Weird Baseball: Charlie Morton’s Friday pitching line should not and cannot be real

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Baseball is the weirdest, and that’s why we love it. But what happened Friday to Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton should not be real.

Morton’s Braves faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies, and the first few innings did not go according to plan. The Phillies scored six runs in the first, and Morton was yanked after just two outs, forcing the Braves to depend heavily on their bullpen the rest of the night.

The veteran right-hander’s final stat line was…curious to say the least. Per MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, “Charlie Morton got 2 outs tonight. He allowed 4 hits (1 HR) and walked 2 others. He let in 6 runs. But: 0 earned! Because of a passed ball! His ERA went *down!* From 5.08 to 4.98!”

The Braves did not commit any errors, so erase that from the equation. Dropped third strikes would play a role in such chaos.

Max Fried coming back is a boost at the right time for Atlanta, but the free agent addition of Morton hasn’t gone as planned so far. The Braves need innings eaters so they don’t tax their bullpen, which is also lacking at times without Shane Greene or Mark Melancon.

Morton has been a valuable presence on the staff behind the scenes, helping mold some of the younger members of Atlanta’s pitching staff. That’s all fun and good, but the Braves still need him to put up actual numbers. This team was one game away from the pennant last season for a reason, right?

Quirky statline aside, let’s hope Morton figures things out sooner rather than later.