Pirates 3, White Sox 0
PITTSBURGH -- Right-hander Charlie Morton pitched seven shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates completed a sweep of the Chicago White Sox in a two-game series, 3-0 Tuesday at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh moved to a season-high 10 games over .500 with the team's sixth consecutive win.
The Pirates have thrown three consecutive shutouts for the first time since Oct. 2-3, 1976, when they blanked the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 2 and in both games of a doubleheader the following day.
Morton (5-0) gave up four hits and walked only one batter. He struck out three and retired 11 batters in a row during the middle innings.
Pittsburgh started the scoring in the third. Left fielder Starling Marte led off with a single, stole second base and came home on center fielder Andrew McCutchen's single to left for a 1-0 edge.
First baseman Sean Rodriguez doubled the lead with a solo home run in the fourth. Chicago left-hander Jose Quintana hung a curveball over the middle of the plate that Rodriguez sent beyond the wall into the left field bleachers.
Catcher Francisco Cervelli tacked on another run in the sixth with his second home run of the season. Quintana threw a fastball low but over the middle of the plate that Cervelli hit out to left field, putting the Pirates up 3-0.
Quintana (3-7) gave up three runs and nine hits. He walked one and struck out five.
The White Sox advanced their first runner into scoring position since the first inning in the seventh when right fielder Avisail Garcia reached on a fielder's choice and catcher Geovany Soto singled. Pinch hitter Adam LaRoche grounded into a fielder's choice on the first pitch to end the threat.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the seventh and put two men on in the eighth but were unable to add late insurance either time.
Right-hander Mark Melancon worked a scoreless ninth for his 21st save.
NOTES: Pittsburgh announced the signing of first-round compensatory draft pick 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes, the No. 32 overall pick in last week's draft. ... Chicago C Tyler Flowers was out of the lineup to receive a day off after some "catcher wear and tear" per manager Robin Ventura. ... Pittsburgh and Chicago travel to the Windy City for two games as the Pirates play their first road interleague game of the season on Wednesday.