Braves' Charlie Morton: Fans seven Rays on Thursday
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Morton gave up four runs on three hits and a walk over 4.1 innings while striking out seven during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
A three-run home run by Manuel Margot in the first inning marred his line in the box score, but Morton still looked pretty dominant as he fired 46 of 70 pitches for strikes before exiting. The veteran right-hander has a 12:4 K:BB through 9.2 innings this spring and seems just about ready for Opening Day, as he looks to top 200 strikeouts for the fifth straight full season.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Sharp in first spring start
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Morton gave up one run on one hit over 2.2 innings while striking out two in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
Oswaldo Cabrera tagged him for a solo shot in the first inning, but otherwise Morton looked sharp in his first game action of the spring. The veteran right-hander struggled early last season and had an ERA above 5.00 as late as June 17, but from that point on he looked more like his old self and posted a 3.87 ERA and 11.2 K/9 over his final 18 starts. Morton is 39 years old and the end could be nigh on his big-league career, but Atlanta is counting on him to provide at least one more year as a solid mid-rotation option.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Exits after comebacker hits elbow
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Morton exited Saturday's NLDS Game 4 against the Phillies after a comebacker off the bat of Alec Bohm hit his elbow, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Morton was also struck by a comebacker during last postseason, fracturing his right fibula in Game 1 of last year's World Series. This injury doesn't appear to be as serious, but he didn't look good when warming up for the third inning and was removed from the game. It's possible he should have been removed even earlier, as he gave up a three-run home run to Brandon Marsh later in the second inning, three batters after suffering the injury. Whether or not he'll have the chance to pitch in the NLCS should Atlanta advance is not yet clear.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Starting Game 4 on Saturday
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Morton will draw the start in Saturday's Game 4 matchup in the NLDS with the Phillies.
The 38-year-old will have his next expected start pushed back a day after Spencer Strider was confirmed as Friday's Game 3 starter. Morton has yet to pitch in the postseason after having posted a 6.23 ERA in his final five outings of the regular season. He will look to produce a better performance in Saturday's contest, which could be an elimination game for Atlanta.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Back with Atlanta for at least 2023
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Morton agreed with Atlanta on a one-year, $20 million contract for the 2023 season that includes a $20 million club option for 2024.
Morton, who turns 39 in November, has a 4.29 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 200 strikeouts (ninth most in the majors) in 167.2 innings this season. The club option does not include a buyout.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Pitches into sixth
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Morton (9-6) got the win after he pitched 5.1 innings, surrendering one run on three hits and three walks while striking out nine Tuesday versus the Nationals.
Morton returned to form Tuesday, pitching into the sixth inning while striking out at least nine batters for the first time in five starts. The only blemish on his line came in the top of the sixth inning when a run came around to score after he had exited the contest. Morton has had an up-and-down September so far, producing a 3.97 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 28 strikeouts over 22.2 innings in four starts. The right-hander tentatively lines up to pitch again Sunday on the road versus the Phillies.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Ineffective against Giants
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Morton (8-6) got the loss after he pitched 5.1 innings, surrendering four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters against the Giants on Wednesday.
Morton didn't have his best stuff again Wednesday, giving up four runs for the second straight outing and third time in his last four starts. After a hot stretch from June 17 to July 8, he's been inconsistent, allowing four or more runs in six out of 11 outings. Morton now owns a 4.17 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 187 strikeouts over 157.2 innings in 28 starts this season.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Does just enough for win
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Morton (8-5) earned the win during Friday's 6-4 victory over Seattle, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Both offenses went back and forth but Atlanta eventually prevailed to give Morton his third straight winning decision. Carlos Santana was responsible for the bulk of the damage against the 38-year-old with a pair of long balls, and all four runs on Morton's ledger were the result of three home runs. During the win streak, he's permitted 11 runs across 29.2 innings while recording 39 strikeouts. Morton is scheduled to take the mound again midweek in San Francisco.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Fans seven in seventh win
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Morton (7-5) picked up the win in Friday's 8-1 victory over the Marlins, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out seven.
The veteran righty served up a solo shot to Jerar Encarnacion to lead off the third inning, but otherwise Morton was dominant and fell short of his 10th quality start of the year only after walking a batter with two outs in the sixth and getting the hook. In six outings since the beginning of August, Morton sports a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 49:10 K:BB through 36 innings.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Decent in no-decision
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Morton didn't factor into the decision during Saturday's 6-5 loss to St. Louis, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five innings.
Morton posted three scoreless frames before surrendering two-run home runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Despite permitting four runs, the 38-year-old was still in line for the win until Kenley Jansen suffered the loss and blown save in the ninth inning. Morton tossed 61 of 93 pitches for strikes with only six whiffs, which led to his lowest strikeout total since May 25. He carries a 4.10 ERA and 1.19 WHIP into his next start, slated to come next weekend against Miami.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Continues racking up punchouts
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Morton allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings against Houston on Sunday. He struck out 11 batters and did not factor in the decision.
Morton was locked into a duel with Jose Urquidy, and Atlanta wasn't able to put together enough offense in the loss. The only damage against the veteran righty was Yordan Alvarez's two-run single in the third frame. Morton has racked up 118 strikeouts through 86 innings since the start of June, good for an impressive 12.3 K/9. On the year, he's sporting a 164:47 K:BB with a 3.99 ERA. Morton is lined up to start in St. Louis next weekend.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Fans 12 in dominant win
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Morton (6-5) picked up the win Tuesday, scattering three hits and a walk over 6.2 scoreless innings in a 5-0 victory over the Mets. He tied his season high with 12 strikeouts.
New York didn't even get a runner into scoring position until the seventh inning as Morton was firmly in control all night, collecting his eighth quality start of the season and his first win in over a month. The veteran righty generated 19 swinging strikes among his 97 pitches, and since the All-Star break, he's alternated scoreless outings with shakier ones. The inconsistency has resulted in a 2.67 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 39:8 K:BB through 30.1 innings over those five starts.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Surrenders five runs
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Morton did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing five runs on six hits and one walk over six innings against the Red Sox. He struck out seven.
Morton was a victim of the long ball Tuesday. Three of the six against him went for home runs, accounting for four of his five runs allowed. The veteran righty otherwise looked OK, as he walked just one batter and struck out seven while generating 12 whiffs. He carries a 4.26 ERA and 1.21 WHIP into his next scheduled start against the Mets next week
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Settles for no-decision
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Morton didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Phillies, allowing three hits and a walk over 6.2 scoreless innings. He struck out eight.
The veteran right-hander was in vintage form, generating 18 swinging strikes among his 101 pitches and exiting the game with Atlanta holding a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, Morton was denied his sixth win of the year when Collin McHugh imploded in the eighth inning. Morton has delivered six quality starts in his last nine outings, posting a masterful 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 68:17 K:BB through 56.1 innings over that stretch.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Takes fifth loss
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Morton (5-5) allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five across five innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Phillies.
Morton held the Phillies scoreless through four innings but had his start spoiled in his final frame when he allowed five of the first seven batters he faced to reach base. After maintaining a 1.60 ERA and 0.77 WHIP across a five-start stretch from mid-June to early July, Morton has allowed nine earned runs across his last 16 innings -- spanning three outings. Morton owns a 4.34 ERA and 126:42 K:BB in 110 frames for the season.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Sharp in Friday's no-decision
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Morton didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 8-1 win over the Angels, allowing two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The veteran right-hander was locked in a pitchers' duel with Shohei Ohtani through six innings, as neither hurler gave up a run. Morton then exited having tossed 105 pitches (65 strikes), and Atlanta promptly got to a fading Ohtani in the bottom of the seventh. Morton has delivered three quality starts in four trips to the mound in July, posting a 2.52 ERRA, 0.92 WHIP and 30:10 K:BB through 25 innings on the month as he continues to turn things around following a shaky beginning to the campaign.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Hit hard in loss to Mets
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Morton (5-4) took the loss Wednesday as Atlanta was downed 7-3 by the Mets, coughing up five runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- and three walks over five-plus innings. He struck out six.
The strikeouts salvaged some fantasy value for the veteran righty, but Morton wasn't really fooling anyone. He managed only nine swinging strikes among his 107 pitches, serving up multiple homers for the third time in his last seven starts while issuing at least three free passes for the third time in his last four. Despite those recent stumbles, Morton's loss was the first on his ledger since May 3, and he'll carry a 4.45 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 114:37 K:BB through 99 innings into his next outing.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Fans seven in fifth win
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Morton (5-3) picked up the win Friday, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks over seven inning in a 12-2 rout of the Nationals. He struck out seven.
Aside from a two-run blast by Juan Soto in the third inning, Morton was firmly in control, firing 69 of 105 pitches for strikes before exiting. The win was his first in over a month but the veteran right-hander has been pitching like an ace again recently, reeling off four quality starts in his last five trips to the mound and missing the fifth by only one out. Over that stretch, Morton has a 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 42:8 K:BB through 33.2 innings.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Strikes out 10
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Morton gave up a hit and a walk with no earned runs over seven innings in a 4-3 loss to the Reds on Sunday. Morton struck out 10 and did not factor into the decision.
Morton was on top of his game Sunday, and his seven innings of shutout ball marked his best start of his season. He retired the first 12 batters of the game and struck out the side in the third. Morton leaned effectively on his curveball to garner swings and misses on pitches out of the zone. The 38-year-old veteran had a weak start to the season, posting a 7.00 ERA in April, but his statistics appear to be normalizing closer toward his career averages. The veteran has a career 4.03 ERA in 1705 innings pitched. Morton is tentatively expected to start on Friday against the Nationals.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Falls short of quality start
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Morton didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Phillies, allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
The veteran right-hander ran up his pitch count by tying his season high in free passes and fell one out short of his third straight quality start, exiting after 102 pitches (61 strikes) with Atlanta ahead 3-2. Morton was denied his fifth win of the year when Dylan Lee stumbled in the seventh, however. Morton wraps up a June resurgence that has seen him post a 3.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 45:8 K:BB through 30.2 innings over his last five starts.
