Chicago Cubs Watch — May 16, 2008

Ryan Dempster came within two outs of a complete game Thursday as he led the Chicago Cubs to a 4-0 shut-out of the San Diego Padres.  The Cubs took three games out of the four-game series with the Padres and have won six of their last seven.

Dempster, 5-1, struck out 12 and retired 15 straight batters.  He permitted 6 hits and 1 walk, throwing 115 pitches before he started to get in trouble in the ninth inning. 

With runners on first and third, Kerry Wood stepped in to relieve Dempster and got his eighth save in his past 11 chances.

The losing pitcher was former Cubs hero Greg Maddux, who allowed all four runs on eleven hits in his 4-1/3 innings.  Maddux won his 350th game last weekend.

Jim Edmonds made his first appearance for the Cubs against the team that released him last week.  Playing center field, he got one hit in four at-bats and struck out once.  Edmonds, who had been a thorn in the side of Cubs fans when he played with the St. Louis Cardinals, signed with the Cubs five days after being released from the Padres.

The Padres struck out 14 times Wednesday and 15 times the day before.

The Padres, who at 15-27 have the worst record in baseball, are in last place in the National League West Division, 11.5 behind the Diamondbacks.  The Cubs, at 25-16, are in first place in the National League Central Division, 1.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros.  The Astros have slipped ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the second place spot.

And it has been a century since the Cubs last won a World Series championship.

Tags: Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Greg Maddux, Jim Edmonds, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood