Cubs lose 5-1 to the Dodgers; Garza and Baker down with the flu

The Cubs lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1 at Wrigley Field today.  Chris Volstad was the losing pitcher but the Cubs denied that Volstad's spot in the starting rotation was in jeopardy.

Chris Volstad started for the Cubs on Saturday against the Dodgers (photo from cubs.com)

"Yeah I think it's way too early for that, there's no question about it," manager Dale Sveum said.

Volstad is 0-4 with a 6.55 ERA in six starts with the Cubs this season.  His issue has been that he has one bad inning in five of his six starts.  Today is was in the second inning, when the Dodgers scored three runs, including two coming from Dodgers starting pitcher Chris Capuano's two-out, two-run double.

"It's just somehow getting through those innings," Sveum said.  "When people get on, for some reason he's having trouble getting out of that.   Obviously, he has been pretty efficient when nobody's on base."

Said Volstad: "From the stretch has been a struggle.  That one inning (each start) has to be better, that's all it comes down to."  Volstad admitted it could mechanical, could be mental or…"It could be just a relaxing thing," he said.  "Just relax and get back to what you were doing from the windup."

In other Cubs news, there is a flu that has affected Matt Graza and Jeff Baker.  Garza will have his turn in the rotation skipped as a result.  Travis Wood was called up from Triple-A Iowa to start against the Dodgers on Sunday.  Garza now is scheduled to face the Brewers on Friday in Milwaukee.

"He's pretty down-and-out, pretty sick," Sveum said about Garza.

Travis Wood came to the Cubs in a winter trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Sean Marshall and will make his Cubs debut after going 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA at Triple-A Iowa.

Travis Wood will make his debut with the Cubs Sunday against the Dodgers (photo from cubs.com)

The left-handed Wood was 2-2 with a 10.67 in five preseason games when we pitched his way out of a rotation spot.  "I feel better, more relaxed," he said of the difference from spring.  "My pitches are working and I'm able to command the fastball, and the off-speeds are working.  Everything's going good right now."  Let's hope he can lead the Cubs to a series win on Sunday against former Cub Ted Lilly at 1:20pm CT at Wrigley Field.