Major League Baseball

Wood pitches Cubs past Phils for first road series win of season

Published Jun. 15, 2014 4:32 p.m. ET

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It took a while, but the Chicago Cubs at last won a series away from Wrigley Field. Now, they hope to keep it going.

Travis Wood pitched hitless ball into the sixth inning and the Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Sunday, taking two of three at Citizens Bank Park.

Anthony Rizzo hit his 14th home run and Starlin Castro added three hits for Chicago.

The last-place Cubs had been 0-9-3 in road series this year, and hadn't won a set away from Chicago since last Sept. 9-11. This was the Cubs' first series win in Philadelphia since April 2001.

The Cubs begin a three-game trip at Miami on Monday.

"It's good to win a series on the road," Rizzo said. "We can take that into Miami with us."

The Phillies finished with just three hits against Wood (7-5) and closer Neil Ramirez while being shut out for the ninth time this year.

Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg seemed frustrated that Philadelphia's hitters didn't adjust to Wood.

"The guy was pitching up in the zone and we were hitting flyballs," Sandberg said. "For us not to make an adjustment and not get on top of some of those balls, those are hittable balls."

Wood didn't allow a hit until Ben Revere's one-out single in the sixth. He gave up three hits in eight innings while striking out six and walking three.

"I felt really good today," Wood said. "The cutter inside was working well, and they were kind of jamming themselves."

The right-hander said he was aware of the potential no-hitter.

"You always know about it," he said. "Besides, a guy in the stands let me know about it."

Ramirez got his third save.

A.J. Burnett (4-6) gave up three runs and eight hits in eight innings. He moved past Hall of Famer Eddie Plank into 50th place on the career strikeout list with his fifth-inning fanning of Luis Valbuena, giving him 2,252.

Center fielder Ryan Sweeney kept Wood's pitching line scoreless when he caught Chase Utley's drive to the warning track to end the eighth, finishing on his knees for the grab.

It was that kind of day for Philadelphia's tepid offense, which ranks near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories.

"Our pitching has kept us in games," Sandberg said. "On the offensive side, it's about picking things up on offense."

Burnett, though, didn't blame his teammates for the defeat.

"Our guys ain't going out there trying to get out," he said. "He came out and made good pitches against us all game. It's not frustrating on my part because I have a job to do."

The Cubs got all of the offense they needed in the first inning.

Rizzo staked Wood to an early lead with a solo homer in the first. It marked the eighth straight game in which the Cubs have hit a home run at Citizens Bank Park, totaling 12 drives in that span.

"He's hit quite a few home runs and some big ones, too," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said.

The Cubs tacked on a run in the third on Castro's RBI single and then made it 3-0 in the sixth on Nate Schierholtz's RBI double.

A day after passing Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to become the Phillies' all-time leader with 2,235 hits, Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 4.

Philadelphia threatened in the sixth when Rollins singled to put runners on first and second with one out, but Utley and Marlon Byrd popped out.

The Phillies won a challenge in the third inning when first-base umpire Gary Cederstrom's safe call of Rizzo was overturned after video review.

NOTES: Phillies hard-throwing rookie Ken Giles, called up last Sunday, hit 100 mph on the radar gun with three pitches during a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth. ... Castro improved to 13-for-29 lifetime off Burnett. ... To commemorate the 1964 club that nearly reached the World Series, the Phillies wore throwback uniforms from that season. Hall of Famer Jim Bunning, who threw the only perfect game on Father's Day in major league history for the Phillies against the Mets 50 years ago, tossed out the ceremonial first pitch. And, in keeping with the `60s theme, Art Garfunkel sank "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch. ... Philadelphia LHP Cole Hamels (2-3, 3.07) opposes Braves RHP Julio Teheran (6-4, 2.41) in Atlanta on Monday night. ... Chicago RHP Jason Hammel (6-4, 2.81) will face RHP Tom Koehler (5-5, 3.68) in Miami on Monday night. 

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