Pittsburgh Pirates limp out of nation’s capital after 9-2 loss

The Pittsburgh Pirates fell victim to an all-time horrendous outing from Charlie Morton and never recovered. After spotting the Washington Nationals a 9-0 lead, the Pirates added two meaningless runs in the ninth and limped out of our nation’s capital have been swept by an under-achieving team.

Morton’s line was truly horrific. Morton lasted only 0.2 innings – giving up nine earned runs. Bryce Harper hit his third home run of the series to start the massacre, a two-run shot scoring Yunel Escobar. Morton’s bad inning had a bit of everything, with Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez getting a hit, and Ian Desmond scoring on an errant pickoff throw from Morton.

Thankfully, Morton was relieved of his duties and Vance Worley came in with 4.1 innings of long relief. Worley looked surprisingly good as he struck out five in his work. Arquimedes Caminero and Antonio Bastardo mopped up, both working clean appearances, Bastardo’s lasting two innings.

To cap off a truly forgettable sweep, Corey Hart homered to centerfield with Sean Rodriguez on base in the ninth inning.

What Stood Out

The story begins and ends with Morton. Due to likely the worst single inning in recent Pittsburgh Pirates memory, Morton’s ERA jumped from 1.62 to 3.97. It was a very alarming step back for Morton, who is well-known to Pirates fans as being prone to “one bad inning” syndrome.

The Pirates did collect eight hits on the day. Josh Harrison was the standout with a 2-for-4 day. Starling Marte, Jung Ho Kang, and Francisco Cervelli combined to go 0-for-9.

What’s Next

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a much-needed day off today before beginning a six game homestand. The team welcomes the red hot Todd Frazier and the Cincinnati Reds to PNC Park for a three-game slate, followed by a three-gamer vs the Atlanta Braves.