Charlie Morton is quietly pitching his best baseball as season comes to an end

Following an August 8th start against the Brewers, it was fair to assume the Charlie Morton of old was officially a thing of the past. He surrendered eight earned runs over just 2.2 innings, ballooning his ERA to 4.47.

His stuff was no longer looking as sharp, and he had quickly been relegated to the fifth spot in the Braves rotation, due to the emergence of Spencer Schwellenbach and the continued dominance of Reynaldo Lopez.

However, call it one last hoorah or whatever you might, but as the Braves come steaming down the final stretch of the season, Charlie Morton is pitching his best baseball.

On Sunday night, the 40-year-old grizzled veteran was at it again, facing a Dodgers lineup that might be the most feared in all of baseball. He gave up just one run over six innings, a two-out double to none other than Shohei Ohtani, who is well on his way to his third MVP award in the last four seasons. The Braves couldn’t secure the win, thanks to some late-inning heroics from the Dodgers offense, but it was yet another reminder that Charlie Morton might not be done quite yet.

Over his last seven starts, Morton boasts a 2.68 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 40.1 innings. He’s gone at least five innings in every outing, allowing no more than three earned runs.

Most expect this to be the final year of Charlie Morton’s career. He’s hinted at retirement several times, talking at length about wanting to spend more time with his kids. He also doesn’t want the game to retire him, hoping to go out while he’s still contributing in a positive manner.

If this is indeed the final few times we see Morton on the mound, he’ll be doing just that. With Reynaldo Lopez likely out for the rest of the season, the Braves need Morton now more than ever. He’s been instrumental to the team’s success over the last six weeks, and if Atlanta does indeed sneak into the postseason, his experience in big games could prove to be invaluable.