Although it's still a little early in the season to draw conclusions, it's tempting to affirm without doubt that Matt Morris has regained his winning form.
After finishing a career-worst 10-15 last season, Morris is on his way to reversing that record. Recovering from the stress fracture in his ribs that bothered him much of last season's second half has helped. Morris' next chance to continue his resurgence will come Tuesday, when he starts the opener of the Giants' three-game series at Houston.
"He's been crisp with all his pitches, with good command," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "And I thnk we all know how well he competes."
Bochy, a former catcher, noted that Morris has maintained excellent location of his pitches.
"He's doing such a good job of pounding the ball down," Bochy said. "If you do that and come up with a second or third pitch, you're going to have success."
Pitching matchup
SF: RHP Matt Morris (4-1, 3.11 ERA)
Morris is coming off a no-decision against New York last Wednesday, when he yielded two runs in seven innings on homers by Ruben Gotay and Carlos Delgado. Morris was 2-0 last season against Houston, improving his lifetime record against the Astros to 11-10. He also owns a 6-5 record and a respectable 3.27 ERA in 12 appearances at Minute Maid Park.
HOU: RHP Woody Williams (1-5, 5.10 ERA)
Williams earned his first win of the season in his eighth start, holding the Reds to two runs over 6 2/3 innings last Wednesday. The right-hander threw 27 pitches in the first inning but settled down to allow just two baserunners after the fourth inning. Williams was 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA in five starts against the Giants last year as a member of the Padres. Lifetime against the Giants, he is 8-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 17 games.
Player to watch
Omar Vizquel typically has found Williams' pitches to his liking. The shortstop owns a .361 career average (13-for-36) against Williams.