Making his second start of the season, Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton was brilliant on Saturday against the Padres. The right-hander limited San Diego to two runs (one earned) on just three hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out two, throwing 57 of his 85 pitches for strikes. He now has a pristine 1.93 ERA in his first two starts.
Morton broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth with an RBI ground-out to give the Pirates a lead they would not give back.
At one point, Morton, who bettered his record to 2-0, had retired 10 batters in a row on Saturday. Morton came off of the disabled list on Monday to make his first start of the season, and is now 2-0 on the year.
"That's why I'm here," Morton said to The Pittsburgh Tribune. "I didn't really have expectations, other than to make good pitches and let the chips fall where they may. If I put the work in and make good pitches, I'm expecting good results."
He'll make his next start on Wednesday in Atlanta.