HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton’s start was going to be short; Astros manager A.J. Hinch just didn’t think this short.After noticing a dip in velocity http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-larry-doby-jersey , Morton left Houston’s 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday after one inning because of discomfort in his pitching shoulder. That is a potential problem for the World Series champions, who opened a 4½-game lead over second-place Oakland entering the finakl week as they close in on consecutive AL West titles.“He’s battling,” Hinch said. “This is as long as he’s pitched into a season, obviously, where we’ve kind of nursed him at the end. If it was a playoff game, we could have kept pushing him out there.“He was willing to go back out there. I didn’t love the velocity early, and I didn’t want to risk anything given the situation that we’re in. I think he’ll respond fine.”Morton was not available for comment after the game. The Astros said he left to ballpark to be evaluated by a doctor and then went home to be with his wife, who is expecting a child.Hinch said the Astros planned for Morton to pitch three to four innings.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.“We thought it was going to be a little bit of a shorter start for Charlie; it was a little bit shorter than we even expected Bob Feller Jersey ,” Hinch said.Morton is expected to get another start before the regular season ends, Hinch said and that could come in Baltimore next weekend.Yuli Gurriel hit a two-run homer, giving him three homers and 10 RBIs in the three-game series, and Evan Gattis had three hits and two RBIs.“I’m really just happy to help the team at this time especially with the previous games not going so well,” Gurriel said through a translator. “Doing our job is really important for us.”Gurriel hit a two-run homer in the first, extending his hitting streak to nine games, and Gattis added an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.Framber Valdez (4-1) followed Morton and struck out a career-high nine in six innings, allowing one run and three hits. He had been scheduled to start Wednesday at Toronto.“I had a lot of things I needed to improve upon from my previous outings,” Valdez said. “So, I worked on it in the bullpen and my throwing program and working on these things, especially with my mechanics and my command I felt very good coming into the game to be able to apply these into the game today.”Tyler Skaggs (8-9) gave up four runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings Satchel Paige Jersey , the fourth straight start he failed to last four innings. Skaggs has given up 22 runs in that span.“Felt good. You know thought I made some good pitches, thought I made some bad pitches,” Skaggs said. “Overall just a rough day. They hit my mistakes and falling behind in the count it’s tough to pitch against a team like this.”Gattis added an RBI single in the fifth off Jim Johnson, and Angels rookie Jose Briceno homered in the sixth. Josh Reddick drew a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk from Williams Jerez in the seventh.TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: OF Mike Trout was given the day off. … INF Jose Fernandez is day to day after being hit by a pitch on the right hand in the first inning of Saturday’s game. Scioscia said the hand is sore … INF Andrelton Simmons left Sunday’s game after jamming his right knee in the seventh inning on a play, according to Scioscia. Simmons said his knee is sore but hopes to be able to play Monday at Texas.Astros: OF George Springer was given the day off. … INF Carlos Correa was held out of the lineup for the fourth straight game.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Felix Pena (3-5, 4.20 ERA) will open a series Monday at Texas.Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (11-11, 3.71 ERA) starts Monday’s series opener at Toronto. He has given up 12 runs in his last three starts and is seeking his first win since Sept. 3. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates lead the major leagues with 13 shutouts. Trevor Williams was the starting pitcher in seven of them.Manager Clint Hurdle doesn’t think it’s a coincidence, either.Williams and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Pirates blanked the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on Saturday night.“He sets the tone for things,” Hurdle said. “When that fastball has the finish like it had tonight Joe Carter Jersey , that’s when you’re seeing the outings that you see him string together. He keeps everybody engaged.”Williams (10-8) allowed five hits and walked one in seven innings. The right-hander has allowed two runs over his last 29 innings — a 0.62 ERA.“It’s the work in between starts,” Williams said. “(Pitching coach Ray Searage) and I highlighted stuff that we needed to work on and made it more process-driven. We recognized right away that it was my four-seam and sinker tonight were going to play.”Williams had been scheduled to pitch a day earlier, but Hurdle went with Clay Holmes to give the rest of the rotation extra rest.It worked just fine.“He’s pitching down in the zone and getting a lot of early contact,” Pirates first baseman Josh Bell said. “He keeps us off our feet and keeps us in the dugout.”Keone Kela and Felipe Vazquez each retired three batters to complete the shutout.Bell homered for the second time in three days. Elias Diaz added two hits for the Pirates after coming in as an injury replacement for Francisco Cervelli.The start of the game was delayed for a ceremony honoring home run king Barry Bonds, who became the 10th player in Giants history to have his jersey retired. Several of his former teammates and managers, including Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland, were on hand.Williams was warming up in right field when Bonds jogged out to greet the fans in the left field stands.“I felt like such a jerk out there,” Williams said. “It was weird timing. I felt like all the eyeballs were burning a hole through me.”Buster Posey and Evan Longoria had two hits apiece for San Francisco. The Giants have lost nine of their last 11 home games.“You could feel the crowd, the energy. We just couldn’t get it going offensively,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “The three-run homer, that’s a pretty good punch there.”Bell continued his strong series since coming off the disabled list earlier in the week. He stopped a 0-for-13 slide with a homer on Thursday Francisco Lindor Jersey , and then had three hits on Friday.After grounding into a double play in his first at-bat Saturday, Bell hit his eighth homer off Ty Blach (6-7) in the fourth. Bell’s three-run drive came after Gregory Polanco bunted for a leadoff hit and David Freese reached on an infield single.Blach allowed four runs over four innings in his first start since May 27.DANDY DEBUTIn his first major league appearance since 2016 with Atlanta, Casey Kelly made quite a Giants debut a day after being called up from Triple-A Sacramento.The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings in relief. He could be a candidate to start Friday at Cincinnati when the Giants need a fifth starter again.“What a great job he did,” Bochy said. “Really pitched well. He’s been throwing the ball well. That’s why he’s up here.”WORTH NOTINGThe Pirates called up left-hander Buddy Boshers and right-hander Michael Feliz from Triple-A Indianapolis. Right-handers Clay Holmes and Casey Sadley were sent down.TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: Cervelli left in the fourth as a precaution getting hit in the facemask by a foul tip in the first. Cervelli has had concussion issues in the past.Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (hyperextended knee) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento.UP NEXTRight-hander Dereck Rodriguez (5-1, 2.34 ERA) pitches the series finale for San Francisco. Rodriguez leads NL rookies in ERA and is tied for second in wins. Right-hander Joe Musgrove (4-6, 3.41 ERA) goes for the Pirates.__