When Did Braves Pitcher Charlie Morton Break His Leg?
HOUSTON — At a time when old school aces have turn out to be a rarity, Atlanta has misplaced one of many recreation’s finest postseason performers for the remainder of the World Collection. And in a sequence of occasions worthy of the battle-tested hurlers of the olden days, Charlie Morton appeared to report a minimum of one out, if not three, with a damaged leg.
Morton, Atlanta’s veteran right-handed starter, sustained a fractured right fibula in some unspecified time in the future after he was struck on the leg by a sharply hit ball off the bat of Yuli Gurriel within the second inning of Atlanta’s 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros in Sport 1 of the World Collection Tuesday at Minute Maid Park.
X-rays carried out on the stadium confirmed the fracture, and Morton was dominated out for the remainder of the sequence. Atlanta mentioned Morton, 37, could be out there for subsequent spring coaching, however wouldn't be capable to assist the crew win the 2021 World Collection.
The large query after Atlanta’s win was when the fracture had occurred. Preliminary reviews indicated Morton had confronted three batters with the fracture, retiring all three, however the crew recommended after the sport that the precise break got here on his ultimate pitch of the evening.
“For us to lose him in Sport 1, it’s a dagger,” Atlanta catcher Travis d’Arnaud mentioned, “However he’s nonetheless going to be there with us, cheering us on and nonetheless making an attempt to show us every little thing that he’s discovered alongside his path and his profession.”
After Gurriel’s ball struck Morton, he ran to cowl first base with out a noticeable limp and remained within the recreation. He proceeded to strike out Chas McCormick after which induced a line-drive out from Martín Maldonado to finish the inning.
Between innings, Morton obtained some medical consideration, and Atlanta Supervisor Brian Snitker indicated the pitcher had an preliminary X-ray that was unfavourable. Morton then threw a ball in opposition to a wall within the tunnel to the dugout, Snitker mentioned, and proclaimed himself able to return to the sport. He mentioned it harm extra to run than to throw.
“That X-ray, when he went again out, didn’t present something,” Snitker mentioned and added, “Nicely, he acquired one after he got here out of the sport and felt harm.”
Within the third, Morton struck out Jose Altuve, however landed awkwardly after throwing the ultimate pitch of the at-bat, reaching all the way down to the spot the place he had been hit by Gurriel’s liner.
Moments later, Morton hobbled off the sector, ending his season 16 pitches after the ball had hit him. He was changed by A.J. Minter, who earned the win in reduction.
“He struck out a man on a damaged leg,” Minter mentioned. “It’s fairly outstanding.”
Snitker recommended that the fracture won't have developed till Morton went again for the third inning.
“I’m not a health care provider and all that, however I don’t know that it was damaged when he did that,” the supervisor mentioned in reference to the outs recorded within the second inning. “I imply, it was careworn, however he felt OK.”
Atlanta can be allowed to interchange Morton on the World Collection roster with one other pitcher, nevertheless it has misplaced one of many pillars of its pitching employees, and somebody with notable success in opposition to the Astros.
The usually reliable Morton was 14-6 with a 3.34 earned run common within the common season for Atlanta, with a serious league-high 33 begins. In 14 main league seasons, together with two with the Astros, Morton has established himself as a clutch postseason pitcher and has accomplished notably effectively in opposition to his former crew.
Earlier than Tuesday’s recreation, Morton had a 3-0 report within the postseason in opposition to the Astros, with a microscopic E.R.A. of 0.57. Two of these wins got here in 2020, when he was pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays within the American League Championship Collection.
This 12 months he began Video games 1 and 4 of a division sequence in opposition to Milwaukee and Sport 3 of the Nationwide League Championship Collection in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tuesday was his sixteenth postseason begin.
Morton has additionally been a robust affect on his teammates, and more than likely will proceed to supply assist and recommendation to his fellow pitchers for the remainder of the sequence. Max Fried, Atlanta’s Sport 2 starter, referred to as Morton a chilled affect throughout a information convention on Tuesday earlier than Sport 1.
“Particularly whenever you go into actually emotional video games, particularly in terms of playoff video games,” Fried mentioned, “to have the ability to look to him in these circumstances is basically, actually useful.”
Morton pitched for Houston in 2017 and 2018, and gained Sport 7 of the 2017 World Collection with 4 splendid innings in reduction. He left a robust impression as a terrific teammate.
“The very best you possibly can ever have,” Altuve, Houston’s second baseman, mentioned earlier than the sequence started. “He’s that good. He’s superb. I solely have good issues to say about him.”
Morton’s ultimate pitching line of the 2021 season was two and a 3rd innings wherein he allowed one hit and no runs. He walked two and struck out three, however what's going to by no means be proven within the field rating is whether or not he recorded his ultimate three outs on a damaged leg.
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