Alex Wood Makes Odd Dodgers History in Monday Start

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Alex Wood accomplished a feat in Monday's tilt against the Pittsburgh Pirates that no other player in team history had previously achieved.

Wood pitched just five innings in the contest but became the first player in club history to record at least 11 strikeouts while pitching five or fewer innings, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info). He required 88 pitches to complete the five scoreless frames, exiting the game with a 10-0 lead. The southpaw allowed just two hits and a walk on the night, improving his record to 3-0 on the campaign.

Brandon McCarthy was originally scheduled to take his turn in the rotation Monday but instead landed on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. The Dodgers elected to bump Wood's start up a day, and it paid dividends against Pittsburgh. Through seven appearances (five starts) this season, Wood carries a 2.73 ERA with 38 strikeouts over 29.2 innings.

With the win Monday, Los Angeles owns an 18-14 record on the season, sitting two games behind the Colorado Rockies for the NL West lead. However, the club is one of the hottest in the league recently, collecting eight wins in its past 10 games.

The Dodgers return to the diamond Tuesday evening for the second of a three-game series against the Pirates. Wood's next scheduled start arrives Saturday in a tough environment at Coors Field.