Wood Five Strong Innings in Reds 3-2 Loss to Houston But Needs More

Travis Wood has had a "rough year" in his own words.

"I battled with pitch location, trying to fine tune everything and then the mental aspect of getting down on yourself," Wood said.

He got a chance to leave a good impression for the off season to get himself back in the mix.  The Reds were looking for big things from him after he finished 5-4 in 17 starts with a respectable 3.51 ERA.


Wood got a chance to redemm himself late in a frustrating season and he wants to build on his five strong innings.

He started the year in the Reds rotation but spent three months at Triple-A Louisville before getting a chance because Dontrelle Willis had back spasms.

"It's been a good year because it taught me a lot of stuff.  I want to finish strong because that's the last thing people remember,." Wood said.

Wood pitched five shutout innings and left with a 2-0 lead, allowing just four hits.

 "He was good," Dusty Baker said."Especially since he pitched an inning and a half just two days ago. He gave us all he had. He started to fatigue and they had some big hitters coming up."

A tired Reds bullpen gave up the lead and tied the game in the sixth.

Matt Downs hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and the Houston Astros beat the slumping Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Monday night.

Downs greeted Nick Masset (3-6) with a 362-foot leadoff drive to left, sending the Astros to their second straight win after a three-game losing streak.

Brandon Phillips hit a leadoff homer in the first for Cincinnati, which has lost four straight.

Six Houston pitchers combined for a four-hitter. Cincinnati collected 13 hits while being swept by Milwaukee in a weekend series.

Rookie David Carpenter (1-3) picked up his first career win by getting Phillips to ground into an inning-ending forceout with runners on first and second in the seventh.

Jordan Lyles and Wesley Wright combined for a scoreless eighth, and Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his 19th save.

 Phillips got the Reds off to a fast start, hitting his fifth homer in his last eight games and No. 17 overall. It was his second leadoff homer of the season.

"He is doing the Ricky Henderson thing," Baker said. "It's a game we should have won. We haven't hit well the last three games. We missed some signs, one on a squeeze by Wood. We missed a 3-0 swing sign. We hit the ball on the ground for some double plays at the wrong time.

The Reds added another run in the second. Drew Stubbs walked with one out and swiped second before Todd Frazier doubled into the left-field corner.

Baker won't throw a player under the bus or lie so, when he was asked about Wood as a candidate for the 2012 starting rotation, he gave a less than ringing endorsement.

"I don't know. There are quite a few guys. It depends on what shakes down this winter," Baker said.  "I wish he could have gone longer."