While it is certainly nice to see the Pirates bats waking up, they have hit 3 home runs over the course of the two game series; the biggest story is the continued dominance of Charlie Morton. Last season, Morton went winless on the road, posting a 9.00 ERA away from PNC Park.
After some debate as to whether he would even be in the starting rotation for the Pirates, he is solidifying himself as one of their most consistent performers. In his first 8 starts of the year, Morton has posted a 2.62 ERA which has led to his sparkling 5-1 record. What is even more impressive is that in his two no-decisions Morton gave up only 1 and 2 earned runs while working at least 6 innings in both.
So what has led to this transformation, going from the pitcher who went 2-12 last year, to arguably the ace of the Pittsburgh staff? A reworked release, changing from an overhead motion to a three quarters arm slot has re-energized Morton and restored his stuff to what made him a hot commodity when in the minors with the Braves. This new arm slot has restored the bite to Morton’s two-seam fastball and sinker, a potent combination that has resulted in him getting 77% of his out off of groundballs, the highest rate in the majors. This style of pitching is particularly effective against offensively aggressive teams such as the Reds, evidenced by Morton’s consecutive complete game victories in Cincinnati.
While it is yet to be seen if “Ground Chuck” will be able to extend his impressive start, the Pirates are beginning to look at Charlie Morton as a potential number 1 starter and a key cog in the rebuilding process.
written by Daniel Weber
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