Charlie Morton Returning to Form When Atlanta Braves Need Him Most

Atlanta Braves starter Charlie Morton hasn't been his usual self most of the season. But he's finding his stride at the right time.

Charlie Morton put on a strong performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers, continuing a recent run. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves bullpen outright imploded in Sunday night’s loss. But don’t let that take away from the fact that starting pitcher Charlie Morton did his part. 

In six innings of work, Morton allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out six. He’s had his share of strong outings this season, but he’s looked much more like his old self as of late. 

In his last seven starts, Morton has a 2.68 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings pitched. He’s still allowing baserunners, a 1.26 WHIP isn’t great by any means. But he’s doing the most important thing: winning the battles to get outs.

Morton has been struggling to find his consistency for most of the season. He hasn’t pitched as well to right-handed hitters, his strikeout rate is down and he’s giving up home runs at a higher rate. 

But things have begun to click for him. Since he gave up eight earned runs on Aug. 8, he has only given up more than two earned runs once. In that one outing, he gave up three. 

He’s also finding his stride at just the right time. The Braves are clawing their way to the finish line in an effort to make the postseason. They’re also down a man with Reynaldo Lopez on the 15-Day Injured List with options in Triple-A being slim pickings. 

Having one of the starters already in the rotation rediscover his stride could be the difference maker in the Braves' postseason chances.

During his career, Morton has been a reliable postseason pitcher. He has a career 3.60 postseason ERA and is now looking more likely to build on that success. 

If Lopez returns at the earlier possible date (Sept. 26), the Braves will have five starters who can step up and get the job done in the playoffs. That makes them a prime candidate to go on World Series run.