Cubs Feldman’s Do It All Complete Effort

After his rotation mate Edwin Jackson put up a stinker on Tuesday night, Scott Feldman made sure that result did not repeat itself on Wednesday evening. While it helped that the Cubs offense scored in each of the first four innings, Feldman came out with the by far the best performance of his Cubs career. In fact, it was one of his best career starts period. The Cubs went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first when Starlin Castro hit a RBI single up the middle from the fifth spot in the line up. Feldman helped his own cause in the second when he drove a get me over breaking ball into the right field corner for his second career double, driving in Darwin Barney. Catcher Dioner Navarro doubled the score with a high flier into right center that just missed being a home run, driving in Anthony Rizzo and Castro.

Julio Borbon earned a walk to lead off the bottom of the fourth and made it all the way to third on an errant pick off attempt at first. Luis Valbuena cashed in the RISP with a ground out to make it 5-0, with Borbon coming in for his second run of the game. Mean while, after allowing a single in the first inning, Feldman proceeded to set down the next 18 Padres hitters until a Valbuena error allowed Carlos Quentin to reach in the seventh inning. That stretch of dominance included six straight strikeouts during the third and fourth frames. To be fair to Valbuena, his error was the result of a rocket into the hot corner that was originally scored as a hit.

May 1, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Scott Feldman (46) throws to first for an out against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Padres would finally figure out Feldman in eighth and ninth innings, as the visitors collected a solo home run in each of those frames. The first run allowed in the eighth did not prevent Feldman from persuading manager Dale Sveum to trot him out for the final inning and the second homer served up did not get Feldman yanked. The Cubs starter would earn his first career complete game the way he started the contest, without a strikeout, giving him a career high 12 for the evening.

There was a lot of career this, career that for Feldman last night and he certainly was the star of the game with his all around effort. He even pounced on a bunt attempt and completed a perfect 180 degree turn throw to first, after committing three errors already on the season. As for the Cubs, they start the month of May with a win in their pockets and will look to earn the series win on Thursday afternoon.