3/24 Travis Wood has better outing

Saturday was a big day for Travis Wood. The left-hander had not gone beyond 2 1/3 innings, and in his last outing against the Mariners, he served up seven runs on seven hits and two walks over two innings. On Saturday, he gave up three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings.

“We have to get him through some clean innings to get some confidence back,” Dale Sveum said before the game. “Once again, he threw a [heck] of a pen. He threw all his pitches really well. It’s getting him between the lines and having some clean innings and getting him confidence.”

Acquired from the Reds in the Sean Marshall deal, Wood said he was finally able to slow down his tempo.

“I wanted to come in and really show them and obviously, I didn’t do that,” Wood said. “That might have had a little bit to do with it.”

It was simply a matter of relaxing.

“I’m a guy who wants to keep going, keep going, keep going and it ends up getting faster and faster and faster instead of the same pace,” Wood said. “I just have to try to relax and take it one pitch at a time.”

Is he anxious waiting for the Cubs to make a decision on the rotation?

“No,” Wood said. “They’ll make their decisions and whatever will be, will be.”

– Carrie Muskat