Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

7/1/2010 at 4:19pm

Travis Wood, called up by the Cincinnati Reds to pitch today's game in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, had a fantastic major league debut, allowing no runs through seven innings. Wood tired in the eighth, walking the first two batters he faced before being relieved. Those two runners eventually came home as the Reds' bullpen couldn't hold the lead.

Woods allowed just two hits and struck out four Cubs during his stint. Of his 91 total pitches, 56 were for strikes. Wood's first day in the majors shows him now with a 2.57 earned run average, shades of fellow Saline County product Cliff Lee, the former Cy Young Award winner now with the Seattle Mariners.

Despite blowing the lead, the Reds managed to win the game in 10 innings, 3-2, staying atop the National League Central Division.

Wood retired the first five batters he faced Thursday in Wrigley. Only one batter managed to get as far as second base on Wood through the first seven innings, and that was thanks to a sacrifice bunt.

Wood, born in Little Rock and a Bryant High School graduate, was picked 60th overall in the 2005 major league free-agent draft by the Reds. Working his way through the organization, the  6-foot Wood signed a $400,000 deal with the Reds in the spring and was one of the last players on the roster optioned to Triple-A Louisville after vying for the Reds' fifth starting spot.

He was called up Wednesday to replace Daniel Ray Herrera on the active roster.