Cubs reliever Pedro Strop worked a scoreless inning Saturday against San Francisco, his 11th scoreless outing in as many appearances as a Cub.
Strop has been working the eighth inning in the majority of his appearances, adding credence to the idea that he is the closer-in-waiting if the club decides to trade current closer Kevin Gregg. In 9 2/3 innings with Chicago, Strop has allowed just four hits and has 12 strikeouts against three walks. Despite the excellence, his full-season numbers are still brutal: a 5.06 ERA with 18 walks in 32 innings.