Charlie Morton, Pirates whip Miami, 4-2

Charlie Morton struck out five Marlins and got 13 ground ball outs as the Pirates doubled up the Marlins Wednesday night, 4-2.

Morton threw 86 pitches, 59 for strikes. He walked none.

"He only had two three-ball counts the entire night," Clint Hurdle said. "His overall command was much improved from the last two times out."

Morton allowed his only runs in the fourth, when he gave up three straight hits before inducing a double-play ball from Adeiny Hechavarria and striking out Jake Marisnick. Morton also got some help from his defense -- Pedro Alvarez made a brilliant stop on a ground ball by Donovan Solano in the second.

In the bottom of the fourth, Andrew McCutchen cut the Marlins' lead to 2-1 with a homer to right center. Then, Morton himself knocked in the tying run the following inning, spiking an opposite-field, line-drive single.

"I don't know what happened there," Morton said.

Later the same inning, Jordy Mercer came home on a wild pitch by Tom Koehler that nearly hit Starling Marte in the face.

The Pirates got an insurance run in the eighth after Neil Walker led off with a double and came home on Alvarez's sacrifice fly. Mark Melancon got a line-drive double play and a strikeout to pick up the save with a scoreless ninth.

David Manel contributed to this post.