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RECAP
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs' future looks a lot brighter
with a healthy Kerry Wood in the picture.
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Wood closed his comeback season with eight scoreless innings, striking out 10 Wednesday night to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0.
"It's a nice way to finish," Wood said.
Sammy Sosa singled home Wood for his 137th RBI as the Cubs won for only the sixth time in their last 26 games.
Wood (8-7), who missed all of last season following elbow
surgery, gave up eight hits and two walks in eight innings. He
threw 125 pitches, the most in any of his 23 starts this season.
"I remember when he started this journey back in Arizona when
he first got on the mound for the first time and where he's come
today," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "His slider and his
fastball were unbelievable. He's accomplished some things this
year. He was dominating."
Doctors had cautioned Wood about what to expect, but Wood had his
doubts.
"After my first two starts, I didn't think I'd have the ups and
downs and I thought I'd be more consistent," Wood said. "I had to
learn how to pitch this year."
The 1998 NL Rookie of the Year ended with a 4.80 ERA, totaling
132 strikeouts in 137 innings. In his previous start Sept. 22
against St. Louis, Wood walked eight in only 1 1/3 innings.
"Any time you can win 1-0 and have Kerry dominate like he did,
you can look to the future," Baylor said. "He's going to have a
lot of games like this."
"When he's on, he's on another level," Chicago's Mark Grace
said.
Travis Lee, who entered the game hitless in six at-bats against
Wood with five strikeouts, had four hits off the right-hander,
including a pair of doubles.
Tim Worrell pitched the ninth for his third save in six chances.
Despite the loss, Randy Wolf (11-9) finished as the Phillies'
leader in wins. He gave up one run on six hits and three walks over
seven innings, striking out six.
"Wolf has established himself as a very reliable major league pitcher," Phillies manager Terry Francona said.
Wolf is the first Phillies left-handed pitcher to reach 200
innings in a season since Danny Jackson threw 210 in 1993, totaling
206 1/3 innings in 32 starts.
"Nine out of 10 times, I know if I have this kind of start I'm
going to get a win," Wolf said. "Kerry pitched a good game. I
have to look at it objectively."
"I know (Wood's) had his ups and downs as far as his starts," Francona said, "but watching him warm up, he looked like he was throwing free and easy."
And he was. Wood handed the Phillies their eighth loss in their last 10 games.
Wood singled to lead off the Cubs third and reached second on
Eric Young's single. One out later, Sosa singled.
Cubs left fielder Gary Matthews Jr. made a run-saving catch to
end the Phillies seventh and strand runners at first and second.
Game notes
Wood had two double-digit strikeout games this year. He has
11 in his career. ... Wood is 13-3 in 23 career starts at Wrigley
Field. ... Phillies 3B Scott Rolen did not play because of a nagging back injury. 2B Marlon Anderson was a late scratch because
of a sore hamstring. Both were day-to-day. ... The Cubs, who close
the home portion of their schedule Thursday with a day game, went
11-6 in night games at Wrigley Field. The Cubs surpassed the 2.7
million mark in attendance at 2,711,595. It's the club's
second-highest Wrigley Field paid attendance total.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
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