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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- New elbow, same old Kerry Wood. Or close enough,
anyway.
Pitching in a major league game for the first time in almost 19
months, Wood gave up just one run -- a homer -- and three hits in six
innings Tuesday night as the Chicago Cubs routed the Houston Astros
11-1.
|  | | Everyone checking Kerry Wood out Tuesday night had to be impressed. |
"It felt great to get back out there. A little butterflies in
the first inning, but I was able to settle down," Wood said.
"We've still got a little work to do, but I'm very pleased with
the way I threw tonight."
The Astros didn't come close to touching him until Daryle Ward's
homer to right in the sixth, putting just six others on base and
getting only one past second.
And the elbow that was surgically repaired April 8, 1999, after
he blew it out in spring training? Just fine, thank you very much.
Wood even hit the third home run of his career.
"A night game, the electricity in the air and Kerry on the
mound, it was better than scripted for me," Cubs manager Don
Baylor said.
Wood wasn't the same, dominating power pitcher he was the last
time he faced the Astros at Wrigley Field, when he tied a major
league record with 20 strikeouts in just his fifth career start.
The 1998 NL Rookie of the Year returned to the mound just four
days shy of the two-year anniversary of that May 6, 1998 game.
He struck out four, but only one in the first four innings. Most
of his outs were on fly balls to the outfield, and he got some help
from his teammates, including a jaw-dropping, diving, backhand
catch by Sammy Sosa in the second inning. He threw one wild pitch,
walked four and sent a couple Astros jumping out of the way of
wicked inside pitches.
"He's not close to where he was two years ago," Astros manager
Larry Dierker said. "He's still got an explosive fastball, but his
breaking ball wasn't much of a factor."
But that's just Dierker's opinion.
"Larry can say what he wants, he doesn't have to hit it," said
Craig Biggio, who went 0-for-3 against Wood. "He threw as hard as
he always does. He has something for us, I don't know what it is."
Great command or not, the Astros had about as much luck against
Wood as they did in 1998, when he had a 0.53 ERA against them.
"Very encouraged," catcher Joe Girardi said. "I think I was
most encouraged because I thought he got better as the night went
on."
Wood showed he can hit the ball almost as well as he throws it,
too. He hit a two-run homer just over the left-field fence in his
first at-bat, the 11th home run allowed this year by Jose Lima
(1-5).
The Cubs rocked Lima for four runs in the second inning, and
chased him in the fifth after five more. Lima, whose ERA swelled to
9.59, tipped his cap to the crowd as he left the field after giving
up 10 runs -- nine earned -- and 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
"It can't get any worse. Nothing is going my way right now,"
Lima said. "I've got many more starts and things have to change. I
didn't win 21 games last year by luck."
While it takes most pitchers about 18 months to recover from
"Tommy John" surgery, that hasn't tempered the expectations for
Wood. Fans can't see the scar on his right elbow, and most expect
him to come back just as scary-good as he was in 1998, when he drew
comparisons to Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens.
"I knew eventually I would be back," Wood said. "From day
one, after the surgery, I didn't have a second thought in my mind I
could make it back to the same level I was."
The media contingent was as big as it was for the Cubs' home
opener. Cameras followed Wood everywhere he went before the game.
When he walked out of the dugout, there were cameras. When he took
batting practice, there were cameras. And when he stretched, there
were the cameras again.
If anything, the fans were even more excited. Wood got a
standing ovation as he left the dugout before the game, but he
didn't show any reaction or do anything to indicate this game was
special. He tip-toed over the third baseline as he walked to the
mound, but he does that before every inning.
The sellout crowd of 38,121 cheered every warmup pitch, and
there was a huge roar when Craig Biggio fouled off the first pitch
of the game for a strike. There was another big cheer when Ken
Caminiti swung and missed for the first swinging strike.
Wood didn't get two strikes on anyone until Mitch Meluskey, the
second batter in the second inning. And he didn't get his first
strikeout until Lima came up in the second inning.
Lima went down on a called strike, and the fans cheered and
waved the "K" signs they've had in storage the last 19 months.
"I got chills," Mark Grace said. "I've been through a lot of
exciting stuff before, but the fans really get behind this kid and
it's fun to play behind him.
"As a friend, I'm real proud of him and ecstatic at what he
accomplished -- four months before he was supposed to."
Game notes
Willie Green went 4-for-4, tying his career high. It was
the first four-hit game by a Cub this season. ... Tuesday's game
was the first night game of the season at Wrigley Field. ... Mel
Gibson was the guest conductor for the seventh-inning stretch. ...
Wood's previous home run was in his last regular-season appearance,
on Aug. 31, 1998.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
RECAPS
Baltimore 7
Anaheim 6
Detroit 7
Boston 6
NY Yankees 4
Cleveland 2
Texas 8
Tampa Bay 1
Toronto 4
Chi. White Sox 1
Kansas City 8
Oakland 7
Seattle 5
Minnesota 4
Cincinnati 7
Philadelphia 0
Chicago Cubs 11
Houston 1
Arizona 5
Milwaukee 1
Pittsburgh 10
St. Louis 7
Colorado 12
Montreal 6
San Diego 8
Florida 3
Atlanta 5
Los Angeles 3
San Francisco 7
NY Mets 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Kerry Wood admits he was somewhat nervous.
wav: 96 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Wood is pleased with his performance.
wav: 75 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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