Pirates down Rockies to split doubleheader

Pittsburgh, PA – Charlie Morton tossed seven solid frames, while Garrett Jones had three hits, including a two-run home run, as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Colorado Rockies, 5-1, in the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

The Rockies took the twinbill opener, 2-1.

Morton (1-1) allowed one run on six hits and one walk and Pedro Alvarez smacked a solo shot in a five-run fifth inning for the Pirates, who took 2- of-3 in the three-game set.

"He made pitches, he didn't have a whole lot of deep counts, he kept the ball down, he had a good breaking ball," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said of Morton's outing. "We couldn't do anything."

Alvarez has turned things around after scuffling to a 1-for-24 start over his first eight games. He is 6-for-21 with three home runs and five RBI in his last six contests.

"It's just a matter of going out there and competing and just trying to keep it as simple as possible," Alvarez said of his recent success.

Ramon Hernandez belted a solo homer to account for Colorado's lone run, while Jhoulys Chacin (0-2) gave up five runs on eight hits and two walks.

The Pirates, who left five men on base through the first four innings, exploded for five runs in the fifth.

Alex Presley laced a one-out double and Nate McLouth brought him home with a double to left field as Carlos Gonzalez lost the ball in the sun. Andrew McCutchen then poked a single to left-center field to bring home McLouth, making it 2-0.

Jones and Alvarez then slugged back-to-back homers to make it 5-0.

Jones crushed a changeup into the right-field seats for a two-run shot and Alvarez followed by stinging one off the right-field foul pole.

Hernandez smashed a solo homer to deep center in the seventh to trim the gap to 5-1, but Brad Lincoln shut the door with a perfect eighth and ninth.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh's Clint Barmes picked up his 700th career hit with a double in the second inning...The Pirates are 4-0 when scoring four-plus runs.