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HOUSTON – Jeff Samardzija isn’t the root of the Cubs’ problems like the statistics might suggest.

Eight Cubs pitchers have taken a loss during the club’s nine-game losing streak and Samardzija is the only one to lose twice in that run.

This losing trend is mostly about a struggling offense, though. Samardzija has actually been the least of the Cubs’ worries. He is 2-2 over his last six outings with a 1.82 ERA.

“I thought I battled with guy on base, put a couple of good swings on the ball,” Samardzija said. “I need to get a couple of quicker outs there (in the fourth inning) and get our offense back in the dugout. But I thought I battled and made some pitches.”

Even on the two-run triple from J.D. Martinez in the fourth inning, Samardzija got the result he wanted. David DeJesus appeared to make a sliding catch on the right-field line but Darwin Barney, also hustling on the play, knocked the ball from DeJesus’ glove. It was the only scoring play of the night for the Astros.

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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.

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HOUSTON -- In a perfect position to stop the Chicago Cubs' slide, Matt Garza only managed to pour gasoline on this brush fire.

The closest thing the Cubs have to an ace gave up a pair of three-run home runs and seven total runs over three innings as his night ended early.

It was easily his shortest outing of the season and this start, as well as a six-run outing April 18 at Miami, were the only times he has given up more than two runs in an outing this season.

“That was not Matt Garza pitching, it was strange,” manager Dale Sveum said. “So many off-speed pitches and breaking balls, it’s not the Matt Garza that I have seen for the first six weeks. I think he got out of whack somehow.”

Sveum made an early visit to the mound to encourage more fastballs and getting ahead in the count, but that only ended in a Chris Johnson home run.

“It was a bad meeting,” Sveum said.

Johnson’s home run came on a fastball, up and out over the middle of the plate.

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HOUSTON -- This time, Travis Wood will be able to unpack his suitcase.

Wood, who is already with the team in Houston, will be placed on the roster Tuesday and pitch against the Houston Astros. A corresponding move will be announced, which could be Welington Castillo (MCL sprain) going to the disabled list or pitcher Blake Parker going back to Triple-A Iowa.

It is already Wood’s second stint with the big league club this season after he was recalled before a May 6 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and then sent down immediately afterward. He gave up three runs over six solid innings that day and the Cubs went on to a 4-3 victory.

That was just a one-and-done start, though, since Matt Garza was sick. This time he takes over the rotation spot left open when Chris Volstad was optioned to Iowa following his 0-6 start in eight outings, all Cubs defeats.

“Hopefully I can stick around for a while this time and if not, hopefully I can do what I can,” Wood said.

His plane ticket to rejoin the Cubs is open-ended, so if he doesn’t stick around he only has himself to blame.

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The aftermath of hitting Chicago White Sox captain Paul Konerko with a pitch on Friday was a bit surprising to Chicago Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija.

The split-finger fastball that tailed up and in to Konerko’s face has been interpreted as a purpose pitch on some national television broadcasts.

“I think those things create a big stir when things actually do happen,” Samardzija said. “In those cases you have to use common sense and know that I have him 0-2 and I’m throwing a splitter at 84 mph. I am not trying to hit him, I want to strike him out. There are times that you look at (a hit by pitch) as pretty obvious what has happened. Mine definitely wasn’t (intentional), but you have to have something to talk about.”

Samardzija was so concerned about Konerko’s health that he checked updates on his condition and tried calling Konerko after batting practice Saturday.

“Knowing that I did not hit Paul intentionally helped me move on after the game,” Samardzija said. “I did have to get over the initial hump of seeing a guy you know and respect take one over the eye. That is one spot for baseball guys that is sacred, around your vision. I’m sure it was a scary one for him but I had to get over the fact. It was an accident. Everyone knows Paul is a tough guy and he will bounce back big. I got word is he is all right and will be back soon so I wish him the best.”

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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.

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CHICAGO -- You shouldn't be surprised Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood struck out the first batter he faced in the major leagues. It was Mark Grudzielanek, then of the Montreal Expos.

Fourteen years later, you shouldn't be surprised that Wood struck out the last batter he faced, Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox.

Both strikeouts were swinging. For everything Kerry Wood didn't do in his roller coaster career, he always did one thing better than almost anyone: Make guys miss.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber and Chicago Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair disagreed Friday whether Humber intended to throw at LaHair in retaliation for White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko being hit by a pitch.

Konerko was hit in the head by a splitter from Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija in the top of the third inning. Konerko suffered a small laceration above his eye and swelling and was taken to the hospital for testing. He did not return to the game.

After pitching to Samardzija and three other Cubs hitters in the bottom of the third, Humber’s first pitch to LaHair in the bottom of the fourth, a high fastball, soared behind LaHair’s head. The pitch resulted in home plate umpire Tim Timmons issuing warnings to both dugouts.

“That just got away from me,” Humber said. “It’s one of those things that happens during the game.”
LaHair didn’t see the pitch the same way.

“Definitely felt like it was intentional,” LaHair said. “They waited a whole inning and then the first pitch was right at my head. I'm all right with getting hit and stuff like that, I understand, but when you start getting around people's heads that can be scary. It is what it is. Nothing happened. I didn't get hurt or anything so move on from it.

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Kerry Wood is certainly a fan favorite. But is he one of the Top 50 Cubs of all time? Hot Button: Vote! »

As Kerry Wood walked off the mound for the last time on Friday, he was already contemplating his post-playing days future.

“I want to stay with the team and help the guys if I can,” Wood said. “I know I enjoy teaching some of the things I have learned and I’m already close to the guys.”

Before signing again with the Cubs in 2011 Wood had a sit down with team chairman Tom Ricketts. In that meeting Ricketts told the iconic Cub pitcher that there always be a place for him and his family in the organization. The job description was left unspecified, however Wood was told that this would not be a handout or token offering.

Wood’s talents are many and a front office or broadcasting job seem possible. For now, this ultimate baseball lifer wants to be there for Cubs manager Dale Sveum and his staff.

“I want to be a part of this team and organization for a long time,” Wood said in his postgame press conference. “Baseball was the one thing I knew how to do and now (that part ) is over.”

Wood and his wife, Sarah, are hard-working parents and serious fundraisers for numerous charities, including the old and soon-to-be-opened Children’s Memorial Hospital, and it appears his future will always have a connection to the Chicago Cubs and the fan base that has loved him from Day One in 1995.

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.

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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.

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CHICAGO -- Casey Coleman wasn’t treating his relief outing Thursday as a rotation audition, he was too busy figuring out how to be successful coming out of the bullpen.

Called on in the third inning when Chris Volstad struggled from the outset, Coleman gave up just one run over four innings and might have set himself up for a start next week.

If Volstad is pulled from the rotation, Coleman and Travis Wood seem to be the club’s top two candidates to face the Astros in Houston.

“It’s was a tough situation but at the same time it’s pitching,” Coleman said. “I haven’t had a lot of bullpen experience so as soon as they told me I was in, it was in between innings so I was able to get in a lot of pitches. The guys down in the bullpen have been helping me out a lot.”

Coleman learned some tricks of the trade quickly like not worrying about all of your pitches, just to make sure to have your top two pitches ready to go.

While glad he was able to help against the Philadelphia Phillies, he sympathizes with Volstad.

“I know what that’s like,” Coleman said. “Last year I struggled quite a bit. It’s tough. In Chicago he wants to do well and he’s capable of doing well. He showed in spring training how good he really is. He’s going to figure it out soon, next start I would assume.”

Not if that start belongs to Coleman or Wood or anybody else the Cubs might call upon.

“Down there we know just know how everybody is capable of pitching in the big leagues,” Coleman said. “You have Travis Wood who has proven he can start in the big leagues. We have Rodrigo Lopez who has obviously had a great career and Chris Rusin, a younger guy who is dominating.

“Everybody knows that everybody is capable down there. We’re pushing each other and everybody knows they can pitch here. Everybody is feeding off each other. Also Randy Wells has dominated here with the Cubs.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs coaches and front office will meet this weekend to determine the fate of struggling starter Chris Volstad.

The right-hander lasted just two innings Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies and fell to 0-6 this season with a 7.46 ERA. The Cubs have been defeated in all eight of his starts.

President of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer will now have direct input into what happens next.

As of his previous start at Milwaukee over the weekend, manager Dale Sveum said he would continue to give Volstad a chance to get out of his early-season struggles. He’s no longer offering that guarantee, a good sign that a change could be coming when that spot in the rotation comes up again next week at Houston.

“We will get together as a staff and talk to Theo and Jed and evaluate the situation, that’s for sure,” Sveum said. “We’ll see what our options are and go from there.”

The final straw for Volstad was giving up four runs in those two innings of work, loading the bases in both of those innings. He was replaced in the third inning by Casey Coleman.

“I had pitches out of the zone, walks in the first and second inning, it was just not good,” Volstad said. “We’ve been trying a lot of different things. You just have to keep working, though. There is no giving up or no quit. This is going to get better. You try everything.”

It might actually get worse for Volstad before it gets better since he could be removed from the rotation.

Coleman, who gave up just one run over four innings, is a candidate to start next week. Another candidate is Travis Wood, who picked up the victory at Triple-A Iowa on Thursday when he gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings.

Not much has gone right for Volstad, who was acquired in the offseason in the trade that sent Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins. He won a starting spot out of spring training, but for the most part he has been the victim of one bad inning in each start. On Thursday he struggled from the beginning.

Sveum said that Volstad’s confidence looks nothing like it did when he was earning his starting spot down in Arizona.

“I was a little more relaxed in spring, I think,” Volstad said. “I think I’m trying too hard, trying to do different things. Just a lot of forcing instead of letting my ability take over. I know it’s in there its just a matter of tapping into it and finding it at this point.”

The last time the Cubs lost a pitcher’s first eight starts was in 2006 when they lost Angel Guzman's first 10. Volstad matched Guzman’s 0-6 start that season. Going back to last season, Volstad is now 0-11 over his last 19 appearances, last winning a game July 10.

“There is just no life, no command in really any of his pitches,” Sveum said. “He couldn’t keep the ball down again, he couldn’t keep it in. It was not a real good outing at all for the situation we were in.”

MILWAUKEE -- With a day to think about it, the Cubs are still set on giving Chris Volstad another chance to prove himself as a starter.

Manager Dale Sveum confirmed Sunday that the struggling Volstad will take his turn again in the rotation this week. He is scheduled to next take the mound Thursday at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

With Casey Coleman now on the roster, the Cubs could go to him to start, but that move isn’t coming this week anyway.

“You can do a lot of things,” Sveum said. “When are we going to (make a rotation change) that is another million-dollar question. But it’s funny how a guy has just as many shutout innings as anybody in baseball but his one inning isn’t one run, it’s three, four, five or six in an inning.”

One bad inning has been Volstad’s undoing all season. His most recent came in the sixth inning Saturday when he gave up five runs, four on a grand slam from light-hitting Edwin Maysonet. The defeat dropped him to 0-5 over seven starts with a 6.92 ERA.

“It’s the same old thing,” Sveum said. “How do you fix that is the question, obviously. The guy has so many shut down innings but just one inning each game is destroying him.”

MILWAUKEE -- Solving Chris Volstad’s habit of running into one bad inning per start will apparently start with fixing his slider, but isn’t limited to just that.

It’s been uncanny how one bad inning has upended most of Volstad’s starts this season and on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, that inning came in the sixth. Edwin Maysonet gave the Brewers four of their five runs in the inning on a grand slam.

“The slider got him in trouble again,” manager Dale Sveum said. “That thing is something that we have to work on because it’s a pitch he needs but it’s getting hit too often and too hard. He was in a situation where he needed a ground ball and couldn’t get out of it and close that thing down again. It just got out of hand again.”

The slider might have started his problems, but the grand slam came on a fastball. A slider led to Jonathan Lucroy’s leadoff double and a changeup yielded a double from Corey Hart. Maysonet’s slam was his first home run of the season and second in his career.

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