Morris looks to continue dominance

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Almost every appearance, Matt Morris puts distance between an injury-plagued year and the shoulder injury that forced a late beginning to his season.

Morris, who won 15 games with a career-worst 4.72 ERA last year, began this year as the fifth starter. Instead, with a 5-0 record and rotation-best 3.38 ERA heading into Wednesday's start at Colorado, he's been closer to the staff ace who totaled 39 victories in 2001-02.

''I think he just keeps getting a little bit better every time he goes out there,'' pitching coach Dave Duncan said. ''I don't think he's going to be a 93-94 mile-per-hour guy but he's got more weapons and he's using them effectively.''

Morris began the year in extended spring training due to offseason arthroscopic surgery and didn't get his first start until April 19. He's fast catching up to a staff that has helped the NL Central leaders get off to one of the franchise's best starts, pitching seven or more innings in his last three starts and four of the last five.

''Anything-and-0 feels good,'' Morris said. ''You just try to go out there and make pitches and go deep and try to keep up with Mulder and Carpenter and Suppan and Jason (Marquis).''

Before the shoulder injury, the odds on Morris being back with the team that drafted him in the first round in 1995 were slim. He signed for a low base salary after the surgery, which made it difficult for him to test the free agent market.

''I'm glad I'm back pitching with them,'' Morris said. ''We didn't know where I'd be coming off the surgery and it's just good to be back and be a part of the team.''

Teammates are glad he didn't get away. Morris' latest gem came Friday night against the Nationals, who he limited to two earned runs while matching his season high with eight strikeouts.

''Another unbelievable job,'' center fielder Jim Edmonds said. ''I've been at where he's at with shoulder surgeries, and it's not easy and fun.

''It's just a huge boost for our club; his velocity is going up and his stuff is getting better.''

Control, too. Morris hasn't walked a batter in his last two starts, striking out 12 in 15 innings, although he pointed out he nearly walked Nationals pitcher Tony Armas Jr.

''I went 3-0 thinking about the next guy, but I was able to get back,'' Morris said. ''I'm just trying to throw strikes and control the count.

''If I can throw strike one and make them fish for a ball that might not be on the plate it's to my benefit.''

While perhaps he's no longer the fireballer he once was, Morris reached the mid-90s several times while striking out the side in the first inning against Washington. Morris said more longtossing between starts has improved his velocity.

Against the Nationals, the threat of a rain delay might have helped him, too. Throughout his career Morris has had trouble harnessing his emotions at the start of games. When he thought his last start might begin an hour late and it actually began on time, there wasn't as much time to fret.

''I didn't have enough time to warm up by my own fault, but went in there knowing if I'm loose I know how to make pitches,'' Morris said. ''Maybe in that case I just wasn't as juiced up and said 'Here's my 100 percent velocity' and I was able to make pitches.''

In Tuesday's game: Jason Jennings became the winningest pitcher in Coors Field history, allowing one run over seven innings to help the Colorado Rockies snap a four-game losing skid with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dustan Mohr and Todd Greene hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to give Jennings (3-6) the runs he needed to win his 25th game at Coors, passing Pedro Astacio. With the win, the Rockies snapped Mark Mulder's seven-game winning streak.

Mulder (7-2) lost for the first time since April 13 -- a span of eight starts -- despite allowing only eight hits and two runs over seven-plus innings.

Jay Witasick pitched the eighth and Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth to earn his third save for Colorado and give the Rockies' struggling bullpen a lift.

The game was the first this season and only the 11th in Coors Field history in which the teams combined for fewer than four runs.