Padres' pitcher shuts out Cubs

CHICAGO -- Adam Eaton is going to remember this game for a while.\nLess than two years after having elbow ligament replacement surgery, Eaton struck out a career-high 12 Wednesday, pitching the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.\n"I had good location early, but it seemed like it got better. I was able to hit the corners really well," said Eaton, who won for just the second time since the surgery. "I had a couple of good games last year, but today was definitely a special day."\nSan Diego took advantage of Kerry Wood's wildness, scoring two runs off his mistakes, and Eaton (1-1) took care of the rest. The Padres stopped a six-game losing streak and handed the Cubs their first shutout loss this season.\nEaton began his career with a promising start, jumping from Double-A to the majors in 2000. He started the next season 6-2, and was leading the Padres in wins (eight) and strikeouts (109) before surgery on Aug. 21, 2001.\nWhile it takes most pitchers more than a year to recover from the surgery, Eaton was back in the majors last Sept. 1. He started that night, and went 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in six starts.\n"He had a long road with the surgery," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's recovered now and he's been pitching great."\nHe certainly was Wednesday, scattering five hits over seven innings and walking just two.\nHe got into a couple of jams, but always managed to come up with the big pitches when he needed them. And none were bigger than the ones he made in the fourth inning.\nThe Cubs loaded the bases on back-to-back walks by Hee Seop Choi and Corey Patterson. Eaton fell behind Mark Bellhorn 3-2, but got him swinging. He then struck out Damian Miller, escaping the jam.\n"He was on today," said Sammy Sosa, who was 2-for-4. "When I saw him get out of that jam with the bases loaded, that was everything there."\nMatt Herges pitched two hitless innings for a save in his first opportunity of the year.\n"When facing Kerry Wood," Eaton said, "you have to have your game on the A level."\nEven if Wood doesn't have his best stuff.\nWood (3-1) struck out 11 and allowed only five hits in seven innings. But he struggled with his control, hitting three batters and walking another three.\nWood got into trouble in the second inning, allowing a leadoff walk to Xavier Nady and a double to Mike Rivera. He struck out Shane Victorino and Eaton, but Ramon Vazquez doubled just inside the right-field line to score Nady and give the Padres a 1-0 lead.\nWood got into another jam in the fifth, hitting Ryan Klesko in the foot with two outs. He walked Rondell White, and Sean Burroughs followed with an RBI single.\nWood then hit Nady, but he struck out Mike Rivera to get out of the inning without further damage.\n"I got into a little funk there where I was rushing," Wood said. "Fortunately I was able to keep it down to two runs, but it wasn't enough today."\nIt could have been worse, too. San Diego stranded 10 while he was in the game, including three runners at third.\n"He pitched too good to lose," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "It's our first shutout this year. You've got to give Eaton some credit, because he threw the ball well.\n"That was probably the best ballgame thrown against us this year. He made some pretty good hitters look bad," Baker said.\nAnd now that the surgery is behind him, the Padres hope there will be more games like this in Eaton's future.\n"This was a big game and I'm happy for him," Vazquez said. "He was throwing strikes, and that was the key. He got ahead the whole game. That was real fun, sitting back there watching"