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06/13/2009 12:35 AM ET
Mudcats' Wood does it again
Reds' prospect takes no-hitter into seventh, strikes out nine
By Mason Kelley / Special to MLB.com
Travis Wood is second in all of Minor League baseball with a 1.11 ERA. (Brian Bissell/FutureStarPhotos.com)

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Travis Wood tried not to think about it.

But every few innings, he glanced up at the scoreboard and saw the zeros. He would catch himself, refocus and get back to work.

"You have to try to not think about it and just go out there and go after the hitters again," Wood said.

The 22-year-old left-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and ended up allowing up one hit while striking out nine Friday as the Carolina Mudcats blanked the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, 4-0.

"My pitches were working for me again, throwing a lot of strikes," Wood said. "The defense was behind me. We scored some runs, got a little lead, so it made it a little bit easier to pitch."

For Wood, the Southern League has been a playground this season. He has won six of his last eight starts, and the last time he took the mound he threw a complete-game three-hitter, tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts.

Like his no-hit bid, however, he tries to keep the same focus each start.

"It's another day," Wood said. "I've got to go out there and give it my best and, hopefully, everything works out for me."

The former second-round pick continues to find success with all five of his pitches -- fastball, cutter, slider, curve and changeup -- and is 6-3 with a league-leading 1.11 ERA over 13 starts. He hasn't allowed a run in three straight outings and has yet to give up more than two earned runs in any game this season.

"At this point, everything's just been so great," Wood said. "I've been throwing well this season. Everything's been going so well, it's just kind of rolling into one. [This start] is up there, but you don't want to put too much emphasis on it."

After a leadoff walk in the first inning, he got Greg Halman to ground into a double play and struck out Thomas Hubbard to end the frame. He fanned the next four batters as he cruised through the Diamond Jaxx's lineup.

With two outs in the seventh, Hubbard singled to right field to break up the no-hitter.

Even after another successful start, Wood is still thinking of ways to improve.

"There's always something to work on," he said.

Wood is so dominant right now it would be understandable if he felt unhittable. But he knows how fleeting success can be and, while confident, he wants to keep this season's dominance in perspective.

"You don't want to get that far ahead of yourself because at any moment anybody can hit you," he said. "You just try to stay humble and go out there and do what you can."

Mason Kelley is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.