Braves' Morton to start G1 vs. former team
Charlie Morton will get the start for the Braves in Game 1 of the World Series against the Astros on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, the team announced Sunday.
The matchup will pit Morton against the team he pitched for in 2017 and '18. The veteran righty earned the win for Houston in Game 7 of the '17 World Series against the Dodgers, throwing the final four innings.
It’s a familiar playoff matchup for Morton, who faced the Astros as a member of the Rays in the 2019 American League Division Series, won by Houston, and the '20 AL Championship Series, won by Tampa Bay.
Morton, who joined the Braves on a one-year, $15 million contract in the offseason and signed a $20 million extension in September to return to Atlanta for 2022, has recorded a 3.77 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings spanning three starts this postseason, helping the Braves advance to the World Series for the first time since 1999.
This will mark the third time in five years Morton has pitched in the Fall Classic, each time for a different team. In his most recent World Series appearance, Morton allowed five runs over 4 1/3 innings in a Game 3 loss to the Dodgers a year ago.