Apr 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Travis Wood (left) celebrates with left fielder Ryan Kalish (51) after hitting a three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Wrigley Field. Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — Travis Wood combined a strong pitching performance with a very big stick on Monday night.
The Chicago Cubs left-hander scattered six hits and helped his cause with a three-run homer and an RBI double in a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a four-game series at Wrigley Field.
“He was a one-man wrecking crew,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. “Obviously, we know he can swing the bat. Good for him, good for us.”
Wood’s three-run homer to left field — the seventh home run of his career — came in the second inning of a game delayed more than an hour by rain.
He lined another shot to the center-field wall in the fourth and went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and one run scored.
“The guy pitched a great game,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “Secondly, Bronson hung a couple of breaking balls to him and we know he’s one of the better hitting pitchers in the league and he got a hold of them.
“And we didn’t have much offense as well.”
On the mound, Wood (1-2) worked seven innings, struck out nine and walked none.
“(I’ll do) anything I can do to help the team and help myself out there,” Wood said. “I’m not out there to fill a spot. You’ve got to try to be the best you can at it.”
Arroyo slipped to 1-2 as the Diamondbacks dropped their third straight and ninth in their last 10.
After allowing just two hits through five innings, Wood gave up back-to-back singles with none out to open the sixth. But he struck out second baseman Aaron Hill, got first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to fly to right and escaped the inning as third baseman Martin Prado popped up to first baseman Anthony Rizzo in foul territory.
The Cubs loaded the bases with none out in their sixth. Right fielder Ryan Kalish grounded to Arroyo, who threw to catcher Miguel Montero to force shortstop Starlin Castro at the plate for the first out.
With Wood coming up and the bases still loaded, that was it for Arroyo, who departed for right-hander J.J. Putz. This time, Wood grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Wood said seeing a pitcher pulled when he comes to the plate happened last year, but it is rare.
“It feels good that they respect you up there and you’re doing your job,” he said.
Arroyo worked 5 1/3 innings, allowed five earned runs and eight hits and walked three and struck out two.
Wood started to struggle in the seventh. Left fielder Mark Trumbo ended the shutout, taking Wood’s first pitch and lining it to deep left center for a solo home run with one out. It was Trumbo’s seventh homer of the year.
“I had good command of most pitches — especially the fastball — but I made a mistake there with Trumbo,” Wood said. “But other than that, it was pretty solid through and through.”
Wood gave up a one-out double to deep center to Montero. A fielder’s choice by Tony Campana moved Montero to third, but pinch-hitter Cliff Pennington popped up in foul territory to end the threat.
Right-hander Hector Rondon replaced Wood and pitched a scoreless eighth. Right-hander Pedro Strop allowed just one baserunner in the ninth.
Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 to pace the Diamondbacks. Catcher Wellington Castillo and Kalish also had two hits apiece for the Cubs.
The Cubs claimed a 1-0 lead in the second as Castro ran his Wrigley Field hitting streak to 12 straight games — nine this season — with a one-out single.
He reached second on center fielder Ryan Sweeney’s grounder to second and scored on Castillo’s looping base hit to right.
With two out and Castillo and Kalish aboard, Wood took Arroyo’s 1-0 pitch and launched a towering 390-foot shot to the left-field bleachers for a 4-0 lead.
Wood doubled off the center-field wall with two out in the fourth to score Kalish and make it 5-0, but he was stranded when second baseman Emilio Bonifacio grounded out to end the inning.
The game was delayed 61 minutes as players and fans dodged raindrops. But storms eventually moved out and the first pitch finally came at 8:06 p.m. CT.
NOTES: Diamondbacks SS Chris Owings was slotted as the leadoff batter for the first time in his career. He entered Monday with a .293 average, with five walks and four stolen bases. … RHP Bronson Arroyo was unbeaten in his last nine Wrigley Field starts coming into Monday. He was 6-0 with a 2.61 ERA during that span. … Wednesday’s game marks Wrigley Field’s 100th anniversary and the Diamondbacks will don the uniforms of the Kansas City Packers, opponents of the Chicago Federals, a Cubs predecessor team, in the park’s inaugural game in 1914. The Cubs will wear Federals throwback uniforms. … Tuesday’s scheduled second game features Diamondbacks LHP Brandon McCarthy (0-3, 7.11 ERA) against Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (2-1, 3.05 ERA). … 1B Anthony Rizzo’s .484 batting average at home is second in the National League. Rizzo has hit safely in his last eight home games, batting .556 with six multi-hit efforts during that span. … RHP Jake Arrieta was scheduled to make his fourth rehab outing on Monday with Class A Daytona. He is on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tightness. … The Cubs remain without a series win since taking two of three from the Reds between Sept. 9-11, 2013.
