Wood Shows He Can Go Distance

Kerry Wood isn’t the pitcher he used to be. He may be better.

“He was nasty. And I don’t think he’s fully back yet,” Cincinnati Red second baseman Pokey Reese said Tuesday night after Wood pitched a four-hitter for his first complete game since elbow surgery almost 1 1/2 years ago, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Reds, 2-1, at Cincinnati.

Wood (7-7) struck out eight and walked two in the second complete game of his career, the first since he struck out a record-tying 20 batters against Houston on May 6, 1998.

Wood took a shutout into the ninth before giving up Alex Ochoa’s solo homer. The Reds are the only major league team that hasn’t been blanked this year.

“It’s a great lift to go out and do that,” Wood said. “I felt like I had three pitches working--my curveball, slider and fastball. And I was throwing them for strikes.”

Wood had a ligament in his right elbow replaced on April 8, 1999, and since returning this season, his longest outing had been eight innings on July 7 in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Florida 5, Atlanta 4--Kevin Millwood was chased in the seventh inning at Atlanta and the Marlins survived a threat in the ninth to beat the Braves.

Atlanta, which has lost three straight, trailed, 5-2, before Reggie Sanders’ run-scoring single in the eighth chased Jesus Sanchez (9-10). Sanchez, who improved to 4-1 against the Braves, gave up one earned run and nine hits in 7 2/3 innings, winning for the first time in five starts since beating the Dodgers on Aug. 14.

San Francisco 9, Houston 5--Marvin Benard, Barry Bonds and Bill Mueller all homered as the Giants rallied past the Astros for the second night in a row and won for the 12th time in 14 games.

Shawn Estes (15-4) recovered from a shaky start to win for the 10th time in 11 decisions. Bonds put the Giants ahead to stay in the fifth with his 46th homer, matching his career high set in 1993.

St. Louis 11, Pittsburgh 1--Darryl Kile (18-9) won his fourth consecutive start with seven strong innings and Mike Matheny drove in three runs in the Cardinals’ rout at Pittsburgh.

Colorado 6, San Diego 3--Masato Yoshii pitched five strong innings and Todd Helton went two for three to raise his average to .381 in the Rockies’ victory at San Diego.

Montreal 1, Philadelphia 0--Jose Vidro’s home run in the top of the eighth inning snapped a scoreless tie, and Tony Armas gave up two hits over seven innings at Philadelphia.