PITTSBURGH -- Left-hander Jeff Locke continued the run of effective pitching by Pittsburgh Pirates starters on Tuesday, leading the Pirates to a 5-1 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Pittsburgh's starters yielded only two runs in a weekend sweep of the New York Mets, then right-hander Charlie Morton gave up only two runs over seven innings in the Pirates win Monday.

The rotation then turned to Locke. Even though Locke's 5.28 ERA was the staff's highest entering Tuesday's game, manager Clint Hurdle credited with starting the staff's superb run.

Locke kept what he started going by holding the Marlins scoreless into the sixth inning while the offense capitalized on two-out opportunities to help the Pirates win their fifth straight game.

"Everybody has been throwing the ball so well," Locke said. "You never want to feel like the weakest link, not that you ever do. You never want to feel like you let anybody down. You just want to keep it going as long as you can."

Locke (3-2) gave up four hits and four walks in 5 2/3 shutout innings. He struck out six.

"Made pitches when he had to," Hurdle said. "Nobody got away from him. All the pitches played at different times."

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first on third baseman Jung Ho Kang's RBI single to center field. Right fielder Josh Harrison scored from third after he led off the inning with a single, then moved to third on center fielder Andrew McCutchen's infield single.

Harrison drove in a run in the second inning with a double to right-center field. Shortstop Jordy Mercer scored that run after he singled with one out.

Second baseman Neil Walker followed with his third home run of the year. He tucked a line drive inside the foul pole in left field for a two-run home run that gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead.

First baseman Pedro Alvarez put the Pirates up 5-0 with an RBI single in the fifth after left fielder Starling Marte doubled. Alvarez's single chased Miami right-hander Jose Urena from the game.

The victory pushed the Pirates' record to 23-22, the first time the team has been over .500 since May 12. The offense has scored 30 runs in the team's current five-game win streak.

"It's been more consistent team at-bats," Harrison said. "You know early in the year we showed flashes of here or there, but it wasn't throughout the lineup. That's how we are when our whole lineup is like that, we're a dangerous team."

Pittsburgh scored all of its runs with two outs, and finished 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Miami also scored its only run with two outs, but finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men in the process.

Marlins manager Dan Jennings called the two-out hitting the difference in the game.

"They were able to capitalize on it," Jennings said. "They had opportunities and took advantage. We hit some balls hard but we didn't get them to fall with two outs."

Urena (0-1) made his first major-league start but lasted only 4 2/3 innings and gave up five runs on 10 hits. He walked one and struck out three.

"I made mistakes today," Urena said. "It didn't work out for me today, but I'm definitely looking forward to my next start and just learning from my mistakes today."

Jennings attributed his starter's mistakes to issues with location.

"You can't miss upstairs here in this league," Jennings said. "He made some pitches where he missed up and they made him pay."

Miami scored in the seventh when third baseman Martin Prado doubled to right field off Pittsburgh right-hander Rob Scahill. Second baseman Dee Gordon scored on the play after reaching on an infield single, then moving to third on a passed ball and wild pitch.

Prado's double put men on second and third, but first baseman Justin Bour flew out to end the inning.