The Cincinnati Reds are visiting Wrigley Field this week. The Reds are headed toward wrapping up their second division title in three years, partially due to the contributions of former Cub reliever Sean Marshall, who owns a 2.72 ERA in 56 1/3 innings. The players Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein received for Marshall this past offseason - pitcher Travis Wood, outfielder Dave Sappelt and minor league second baseman Ronald Torreyes - seem to be working out nicely for the North Siders, though:
"Woody has obviously made a lot of adjustments and done a nice job since he was called up and been back," manager Dale Sveum said. "But Sappelt is probably swinging the bat as good as anybody right now. He’s showing and doing the things we thought.
"We knew there was a bat there but we need him to be focused and base running and playing defense and all that as well because there is a bat there that can play in the big leagues and obviously we’re seeing that."
Wood, 25, is 6-12 this year with a 4.25 ERA over 139 2/3 innings with 106 strikeouts to 44 walks. He looks to be slotted in as the Cubs' third starter in 2013. Sappelt, 25, has a .772 OPS in 34 major league plate appearances this year.
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