This time around, smoke beat mirrors. The Cubs would love to see if Kerry Wood can make that happen twice in the same year.
Wood overpowered Greg Maddux and the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night, teaming with relievers Terry Mulholland and Rod Beck for a 3-0 victory. The first meeting between the rookie and the four-time Cy Young Award winner was sufficiently captivating that the sellout crowd of 47,933 at Turner Field didn’t mind seeing the Braves lose.
They gave Wood a standing ovation when manager Jim Riggleman lifted him after 7 2/3 innings and 11 strikeouts. It’s certain they won’t be so broad-minded if Wood and Maddux meet again in 1998. That would have to come in October.
Suffice it to say the Braves wouldn’t be excited to see Wood twice in a postseason series–not after watching him outclass the starting pitcher in this year’s All-Star Game.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him,” said Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, who had been 2 for 4 with a homer and three walks in his first two games against Wood. “The word for this game was overmatched. He overmatched almost everybody in at least one at-bat. I can’t imagine him being any better than that. I’m not looking forward to facing him the rest of my career.”
Jones had one of the Braves’ five singles as Wood enabled the Cubs to finish off a two-game sweep of Atlanta. This victory seemed to do more than simply finish a 7-5 trip and preserve momentary leadership in a six-team wild-card race. It made statements both about the possibilities that lie ahead and the nerve of their manager.
“This means a lot to us,” shortstop Jeff Blauser said. “Being on the other side with the Braves, I know the teams that come in here and do well gain confidence. The success the Braves have had speaks for itself, and there’s no question teams that can beat the Braves take a lot out of it.”
The Cubs, 2-10 against the Braves last year, took the season series 6-3. That success has kept them within four games of Houston in the NL Central.
While Wood and Maddux held center stage, Riggleman quietly had a great night in the dugout. He manufactured one run with a Blauser squeeze bunt and shut down a late Atlanta rally by refusing to pull the left-handed Mulholland when the Braves pinch-hit right-handed-hitting catcher Javy Lopez with two outs and two on in the eighth. Mulholland, who had just walked Michael Tucker, struck out Lopez to keep Beck in position for his 27th save.
“The book probably says to bring in a right-hander,” said Riggleman, who had Terry Adams in the bullpen. “I just felt comfortable going with an experienced guy.”
Maddux (13-4) worked seven innings in his normal fashion. He hit enough corners to strike out eight while walking one and only went to three-ball counts on four of the 26 hitters he faced. He retired 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced before manager Bobby Cox lifted him for a pinch-hitter.
The Cubs managed five hits off Maddux, which left to their own merits could have produced only one run. Bunts contributed to two of the runs, beginning with Wood’s sacrifice in the third. It put Scott Servais in scoring position, and Mickey Morandini delivered him with a single.
Blauser’s suicide squeeze capped a two-run fourth. That rally was set up by the game’s only extra-base hit–a bloop double down the left-field line by Tyler Houston. It was effective if not majestic.
Wood (9-5) was vulnerable early but hit his stride after surviving a 31-pitch fourth inning. Two of his five walks helped Atlanta load the bases, but he struck out Andruw Jones and Maddux to protect his 3-0 lead.
“This was a game where I didn’t have good stuff early on, but I got away with (mistakes),” Wood said. “Later on, my stuff came around.”
Four of the five hits off Wood came in the first four innings. Two were in the third, when the Braves would have done some damage if not for a baserunning blunder by Andruw Jones. He ran through a stop sign to get nailed at home on Lance Johnson’s throw from shallow center.
This wasn’t Andruw Jones’ night. Cox yanked his 21-year-old center-fielder in mid-inning after he stayed on his feet on a Johnson single that landed in front of him in the eighth. They then headed up the tunnel for a one-on-one talk. By then, of course, Maddux had seen enough to shudder.
“I think (Wood) has a chance to be the next Nolan Ryan, but with more wins,” Maddux said. “He can tell you what’s coming, and he’s still going to be hard to hit.”
