Joel Barlow's Charlie Morton Leads Astros To World Series Win

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Houston Astros needed all hands on deck to outlast the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 the 2017 World Series. When manager AJ Hinch turned to 2003 Joel Barlow High School graduate Charlie Morton to pitch the season's last four innings in a relief effort, the journeyman starting pitcher was ready and delivered the performance of his life to secure the franchise's first ever championship.

Hinch called Morton's number in the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Astros nursing a 5-0 lead. After giving up one run in the sixth inning, Morton put on a clinic and held off the comeback, something that both teams had not been able to do all series.

Morton, the No. 4 man in the Astros' pitching rotation, typically starts games as opposed to finishing them. Additionally, he entered the game on just three days rest after a fantastic performance in Game 4.

Watch: Houston Celebrates As Astros Win World Series

“I was a small part of this,” Morton said to reporters according to Yahoo Sports. “You look at this clubhouse, this is a clubhouse that’s full of guys that contributed and no one is talking about them. I don’t want that [attention], I want to be part of this group. I’m proud to be part of this group.”

Morton's performance will likely become the defining moment of his career, one filled with ups and downs. After being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2008, Morton spent much of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He landed in Houston after just four starts with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, a season cut short by injury.

As a Falcon, Morton was virtually untouchable. According to mlb.com, The sinkerballer posted a 1.18 ERA during his senior year and held opponents to a .127 batting average. He struck out 78 batters in 40 innings of work.

"Honestly, I really just wanted to contribute — to help, you know?" Morton said according to the New York Times."I wanted to finish the last few years of my career and be proud of it and feel like I did a good job.”

Image: AP Photo/Matt Slocum