Pirates starter Charlie Morton was bound to lose a game eventually this season. But he was not bound to get blasted off the mound in the first inning in taking that defeat.
Morton entered his Sunday start against Washington with a 5-0 record. He walked off the hill pretty much assured of being 5-1 after allowing nine runs on eight hits, including home runs by Bryce Harper and Yunel Escobar.
The right-hander began his start by retiring Denard Span. Then came the monumental collapse. He got his second out after a single, double and homer. He then yielded five hits and a walk, tossing in a throwing error along the way, before his merciful removal.
"The good pitches I made, they hit 'em. The bad pitches I made, they hit 'em. That's embarrassing," Morton said, per MLB.com.
The self-destruction skyrocketed his ERA from 1.62 to 3.97. He will attempt to prevent it from becoming a trend Saturday against Atlanta.