Where did he come from?

Every game the Cubs have played this spring has had high and low spots. Today was no difference as the northsiders landed their fourth win in a row, downing the Padres 8 to 6. The win gives them a record of 4 wins 3 losses and one tie during the Cactus League season. It makes you smile, but does not allow you to relax.

Especially when there are some concerns this early in the spring, like “who will be your fifth starter”, and “is Lou kidding when he says he will only bring one back-up infielder with him to Cincinnati?”

Except when Kerry Wood was rocked in the fourth inning, the pitching was pretty good. Not having watched the game, and not finding a detailed write-up, it is baffling but somehow Wood gave up a grand slam to back-up outfielder Terrmel Sledge with only two men on base.

From what I can tell, Wood allowed a basehit to Geoff Blum. Then he struck third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff with a pitch. After a couple strikeouts, someone else reached, but I have no idea how. Wood only gave up two hits. It looks like Blum had one and the grand slam was the other. According to the stats, he didn’t give up a walk and there were no errors recorded today.

Since I didn’t get to watch the game and there isn’t a detailed accounting that I could find, we will suffice to say that somehow the bases were loaded for Sledge who then unloaded them. If there is one shining light regarding Wood’s inning, it is that he struck out the side. Then again, Padre hitters struck out eleven times today, so maybe that isn’t such a feat after all.

What people will be talking about is that Wade Miller had another decent outing, if not a spectacular one. He threw three innings, striking out two, giving up six hits, two walks and one run which was a solo shot by Geoff Blum in the second.

What people should be talking about was that non-roster Jason Anderson threw two impressive innings, Carmen Pignatiello, ticketed for Iowa, pitched a perfect seventh inning and Rocky Cherry picked up his second save throwing a perfect ninth.

What we are seeing is that the pitchers we expect to do well are struggling while some of the pitchers we expect to return to minor league camp quickly making the most of their mound appearances. Go figure.

Felix Pie is trying to show Lou Piniella that he belongs with the big club. Two hits and two RBIs today and he threw out Kouzmanoff trying to score. So far Pie is hitting a nice .421 for the spring.