CHICAGO - Travis Wood and the rest of the Chicago Cubs pitchers are starting to turn the ninth spot in the batting order into a productive part of the lineup.
Wood (Bryant) hit a fourth-inning grand slam off Jake Peavy and allowed two runs in six innings to lead the way in an 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
“Our whole staff has been hitting,” Wood said, after his grand slam gave Cubs pitchers 19 RBI for May, a National League record for one month according to the team.
“We take pride in our hitting, being able to help ourselves out, just being able to handle the bat.”
Wood wasn’t the only Cubs player hitting home runs against the White Sox on a day with the wind blowing out 24 mph.
Nate Schierholtz and Luis Valbuena each hit their sixth home runs of the year in an 11-hit effort by the Cubs offense, keying a fourth consecutive victory overall and third consecutive convincing victory over their crosstown rivals.
It was Wood (5-3) who broke open the game with his fifth career home run and second this year in the fourth inning with the Cubs leading 2-1.
“Woody can flat-out hit,” Cubs Manager Dale Sveum said. “He hits any fastball. They’ve (pitchers hitting) all been a big key to these wins.
“They’re not just getting a single and driving a run in. They’re getting two-run doubles and home runs, and we’re able to put games away.”
Welington Castillo and Valbuena started the fourth inning with singles and Jake Peavy hit Darwin Barney before Wood’s grand slam on a 2-1 pitch. It was the first grand slam by a Cubs pitcher since Jason Marquis hit one Sept. 22, 2008, in New York against the Mets and first by a Cubs pitcher in Wrigley Field since Burt Hooton hit one Sept. 16, 1972, against the New York Mets.
RANGERS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 5 Mitch Moreland hit a two-run home run, rookie righthander Justin Grimm took a shutout into the sixth inning and Texas ended a three-game losing streak with a victory against visiting Arizona.
MARINERS 7, PADRES 1 Nick Franklin hit his first two big-league home runs to give Seattle a victory over host San Diego.
GIANTS 5, ATHLETICS 2 Pablo Sandoval hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth to help Barry Zito end a six-start winless stretch, and San Francisco beat visiting Oakland.
BRAVES 11, BLUE JAYS 3 Ramiro Pena drove in four runs with three hits and Mike Minor pitched seven strong innings in Atlanta’s victory over visiting Toronto.
METS 3, YANKEES 1 Dillon Gee struck out a career-high 12 and limited the New York Yankees to four hits over 7 1/3 innings in a victory that gave the New York Mets a four-game season sweep.
INDIANS 7, REDS 1 Scott Kazmir allowed one run in seven innings and host Cleveland scored seven runs with two outs in the fourth to defeat Cincinnati.
ORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 0 Freddy Garcia pitched eight innings of three-hit ball to get the best of Dan Haren in a duel of veteran right handers, and Baltimore beat visiting Washington.
RED SOX 9, PHILLIES 2 David Ortiz and Jonny Gomes homered and Jacoby Ellsbury set a club record with five stolen bases as Boston routed host Philadelphia.
PIRATES 1, TIGERS 0 Russell Martin hit a bases-loaded single off the left-center wall in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Pittsburgh a victory over visiting Detroit.
RAYS 5, MARLINS 2 Matt Joyce and James Loney homered to support pitcher Alex Colome in his major league debut and helped send Tampa Bay to a victory over host Miami.
TWINS 8, BREWERS 6 Joe Mauer had two hits, two RBI and one of Minnesota’s four home runs to help his team beat visiting Milwaukee.
ASTROS 7, ROCKIES 5 Chris Carter and Matt Dominguez hit consecutive home runs during a six-run sixth, Lucas Harrell won for the first time in six starts and Houston beat host Colorado.
Thursday’s games
INTERLEAGUE Texas 9, Arizona 5 Chicago Cubs 8, Chicago White Sox 3 Seattle 7, San Diego 1 San Francisco 5, Oakland 2 Boston 9, Philadelphia 2 Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 1 Pittsburgh 1, Detroit 0 (11) NY Mets 3, NY Yankees 1 Baltimore 2, Washington 0 Tampa Bay 5, Miami 2 Atlanta 11, Toronto 3 Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 6 Houston 7, Colorado 5 Kansas City at St. Louis, (n) LA Dodgers at LA Angels, (n)
Sports, Pages 24 on 05/31/2013