Skeptical baseball fans waiting for Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood‘s consecutive scoreless innings streak to end will have to wait at least another five days, as the 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native added another five innings to it on Friday night in front of 45,017 at Dodger Stadium.

Although Wood’s pitch count rose faster than he would have liked and forced Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to remove him after only five innings, those five innings were dominating against one of the most potent offenses in the game today, that of the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs.

In his five innings of work, Wood allowed no runs and only two hits while walking two and striking out eight to collect his sixth win of the season against zero losses.

“You talk about confidence in a player, he’s as confident as any player I’ve been around,” Roberts told reporters after his team’s 4-0 shutout win. “He prepares, he works hard and he’s confident. Now when you’ve got that and he’s healthy – in spring training he told me he’s as healthy as he’s been in recent memory – that obviously lends itself to confidence.”

If Clayton Kershaw is the ace of the Dodgers pitching staff then Alex Wood is definitely the king.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Much like teammate and fellow left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the ever-humble Wood is well aware of just how dangerous the Cubs lineup can be and how well they work the count.

“They had some deep counts on me like they did my first start against them in Chicago when I walked five guys,” Wood said. “They’ve got some guys who know the strike zone pretty well so you have to throw them competitive pitches throughout the at-bat to keep them from walking or getting quality hits.”

Even the competition was impressed with Wood’s stellar performance.

“Alex pitched really good for five innings. He’s been throwing it well all year,” said Cubs losing pitcher and 2015 NL Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta. “The guy who goes against Kershaw has to be lights out and now Alex has added another dominant starter for them. I was shocked to see him come out after the fifth.”

While it may have been a shock for the guy who threw a no-hitter against the Dodgers the last time he faced them at Dodger Stadium, it most certainly wasn’t for Dodger fans, who have become accustomed to seeing Roberts do so on a regular basis with all of his starters, even Kershaw. But while five innings may not be seem like much to the Cubs ace, the 91 pitches that Wood made through those five scoreless innings – 59 for strikes – definitely was.

There is zero doubt that knocking out the Dodger starter who currently owns the lowest ERA on the team (1.69) early was exactly what Cubs manager Joe Maddon had hoped for. But unfortunately for the three-time Manager of the Year, in doing so he stepped from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. Wood’s brilliant two-hit performance was followed by four no-hit innings – two apiece – by Dodgers relievers Pedro Baez and Chris Hatcher. In fact, the defending world champions did not have a hit after the second inning.

Even though no one knew it at the time, Chase Utley‘s third inning solo home run would prove to be all that Alex Wood and the Dodgers would need in their eventual 4-0 shutout of the Cubs. It was the second home run in as many days for the 38-year-old / 15-year MLB veteran.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although 25.1 consecutive scoreless innings is still a far cry from the MLB record 59.0 consecutive scoreless innings tossed by former NL Cy Young award winner and fellow Dodger Orel Hershiser in 1988, you have to get to 25.1 before you can get to 59.