"Mike Quade's use of the bullpen has been criticized often this season.

On Sunday, the Chicago Cubs manager quickly got ahead of the second-guessers before a question was even asked about why he didn't go to Kerry Wood in a critical situation in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 5-4 win over the Houston Astros.

"I probably got (Wood) up and down (in the bullpen) four times in the last two days," Quade said. "He wants to come out and pitch well and feel like he's good to go and can help the team win. I think as the day started, he didn't feel that confident in how he felt arm-wise. We're all getting older, so… " "