WOOD, CUBS DOMINATE PADS
Chicago Starter Fans 16 in 7 IP

CHICAGO, Apr. 23 (AP) - Kerry Wood struck out 16 in just seven innings of work and Corey Patterson belted a first inning inside-the-park grand slam as the Chicago Cubs routed the San Diego Padres, 12-0, at Wrigley Field.

Wood, who leads the National League in strikeouts, reached double digits for a league-best third time this year in five starts.  The Cubs right-hander is striking out nearly 15 batters per nine innings on the season to date.  Despite the strikeout dominance, Wood entered the game with an ERA of 6.55, but held the Padres to just two hits in his seven innings of work.

Wood's teammates gave him an early cushion.  With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Patterson drove an Adam Eaton offering over the head of center fielder Shane Victorino.  The ball bounced sharply off the brick wall--the ivy has just begun to leaf out--past Victorino and back toward the infield.  By the time left fielder Rondell White picked up the ball, the bases were clear and Patterson was rounding third.  He easily beat the relay throw to the plate and the Cubs had a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Chicago drove Eaton from the mound in the second in the third inning following a two-run double off the bat of Mark Bellhorn.  Alex Gonzalez belted a solo home run in the fourth to make it 7-0 and the Cubs added tack on runs in each of the next three innings as well.  Bellhorn drove home his third run of the game in the fifth with a single to make it 8-0.  Hee Seop Choi clubbed his third run of the season, a three-run blow, in the sixth and a Gonzalez ground out capped the scoring in the seventh.

Wood, meanwhile, was mowing the Padres down and struck out at least one batter in every inning of work.  He fanned the side twice--in the first and sixth innings.  Wood came within one strikeout of the major league high this year--Curt Schilling of Arizona fanned 17 Milwaukee Brewers in 8 2/3 innings of work on April 12 in Phoenix--but he was lifted with a 12-run lead after seven innings having already thrown 122 pitches.  Juan Cruz mopped up for the Cubs, working a pair of shutout frames.

In his last two starts, both victories, Wood has worked a total of 15 innings, allowing five hits and no runs while walking five and striking out 27.

4/23/2003, SD03-ChC03, Wrigley Field
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Padres            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  3  0     7  0
2003 Cubs              4  0  2  1  1  3  1  0  x    12 14  1     6  1
 
Padres               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Cubs                 AB  R  H BI   AVG
Vazquez,R         ss  4  0  0  0  .240    Grudzielanek      2b  4  0  0  0  .366
Loretta           2b  4  0  1  0  .250     Martinez,R       2b  0  0  0  0  .476
 Buchanan         1b  0  0  0  0  .381    Gonzalez,AS       ss  4  2  1  2  .261
Klesko            1b  3  0  0  0  .230    Sosa,S            rf  5  1  1  0  .198
 Orosco           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Cruz,Ju          p   0  0  0  0  .000
White,Ro          lf  4  0  0  0  .200    Alou              lf  5  2  2  0  .253
Burroughs         3b  3  0  1  0  .291     Goodwin          lf  0  0  0  0  .417
Nady              rf  4  0  1  0  .263    Choi              1b  3  4  2  3  .240
Rivera,Mi         c   3  0  0  0  .000    Patterson,C       cf  5  2  2  4  .353
Victorino         cf  2  0  0  0  .095    Bellhorn          3b  4  0  3  3  .305
Eaton             p   1  0  0  0  .000    Miller,D          c   4  0  0  0  .214
 Villafuerte      p   0  0  0  0 1.000    Wood,K            p   3  0  2  0  .182
 Hansen           ph  1  0  0  0  .500     O'Leary          ph  1  1  1  0  .154
 Wright,Jar       p   0  0  0  0 1.000                         38 12 14 12
 Hackman          p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Lockhart         ph  1  0  0  0  .304
                     30  0  3  0
 
Padres                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Eaton            L 0-4           2.1  6  6  6  3  5  62  37  7.11
Villafuerte                      1.2  1  1  1  0  2  16  12 10.03
Wright,Jar                       1.0  3  1  1  1  2  32  19  7.59
Hackman                          2.0  4  4  4  0  2  24  19  4.50
Orosco                           1.0  0  0  0  0  1  18  12 12.00
                                 8.0 14 12 12  4 12 152  99
 
Cubs                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Wood,K           W 3-0           7.0  2  0  0  3 16 122  73  4.97
Cruz,Ju                          2.0  1  0  0  1  0  27  14  2.31
                                 9.0  3  0  0  4 16 149  87
 
SD : Hansen batted for Villafuerte in the 5th
     Lockhart batted for Hackman in the 8th
     Buchanan inserted at 1b in the 8th
     Lockhart moved to 2b in the 8th
ChC: O'Leary batted for Wood,K in the 7th
     Martinez,R inserted at 2b in the 8th
     O'Leary moved to rf in the 8th
     Goodwin inserted at lf in the 9th
 
E-Choi. 2B-Alou(5), Choi(4), Patterson,C(9), Bellhorn 2(7), O'Leary(2).
HR-Gonzalez,AS(3), Choi(3), Patterson,C(4). RBI-Gonzalez,AS 2(10),
Choi 3(12), Patterson,C 4(22), Bellhorn 3(13). K-Vazquez,R 3, Loretta 2,
Klesko 2, White,Ro 3, Burroughs, Nady, Rivera,Mi 2, Victorino, Eaton,
Grudzielanek 2, Gonzalez,AS, Sosa,S 3, Patterson,C, Bellhorn, Miller,D 3,
Wood,K. BB-Klesko, Burroughs, Rivera,Mi, Victorino, Grudzielanek,
Gonzalez,AS, Choi 2. WP-Wright,Jar, Wood,K 2, Cruz,Ju.
GWRBI: Patterson,C
Temperature: 55, Sky: clear, Wind: in from left at 7 MPH.
Attendance: 27,702
Game Time: 2:45