Cubs Score Second Straight Dramatic Victory…at the Expense of Kerry Wood

Kerry Wood‘s return to Wrigley Field as a Cleveland Indian hasn’t been a happy one.  For the second straight day, Wood was responsible for blowing a save – directly responsible, in fact, as the winning scored on his wild pitch in the bottom of the 13th.  This after his catcher, Kelly Shoppach, helped the tying run get in by throwing one into centerfield while trying to nail Kosuke Fukudome stealing.

Yes, the Cubs are finally catching some breaks.  Of course, such breaks don’t have a chance to occur if you don’t make things happen at the plate – another thing that’s been a problem for the Cubs much of the season.  The last couple of days, though, the Cubs seem to have gotten over their offensive woes.

The hottest man in the house has been Derrek Lee, who went 2-5 again on Saturday, driving in a pair of runs.  And, lo and behold, Fukudome seemed to climb out of his slump, going 4-5 and raising his average 14 points.  The only downside to the dramatic extra innings win was that Ted Lilly had to take a no-decision despite pitching well again.  Lilly could easily have 10 wins at this point; as it is, he is the Cubs’ leading All-Star candidate, with a 7-5 record and a 3.04 ERA.