| Brewers appear to have Kerry Wood's number
Rock closer for 2nd time this season in 9th inning
By Dave van Dyck | Tribune reporter
11:46 PM CDT, May 1, 2008
It must have seemed like déjà vu to Kerry Wood when he allowed the Brewers three ninth-inning runs in Thursday's 4-3 loss. He did the same thing on Opening Day against the Brewers, although the Cubs came back to tie the game on Kosuke Fukudome's homer before the Brewers won in 10 innings.
Wood is 4-for-7 in save opportunities. He had been limiting opponents to a .156 batting average before allowing three hits Thursday. Six of Wood's eight runs allowed have come in two games against Milwaukee.
"They've got a great team and I'm sure it won't be the last time we have games like that," Wood said. "Hopefully, we're on the other end of them.
"I need to make my pitches. If I make my pitches, I'll be successful more times than not. Obviously, there are days where you go out and don't make pitches and you can get away with it. [Thursday] wasn't one of those days."
Star gazing
The Cubs have eight players on the All-Star ballot, including first-timers Fukudome, Geovany Soto, Felix Pie and Ryan Theriot.
The others are Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Mark DeRosa. Last year Soriano and Lee were chosen.
Fukudome was a four-time All-Star in nine seasons in Japan, most recently in 2004.
"I really appreciate it," he said of being on the MLB ballot. "It's not me who's going to vote, so I just try my best so that people who would like to vote for me [can.]"
Fukudome and Soto are among the leaders in National League rookie stats. The Cubs have had only three rookies make the All-Star team: Don Johnson in 1944, Toby Atwell in 1952 and Sam Jones in 1955.
Good night
Asked before the game Thursday if playing more night games at Wrigley Field was a good idea, manager Lou Piniella replied diplomatically:
"If more night games are better, I'm for it. But those are not my decisions.
"Night baseball is more standard everywhere else, obviously, but if it's good for Cub baseball, I'm for it."
Extra innings
Matt Murton was the odd man out once again, optioned to Triple-A Iowa as Soriano returned. Murton hit .214 in eight games. ... During their onslaught against the Brewers Wednesday night, the Cubs scored five or more runs in three or more innings for only the second time since moving to Wrigley Field in 1916. Historian Ed Hartig adds that they have done it on the road twice as well.
Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano are the first Cubs pitchers to win four games apiece in April since Kerry Wood and Mark Prior in 2003. . . . Umpire Jerry Crawford, who left Tuesday night's game after falling ill, returned to the field Thursday. |