When Charlie Morton began to hear rumors that the Astros might trade for Gerrit Cole, he fired off a text message.
“You’re going to love it here.”
Morton’s career was resurrected in 2017 when he signed a two-year deal with Houston and thrived on its data-driven decision-making structure on pitch usage, scouting and mechanics.
Cole would soon join his former Pirates teammate in Houston and enjoy one of his best seasons in 2018 when he led the American League with 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.
Now, here they are, facing one another in Game 2 of the 2019 regular season, Cole beginning his second season with the Astros and Morton having signed with the Rays during the offseason. Cole versus Morton is one of the highlights of the second day of the regular season, when the pageantry of Opening Day gives way to the daily -- and beautiful -- grind of a baseball season.
With Opening Day in our rearview mirror, here are six things we’re looking forward to on Friday:
1. Mariners go for best start in 34 years
You never bought into that talk of a big rebuild, did you? The Mariners were setting us up for the last laugh. Or so it seems. They’re 3-0 for the first time since 2014, and tonight against the Red Sox they will go for their first 4-0 start since 1985, when Gorman Thomas hit 32 homers.
2. Cole vs. Morton
These 2018 teammates were big reasons the Astros had baseball’s best starting rotation. They led MLB in ERA (3.16) and strikeouts (1,101) and were second in WHIP (1.12) and innings (955 1/3). Cole was 10th in the AL with a 2.88 ERA; Morton was 14th at 3.13.
3. Must-win for the Cardinals?
Don’t be silly. On the other hand, the National League Central might be baseball’s closest race, and the Cardinals are opening with four games at Milwaukee and two at Pittsburgh before going home to play the Padres and Dodgers. On Friday, they’ll hand the ball to 23-year-old right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has some of the best stuff in the game and is averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 34 Major League appearances.
4. Home runs? Yes, the Dodgers will take eight more
No team had ever hit eight home runs in a season opener until the Dodgers did so on Thursday. So what do they do for an encore on Friday against the D-backs? Perhaps the best part of Opening Day for the Dodgers was seeing shortstop Corey Seager back on the field. He missed all but 26 games during the 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and had played very little during Spring Training. When he’s healthy -- and that’s the case now -- he’s probably one of MLB’s 10 best players.
5. Yusei Kikuchi’s first US start for the Mariners
Kikuchi's delivery will remind some of Clayton Kershaw, right now to the slightest of pauses before throwing the ball. He averaged 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings during eight seasons with the Seibu Lions of Japan's Pacific League and got a no-decision when the Mariners opened against the A’s in Tokyo. Now, Kikuchi will see how his game matches up against the defending World Series champion Red Sox.
6. Matt Harvey’s latest fresh start
Harvey celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday as he prepares to make his first start for the Angels against the A's, his third team in 11 months. He had some solid stretches after being traded to the Reds last summer, and the Angels obviously believe there’s still something left in the tank.