Charlie Morton’s shutout innings takes Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-0 victory over Cincinnati Reds: MLB Update
Pittsburgh Pirates starter, Charlie Morton took his Club to an impressive 5-0 triumph in the first game against the Cincinnati Reds, at the Great American Ball Park, on Tuesday night, May 18, to take a 1-0 lead in the two-game series.
The 27-year-old ball thrower tossed nine shutout innings, struck out five batters, allowed just five hits and two walks to earn his fifth win of the season. The right-handed hurler, making his sixth start of the season, gave two of the hits in his first
inning, however, recuperated in a strong manner to take his record to 5-1 with a 2.62 ERA in this season.
In the ninth inning, when the Pirates were enjoying a 5-0 lead, Morton received a sky-high hit from Reds’ Fred Lewis that Jose Tabata caught on the warning track to save his Club from a serious blow.
"I almost thought when Fred hit that ball it was going to go out," said Morton, who threw 69 strikes out of 106 pitches. "I just looked at it and was, 'Oh, no!' But Tabata was at the warning track and he caught it."
Pirates manager, Clint hurdle was impressed to see brilliant stuff from both ends of the game.
Hurdle said. "It was good stuff: Ground Chuck. I am happy for him. I'm proud of him."
Reds’ starter, Bronson Arroyo was also going strong as he held the Pirates scoreless in his first three innings. However, the Pirates’ struggling third baseman, Pedro Alvarez blistered a huge 418-feet long three-run homer off Bronson in the fourth inning
to take his Club to 3-0 lead. With this hit, Alvarez also shattered his streak of 15 games without adding a single run.
Arroyo received another homer, when Andrew McCutchen launched a stormy 425-feet long hit to the left of the field for two runs. It was the tenth homer accounting for 16 of the 29 runs he allowed in his eight games. The 34-year-old veteran pitcher gave away
five runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out four over seven innings for his fourth loss of the season.
Arroyo was aware of his flaws as he told reporters after the game. "Any way you cut it, when Charlie's throwing that way against us, you can't afford to give up a lot of runs."
Reds’ closer Sam LeCure pitched a scoreless inning, however, he remained helpless to save his Club from their eighteenth loss of the season.
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