Wood Strikes Out 13, and Cubs Beat Braves

K signs everywhere. Fans, nearly 40,000 strong, roaring as if they were watching the playoffs, not a regular-season game in May. This is what Kerry Wood has brought to the Chicago Cubs.

He didn’t pitch them to a victory Friday--they had to go to the 11th inning to defeat the Atlanta Braves, 5-3, long after Wood had departed--but he kept them close, while his mere presence rocked Wrigley Field.

“It’s always electric when Woody pitches. He brings in the people to watch and why not?” said Brant Brown, who won the game with a two-run homer in the 11th.

“He pitched a great game, kept us close. And even though he didn’t get the ‘W,’ somebody else did.”

What Wood got in only his ninth major league start were 13 strikeouts in seven innings. He was making his first appearance at Wrigley since he tied a major-league record by striking out 20 Houston Astros on May 6.

“To me it really wasn’t that different from last time. The fans were just into the game from the first pitch,” Wood said. “It’s fun, it’s a blast. I’m having a good time.”

The crowd of 38,010, in a postseason-like frenzy, roared in anticipation every time Wood got two strikes on a batter and then erupted when the strikeout was recorded.

Terry Adams (3-3) pitched two innings of hitless relief for the victory.

San Francisco 3, Arizona 1--Barry Bonds hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat since being intentionally walked with the bases loaded the night before, and Shawn Estes pitched eight strong innings for the Giants at San Francisco.

Bill Mueller singled with one out in the first inning before Bonds hit his 13th homer. After giving up a double to David Dellucci to open the game, Estes (4-5) retired 15 consecutive batters until Tony Batista’s double starting the sixth.

Estes gave up four hits, matched a season high with eight strikeouts and walked one. Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his 13th save.

St. Louis 8, San Diego 3--Mark McGwire hit his major league-leading 26th homer and also had a two-run double for the Cardinals at San Diego.

All the Cardinals’ scoring came in the final two innings. McGwire, who hit his first home run in three games, finished two for four with a walk and four runs batted in, giving him a major league-leading 65. He hit a bases-loaded double in the eighth, when the Cardinals sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs on four hits and four walks.

John Mabry and Royce Clayton hit consecutive two-run singles with two out in the eighth, helping send Padres starter Joey Hamilton (3-6) to his fifth consecutive loss.

Houston 7, Colorado 6--The Astros used three hit batters to help open up an early lead and the solid pitching of Mike Hampton at Denver.

Hampton (7-2) survived a line drive off his lower left leg in the fourth inning and limited Colorado to one run on five hits through seven innings.

Billy Wagner loaded the bases in the ninth before getting Dante Bichette to ground out for his 14th save.

Houston’s Derek Bell had three hits and three RBIs, Ricky Gutierrez had three hits and Bill Spiers homered for the first time this season, a solo shot in the third.

Jeff Bagwell also returned to the lineup from the disabled list for the Astros but went 0 for 5.

New York 11, Philadelphia 0--Rick Reed won his fifth consecutive game and Edgar Alfonzo had three hits with a two-run homer at Philadelphia as the Mets won their seventh consecutive game.

Reed (6-2) gave up four hits, but only one after the second inning, as he retired 16 batters in a row before Bobby Abreu led off the eighth with a single.

In his last six starts, Reed, who walked none and struck out five, has a 1.42 earned run average in 44 1/3 innings.

“I don’t think I’ve changed anything,” he said. “There were a couple of hitters where I didn’t hit my spot with the fastball, but other than that, really everything was working.”

Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 1--Carlos Perez, backed by Rondell White’s two homers, won his fifth in a row with eight innings of one-run pitching at Pittsburgh.

White had three hits and homered in consecutive at-bats off Jon Lieber (2-7), who also gave up a solo home run to Chris Widger.

Perez (5-3) gave up seven hits before Ugueth Urbina finished up for his 12th save. Perez has pitched at least into the eighth inning in every game during his winning streak and has lasted seven innings or more in all but two of 10 starts.

Milwaukee 4, Florida 3--Rookie Geoff Jenkins led off the bottom of the 11th inning with his sixth home run at Milwaukee as the Brewers overcame Doug Jones’ seventh blown save.

Jenkins’ home run off Jay Powell (4-3) made a winner of Bob Wickman (2-4), who pitched two scoreless innings after Jones blew a 3-2 lead in the ninth when Cliff Floyd hit a solo homer.