As of three weeks ago Travis Wood was pitching really well for the Cubs, starting 10 games with a 3.05 ERA, but he’s been in a free fall since the All-Star break.
First he allowed eight runs against the Marlins on July 17, then he gave up seven runs against the Cardinals on July 22, and this afternoon he faced St. Louis again while tying a Cubs record by serving up five homers.
Lance Berkman, Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, Matt Carpenter, and Allen Craig each took Wood deep as he joined Carlos Zambrano in 2011, Ismael Valdez in 2000, Steve Stone in 1974, and Warren Hacker in 1954 as the only Cubs pitchers to surrender five homers.
And in the span of three starts Wood’s ERA has ballooned from 3.05 to 4.98.