ATLANTA — Braves starter Charlie Morton has not allowed a hit through six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Morton hit Matt Carpenter with a pitch in the third inning Thursday night and also drilled Dylan Carlson in the fourth, the only baserunners he's allowed.
The 37-year-old right-hander has struck out six and thrown 72 pitches.
St. Louis starter John Gant didn't allow a hit until Ronald Acuña Jr. singled to open the fourth. Freddie Freeman followed with a single, but the inning ended when Austin Riley lined out to third.
Morton entered 2-12 with a 5.68 ERA in 18 career starts against St. Louis.
Plagued often by big innings this year, Morton has been steady with a fastball up to 96 mph, mixing in plenty of curves and cutters, too.
The Braves led 2-0 on Guillermo Heredia's third homer in the fifth and Ozzie Albies' RBI triple in the sixth.
There have been six no-hitters already this season, and a seventh would match 1990, 1991, 2012 and 2015 for the most since 1900, one shy of the record eight in 1884 — the first season overhand pitching was allowed.
