The Braves cruised past the Pirates 6-1 to begin a nine-game homestand Friday. They moved to 25-13 at Truist Park.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1. Charlie Morton, 40, has now defeated all 30 teams over his illustrious career. The Pirates, with whom he pitched from 2009-15, were the lone club remaining on his checklist. He finally topped by them by scattering three hits over 6-2/3 scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one.
Morton cherishes his time in Pittsburgh for all the good and bad. He had a 4.39 ERA in 142 starts for the Pirates, establishing himself as a rotation-worthy starter throughout his mid-to-late 20s, though he’ll always remember his final appearance for the club.
“It was a late September game, we were trailing St. Louis by a game,” Morton said. “I gave up five runs in the first couple innings. I got booed off the field. I let everybody down. I just remember walking off that field (thinking), ‘I’ll probably never pitch on that mound again.’ There’s a really, really good chance. Maybe that’s just how it was supposed to be.
“Someone said to me last year, ‘You only need to beat the Pirates.’ I’d only pitched against the Pirates like one time. That might be my fate, and it never happens. But (I’m glad it’s happened). It’s special.”
Since MLB expanded in 1998, Morton became the 22nd pitcher to defeat all 30 teams. Morton, a 17-year veteran, joins active major leaguers Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in achieving the feat.
“I cared (about Morton joining that list),” catcher Sean Murphy said. “That’s incredible. I knew that coming into the game, so I really wanted to get him a win. I’m really happy we got that dub (win).”
2. Morton, who lowered his season ERA to 3.89, induced seven whiffs on 16 swings against his curveball and six whiffs in 10 swings on the changeup. The Pirates’ offense is dreadful, ranking 23rd in runs scored (327), 28th in OPS (.659) and fifth in strikeouts (754). Morton took advantage, rebounding from his previous start in which he was roughed up at Yankee Stadium.
Since the Braves brought Morton back to his original franchise before the 2021 season, he’s provided a steadiness and reliability the team considers invaluable. This could be his final year – Morton is pitching on a season-by-season basis – and the Braves will miss him whenever he opts to stop playing.
“(He’s meant) A lot (to us),” manager Brian Snitker said. “We keep bringing him back because it’s almost like, what are we going to do without him? It’s hard to replace Charlie. At some point in time, he’s going to have to ride off into the sunset, but I can’t blame him (for continuing) if he feels good and keeps throwing the ball well.
“And he’s a good resource in (the clubhouse). He’s been through everything, experienced all the highs and lows. He’s been on the top of the mountain twice. He’s a great resource, great teammate. I just admire guys like that who pitch that long, so well. What they have to do with their bodies, their preparation and the consistency in their work ethic and everything. It just blows me away.”
3. Maybe the Braves just needed to get back home. After the offense largely struggled (again) while the team lost three of four games to end the road trip, it awakened against Pirates starter Martin Perez. The performance was highlighted by a five-run third inning that helped the Braves pull away early.
The key hit of the frame: Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna’s bases-clearing double, pushing him back into the National League lead in RBIs (67). While he wasn’t a finalist in fan voting for the National League’s starting DH spot, he should be named an All-Star for the third time.
4. Third baseman Austin Riley had three homers over his first 53 games. He’s homered six times in his past 14 games. Riley has hit .297 with a .933 OPS this month. He’ll need to maintain this level of production for the rest of the season for the Braves to boast a consistently dangerous lineup again.
5. The next three weeks are vital in the NL East race. The Braves are eight games behind the Phillies, who’ve now lost Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber for at least a couple of weeks. The Braves face the Pirates and Giants while the Phillies face the Marlins and Cubs leading into next weekend’s head-to-head at Truist Park.
Certainly, if the Braves can cut into the Phillies’ lead by the All-Star break, fans and the team will feel better about the chances of overcoming what was once a 10-game deficit. While some opine the Braves are better off as a wild card – thus avoiding the layoff – the team itself is obviously prioritizing a seventh straight division crown. A deficit of, say, five or six games looks far less imposing at the break than eight or more.
Stat to know
6-1 -- The Braves have won six of seven Friday night home games this season, bested only by Seattle’s 6-0.
Quotable
“How many chances do you get to experience a group like this, and still be throwing well and relatively healthy? There’s definitely been that struggle to find a balance between my family and baseball and trying to do right by my family, and do right by my teammates. … The Braves have been really gracious with how they’ve handled the situation.” – Morton on his decisions to continue pitching
Up next
The Braves and Pirates continue their series with one of the most compelling pitching matchups of the season Saturday: Max Fried (7-3, 3.00) versus wunderkind Paul Skenes (4-0, 2.14).
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