Phillies 0 - 1 Pirates
Final/13
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Phils, Pirates engage in Keystone State Series

Jun 12, 2015 - 2:36 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeff Locke looks to remain unbeaten against Philadelphia on Friday night when the Pittsburgh Pirates open up a three-game series against the visiting Phillies.

Locke has posted a 1.35 earned run average in winning each of his first four career starts versus the Phils. He has held Philadelphia to four earned runs and struck out 21 over 26 2/3 innings.

Locke has just one victory over his past nine starts and four decisions overall. He is coming off a no-decision in Atlanta on Saturday, charged with four runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings.

The left-hander is 3-3 with a 5.37 ERA this season, but 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA at home.

The Pirates avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers with Wednesday's 2-0 victory, fueled by Charlie Morton's 7 1/3 scoreless innings of three-hit ball. Morton also struck out a season-high six batters to move to 4-0 on the year.

"I just feel like I did a good job," Morton said. "I limited their offense and minimized damage."

Starling Marte drove in a run in the first inning and Pedro Alvarez added a solo homer in the second frame that cleared the right field bleachers of PNC Park and landed on the riverwalk. It was his 10th homer of the season and gave Pittsburgh its sixth victory in nine games.

The Pirates next try to extend the Phillies' worst road start in 74 years. Philadelphia lost its seventh straight on the road with Wednesday's 5-2 setback to the Cincinnati Reds.

Jerome Williams suffered the loss, allowing four runs -- all in the first inning -- on nine hits over six frames.

The Phillies dropped to 7-23 as the guest this season, their worst road record after 30 games since they were 6-24 in 1941.

Rookie Maikel Franco went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Cameron Rupp had two hits and drove in both runs for Philadelphia, which has dropped 15 of its last 19 contests.

"I liked the way he played today, and I like the way he's played the last few games," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Rupp. "He's swinging the bat."

After signing with the Phillies on Monday, Kevin Correia will make his first start of the 2015 season tonight.

Correia opted out of a contract with the San Francisco Giants on May 29 before joining the Phillies after going 0-1 with a 3.58 ERA in six starts with Triple-A Sacramento. In 32 appearances last season with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers, including 26 starts, he went 7-17 with a 5.44 ERA.

"This is a good opportunity, but it's also a great city to play in, a great sports city," Correia said on Philadelphia's website. "Philadelphia was always a place I would enjoy going to."

The 34-year-old righty is 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in eight career meetings with the Pirates, five of those starts.

The Phillies and Pirates split a four-game set in Philadelphia from May 11-14, but Pittsburgh has won six of the past eight at home in this matchup.






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