Cubs
The ERA of Cubs pitchers when John Baker is behind the plate was 2.89, compared to their 4.21 mark when Welington Castillo catches. … LHP Tsuyoshi Wada made his major league debut. Wada, who pitched in Japan for nine years, hurt his elbow during his first spring training with Baltimore in 2012 and had reconstructive surgery.
Brewers
New Marquette men’s basketball coach Steve Wojciechowski threw out a first pitch. … The Brewers traded minor league right-hander Rodolfo Fernandez to Oakland for International Signing Bonus Slot No. 57 ($339,000). Fernandez was 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA and two saves in 14 relief appearances with the Timber Rattlers. … Francisco Rodriguez is headed back to the All-Star game for the fifth time. Rodriguez was supposed to be a setup man this season, but returned to the closer role when Jim Henderson struggled in spring training. The 32-year-old right-hander had 27 saves in 30 chances before Monday. It is the first All-Star selection since 2009 for Rodriguez, who is 12th on baseball’s career list with 331 saves. He also made the All-Star team in 2004, 2007 and 2008 with the Angels, and 2009 with the Mets.
Cardinals
Matt Adams hit a two-run HR in the bottom of the ninth inning for his first career game-winning hit in the opener vs. Pirates, the team they topped in the division series last fall. It was the Cardinals’ first game-winning homer since Skip Schumaker connected against the Royals on June 19, 2011. … Adam Wainwright, the 11-game winner, scattered seven hits in seven scoreless innings in his last outing without consistent location on his fastball. “I felt like I had the command of an A-ball pitcher,” Wainwright said. “I should be good for the next start, I got plenty of work out of the stretch.”
Pirates
Gerrit Cole (oblique) was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday against St. Louis. Cole, who went on the 15-day DL, threw in the bullpen Monday. “He wants to pitch, he wants to compete, he’s such an aggressive kid,” Hurdle said. “The risk, I don’t think, is worth the reward for this particular start.” … Still no luck for Charlie Morton against the Cardinals. He shut them down with nothing to show for it. “Morton pitched a fantastic game,” Hurdle said after the right-hander allowed one hit in seven innings of a 2-0 loss. “Man, it was fun to watch him work. We couldn’t touch the plate.”
Reds
Former Nasty Boys relievers Rob Dibble, Norm Charlton and Randy Myers threw ceremonial pitches Monday before the Cubs’ game. Dibble had some history with the Cubs, plunking Doug Dascenzo in the back of the legs after his squeeze bunt during a game at Wrigley Field in 1991. … This week was the first time the Cubs and Reds have played a five-game series since 1999.
Compiled by Rick Crotts from wire reports.
