Adam Morgan delivers fine Father's Day present in first Phillies start

Adam Morgan repeated the routine six times, once before each inning of his first major-league start Sunday.

The 25-year-old circled the mound as the Phillies threw his last warm-up pitch around the horn. When Morgan caught the ball from Maikel Franco, he tucked his glove under his right armpit and leaned over the back of the mound. Then he smacked the rosin bag three times against his left hand.

The pattern worked fine as he tossed 52/3 innings and gave up one run in the Phillies' 9-2 win over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.

Morgan became the first Phillies starter to win a decision since Cole Hamels beat the Nationals on May 23, a stretch of 25 games. After missing all of last season recovering from shoulder surgery, it was Morgan's first winning decision, at any level, since August 6, 2013, a stretch of 684 days.

"I can't put it into words right now. Just trying to soak it all in right now and hope that I get another opportunity," he said. "A lot of people don't even get this opportunity, so I'm very grateful."

Wednesday, Morgan was pulled after two innings in his 13th start of the season for triple-A Lehigh Valley. He wasn't told he was being called up and texted his father, Wiley, saying his shoulder felt fine.

That night, Wiley saw four cardinals on the back porch of the Morgans' home in Marietta, Ga. Two days later Morgan called Wiley with long-awaited news.

"When I saw those cardinals I thought it was an omen," said Wiley, who coached Morgan until he was 13 and, like his son, pitched at Alabama. "Then he told me his first start would be on Father's Day. It's been a long road and he deserves this."

Morgan set down the Cardinals in order with a nine-pitch first inning, and worked out of jams in the second and fifth. The only negative on his line was a Jhonny Peralta home run to lead off the fourth, and he struck out six while walking two to keep his pitch count at a low 78.

When Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg took out Morgan with two on and two out in the sixth, the crowd booed the decision. But as Morgan walked to the dugout, boos turned into a standing ovation.

"I look down all game, look down the whole game," Morgan said. "And then when I was walking off I just, it was something I wanted to see. It was amazing."

Standing above section 121 minutes before first pitch, Wiley wiped away tears with the back of his left hand. He had little to ask of Morgan's debut.

"I just hope the fans aren't too hard on him today," the father said.

And his son didn't give them any reason to be.