Morton exits start in second inning due to foot injury

ST. LOUIS -- Pirates starter Charlie Morton abruptly left Sunday's game, and soon thereafter left town for an examination of the left-foot discomfort that forced him out of Pittsburgh's 9-2 loss in the second inning.

Morton departed the game with undisclosed discomfort in the foot triggered, he later passed word through a club spokesman, when he went to cover home plate on his last, wild pitch of the game. The pitcher immediately left for Pittsburgh to be examined by team doctors.

Morton obviously would not have pitched anyway at the Pirates' next stop, a three-game Interleague Series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. So he will simply hook back up with the team when it returns to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Morton had just uncorked a wild pitch to allow a run to score and give St. Louis a 5-0 lead when he was paid a visit by pitching coach Ray Searage.

Soon after engaging Morton, Searage signaled to the dugout for the trainer to come out. Soon after that, Morton walked off the mound.

Stolmy Pimentel took over and ended the inning with a strikeout of Yadier Molina.

Morton was making his 16th start since resuming his career after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was working on a career-long four-game winning streak and had been 6-1 with a team-low 2.90 ERA since the All-Star break.

Morton went 1 2/3 innings on Sunday, charged with six hits and five runs while walking two without a strikeout.