Knock on Wood Seems To Be Control

Everybody says Kerry Wood’s arm is fine. Well, everybody but Wood, who didn’t stay around long enough Friday to say anything at all.

Wood avoided a loss at Chicago, thanks to Sammy Sosa’s tiebreaking, three-run triple that led the Cubs to a 9-8 victory over the Montreal Expos.

But Wood’s performance--five runs, four hits and five walks over four innings--prompted his early exit from the clubhouse after the game.

“His arm’s fine. His confidence is not there,” Manager Don Baylor said of the right-hander, who is coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery. “He missed a year. It’s no different than a hitter who’s one for 30.”

Wood, the 1998 National League rookie of the year, is winless in three starts since May 28.

“I don’t think the confidence is a problem,” teammate Mark Grace said. “He’s coming back from an injury and this is like spring training. His stuff is still good.”

Wood, who celebrated his 23rd birthday Friday, is 2-4 with a 6.07 earned-run average and has walked 34 in 46 innings.

“Now, I think he’s trying to prove too much. He’s trying to make perfect pitches, but he doesn’t have to,” Sosa said. “He only has to relax and don’t try to overthrow and be Superman.”

Cub catcher Jeff Reed said Wood didn’t seem right in the bullpen because “he just didn’t have a feel for his breaking pitches.”

“He needs the Astros to come into town,” Grace said, referring to the team Wood struck out 20 against two years ago and beat 11-1 on May 2 in his 2000 debut.

Sosa’s triple came on the 11th anniversary of his major league debut and gave him 1,002 RBIs.

Todd Van Poppel (2-2) won despite giving up three runs and four hits in three innings, and Rick Aguilera pitched a perfect ninth, retiring Jose Vidro, Rondell White and Vladimir Guerrero for his 14th save in 18 chances.

Philadelphia 2, Atlanta 1--Curt Schilling, who recently resorted to pitching batting practice to try to figure out what was wrong with his delivery, found nothing wrong in besting the Braves and Tom Glavine at Philadelphia.

Schilling (2-4) won for the first time in more than a month, striking out a season-high 11. He was backed by Mike Lieberthal’s two-run homer and gave up only five hits in eight innings.

In the eighth, Schilling struck out Chipper Jones and Andres Galarraga with no outs and runners on first and third. After a walk to Brian Jordan loaded the bases, Schilling struck out Javier Lopez. Jeff Brantley finished for his seventh save in as many chances.

Since shutting out the Braves on 11 hits on May 7--his second start after off-season shoulder surgery--Schilling had been 0-4 with an 8.05 ERA.

San Diego 8, Cincinnati 5--Bret Boone hit a three-run homer and Carlos Hernandez added a two-run shot for the Padres at San Diego, where eight of the game’s runs came on homers.

The Reds got a leadoff home run from Pokey Reese and two other solo shots, by Sean Casey and pinch-hitter Chris Stynes.

The Padres ended their three-game losing streak and Cincinnati lost its fourth consecutive game.

San Francisco 7, Houston 4--Barry Bonds hit his major league-leading 26th home run, leading Shawn Estes and the Giants at San Francisco.

Bonds had three hits, scored three runs and drove in two. He came to the plate in the eighth inning needing a single to hit for the cycle, but flied out.

Rich Aurilia also homered for the Giants, who won their fourth in a row.

Estes (6-3) gave up one run and five hits in seven innings. He improved his home ERA to 1.61 in six starts.

The Astros scored twice in the ninth inning. Robb Nen relieved after Craig Biggio’s RBI double and got the last out for his ninth save.

New York 7, Milwaukee 1--Al Leiter gave up three hits in eight innings and Benny Agbayani had a leadoff homer and three RBIs for the Mets, who beat the Brewers for the ninth time in a row.

Leiter (8-1) struck out seven and walked three at Milwaukee, winning his third consecutive start. He is unbeaten against the Brewers since June 27, 1994, when he was with Toronto and Milwaukee was in the American League.

Agbayani’s leadoff homer gave him home runs in three consecutive plate appearances, the first Met to accomplish the feat since Gary Carter at San Diego on Sept. 3, 1985.

Mike Piazza’s 18th homer, a two-run shot in the sixth off Steve Woodard, helped the Mets improve to 17-3 in their last 20 games against Milwaukee.

Florida 8, Pittsburgh 3--Derrek Lee drove in six runs with two homers, including the second grand slam of his career, in the Marlins’ win at Pittsburgh.

Cliff Floyd was four for five with two RBI singles to help the Marlins stop a five-game losing streak in Three Rivers Stadium.

Lee hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning after Mike Lowell’s leadoff double against Francisco Cordova (4-5), who was seeking a fourth consecutive victory.

First baseman Kevin Young’s second error of the game, on Floyd’s grounder, a walk and Preston Wilson’s single preceded Lee’s grand slam off Cordova in the fifth.

All 12 Lee homers and all but three of his 26 RBIs are on the road. Both of his grand slams have been at Three Rivers, with the other coming off Esteban Loaiza in 1998. Lee is four for eight with three homers against Cordova, all this season, and is 11 for 35 with six homers and 13 RBIs in Three Rivers.

Arizona at Colorado, postponed--Heavy rain that helped in fighting local wildfires that have consumed thousands of acres of land also prompted postponement of the game between the Diamondbacks and Rockies at Denver. The game was rescheduled for Sept. 25.