Kerry Wood continued the most successful spring training of his Cubs career Saturday with six scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Wood, who allowed only three hits and struck out five, is 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA. He threw 75 pitches.
“Going out there and getting ahead of guys makes it a little easier to pitch,” said Wood, who also hit his first home run of the spring.
“I just swung and [the pitcher] hit my bat again.”
Wood missed significant spring-training time in previous years because of illness and elbow rehabilitation. . . .
Mark Prior threw 40 pitches during his bullpen session Saturday. Prior is scheduled to throw again Monday to test his inflamed Achilles’ tendon. . . . Joe Borowski pitched in a simulated game Saturday in an attempt to build up his arm strength and velocity. “It’s just to give him some work. If he feels good, then we certainly are not concerned,” manager Dusty Baker said. “He has a defined role from the beginning [as a closer], which is unlike any other year he has had.” . . .
Third baseman Aramis Ramirez missed his third straight day of game action because of lingering soreness in his neck. “We thought he was going to be ready [Saturday],” Baker said. “But the neck [soreness] is connected to the nerves to his shoulder. He’s not ready. It could be from hitting, it could be from throwing. Baseball [involves] unnatural movement.” . . . Sammy Sosa hit his third home run of the spring, lining a 3-0 pitch from Adrian Hernandez over the 40-foot wall in center field. “Are you surprised?” Sosa said nonchalantly. . . . Juan Cruz is scheduled to start Sunday against San Diego. He could get an early-season start or two, depending on Prior’s status.
