ESPN

HOUSTON -- Just because the Chicago Cubs head into play Wednesday with the worst winning percentage in baseball doesn't mean they don't have a magic number.

Whether the Cubs want to admit it or not, that magic number is 104.

If red-hot slugging prospect Anthony Rizzo is on the major league roster for 104 days this season he would be eligible for free agency in 2017 instead of 2018. It could mean as much as $10 million in the difference between an arbitration-eligible contract and a free-agent one.

And if the Cubs aren't in a position to retain Rizzo, it could mean one less year with the club.

Cubs management has insisted all along, though, that service time has nothing to do with whether guys like Rizzo or Brett Jackson are called up to the major leagues. But when seeing how Rizzo has torn up Triple-A pitching, and with the major league offense in dire need of help, it has become a hot topic of conversation.

"Service time is not really a factor," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said way back in spring training, well before Rizzo was crushing the ball at Iowa. "With potentially impact young players we always try to make decisions based on what is best for their development.

"There is certain criteria for advancement that we have at each level of the minor-league system and a checklist that goes into how those decisions are made. The same is true for the promotion of a potential regular player from Triple-A to the big leagues."

Raw numbers aren't always the only criteria for advancement, but Rizzo has certainly made a case for himself with a .352 batting average, a .697 slugging percentage, 15 home runs and 42 RBIs. He easily leads the Pacific Coast league in home runs and is second in RBIs, just two behind Reno's Randy Ruiz.

So what more does Rizzo have to do?

"I'd like to see players get a significant amount of time at Triple-A, usually a full calendar year if possible," Epstein said. "And certainly I'd like to check all the boxes and make sure all the criteria are fit before they advance up here. So as talented as some players are, and as talented as Anthony and Brett are, there are still some issues left in their development so we would like to see those addressed before they get up here."

Rizzo had 93 games of experience at the Triple-A level last season and another 43 this year gives him 136. When it comes to his major-league experience he had 68 days of service with the San Diego Padres last season and another 104 days would put him at the magical 172 mark that would mark a full season and alter his arbitration-eligible/free-agent status.

Jed Hoyer was the San Diego Padres GM last season and called up Rizzo on June 9, but he struggled with 14 hits in 98 at-bats (.143) and was sent back down. He was called back up in September.

So if the Cubs do go ahead and recall Rizzo for a two-week stretch in June, when the team would need a designated hitter in a June 8-10 series at Minnesota and a June 18-20 series across town against the White Sox, he could then go back down again if the Cubs want to keep his service time under 172 days. He could then be recalled again after the All-Star break.

Or if what Epstein said was true and that service time isn't a factor he could stick around. But he only will play first base, which means Bryan LaHair could move to left field. What that means for Alfonso Soriano, who is making $19 million not only this season but also $19 million in each of the next two as well, would remain to be seen.

As the Cubs endure an eight-game losing streak, ESPNChicago.com's Doug Padilla takes your questions during a live chat at noon Wednesday. Click here to submit your questions.

HOUSTON -- For a pitcher who struggled with the mental side of the game this spring, starting Tuesday's game by allowing a home run and a ground-rule double appeared to be a recipe for disaster.

But Travis Wood proved that he is a different pitcher now, recovering nicely from his unfortunate start and showing that maybe that offseason trade with the Cincinnati Reds isn’t so bad after all.

Wood didn’t allow a hit for the remainder of his outing, but his sixth-inning walk came back to haunt him and the Cubs. After giving way to reliever Shawn Camp with that walk at first base in the form of Justin Maxwell, the Astros took the lead for good two batters later on J.D. Martinez's single.

It was the best outing the Cubs received from the spot in the rotation that was previously held by Chris Volstad before he was optioned to Triple-A Iowa last week. The Cubs have still lost all nine times that spot has come up in the rotation.

“Travis was great,” manager Dale Sveum said. “A leadoff home run and other than that he was really, really good. He kept the ball on his arm side all day, he kept it down and he had a really good changeup. It was 12 mph off his fastball with some good fade.”

There was also some impressive hitting from Wood, including a double off the wall in his first at-bat that made him 3-for-3 on the season. He lined out hard to left field in his only other at-bat on the day.

(Read full post)

HOUSTON -- When an offensive highlight of the night is a double from the pitcher that didn’t even lead to a run, it was probably an effort not worthy of distinction.

The Cubs have now gone 59 consecutive innings without holding a lead. The last time they were on top was in the fourth inning last Wednesday at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

In yet another game over the past week where the Cubs’ offense barely made a dent, Alfonso Soriano supplied the only run Tuesday with an impressive home run to left field.

Make that four home runs for Soriano over the past eight games. The bad news is that the Cubs have lost all eight of those games.

Doesn’t it figure that once one of the club’s power bats finally comes to life that everybody else goes into a slide, including Bryan LaHair, who now has one hit over his last 20 at-bats.

And then there is Starlin Castro, who struck out all four times he came to the plate, including once in the eighth inning with the tying run at third base and one out. His 31 strikeouts are now third most on the club behind sluggers Soriano (32) and LaHair (46). He has just four walks, or the same amount as Reed Johnson has in nearly two-thirds less at-bats.

“We just can’t seem to get anything going,” manager Dale Sveum said. “You get a guy at third and less than two outs and you get a couple of strikeouts. We just can’t get anything out of the ballpark. Soriano hit a solo shot but we just can’t seem to get that three-run shot.”

The Cubs are now batting .223 (51-for-229) with 20 runs over their last seven games after batting .277 (54-for-195) and scoring 29 runs over their five-game road trip to Milwaukee and St. Louis that ended last Tuesday.

Only Soriano is delivering now after not hitting a home run over the team’s first 30 games. He has driven in a run in eight of the team’s last 13 games.

“I started hitting homers but it’s not enough to win,” Soriano said. “It’s better to win games. I don’t care about my homers because I know I have been doing that for 12 years. The more important thing is to get a win. I don’t know what we have to do to win one game and hit more. We’re struggling not getting hits so we have to work more.”

Batting in the cleanup spot Tuesday, Soriano had a close up view from the on-deck circle of Castro’s four strikeouts.

“He’s just in his third year in the league so he’ll figure it out,” Soriano said. “That happened to him last year too. He had little struggles. It’s a long season and sometimes you have (struggles) one week or two weeks. But when you get out of your slump you become a better player. I hope when he gets out he will come out hot and be a better player.”

Soriano hopes that by everybody continuing to plug away, the offense can finally get in sync.

“I just try to do my job no matter if we’re struggling or not,” Soriano said. “If you’re young or a veteran, everybody has to do their job. I came here to play and try to do my job to make the team better and try to win.”

HOUSTON -- The Chicago Cubs lost their eighth consecutive game Tuesday and are now the owners of the worst winning percentage in baseball after dropping a 2-1 decision to the Houston Astros.

How it happened: Travis Wood gave up a home run and a double to the first two batters, but allowed no other hits over 5 2/3 innings. He did walk a batter in the sixth inning that came around to score the eventual winning run against Shawn Camp. Alfonso Soriano crushed a solo home run in the fourth inning, his fourth long ball over the team’s past four series.

What it means: Wood looks nothing like the pitcher who struggled in spring training, delivering two solid starts so far this season. He topped the three runs over six innings he allowed the Dodgers on May 6, by giving up two runs on just two hits over 5 2/3 innings Tuesday. The Cubs had not received anything close to this kind of outing when Chris Volstad was pitching, but the team has still lost all nine games in this spot of the rotation.

Outside the box: Sure the offense has struggled of late, but the pitching has been dealing with its own issues. Going back to May 10 (not counting Tuesday night’s game), Cubs pitchers had a combined 5.96 ERA over an 11-game span. That was the highest ERA in baseball over that stretch (the Rockies were second at 5.84). The starters had a 6.22 ERA over those 11 games while the bullpen was at 5.58.

Off beat: The between-inning “Kiss Cam” video board feature at most ballparks isn’t just for fans, as Alfonso Soriano proved Tuesday. After making an impressive sliding catch in left field on a sinking line drive from the Astros’ Jed Lowrie in the sixth inning, Soriano removed the ball from his glove and gave it a little smooch. It was all in a day’s work for Soriano, who also hit a home run while playing on knee that has been sore most of the season.

Up next: The Cubs will send right-hander Jeff Samardzija (4-2, 3.00 ERA) to the mound in Wednesday’s series finale. The Astros will counter with left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (3-4, 2.24) in the 7:05 p.m. start from Minute Maid Park.

HOUSTON -- The Chicago Cubs put catcher Welington Castillo on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, opening a roster spot for Travis Wood, who will start against the Houston Astros.

Castillo has been dealing with a sprained MCL in his right knee since Friday but hasn’t made enough progress with the injury.

Read the entire story.

HOUSTON -- That lineup upheaval Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum talked about for the top of the order will have to wait.

Sveum said he came close to making the change, but declined at the last minute.

In Monday’s opener of a three-game series at Houston against the Astros, the lineup looked very similar to the one that has been used against right-handed pitching for about a month now, aside from a few spots at the bottom of the order.

(Read full post)

ESPNChicago's Doug Padilla and Bruce Levine break down the White Sox's sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley and discuss how much longer Alfonso Soriano will stay in the lineup.

CHICAGO -- Not even an ideal hitting day could help the Chicago Cubs on Sunday as they were shut out for the first time this season.

Sure they had scored just one run in eight separate games, but they'd at least avoided getting blanked.

That all came to an end in a 6-0 loss to a dominating Jake Peavy and the cross-town White Sox. Actually it nearly came to an end Saturday, but the Cubs managed to score four runs in the ninth inning to at least make things a little interesting.

With the wind blowing out for the first time this season Sunday, manager Dale Sveum said before the game that some offensive fireworks could be ahead. The White Sox were the only ones to light the fuse, hitting three home runs for the second consecutive day.

The Cubs scored 15 total runs in their just-completed five-game homestand, losing all five of the games.

“You know Peavy’s going to be tough, he’s one of the best pitchers in the league, but with that wind the way it was blowing you thought there would be some contact that would get up in that kind of wind and at least get a solo home run or something,” Sveum said. “We had our chances. We had the bases loaded a couple of times and didn’t do too much."

In the 27 innings against the White Sox this weekend, the Cubs scored in just three of them.

“After going through a pretty good two-week stretch, now we’re on a week stretch of no wins and obviously being swept by the White Sox at home is about as low as you’re going to get,” Sveum said.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- A sixth consecutive defeat, a sweep by the cross-town Chicago White Sox and the first shutout of the season all have Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum working on the details of a lineup change for his last-place club.

Sveum didn’t reveal too much after Sunday’s 6-0 defeat other than saying that changes are expected to happen to the top three spots in the order. That’s where David DeJesus, Tony Campana and Starlin Castro have resided most of the season, in that order.

Read the entire story.

CHICAGO -- If the weather is just right and there are enough seats available then it can be an ideal spot for a wedding.

That seemed to be the thinking of a couple getting married on a rooftop outside of Wrigley Field before the Cubs-White Sox game on a perfect 91-degree Sunday afternoon.

As the Wrigley Field stadium organ was playing 10 minutes before game time, the couple stood with its back to the field and against the railing of the Murphy’s Bleachers rooftop in right-center field while the ceremony took place.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox made it two consecutive victories in the Crosstown Classic with an easy 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

How it happened: The White Sox did what the Cubs haven’t been able to do much of this season at Wrigley Field: hit home runs in clusters. Dayan Viciedo, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Dunn all got into the act by going deep as the White Sox have now taken the first two games this series. Using a lineup dominated by right-handed bats, something that hasn’t brought much success, the Cubs were no match for White Sox lefty John Danks, who gave up just three hits in 6 1/3 innings. Alfonso Soriano and Joe Mather each hit two-out two-run homers for the Cubs in the ninth off Sox reliever Zach Stewart to break up the shutout.

What it means: The White Sox’s victory means they have won six of the last seven games in the cross-town series. The only game they lost in that stretch was the final meeting between the teams last season. Going back to 2009, the White Sox have now won 13 of the last 17 games between the teams.

Outside the box (Cubs): After giving up a combined four earned runs over his first five starts, Ryan Dempster has now given up four runs in each of his last two outings. His lack of support continued. Dempster entered by getting three or fewer runs of support over five of his previous six starts. His 2.52 runs of support per game dating back to Aug. 16 of last season was the second lowest in the major leagues.

Outside the box (White Sox): Saturday’s victory guaranteed the White Sox their first winning series in nearly a month. The White Sox have gone 0-5-3 in their previous eight series. The last series they won came in a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners from April 20-22.

Up next: In the series finale, the White Sox will send right-hander Jake Peavy (4-1, 2.65 ERA) to the mound on Sunday. The Cubs will go with left-hander Paul Maholm (4-2, 4.35) in the 1:20 p.m. start from Wrigley Field.

CHICAGO -- With his wife and kids at his side, and all his Chicago Cubs teammates, as well as the coaching staff, standing in full uniform behind him, Kerry Wood made his retirement official Saturday afternoon.

If Friday was about getting in his last major league pitch, Saturday was about thanking everybody that made his career last as long as it did.

Standing at Wrigley Field’s home plate, the area he focused on so many times during a 15-year career, Wood not only saluted the coaches and players he worked with but also reserved kind words for the doctors and physical therapists that brought him back time and time again from injury.

There were no tears, and from the sound of it there are no regrets. He called his final day as a major leaguer on Saturday the most memorable of his career, ahead of playoff appearances, his 20-strikeout game and everything else he has done in baseball.

Read the entire story.

CHICAGO -- A moment-to-moment sketch of how Kerry Wood's last day in the major leagues unfolded Friday at Wrigley Field:

News spreads early in the morning of it likely being the veteran Chicago Cubs reliever’s last day in the major leagues. While whispers of his pending retirement actually started to circulate Thursday night, the first confirmation came when Wood’s wife updated her Facebook status. “Every story has an end but in life every ending is just a new beginning,” the post read.

The Cubs media relations staff says Wood will not talk to the media before the game.

More information of Wood’s retirement plans are revealed, including the fact that he wants to make one more outing before calling it a career. The word is that Wood won’t be used in a situation he hasn’t been used in this season, meaning that his final outing could come later in the series.

[+] Enlarge
David Banks/Getty ImagesCubs reliever Kerry Wood hugs his son Justin after recording his final major league strikeout on Friday.

Wood’s young son is a constant presence at his father’s side all morning, first in the clubhouse then out on the field as the Cubs began to stretch and take batting practice.

Wood, his son and some players could be seen at the top of the center field bleachers during batting practice, taking in the view from beneath the scoreboard. Wood even takes his son inside the scoreboard for a peek.

Wood stays close to his son in the outfield during batting practice. It seems like a wholesome father-son moment, and while that is true, the pitcher had other reasons for staying so close. “I didn’t want him to be hit in the face on the last day,” he said, drawing a laugh.

Wood brings out the Cubs’ lineup card to the umpires before the game.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- The White Sox got the jump on the Cubs in the opener of the cross-town series with a 3-2 victory on Friday.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Gordon Beckham put the White Sox on top for good with an eighth-inning home run, but it was Kerry Wood’s final outing that got most of the attention. Wood came on in the eighth inning for the final outing of his career and struck out Dayan Viciedo on three pitches. He tipped his cap as he walked off to a standing ovation and was greeted by his son on the field before reaching the dugout. Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run for the White Sox in the first inning and was hit in the face by a pitch in the third inning and left the game.

WHAT IT MEANS: It was another classic Cubs-White Sox game even without the drama of Wood’s last career appearance. After Konerko was hit by the Jeff Samardzija pitch, White Sox pitcher Phil Humber threw behind Cubs slugger Bryan LaHair an inning later. Samardzija, allowed to bat for himself in the seventh inning while down a run, singled in the tying run. Beckham put the White Sox ahead with his home run in the eighth inning.

OUTSIDE THE BOX (Cubs): Yes, that was a nearly identical first inning for the Cubs in consecutive nights. On Thursday against the Phillies, David DeJesus led off with a double. The same happened Friday. On Thursday, Tony Campana bunted DeJesus to third. On Friday he got DeJesus to third on a bunt but was safe himself on a single. Starlin Castro hit a sacrifice fly for the run in each game.

OUTSIDE THE BOX (White Sox): The White Sox received their biggest contribution Friday from an unexpected source – their No. 2 hitter. The White Sox have struggled all season to get consistent production from the No. 2 hole. They entered the game with their No. 2 batters hitting .141. Beckham helped improve those numbers Friday by going 2-for-4 with a home run, one run and two RBIs.

OFF BEAT: Cubs manager Dale Sveum earned his second ejection after arguing with umpire Marty Foster. Sveum said that DeJesus was tackled off second base in the fifth inning and should not have been called out. Beckham, the son of a former college football player, appeared to stumble into DeJesus and knock him off the bag. In the argument, Sveum appeared to lose a piece of chewing tobacco on Foster’s shirt.

UP NEXT: The White Sox will send left-hander John Danks (2-4, 6.46 ERA) to the mound in the middle game of the cross-town series. The Cubs will go with right-hander Ryan Dempster (0-1, 1.74) in the 6:15 p.m. start from Wrigley Field.