Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve Put Serious Pressure on Themselves as Charlie Morton Goes Broken Leg Legend – As the World Series Turns

Charlie Morton tries to shake off a broken leg. In fact, the former Houston Astros World Series hero throws 16 pitches on his fractured fibula, the last one a beautiful curve that drop snuggles perfectly into the bottom of the strike zone, leaving Jose Altuve with nothing to do but stare at it as he’s punched out. It’s a lesson in guts and perseverance, a testament to the power of temporary denial.

By ignoring a broken leg and trying to pretend like it could be something else, Morton gives these upstart Atlanta Braves one final lesson in the strength that comes with believing. Now, the Astros just need to shake off a bad Game 1.

Yes, it happens to be a World Series opener so the Braves’ 6-2 win is artificially magnified more than an Instagram influencer’s reach. Hall of Fame slugger Frank Thomas is already declaring that the Astros are in serious trouble on Fox Sports. Really? Already? Has The Big Hurt never watched this Houston team before.

These Astros often do not make it easy for themselves. But they usually come through when it counts most. So yes, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa are a combined 0 for 12 with six strikeouts in Game 1 against Atlanta. But do you really think they’re not going to be heard from in this World Series?

“Just a little bit of hesitance,” Alex Rodriquez says in diagnosing Altuve from the Fox set.

Altuve has a way of rising to the moment. He did it in Game 4 against the Red Sox, hitting the tying home run in the eighth inning that gave the Astros new life after looking lost early in the series. Betting against Jose Altuve in October is like betting against a gruesome death in a Sopranos movie. Or an uncomfortable situation in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Carlos Correa, the 27-year-old free agent superstar to be, has not really had a big playoff moment of his own since that Game 1 home run against the Red Sox. “It’s My Time!” wrist tapping celebration included. Do you really think Correa will let his Astros career end without another major October flourish?

Again, Charlie Morton shook off a broken leg — and threw 16 more pitches. You don’t think the Astros can shake off a dud of a World Series Game 1?

“To go out and strike out the next guy on a broken leg,” Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud marvels. “Blows my mind.”

Morton helped give the Braves a 1-0 series lead, but this World Series is only getting started and Morton’s absence could mean more in the end.

“He sacrificed himself,” d’Arnaud says of Morton, who was dealing on this night, hitting 98 MPH on his fastball in the first inning before Yuli Gurriel hit a come backer 102 mph off his right leg in the second inning.

Morton is beyond valiant, joining the ranks of Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson in hobbled sports heroes. But these golden age Astros have long been relentless. And completely unforgiving.

“Our team doesn’t worry,” Astros manager Dusty Baker says. “And our team’s very confident. We have the knack of bouncing back after losses, after tough losses, because they don’t quit. They don’t give up. They don’t get down. That’s the secret of sports.

“. . . I mean you go in our clubhouse and I’ve never seen these guys worry. They know they can play. And they know they’re going to rebound.”

Dusty Baker, Charlie Morton and World Series Firsts

The 72-year-old Baker’s spent more than 50 years in professional baseball, debuting as a 19-year-old with the Braves. But even Baker’s never seen the first batter of the World Series hit a home run. Because it never happened before in the 117 year history of baseball’s Fall Classic.

Jorge Soler sends the third pitch of the game — the third straight sinker Framber Valdez throws to start the World Series — soaring high into the Crawford Boxes. Just like that, Atlanta leads 1-0. On the way to 2-0 in the first thanks to a scorched Austin Riley double and quickly growing to 5-0 in the third inning thanks to Adam Duvall’s own home run to left off the Astros’ sometime ace.

This is more like the Framber Valdez of Game 1 against the Red Sox when he cannot get out of the third inning than the dominant Game 5 in Fenway Park Framber. In the World Series opener, Valdez is done after getting just six outs for his 52 pitches of work.

All the pomp, circumstance and rally nuns (Mattress Mac brings those beyond enthusiastic sisters back with free tickets) of the World Series returning to Downtown Houston sorts of deflates like an air bed with a hidden hole, slowly leaking out. The sellout crowd stomps, screams, chants and waves those orange rally towels as one, but the Braves’ early scoring never lets it amount to much.

Betting against Jose Altuve in October is like betting against a gruesome death in a Sopranos movie. Or an uncomfortable situation in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The Astros have now lost five straight World Series home games dating back to that anywhere-but-home 2019 Fall Classic. Which probably does not matter in the big picture. But surely matters to those spending $500 plus to get into these supersized games.

“It’s just another baseball game,” Braves manager Brian Snitker says. “A really loud baseball game.”

The Astros and Braves will play another loud baseball game on Wednesday night in Minute Maid Park. The roof even might be open if Major League Baseball exerts its will — and embraces beautiful fall weather. It’s not close to a must win for this tough, proud Astros team. But Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and Co. know it’s a good time to start making some more October memories.

“I still believe in this team and this lineup to come back from that,” says Michael Brantley, who has three of the Astros eight hits on this night. “It’s just one game. They played really well tonight and we didn’t.”

Sometimes, it’s that simple.

Charlie Morton is out for the World Series and even Astros fans can’t really be happy about that. Morton, one of the true good guys in baseball, deserves better.

By ignoring a broken leg and trying to pretend like it could be something else, Charlie Morton gives these upstart Atlanta Braves one final lesson in the strength that comes with believing.

“Just the fact that he wanted to keep going,” Snitker says of the 37-year-old Morton, who is signed for $20 million for next season. “They were X-raying him. That’s Charlie. He wants to be on this stage. God bless him. Really hate it for him. He’s such a great person, great person and teammate.”

Morton is down and out. That’s what a broken leg does to you — no matter how long you somehow manage to shake it off. The Astros are anything but down and out. A Game 1 loss is not that powerful. Not for this team. No matter how much it is overblown.