NL: Wood helps out his own cause in 2-0 Cubs victory
By Associated Press
Published August 15, 2004
CHICAGO - Kerry Wood had a great day on the mound and at the plate. Wood homered and allowed four hits in eight innings Saturday, leading the Cubs over the Dodgers 2-0.
"It was his best outing in a long time," manager Dusty Baker said. "He got his pitch count up a little bit early in the game, but he settled down later. It was a wonderful day for Woody."
Wood struck out seven and walked three as Chicago won for just the third time in eight games. He hit his seventh homer in 305 career at-bats in the third inning off Kazuhisa Ishii, a drive into the leftfield bleachers. Chicago added a run in the fifth when Michael Barrett tripled leading off and scored on Corey Patterson's two-out single.
Wood got out of trouble in the second after David Ross doubled with two outs and Alex Cora held at third. Ishii ended the inning with a groundout, starting a streak of eight consecutive batters retired for Wood.
Pinch-hitter Jason Grabowski walked with one out in the eighth and Cesar Izturis singled, but Steve Finley grounded out and, after Milton Bradley loaded the bases with a walk, Adrian Beltre struck out when he wasn't able to check his swing on Wood's slider.
Ishii, starting because Brad Penny has an injured right biceps, gave up six hits in seven innings. Los Angeles, the West leader, had won eight of 11.
BRAVES 9, CARDINALS 7: Chipper Jones homered twice and pinch-hitter Julio Franco had a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning for host Atlanta. In a matchup of division leaders, Andruw Jones and Rafael Furcal also homered for the Braves, who opened a season-high eight-game lead over second-place Philadelphia in the East. Furcal had four hits for Atlanta, 21-7 since the All-Star break. Albert Pujols homered twice for St. Louis, raising his total to 35 and tying Cincinnati's Adam Dunn and Philadelphia's Jim Thome for the major-league lead. St. Louis is 121/2 games ahead of Chicago in the Central.
GIANTS 7, PHILLIES 6: Yorvit Torrealba hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning for visiting San Francisco. Cody Ransom, Dustan Mohr and Marquis Grissom also homered for San Francisco, a day after J.T. Snow hit three in a 16-6 victory over Philadelphia. The feat was a first for Snow, who has homered twice in a game 11 times, but not since May 8, 2001. And Snow had a chance at four homers, but he struck out swinging against Roberto Hernandez in the ninth. With Saturday's win, the Giants moved within 61/2 games of West-leading Los Angeles and remained one behind the Cubs in the wild-card race. Placido Polanco hit a two-run homer for the Phillies, who lost for the fifth time in six games.
MARLINS 11, BREWERS 1: Jeff Conine's third grand slam of the season highlighted a seven-run ninth inning for visiting Florida. Dontrelle Willis pitched seven strong innings, and Paul Lo Duca and Miguel Cabrera each drove in two runs for the Marlins, who had 12 hits. Willis gave up one run and seven hits, struck out six and walked one for his second win in six starts since the All-Star break. Top Brewers prospect Jorge de la Rosa made his first career start and gave up four runs in five innings.
METS 4, D'BACKS 3: Cliff Floyd homered and drove in three for host New York. Al Leiter worked into the seventh inning to earn the victory, the Mets' third in a row and fourth in five games. Braden Looper pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 27 chances. The Diamondbacks have lost nine in a row. Arizona loaded the bases in the sixth on two walks and an infield hit. But Leiter escaped by getting Tim Olson on a roller.
PIRATES 6, ROCKIES 1: Jose Castillo drove in a career-high three for host Pittsburgh. Castillo and Craig Wilson homered for the Pirates, who had lost consecutive games after winning four in a row. Pittsburgh is 16-6 when hitting two or more home runs. Castillo, a rookie second baseman, was 3-for-4 with two singles. Former Ray Vinny Castilla homered for the second straight game for the Rockies.
REDS 11, PADRES 5: Wily Mo Pena hit two home runs and drove in four for host Cincinnati, which overcame an early 3-0 deficit. Adam Dunn had three of the Reds' 16 hits. The Padres fell a game behind the Cubs in the wild-card race.
EXPOS 8, ASTROS 3: Nick Johnson hit his first NL grand slam and Tony Armas pitched five hitless innings for host Montreal, which has won seven in a row.
