Chicago Cubs starter Travis Wood dominates Phillies in 3-0 win
By Mike Marteny
The Chicago Cubs got a boost today when 27 year old right-hander Travis Wood dominated the Philadlephia Phillies in a 3-0 shutout performance. Wood has had a difficult start to the 2014 season for the Cubs but today he was on top of his game. He allowed just three hits and three walks in eight shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. He also struck out six.
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This earned Wood his seventh win of the season to go with five losses. His ERA still sits at a gaudy 4.48 even after this stellar start.
Wood now has three straight starts in which he has allowed three runs or fewer since getting blasted by the Brewers on May 30th. He lasted just 2.2 innings and gave up seven runs, all of which were earned.
Wood retired 12 straight batters after leading off the game with a walk to Ben Revere. Wood only allowed two Phillies to make it as far as second base, one being Revere in the first inning after he swiped second base.
The Cubs got all of the offense that they would need today early on. First baseman Anthony Rizzo hit his 14th home run of the season in the top of the first to put the Cubs up 1-0.
The second run for the Cubs came in the third inning. Justin Ruggiano got a one out single, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and to third on a groundout by Rizzo. Starlin Castro then brought him in with a two out single to left.
Castro led off the sixth inning with a double, and scored two batters later on a double by Nate Schierholtz.
Phillies starter A.J. Burnett also went eight innings, but took the loss with the three earned runs. Neil Ramirez closed his second game of the series for the Cubs with a perfect ninth inning.
Wood will look to continue his string of quality starts next Saturday when the Pirates come to town.