Travis Wood hopes to bounce back from his worst start of the season on Thursday and try to help the Chicago Cubs to a series sweep of the White Sox when the two teams close the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley Field.
Wood lost for the first time in three decisions on Saturday in Cincinnati, as the Reds ripped him for five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, dropping him to 4-3, while raising his ERA to 2.73.
"That's baseball," Wood said. "I kind of lost it, throwing it up in the zone (in the sixth). I wasn't executing."
Prior to that start, he had been the first Cubs pitcher to open the season with nine consecutive quality starts since Hall of Famer Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown in 1908.
Wood beat the White Sox the only other time he faced them.
The White Sox, meanwhile, will counter with righty Jake Peavy, who is 6-2 with a 2.97 ERA. Peavy went the distance to beat the Miami Marlins on Saturday, as he allowed a run and six hits.
Peavy has faced the Cubs 17 times and is 7-3 against them with a 2.23 ERA.
The Cubs won the opener of this set on Monday before Tuesday's game was postponed by rain. The Northsiders made it two in a row over their rivals on Wednesday, as Dioner Navarro had a career day with three home runs, six RBI and four runs scored to help the Cubs to a 9-3 win.
Navarro went 3-for-3 with a solo, two-run and three-run homer. It was the first multi-home run game in the career of Navarro, who had just three home runs and seven RBI on the season.
He is the first Cubs catcher to hit three home runs in a game since George Mitterwald did it in 1974.
"I have never done that in my life before," said Navarro. "It's a great feeling and it's so surreal right now."
Anthony Rizzo and Ryan Sweeney each added an RBI for the Cubs, who have won three straight.
Scott Feldman (5-4) went six strong innings while allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. It was Feldman's sixth quality start of the season.
Alejandro De Aza, Adam Dunn and Tyler Flowers each recorded an RBI for the White Sox.
John Danks (0-1) let up four runs -- three earned -- in just his second start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in August of last year. He scattered five hits, struck out two and walked one over four frames.
"I'm not a guy that's going to make many excuses," said Danks about his performance. "I felt fine going into the game, just didn't pitch well."
The White Sox have won four of six in each of the four previous seasons against the Cubs.
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