If Pirates starter Charlie Morton had performed better Sunday night against the Dodgers, he might have stuck around longer. And if had stuck around longer, he would have been the beneficiary of an offensive onslaught. And if he had been the beneficiary of an offensive onslight, he would have won.
Instead, Morton received a no-decision after pitching just five innings and allowing five runs on 10 hits. He walked three and fanned six.
His struggles started in the first, when three singles led to two runs. An Adrian Gonzalez RBI hit in the third and three-hit fifth, which included a double by Alberto Callaspo, all but ended his evening.
Morton was coming off his finest outing in two months, but has generally struggled lately. He has yielded at least three runs in seven of his last nine starts as his ERA has risen to 4.48.