All-Star Wood Fades In First Start Since Break
PHOENIX (AP) — An eight-day layoff didn't agree with Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood.
"It's going to be nice to get back on a normal routine and be back after five days," Wood said after allowing four runs in 5 2-3 innings in the Cubs' 10-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
At the plate, Wood (6-7) singled and scored the Cubs' first run. On the mound, in a battle of All-Stars, he retired his first nine hitters but recorded only eight outs against the final 16 Diamondbacks he faced.
Martin Prado tied the game at 1 with a long home run into the left-field stands with one out in the fifth. Arizona tacked on three more in the sixth.
Adam Eaton led off with a single and scored when A.J. Pollock lined a hit-and-run double just inside the left-field line to make it 2-1. Wood walked Paul Goldschmidt and appeared on the verge of escaping further damage when Cody Ross grounded into a double play.
But Eric Chavez tripled just past the extended glove of a sprinting Junior Lake and off the left-field wall to drive in Pollock. Wil Nieves' RBI single gave Arizona a 4-1 lead.
"The first five (innings) looked pretty good," Wood said. "Unfortunately they kind of figured me out and were able to throw up three more."
Wood allowed eight hits, walked two and struck out two.
"I was feeling good all night," Wood said. "It just didn't turn out."
Cubs manager Dale Sveum was ejected by plate umpire Dana DeMuth for arguing balls and strikes after Cody Ransom was called out on strikes to end the top of the third.
"I didn't like the way he handled it, staring at Cody and following him," Sveum said. "It was over with. No need to keep staring at my player and baiting him."
Arizona starter Patrick Corbin (12-1) allowed one run, struck out six and walked three for the Diamondbacks, who won for the second time in five games since the All-Star break to remain a half-game behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
The Diamondbacks added three runs in the seventh on a two-run, two-out single by Chavez and an RBI single by Prado off Hector Rondon for a 7-1 cushion.
Nate Schierholtz came off the bench in the eighth to hit a two-run homer into the swimming pool area behind the right-center fence off David Hernandez for his third career pinch-hit homer. That pulled Chicago to 7-3.
Arizona put together its third straight three-run inning in the eighth on a two-run triple by Pollock and an RBI double by Goldschmidt, who had been intentionally walked the inning before.
Chavez and Pollock each finished with three RBIs.
Lake homered with one out in the ninth for the Cubs, his third hit of the game.
"He is playing as well as anybody can imagine," Sveum said. "He is one of those guys who looks like he likes his stuff and performs better at this level."
NOTES: Arizona is 18-2 when Corbin starts. ... The Diamondbacks had totaled eight runs in their previous four games since the All-Star break. ... Corbin and Wood were the ninth set of All-Star pitchers since 2000 to face each other in their first start after the break. ... Lake finished 3 for 5 and is 12 for 22 with two homers, a double and four RBIs since he was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Friday. ... Sveum has been ejected four times this season, including two of the Cubs' five games against the Diamondbacks. ... RHP Jeff Samardzija (6-9) will renew his personal rivalry with the Diamondbacks against RHP Ian Kennedy (3-7) on Wednesday. Samardzija found himself in a shouting match with Arizona third base coach Matt Williams in June after nearly hitting Kennedy a couple of times with pitches. Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson had some harsh words for Samardzija, too.
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