Big inning killing Cubs’ Volstad

There’s a pattern to Chris Volstad’s starts with the Cubs, and it’s not a good one.

The big inning has bitten Volstad in 5 of his 6 starts this year.

Things were no different Saturday in a 5-1 loss to the Dodgers at Wrigley Field. This time, it was a 3-run second inning, with Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano getting the big hit with a 2-run double.

Volstad’s record fell to 0-4, and his ERA rose from 6.11 to 6.55.

“Just not let anybody on base for the whole game,” said the big right-hander, who has not won since last July 10, when he was a member of the Marlins. “With runners on, from the stretch, has been a struggle. That’s no secret. I’ve just got to be better in those situations.”

Here is how it has come apart for Volstad:

Ÿ On April 14, the Cardinals scored 4 in the fourth inning at St. Louis.

Ÿ The Reds hit Volstad with a 4-run first inning at Wrigley Field on April 20.

Ÿ On April 25 at Wrigley, the Cardinals scored 3 in the sixth, 2 on a homer by David Freese.

Ÿ The Phillies batted around in the first inning April 30 at Citizens Bank Park, scoring 4 as Volstad threw 30 pitches.

“It’s probably more of an approach,” he said. “Just execution, basically. I don’t know if that can be mental or what. It could be mechanical, too, though, you know? It’s obviously something we’ve got to look at because there’s obviously something going on there.”

Although the big inning has hurt Volstad, manager Dale Sveum said it’s not the beginning of the end, as he’ll stick with his No. 4 starter.

“Kind of the same old,” Sveum said of Saturday’s performance. “Efficient, but just couldn’t get the out when he had to. When stuff starts going on, he couldn’t quite put anybody away to get out of that stuff.

“It might be as much pitching out of the stretch, for some reason, not being as effective out of the stretch. Can’t keep the ball down out of the stretch, whatever it might be. We got to get it fixed.”

As far as the other pitcher was concerned, Capuano got it done all day. The Cubs had the bases loaded in the first inning, but Capuano got Alfonso Soriano and Ian Stewart on called third strikes, even though Soriano said his strikeout came on a ball well inside.

Nevertheless, Capuano improved to 4-0 with a 2.21 ERA. The former Milwaukee Brewers lefty now is 9-3 with a 3.35 ERA lifetime against the Cubs.

“It was a lot of fun out there,” he said. “Me and Matt (catcher Treanor) had a pretty good game plan out there. For the most part, we were making out pitches. I was pumped up getting that last out (in the first inning). I think it kind of helped the momentum swing our way. That’s always big, when you can get out of a jam early.

“The weather at the start, I was having a trouble sliding around a little. I eventually kind of figured it out and was able to make the pitches.”

Something the Cubs pitcher is still trying to figure out.