PITTSBURGH - Pirates star center fielder Andrew McCutchen was hit in the left elbow by a pitch and exited during a five-run first inning as Pittsburgh sent the Atlanta Braves to their fifth straight loss, 8-4 Saturday.
McCutchen took a fastball from Julio Teheran (5-4). X-rays were negative and the 2013 NL MVP will be re-evaluated on Sunday.
Starling Marte got three hits and scored three times for the Pirates.
Jordy Mercer, Francisco Cervelli and Pedro Alvarez drove in two runs each for Pittsburgh. Charlie Morton (6-1) pitched into the seventh to bounce back from a rough start in Washington last weekend.
Jace Peterson had two hits and drove in three runs for Atlanta. Teheran gave up six runs in six innings, the fifth time this season he's given up at least six runs in a start.
McCutchen has become a popular target for opposing pitchers during his rise to stardom. He was tagged by Williams Perez on Friday night. Less than 24 hours later he was drilled for the eighth time this season when a 92 mph pitch from Teheran smacked into McCutchen's unprotected elbow. He doubled over in pain for several moments before leaving.
It seemed to get Pittsburgh's attention. Marte singled home Neil Walker to give the Pirates the lead and they were just getting started. Alvarez followed with a two-run double, Cervelli followed with an RBI single and Mercer tacked one on with a crisp single up the middle.
In Morton's previous outing, when the Nationals pushed him around for nine runs before he got out of the first inning.
Staked to a sizable lead, he hit Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons in the foot in the second inning. Home plate umpire John Tumpane issued a warning to Morton and both dugouts. Things settled down quickly.
Nick Markakis provided an RBI single in the third but Marte scored on a delayed double steal - helped by a botched throw home from first baseman Joey Terdoslavich - to make it 6-1.
Morton's control abandoned him in the seventh. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs and Peterson doubled to bring Atlanta within 6-4.