Pirates rock Wood and sweep Cubs
Cubs lefty Travis Wood was rocked for 9 hits and 7 runs in just 1⅔ innings Sunday as the Pittsburgh Pirates earned a three-game sweep with a 10-4 victory at Wrigley Field.
Wood, an all-star last year, fell to 8-12, and his ERA went from 4.81 to 5.15.
"I think he would be the first one to tell you that he would have wanted a much better season to this point, but he's continued to grind," said Cubs manager Rick Renteria, whose team fell to 64-79 and headed out on the road to Toronto.
Wood got two quick outs in the first inning before Andrew McCutchen singled and Neil Walker hit a 2-run homer to left field. It was Walker's 19th of the season.
The wheels came off completely in the second, when wood threw 39 pitches and gave up 5 runs. Jordy Mercer hit a 2-run homer, and McCutchen followed immediately with a blast of his own, his 22nd of the season.
After an RBI single later in the inning by Jose Tabata, Renteria removed Wood in favor of left-hander Eric Jokisch, a product of Northwestern University. It was Jokisch's major-league debut, and he made it a respectable one by working 4⅓ innings and giving up 6 hits and 1 run while walking none and striking out six.
• Bruce Miles will take a closer look at Travis Wood's number later at dailyherald.com. Follow Bruce on Twitter @BruceMiles2112.