Since there isn’t much to do until the Cubs make another move or two, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at the best games in Kerry Wood’s career with the Cubs.  I’m not sure how many games I’ll do just yet, but there will be at least 5.  The first one happens to be the first regular season game I was able to watch Kerry Wood in person.  It was May 11, 1998 in Phoenix. 

We all remember the start before that, but this was an historic start for Kerry Wood as well.  On this night Wood struck out 13 batters in 7 innings and set a major league record for most strikeouts in 2 consecutive games.  I’m not sure if that record is still his, but he passed Nolan Ryan that night.  He was well on his way to becoming the fastest MLB pitchers to reach 1000 strikeouts. 

I lived in the Phoenix area at this time and had gone to see Wood pitch in Spring Training that year.  I still recall that first time I saw him pitch and you just knew he was going to be a star.  He was a young phenom with a 99 mph fastball and a knee buckling curve.  He didn’t have the best idea where either pitch was going all the time, but with that arsenal he didn’t have to.  I remember after the Cubs sent Wood to Iowa in 1998 that one of the analysts on Baseball Tonight said the Cubs would win the World Series “if they have 5 starters better than Kerry Wood.” 

On May 11, 1998 Kerry Wood threw 7 innings, allowed 5 hits and only 1 run while walking one and striking 13 men out.  This was a great performance from a rookie making only his 6th start, but it was kind of a letdown for those in attendance.  Many of the 47,129 that attended the game to watch the new expansion team in their brand new park were there to see Kerry Wood strikeout 20 again.  It obviously didn’t happen and while his performance this night was dominating, it wasn’t the same as the one a week earlier. 

Mark Grace hit a home run in the top of the 1st inning.  The Cubs added a couple of runs in the 2nd and led 3-0.  This was before Sammy Sosa appeared to be on track to pass Maris.  Sosa hit 20 home runs that June to add to his 13 in April and May. 

Below is the full box score and play by play taken from Retrosheet.

Game Played on Monday, May 11, 1998 (N) at Bank One Ballpark

CHI N   1 2 0   0 0 0   1 0 0 -  4 10 0
ARI N   0 0 0   0 0 0   1 0 1 -  2 7 1

BATTING

Chicago Cubs           AB   R   H RBI     BB SO     PO   A
Alexander 2b,ss           5   0   0   0     0   1     1   2
Mieske lf               5   0   2   0     0   0     2   0
  Beck p               0   0   0   0     0   0     0   0
Grace 1b               5   1   1   1     0   1     3   0
Sosa rf               3   0   1   0     1   0     2   0
Hernandez ss,lf           3   1   2   0     1   1     0   1
Orie 3b               4   1   1   1     0   0     2   0
Brown cf               3   1   1   0     1   1     1   0
Servais c               4   0   0   0     0   0     16   0
Wood p                 3   0   2   2     0   0     0   0
  Adams p               0   0   0   0     0   0     0   0
  Morandini ph,2b         0   0   0   0     1   0     0   0
Totals               35   4 10   4     4   4     27   3

BATTING -
2B: Orie (7,off Anderson); Mieske (1,off Anderson); Brown (5,off Anderson);
Hernandez (3,off Sodowsky).
3B: Hernandez (1,off Anderson).
HR: Grace (1,1st inning off Anderson 0 on 2 out).
IBB: Sosa (2,by Anderson); Brown (1,by Sodowsky).
Team LOB: 8.

Arizona Diamondbacks       AB   R   H RBI     BB SO     PO   A
White cf               4   0   0   0     0   2     3   0
Dellucci lf             4   0   1   0     0   2     2   0
Bell ss               3   0   0   0     1   2     2   5
Lee 1b                 4   0   0   0     0   3     10   0
Fabregas c             2   0   1   0     0   0     2   1
  Stinnett c             2   1   1   1     0   0     3   1
Brede rf               3   1   1   0     1   1     2   1
Fox 3b                 4   0   2   0     0   1     1   0
Batista 2b             3   0   1   1     0   1     2   2
Anderson p             2   0   0   0     0   2     0   1
  Benitez ph             1   0   0   0     0   1     0   0
  Sodowsky p             0   0   0   0     0   0     0   2
  Miller ph             1   0   0   0     0   1     0   0
Totals               33   2   7   2     2 16     27 13

FIELDING -
E: Batista (1).

BATTING -
2B: Dellucci (4,off Wood); Fox (2,off Beck).
HR: Stinnett (2,7th inning off Wood 0 on 1 out).
SF: Batista (1,off Beck).
Team LOB: 7.

PITCHING

Chicago Cubs           IP   H   R ER BB SO HR
Wood W(4-2)            7   5   1   1   1 13   1
Adams                 1   0   0   0   1   2   0
Beck SV(10)            1   2   1   1   0   1   0
Totals                 9   7   2   2   2 16   1

Arizona Diamondbacks       IP   H   R ER BB SO HR
Anderson L(1-4)          7   8   4   4   2   4   1
Sodowsky               2   2   0   0   2   0   0
Totals                 9   10   4   4   4   4   1

IBB: Anderson (1,Sosa); Sodowsky (4,Brown).

Umpires: HP - Charlie Reliford, 1B - Paul Schrieber, 2B - Dana DeMuth, 3B - Ed Montague

Time of Game: 2:31   Attendance: 47129

Starting Lineups:

  Chicago Cubs             Arizona Diamondbacks  
1. Alexander       2b     White           cf
2. Mieske         lf     Dellucci         lf
3. Grace           1b     Bell           ss
4. Sosa           rf     Lee           1b
5. Hernandez       ss     Fabregas         c
6. Orie           3b     Brede           rf
7. Brown           cf     Fox           3b
8. Servais         c       Batista         2b
9. Wood           p       Anderson         p

CUBS 1ST: Alexander flied to center; Mieske flied to left; Grace
homered; Sosa popped to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 1ST: White struck out; Dellucci doubled to left;
Bell lined to right; Lee grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Diamondbacks 0.

CUBS 2ND: Hernandez tripled to right; Orie doubled to center
[Hernandez scored]; Brown lined to first; Servais flied to
center; Wood singled to right [Orie scored, Wood out at second
(right to catcher to second to shortstop to second)]; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 2ND: Fabregas singled to right; Brede flied to
left; Fox singled to left [Fabregas to second]; Batista lined to
third; Anderson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 3,
Diamondbacks 0.

CUBS 3RD: Alexander popped to shortstop; Mieske popped to
second; Grace struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3,
Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 3RD: White struck out; Dellucci lined to left; Bell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 0.

CUBS 4TH: Sosa grounded out (first unassisted); Hernandez struck
out; Orie popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3,
Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 4TH: Lee struck out; Fabregas grounded out
(shortstop to first); Brede was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 0.

CUBS 5TH: STINNETT REPLACED FABREGAS (PLAYING C ); Brown struck
out; Servais grounded out (shortstop to first); Wood grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3,
Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 5TH: Fox struck out; Batista struck out; Anderson
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 0.

CUBS 6TH: Alexander struck out; Mieske doubled to left; Grace
grounded out (pitcher to first); Sosa was walked intentionally;
Hernandez walked [Mieske to third, Sosa to second]; Orie popped
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 6TH: White grounded out (second to first); Dellucci
struck out; Bell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3,
Diamondbacks 0.

CUBS 7TH: Brown doubled to right; Servais popped to catcher;
Wood singled to right [Brown scored]; Alexander lined to right;
Mieske singled to center [Wood to second]; Grace popped to left;
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 0.

DIAMONDBACKS 7TH: Lee struck out; Stinnett homered; Brede
walked; Fox lined to second; Batista singled to left [Brede to
second]; BENITEZ BATTED FOR ANDERSON; Benitez struck out; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 1.

CUBS 8TH: SODOWSKY REPLACED BENITEZ (PITCHING); Sosa singled to
shortstop; Sosa was picked off first (pitcher to first);
Hernandez doubled to left; Orie grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Hernandez to third]; Brown was walked intentionally;
Servais popped to third; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 4,
Diamondbacks 1.

DIAMONDBACKS 8TH: ADAMS REPLACED WOOD (PITCHING); White flied to
center; Dellucci was called out on strikes; Bell walked; Lee
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 1.

CUBS 9TH: MORANDINI BATTED FOR ADAMS; Morandini walked;
Alexander reached on a fielder’s choice [Morandini to second
(error by Batista; assist by Bell)]; Morandini was picked off
second (catcher to shortstop); Mieske grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Alexander to second]; Grace grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 1.

DIAMONDBACKS 9TH: BECK REPLACED MIESKE (PITCHING); MORANDINI
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); ALEXANDER CHANGED POSITIONS
(PLAYING SS); HERNANDEZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Stinnett
lined to third; Brede singled to center; Fox doubled to right
[Brede to third]; Batista out on a sacrifice fly to right [Brede
scored, Fox to third]; MILLER BATTED FOR SODOWSKY; Miller was
called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4,
Diamondbacks 2.

Final Totals     R   H   E LOB
Cubs         4 10   0   8
Diamondbacks   2   7   1   7