Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton delivered a strong start against the Giants on Thursday night. Morton held the Giants scoreless over 6 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out eight in the 4-0 victory.
Morton (8-4, 4.06 ERA) was cruising through his outing until he got into some trouble in the sixth inning. He loaded the bases with two outs, prompting manager Clint Hurdle to make a pitching change. The bullpen took over from there, successfully keeping the shutout in tact.
This was Morton's second scoreless outing this month. Unfortunately, he allowed a total of seven earned runs in his other two August starts. Still, Morton is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA over those four starts.