Adam LaRoche went 4 for 5, and Nyjer Morgan delivered the tiebreaking single in the sixth inning to lift the Pirates to a 7-4 victory against the Florida Marlins, as well as a three-game sweep, this afternoon before 10,655 at PNC Park.

It was the Pirates' first sweep of the season, and it raised their record to 9-6, their first time at three games above .500 since winning the first three games of 2007, the latest in any season they have been at this level since May 3, 2002, when they were 15-12.

"It's a step in the right direction," LaRoche said. "That can change quickly, though. We can get content with it, or we can move forward and take advantage of it. If we keep playing like this, we're going to be pretty good."

LaRoche's four-hit day, the eighth of his career, included three doubles, an RBI and two runs. A slow starter throughout his professional tenure with a .182 April average, he is bucking that trend in a big way this season, batting .309 with 10 of his 16 hits going for extra bases.

Asked about his April history, LaRoche kept a straight face while replying, "I don't know what you're talking about. That's behind me now."

He was asked why that is.

"Shoot, if I could answer that, I would have fixed it four years ago. I have no idea why this is happening now, but I'm not complaining."

Paul Maholm allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings, his first subpar showing, but he still got the victory and improved to 3-0. The bullpen -- Jesse Chavez, Sean Burnett, John Grabow and Matt Capps -- put up three zeroes after his exit. Capps recorded his fifth save, second in as many days.

"The offense and bullpen picked me up," Maholm said.

The Pirates leaped to a 3-0 lead on LaRoche's RBI book-rule double to the North Side Notch in the first, then Nate McLouth's run-scoring single and Andy LaRoche's sacrifice fly in the third.

Maholm was perfect through three, but Wes Helms' two-out RBI double pulled Florida within 3-1, beginning a trend.

That became 3-2 in the fifth, when Ricky Nolasco, Maholm's counterpart, knifed a two-out RBI single into right.

The Pirates answered with a run in the bottom half, that on Andy LaRoche's two-out, two-strike double inside the third-base bag.

Florida tied the score at 4-4 in the sixth, with those runs also coming after two outs: Ronny Paulino lined an RBI single into center, and Cody Ross sent an RBI double off the Clemente Wall.

"I felt really good through three innings, then made some stupid pitches," Maholm said.

Morgan orchestrated the winning rally in the bottom half: Pinch-hitter Delwyn Young ripped a double to the track in center, and Morgan lined an RBI single into left. Morgan stole third and, when Paulino's throw bounced into the outfield, he sprinted home to put the Pirates back up, 6-4.

"It feels good to be part of that," Morgan said. "It felt like the game changed right there."

Florida had arrived in Pittsburgh with an 11-1 record that was the best in Major League Baseball, but were outclassed in every facet of the series, especially in the field.

"That's a really good team we just swept," Young said. "The fish don't like the cold, I guess."

First-pitch temperature was 42 degrees.

The Pirates are off tomorrow, then begin a six-game road trip in San Diego.

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