Knock on Wood Is Pitches, Not His Arm

Kerry Wood insisted his arm was fine. It was his pitches that hurt him.

“Today was going to happen. My arm had nothing to do with it. I just got beat,” the Chicago Cubs’ rookie right-hander said after the Arizona Diamondbacks hit him hard and often Wednesday, sending him to his first loss at Wrigley Field, 10-7.

“They hit the ball, they scored runs. There is nothing wrong with my arm,” Wood said emphatically. “There is nothing wrong with my arm.”

There’s also nothing wrong with Sammy Sosa’s bat.

Sosa hit his 43rd homer in the Cub loss.

The Cubs were considering having Wood skip his next start so he could rest what is known in baseball parlance as a “dead arm,” a condition that affects many pitchers after extensive throwing during the season.

That prompted speculation that Wood, who struck out 20 batters earlier this season, was injured.

Wood said he’s ready to pitch in five days against the Giants.

“As far as I’m concerned I can go my next start,” he said. “I’m not worried about anything. I have a start in five days and I’ll be out there.”

Cub Manager Jim Riggleman said Wood threw the ball well and would be evaluated after throwing on the side in St. Louis. He said if there is no fatigue, Wood will go against the Giants.

Andy Fox and Tony Batista homered for Arizona, and Andy Benes (9-11) struck out nine in six innings, giving up six hits--including Sosa’s homer, his sixth in his last 11 games--and walking two.

Wood (11-6) had beaten the Diamondbacks twice earlier this season and reached 96 mph on the radar gun Wednesday. But he was pounded in the first two innings, and the two homers he surrendered matched the total he had given up in 10 previous home starts. Overall, he gave up seven runs and nine hits in six innings, striking out six and walking two.

San Diego 4, Philadelphia 0--Kevin Brown pitched a five-hitter and tied the club record by winning his 11th consecutive decision as the Padres won at home.

It was Philadelphia’s seventh loss in a row.

It was the fourth complete game and second shutout for Brown (14-3), who struck out 11 and walked one.

He also doubled, scored and made three nice defensive plays, helping send Curt Schilling (10-11) to his second loss to NL West-leading San Diego this season.

Florida 5, Houston 3--Slightly built Jesus Sanchez, who has run marathons in his native Dominican Republic, gave up one earned run in seven innings, pitching in 92-degree weather in winning at Miami.

Derrek Lee hit a three-run homer to support Sanchez (5-6), who won for only the second time in his past 14 starts. He gave up six hits and three runs, two unearned.

Mike Hampton (9-6) gave up five runs in five innings and hurt himself with a throwing error for the Astros, who have lost six of his past seven starts.

St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 1--John Mabry, subbing for resting first baseman Mark McGwire, was booed when he was introduced, then hit a home run in the Cardinals’ victory at Milwaukee.

McGwire, whose chase of Roger Maris’ home run record has been stalled at 45 for more than a week, got the night off while St. Louis beat Jeff Juden and the Brewers.

Mabry’s homer gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, and was greeted by laughter from McGwire in the dugout. Mabry’s RBI single made it 2-1.

San Francisco 6, New York 4--Giant rookie Russ Ortiz pitched eight-plus innings for his first major league victory and San Francisco overcame hitting into a triple play to win at New York.

Ortiz (1-1) gave up six hits, struck out eight--five after the fifth inning--and walked four in his fourth start.

Barry Bonds and Doug Mirabelli had two RBIs each for the Giants, who moved within 1 1/2 games of Chicago in the NL wild-card race.

John Olerud had two doubles and picked up two assists and a putout in the fifth when the Mets turned the eighth triple play in their history.

J.T. Snow hit a hard grounder to John Olerud, who checked Barry Bonds at third base before throwing to second for the first out. Shortstop Rey Ordonez also looked Bonds back before throwing to first for out No. 2.

After Olerud got the return throw, he fired home to get a sliding Bonds.

Cincinnati 13, Atlanta 9--Aaron Boone hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the ninth inning at Atlanta, where the Reds rallied twice to win.

Dmitri Young drove in four runs and hit a two-run homer in the first. Ryan Klesko and Javy Lopez hit three-run homers for the Braves, who wasted 6-3 and 9-6 leads.