a factor. I just go out there and try to
keep my team in the game."
Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton led the game off with a walk and
stole second but was thrown out at third when he overslid the base
on a fielder's choice. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez advanced to second
on first baseman Jose Abreu's single, but Morton retired left
fielder Melky Cabrera and right fielder Avisail Garcia to end the
threat.
That was the most trouble Morton faced Tuesday. He cruised through
the seventh from there.
"I think I started getting ahead, throwing more strikes," Morton
said. "They were pretty aggressive. They were putting a lot of balls
in play. That first inning I just wasn't where I want to be."
Pittsburgh started the scoring in the third. Left fielder Starling
Marte led off with a single, stole second base and came home on
center fielder Andrew McCutchen's single to left for a 1-0 edge.
First baseman Sean Rodriguez doubled the lead with a solo home run
in the fourth. Chicago left-hander Jose Quintana hung a curveball
over the middle of the plate that Rodriguez sent beyond the wall
into the left-field bleachers.
Catcher Francisco Cervelli tacked on a run in the sixth with his
second home run of the season. Quintana threw a fastball low but
over the middle of the plate that Cervelli hit out to left field,
putting the Pirates up 3-0.
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Quintana (3-7) gave up three runs and nine hits. He walked one and
struck out five.
The left-hander, who infrequently gives up home runs,
uncharacteristically gave up two Tuesday night.
"I tried to keep the ball down but they're swinging," Quintana said.
"That's going to happen."
Despite a quality start from Quintana, the White Sox never
threatened with an offense that failed to score again. Chicago went
6-for-58 (.103) at the plate in two games at PNC Park, a number
nowhere near good enough for manager Robin Ventura.
"We just didn't swing it," Ventura said. "(Quintana) gave up a few
runs there but if you're going to keep putting up zeros it's tough
to win games."
The White Sox advanced their first runner into scoring position
since the first inning in the seventh when Garcia reached on a
fielder's choice and catcher Geovany Soto singled. Pinch hitter Adam
LaRoche grounded into a fielder's choice on the first pitch to end
the threat.
Right-hander Mark Melancon worked a scoreless ninth for his 21st
save.
NOTES: Pittsburgh announced the signing of first-round compensatory
draft pick 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes, the No. 32 overall pick in last week's
draft. ... Chicago C Tyler Flowers was out of the lineup to receive
a day off after some "catcher wear and tear," per manager Robin
Ventura. ... Pittsburgh and the White Sox travel to Chicago for two
games as the Pirates play their first road interleague game of the
season on Wednesday.
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