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Pirates power past the Cubs

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer and drove in three, Charlie Morton had seven strikeouts in seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates powered past the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, on Monday night to open a four-game series.

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer and drove in three, Charlie Morton had seven strikeouts in seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates powered past the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, on Monday night to open a four-game series.

The Pirates have now beaten the Cubs three times this season with Morton (3-7) on the mound, though the right-hander finally earned his first decision in the games.

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Working economically most of the night, Morton gave up just six hits and a run without walking a batter and threw 59 of his 82 pitches for strikes.

Ike Davis also homered and Starling Marte had three hits and two RBI for the Pirates.

Edwin Jackson (4-6) opposed Morton for the third time this season and went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

Jared Hughes gave up a leadoff homer to Starlin Castro in the ninth inning, but settled in to get the last three outs for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead after Pedro Alvarez hit a leadoff single in the second inning and scored on Marte's double down the left-field line.

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McCutchen went the other way with a fastball for a two-out homer to right field after Travis Snider reached on a ground-rule double in the third inning.

The reigning NL MVP then followed Snider's single in the fifth inning with a drive off the right-field wall for an RBI double and 4-0 Pittsburgh lead.

Morton threw just seven pitches in the first inning and was stingy early on. Only one Cubs runner made it past first before Anthony Rizzo hit a two-out single in the sixth and scored on Castro's double off the wall in right that trimmed Chicago's deficit to 4-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, Marte was tagged out in a rundown between third base and home plate after the Cubs, correctly guessing a squeeze bunt or steal was on the way, pitched out to catch him.

Davis hit a leadoff homer in the eighth and Marte added an RBI double later in the frame to make it 6-1.

[SportsNetwork.com]

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