Results tagged ‘ Travis Wood ’
4/22 Reds 5, Cubs 4
Every loss is tough to take, but Monday hurt a little more for the Cubs because they did nearly everything right. Cesar Izturis hit a walkoff RBI single with two outs in the 13th to spark the Reds to a 5-4 come from behind victory over the Cubs, who had taken a two-run lead in the top of the inning on Luis Valbuena’s two-run home run.
“We battled all game,” Travis Wood said. “They’re a good ballclub over there and their guys did what they needed to do to pull out a win.”
Valbuena connected off Alfredo Simon in the 13th, scoring Welington Castillo, who had reached second on an error by third baseman Todd Frazier. For once, it looked as if the Cubs’ could capitalize on another team’s mistakes.
But Xavier Paul singled to lead off the Reds’ 13th against Michael Bowden, and advanced to third on a double by Brandon Phillips that right fielder Dave Sappelt missed.
“In my mind, I knew I had to make a web gem to win the game,” Sappelt said. “I came up short.”
Paul and Phillips both scored on Jay Bruce’s double into the gap in right center. Did Cubs manager Dale Sveum consider walking Bruce?
“I did,” Sveum said. “I didn’t want to put the winning run on the base and he hadn’t been swinging that good anyway.”
One out later, Izturis lined a single over shortstop Starlin Castro for the game-winner.
“I’m proud of the way they played today,” Sveum said. “They had good at-bats all night long, played good defense, pitched, and came up short. [The Reds] hit the ball hard the last inning. Besides the one blooper that fell in and changed things, other than that, they swung the bats there. No walks — they swung the bats to beat us.”
The Cubs had opportunities, stranding 12 runners in the game.
“It’s hard to be down,” Wood said about the loss. “It’s easy to be down, but also hard to be down. It’s not like we’re getting blown out every game. We’re right there. We just have to come together as a team and figure out how to pull them out.”
Fifteen of the Cubs’ 18 games now have been decided by three runs or less, and the Cubs are 4-11 in those close games.
“They are tough just because you know you’re doing everything you can and for some reason the ball isn’t going our way,” Wood said. “You just have to hang in there and ride it out. Tides will turn.”
– Carrie Muskat
4/22 Cubs lineup
Here’s the lineup for Monday’s Cubs vs. Reds game:
DeJesus CF
Castro SS
Rizzo 1B
Soriano LF
Schierholtz RF
Castillo C
Valbuena 3B
Barney 2B
T. Wood P
4/9 Cubs lineup
Travis Wood takes the mound Tuesday night for the Cubs in game 2 of their three-game series against the Brewers. Here’s the lineup:
DeJesus cf
Castro ss
Rizzo 1b
Soriano lf
Schierholtz rf
Castillo c
Valbuena 3b
Lillibridge 2b
T. Wood p
4/4 Cubs 3, Pirates 2
Carlos Marmol most likely will keep it interesting in the ninth inning the rest of the season. At least, he listened to his pitching coach. The Pirates had two on and one out in the ninth Thursday, and had closed to within two runs against Marmol, who had been pulled from Monday’s game after failing to convert a save. Chicago pitching coach Chris Bosio then went to the mound. The message?
“Strike him out and get a ground ball,” Marmol said, “and that’s exactly what happened.”
Well, not exactly. Marmol gave up a RBI single to Gaby Sanchez, then struck out Pedro Alvarez and finally got Neil Walker to ground into a game-ending double play as the Cubs held on for a 3-2 victory Thursday, taking the first series of the season.
Said Dale Sveum on Marmol: “He was OK. It didn’t seem that way, but it wasn’t too bad.”
The Cubs didn’t exactly solve their offensive struggles Thursday, but were more efficient. Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth and Starlin Castro delivered a two-out RBI single in the third to back Travis Wood, who tossed six scoreless innings.
The Cubs entered the game 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position in their first two games. Castro ended the skid in the third. With two outs and Wood at second after a single and groundout, Castro delivered a RBI single to center off James McDonald (0-1). Schierholtz homered in the ninth off Jared Hughes, and drove in Anthony Rizzo, who had walked and stole second. It was Schierholtz’s first home run since Aug. 1, when he connected off current teammate Edwin Jackson, who was pitching for the Nationals at the time.
With the win, the Cubs claimed their first season-opening series victory since the start of the 2009 season, when they took two of three against the Astros.
“Our goal is to win every game, and win every series,” Schiernholtz said. “It’s a good start.”
– Carrie Muskat
3/26 Numbers game
When the season starts, some of the Cubs players will have new uniform numbers, including manager Dale Sveum. Dioner Navarro wanted No. 30, which Travis Wood has worn since joining the team, but Wood will wear No. 37. Sveum is giving up No. 33 to pitcher Carlos Villanueva, and the Cubs manager will wear No. 4. Sveum had noticed that Villanueva had “33″ on his cleats, and found out that was the pitcher’s preferred number.
No. 30 is very special to Navarro.
“It’s because my wife had a brain aneurysm on Sept. 27, and she had her surgery on Sept. 30, and they gave her a four percent chance of being alive,” Navarro said. “Ever since then, I’ve been wearing No. 30.”
When Navarro explained why No. 30 was special to Wood, the pitcher gave it up.
“He understood,” Navarro said.
By the way, Navarro’s wife is doing well and has no problems.
– Carrie Muskat
3/25 Cubs lineup
The Cubs play host to the Giants at HoHoKam Stadium on Monday. Travis Wood will start for Chicago against Ryan Vogelsong. Here’s the lineup:
DeJesus CF
Lillibridge SS
Clevenger 1B
Soriano LF
Schierholtz RF
Navarro C
Valbuena 3B
Gonzalez 2B
Wood P
– Carrie Muskat
3/4 Bunting tourney – UPDATED
For aficionados of the Cubs bunting tournament, play resumed Monday with four sweet 16 matches. Nate Halm, of the Cubs video staff, advanced by beating pitcher Travis Wood. Also advancing were Blake Parker, Michael Brenly and Edwin Maysonet. Logan Watkins also has advanced to the elite eight, beating Anthony Rizzo on Sunday.
– Carrie Muskat
2/28 Cubs 5, A’s 3
Dave Sappelt and Darnell McDonald each hit RBI doubles to lift the Cubs to a 5-3 victory Thursday over the Athletics.
Derek Norris hit a solo home run and scored on Michael Choice’s triple for Oakland and starter Brett Anderson, named the A’s Opening Day starter prior to the game. Anderson gave up one hit over two innings, striking out two.
Feldman, making his Cubs debut, gave up two hits, walked two and struck out two over two innings. Feldman had spent his entire career with the Rangers, but signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Cubs in November, in hopes of securing a spot in the rotation.
Sappelt hit a RBI double with one out in the Chicago third to tie the game at 1 but Norris gave the A’s the lead again with a solo home run with two outs in the fourth off Travis Wood. Wood, battling for a spot in the rotation, gave up two hits over two innings and did not walk a batter. Wood got the win.
The Cubs had runners on first and third with two outs in the fourth against Bartolo Colon when Brent Lillibridge hit a grounder to second baseman Scott Sizemore, who flipped to shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, but he dropped the ball and a run scored. Junior Lake followed with a RBI single to go ahead, 3-2.
McDonald added a RBI double with one out in the Chicago fifth, and Christian Villanueva hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Cubs’ Rule 5 pick Hector Rondon, who is coming back from elbow surgery, pitched an efficient 1-2-3 seventh.
Up next: Jeff Samardzija will make his second Cactus League start on Friday when he faces the Diamondbacks at HoHoKam Stadium. Samardzija, vying for the Opening Day job, gave up three hits and struck out two in two innings in his first outing against the Giants. The game will be broadcast on Cubs.com.
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Cubs 11, Angels 2
Luis Valbuena led off the second inning with a home run, Junior Lake added a solo shot, and the Cubs scored five runs in the third to post a 11-2 victory Saturday over the Angels in the Cactus League opener in Tempe. Logan Watkins tripled to open the third and scored two outs later on Scott Hairston’s single. Brett Jackson hit his second triple of the game, driving in two, and Welington Castillo and Brent Lillibridge each hit RBI singles.
Lefty Travis Wood gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out two in two innings in his first start. Rule 5 pick Hector Rondon gave up one hit in one inning in his Cubs debut. Dontrelle Willis, who is in the Cubs’ Minor League mini camp and has not pitched in the big leagues since 2011, was on the travel squad, but did not pitch.
– Carrie Muskat
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