This Week in Cubs History: Kid K’s 20-Strikeout Game

In this, the debut edition of “This Week in Cubs History,” we turn the clock back 10 years to 1998. This Sunday, May 6, will mark the 20th anniversary of Kerry Wood’s dominant pitching performance against the Houston Astros.

On that cloudy May afternoon, the 20-year-old rookie pitcher stared down future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio to open his fifth career major league start. After just five pitches, Wood struck Biggio out swinging. That trend would continue over the next four hitters to face Wood.

In the top of the 3rd, Astros’ shortstop Ricky Gutierrez — who would go on to play for the Cubs two seasons later — found a hole between shortstop and third for the only hit by an Astro all…