Wood Continues Impressive Run

No, Kerry Wood didn’t get another strikeout record. All he did was dominate the Cincinnati Reds with a cut finger and an undependable fastball.

All things considered, the Chicago Cubs’ record-setting rookie impressed in a different way Sunday.

Wood gave up only two hits in six shutout innings despite a small cut on the index finger of his pitching hand, helping the surging Cubs defeat the Reds 10-1. Chicago moved to a season-high seven games over .500 with its sixth victory in seven games.

Wood (5-2) fanned eight, coming up two shy of Dwight Gooden’s NL record of 41 strikeouts over three starts. He left after the sixth inning because of the cut, which he got while opening a can two days ago, and the Cubs’ six-run lead.

“Kerry did a very good job,” Manager Jim Riggleman said. “We’ve kind of gotten spoiled. We’re expecting greatness every time out and this time we only got very good.”

The 20-year-old rookie found a way to dominate on an off-day. He said the artificial turf magnified the heat--77 degrees at game time--and left him breathless at times. His slider was flat and his fastball inconsistent. Only his curve worked with regularity.

“At least we won the game,” Wood said. “I didn’t have good stuff. My control wasn’t where I like it to be. The curve really bailed me out of jams.”

Wood has permitted only one run and eight hits over his last three starts, a 22-inning span that has made him a curiosity and a drawing card.

The Reds promoted Wood’s appearance and ended up selling 33,480 tickets, their best gate since the season opener. Many of the fans were cheering for Wood, who tied Roger Clemens’ major league record with 20 strikeouts on May 6 and struck out 13 more last Monday in Arizona to set a major league mark for strikeouts in two games.

Lines of K’s kept track of his strikeouts in more than a dozen locations around the stadium.

“He’s amazing because he gets the hometown fans pulling for him,” said Mark Grace, who homered and drove in three runs. “It’s fun to play behind him. Everybody’s excited, the other team is gawking, the umpires are gawking and we’re still gawking. This kid is special.”

“You know he’s good because [Bret] Boone was giving him his stamp of approval in the dugout,” said Eddie Taubensee, who had one of the two singles off Wood. “He was sitting there saying, ‘This guy’s good.’ And he doesn’t like to give the other guys credit.”