Ben Revere hit a single to right with one out in the sixth inning to end his no-hit bid, but Travis Wood was simply dominant on Sunday afternoon. He tossed eight shutout innings, allowed three hits, three walks, and struck out eight in the Chicago Cubs’ 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
This win coupled with a 2-1 victory on Friday night, allowed the Cubs to take two-of-three from the Phillies. This was the first time that the Cubs have won a series on the road this season, and marks the first time they have won a series in Philadelphia since April of 2001.
Anthony Rizzo hit a solo homerun in the first inning to get things going for the Cubs. That was Rizzo’s 14th homerun on the season, and he is now hitting an impressive .282/.406/.509. After a somewhat disappointing 2013 season, the early season success of Rizzo has been a great sight for the Cubs’ organization.
Starlin Castro added a RBI single in the third inning, and scored on an opposite-field double by Nate Schierholtz in the sixth. Castro went 3-4 on the afternoon, and while his slash line (.281/.326/.461) is not as impressive as Rizzo’s, Castro appears to be much more comfortable at the plate this year, and is having some nice success.
Neil Ramirez finished this one up for the Cubs with a perfect ninth inning. While it has not been officially announced, Ramirez has appeared to take over the closer role for the Cubs. Ramirez features a mid-to-high 90s fastball and a wipeout slider, and he has been incredibly effective this season. In 19 relief appearances, Ramirez has a miniscule 0.76 WHIP, 1.06 ERA, 13.77 strikeouts per nine innings, and has three saves in three chances.
The story of the day was Wood, as he baffled Phillies’ hitters all afternoon. Wood seemed to have his cutter working effectively, and was able to jam the guys throughout the ballgame. This led to weak pop-ups over and over again, and the Phillies were never able to adjust.
Wood has had an up-and-down season (4.48 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), but this could be just the start that the lefty needed to get back on track. It is certainly a step in the right direction.