Marcell Ozuna drove in three runs with a double when the bases were loaded in Atlanta’s third inning, where they scored five runs. Charlie Morton, who once played for Pittsburgh, only allowed three hits to his former team as the Braves defeated the Pirates 6-1 on Friday night.
Morton, aged 40, now has wins against every team in the major leagues with his first victory over the Pirates. He played for Pittsburgh from 2009 to 2015. The right-hander pitched 6 1/3 innings without allowing any runs and struck out seven batters.
“Pittsburgh has always held a special place for me,” Morton said. “I spent seven seasons there and went through many ups and downs.”
Austin Riley hit his ninth home run, including six in the last 14 games. The Braves scored six runs in four innings against Martín Pérez (1-4), who returned to the mound after being on the injured list since May 27 due to a left groin strain.
The highlight for the Pirates came in the eighth inning when Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 24 games with a single up the middle off Jesse Chavez. It is the longest hitting streak in the majors this season and the longest for a Pittsburgh player since 2003.
Morton (5-4) was impressive in only his second start ever against Pittsburgh.
“Charlie Morton’s curveball tonight was classic,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “He could throw it whenever he wanted to. You can see why he has pitched in the big leagues for 15 years. I don’t know if he could have thrown a better curveball.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker remarked, “It’s pretty cool that Charlie completed his list of wins against every team. What he continues to do is remarkable to me, considering all the years and innings he’s pitched.”
