Morton (1-1) tossed 6.2 shutout innings to earn the win against the Padres as he allowed three hits and four walks and struck out seven.
Morton was a bit wild, but his two-seam fastball was hugely effective and kept Padres hitters off balance all game long. He induced 10 swinging strikes with 66 of those two-seamers. Combine its nasty movement with a 93.9 MPH average velocity -- up to 97 at its peak -- and Morton has a significant plus pitch in his arsenal. He bounced back well from a brutal debut start against Cincinnati and lowered his ERA to 5.23 as a result.