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Cubs waste another fine performance by Dempster

By Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune –

CHICAGO — Kerry Wood’s return from shoulder fatigue coincided with Carlos Marmol’s demotion from the closer’s role, leaving manager Dale Sveum with some difficult bullpen decisions.

After saying last week he planned to use Wood in less “stressful” situations for a while, Sveum called on Wood in the eighth inning of a tie game with the Braves on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

(PHOTO: Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (13) throws to first base on a fielder’s choice while the Atlanta Braves’ Martin Prado is out during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday May 8, 2012. The Braves won, 3-1.)

The results weren’t pretty.

Wood walked two in the inning before Dan Uggla’s two-run single gave the Braves a 3-1 victory.

While leaving the mound, Wood tossed his glove several rows into the box seats, and also threw his hat into the stands.

Asked about the glove-toss afterward, he replied: “Irrelevant, dude. Why the (bleep) would you even bring that up?”

Wood promptly cut off questions from the media and stalked off.

Manager Dale Sveum said Wood was upset with the walks.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or how many years you have in the big leagues, it’s frustrating to do that in a tie ballgame,” he said.

Sveum said the biggest play of the inning was walking Martin Prado when the Braves outfielder was trying to bunt.

“They’re giving us an out, and we just couldn’t get it,” he said.

Wood said he made “pretty good pitches,” but didn’t get any breaks.

“On the walk to (Brian) McCann, I have a base open there,” he said. “I’m not going to give in to him. I made a good pitch I thought to Uggla, and I turned around and we had the shift on.”

“When things are going bad, you don’t get breaks, and I didn’t get any tonight.”

Actually, runners were on first and third when Wood issued a one-out walk to McCann, loading the bases for Uggla.

Wood, who returned last Thursday from a stint on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue, said the shoulder feels “great.”

Ryan Dempster, who got another no-decision despite seven strong innings, called Wood “as professional as anyone” he ever has played with.

“Things will turn around real soon,” Dempster said.

While Wood and Marmol haven’t performed the way the Cubs expected, there may be no one in baseball pitching as well as Dempster has, albeit with nothing to show for it.

Dempster continued his early-season dominance, shutting down the Braves on one run. But he was removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh with the score 1-1. The Cubs have scored only eight runs with Dempster on the mound in his five starts.

Despite a 1.02 ERA, Dempster remains winless in 2012, and hasn’t won a game in 14 starts, dating to August 16, 2011.

“It’s hard to believe a guy can have a (1.02 ERA) and not have a win yet,” Sveum said. “That was another dominating performance.”

Braves starter Randall Delgado and four relievers held the Cubs to one run on five hits.

Dempster said the real “bummer” was the Cubs had a chance to win three in a row,” not that he’s winless. Last year the Cubs didn’t win three consecutive games until July 22-24 against the Astros.

“We’re playing good baseball and we’re playing really hard,” Dempster said. “I think the teams on the other side of the field are recognizing that.”

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