BTBS: Charlie Morton’s secret to pitching: throw harder

Recently, the Astros haven’t been playing like the dominant team that they have been all season. Since July 18, they are 12-16. Their pitching is falling apart — since that date, Houston’s pitching staff has a 5.11 ERA, bringing the team’s season ERA from 3.94 to 4.22. Yet talks with the Tigers over Justin Verlander are going nowhere. There has been one bright spot amidst the struggles, though: Charlie Morton.

A third-round pick by the Braves in 2002, Morton was one of the three pieces in the 2009 trade with the Pirates that sent Nate McLouthto Atlanta. He pitched in Pittsburgh for seven seasons, never eclipsing 1.6 fWAR in a season. He struggled to strike out hitters at a high rate and couldn’t limit walks to the point where that would not be an issue.

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