Charlie Morton left Houston's 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, who have lost five in arow, on Sunday after one inning because of discomfort in his pitching shoulder, a potential problem for the World Series champions as they attempt to win consecutive AL West titles.
The 34-year-old right-hander did not pitch for the Astros from Aug. 28 until Sept. 8 because of right shoulder discomfort. He won his first two starts following his stint on the disabled list, allowing four runs in 11 innings.
Morton threw 24 pitches in the first. He gave up a double to Justin Upton, who scored from second on a wild pitch in the dirt that bounced off the glove of catcher Martin Maldonado, who initially had trouble finding the ball.