Houston Astros right-hander Charlie Morton was effective but not terribly efficient during a rehab start for the Corpus Christi Hooks on Sunday afternoon against the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephen Park.
Houston's goal for Morton, who has been on the disabled list since May 28, was five innings.
Morton came up a little bit short of that in a game won the Travelers 3-2 in 12 innings in front of an announced crowd of 2,727.
It was the first extra-inning victory for Arkansas in six tries.
Morton, who retired the first 11 batters he faced, pitched 4⅓ innings on 74 pitches with 1 hit, 2 unearned runs, 5 strikeouts and 2 walks.
It wasn't the outs that disappointed Morton, but the number of pitches it took to record them.
"Not as efficient as I would like to have been," said Morton, 33, who has pitched three rehab starts since being placed on the disabled list on May 28 with a strained lat muscle in his right leg. "Like, in my last outing, I threw 48 pitches in four innings. So, I basically got 20 more (pitches) and another out."
Morton was "not positive" whether his outing suggested he may be ready to start for the Astros on Saturday at the Toronto Blue Jays, as was reported by Fox Sport's Ken Rosenthal.
"I hope so," said Morton, who was 5-3 with a 4.06 ERA in 10 MLB starts before he became one of five Houston starters on the disabled list.
Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (9-0, 1.67) and right-handers Joe Musgrove (4-7, 6.01 ERA) and Collin McHugh, who hasn't pitched for Houston this season, are still on the DL.
McHugh had a rehab start for the Hooks on Friday, pitching two batters into the second inning and giving up 7 hits, 4 earned runs and a walk.
The Astros have built a major-league best 55-27 record without the main members of their rotation, but the strain on the team's bullpen has created some urgency for Morton and the others to return.
Houston's bullpen has the fifth-highest innings pitched total in the majors (285), and it has been 10 games since an Astros starter pitched six or more innings (Mike Fiers' six-inning start in a 5-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on June 21).
"Regardless of the situation, I want to pitch," said Morton, who missed nearly the entire 2016 season with the Philadelphia Philles with a torn left hamstring before signing with the Houston Astros on Nov. 16 for two years and $14 million. "I want to help the team."
Travs left fielder Chuck Taylor walked with two outs in the fourth to break Morton's stretch of 11 retired hitters. Then, the Hooks loaded the bases in the fifth with a single, a walk and a fielding error at shortstop against Morton.
Right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn relieved Morton, and Dykxhoorn surrendered two game-tying runs on his own fielding error and a single by Travs catcher Ryan Scott.
Seven innings later, Taylor hit a walk-off single with runners at first and second that skipped over Hooks first baseman Dexture McCall into right field.
Taylor went 1 for 5 with two at-bats against Morton.
"It always adds a boost to your game, hitting against the best," Taylor said. "Any time you get a major leaguer coming up, you're like, 'Let's do it. Time to make some money.' "
Travs right-hander Tyler Herb (6-4, 3.31) allowed 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings, his seventh consecutive quality start (6 or more innings with 3 or fewer runs).
Herb, a Texas League All-Star, said his performance was not spurred by his major league opponent.
"I actually didn't even know until I was throwing," Herb said. "I was like, 'Is that a big leaguer?' But no, it doesn't affect me. He throws against our hitters; I throw against his."
Sports on 07/03/2017