2020 World Series: In Charlie Morton, The Rays Have An Ace Who Deserves Their Trust
The veteran pitcher has continued a career of postseason brilliance this fall. With their first-ever World Series on the line, Tampa Bay should let him ride.
In what was the biggest game of their season, and maybe even their history, there was no better starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays to turn to than Charlie Morton. The 36-year-old righty was dominant in Game 7 of the ALCS on Saturday night, stifling a potent Houston Astros lineup in 5.2 precise, succinct innings and getting the win that punched the Rays’ ticket to the World Series.
Morton lived in the strike zone against his former team, throwing only 18 balls out of a supremely efficient 66 pitches. All night long, he was able to take command of counts and paint the edges of the zone, with some notable aid from catcher Mike Zunino’s quality pitch framing. The two strikeouts Morton accumulated in the fourth inning were an apt summary of his approach for the entire game: he convinced former AL MVP Jose Altuve to take a hack at an initially tantalizing curveball that tumbled out of the zone, then froze All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa with a four-seam fastball low and away, a virtually un-hittable spot for Correa. Such…