Wells gets first win as Cubs beat Indians 6-2
From the waiting room to the weight room.
That's how it went Sunday for Randy Wells, as the Cubs' rookie right-hander sweated out a first major-league victory that looked like it might never get here.
But for Wells, the wait is over and the weight is off.
The Cubs staked Wells to a 6-0 lead by the fifth inning, and the bullpen held for a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians and a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field.
Even though he has pitched well since his call-up from the minor leagues May 8, Wells went 8 starts before getting his first win, accompanied by the obligatory shaving cream pie in the face and beer shower.
"It was pretty nerve wracking," said Wells, who is 1-3 with a 2.57 ERA. "I tried to stay in the weight room for most of it. I came out. I wanted to be out there for the last out. They made it interesting. - It's pretty special."
The 26-year-old Wells worked 62/3 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs.
Catcher Geovany Soto gave Wells a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a homer off lefty Jeremy Sowers, and after the Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, Wells led off the fifth with a single to start a 4-run outburst. That rally was capped by a 2-run double off the bat of Jake Fox, a longtime teammate of Wells' at Class AAA Iowa.
It was tough to tell who was happier for whom.
"When (teammate Andres) Blanco made that final play, I jumped on Wells' back and said, 'Big congratulations,' because he earned it, man," Fox said. "He deserves it. He should have gotten that a long time ago. He got one today, and it's just nice for him to get that first one out of the way."
Like Wells, Fox is getting a shot, and he made something of it Sunday with 3 RBI.
"In my opinion, Jake deserves everything he's getting," Wells said. "The guy puts up ridiculous numbers every year in the minors. He works hard. Whatever flaw that they say that he has, he gets out and works on it. He's not going to be denied."
That apparently goes for playing third base, where Fox played Sunday, getting 3 assists and playing credibly. The knocks on Fox always have been about his defense.
"Fox looks like Brooks Robinson over there at third base," said manager Lou Piniella, whose team has won four in a row to improve to 34-31. "I tell you what, the young man swings the bat."
Wells left with two runners aboard in the seventh. Lefty Sean Marshall gave up an RBI single before getting the final out and working a 1-2-3 eighth.
In the ninth, Jose Ascanio got into a jam before Kevin Gregg came on and earned his 11th save, with Blanco making a nice play up the middle on Trevor Crowe's grounder to strand a pair of runners.
"It's a great feeling," Wells said. "You dream about it as a kid. I don't know about the beer shower. You dream about winning ballgames in the big leagues. It's been a long time coming, but it's really special."
Bruce Miles' game tracker
Still rolling: First baseman Derrek Lee extended his hitting streak to 18 games, tying a career best, set in 2005. Lee has reached base safely in 28 straight. During the hitting streak, Lee is 27-for-74 (.365).
A Theriot tear: Shortstop Ryan Theriot extended his hitting streak to seven games with a first-inning double. Theriot is batting .310 (9-for-29) in the stretch.
More quality: Randy Wells turned in his sixth quality start. The Cubs lead the big leagues with 42 quality starts. The team is 25-17 in those games, and the starters have an ERA of 2.33.
Another streak: Milton Bradley hit 2 doubles, extending his hit streak to 10. He's 14-for-36 (. 389) in the streak. Bradley has his OBP up to .353.