MINNEAPOLIS, MN — As Kerry Wood and the Chicago Cubs headed to Minnesota for a series of interleague play, the stage was set for the pitching phenom to blow away the offensively struggling Twins and add to his already impressive rookie season record.

But a different young pitching star and an aging speed demon would steal the show for the Minnesota Twins.

Brad Radke, the Twins’ sole 20 game winner last year, outpitched the 20-year-old Wood throughout the evening, throwing a four-hit complete game for Minnesota.

Radke got help offensively from Twins 39-year-old centerfielder Otis Nixon, only one year shy of twice Wood’s age. Nixon had two singles, four runs and three stolen bases, giving him 567 career steals. Marty Cordova and Matt Lawton also batted in three runs apiece.

Wood, however, lasted only 3 and 1/3 innings, giving up six runs, two of them earned, on five hits.

Wood’s problems began in the first inning when Nixon reached first base on a Jeff Blauser throwing error. Nixon then stole second, moved to third on a Brent Gates single and scored on a Matt Lawton’s sacrifice fly.

Although Wood had four strikeouts in the second and third innings, he was plagued by control problems in the fourth. Wood walked Pat Meares with one out in the fourth, who scored on a Terry Steinbach double. Dennis Hocking then reached first on the second Blauser error of the night. Woods walked Nixon to load the bases, and then walked Gates, forcing in a run before being pulled by Chicago manager Jim Riggleman.

Radke, however, was on cruise control. The 25-year-old recorded eight strikeouts while walking only one Cub. The shutout was Radke’s third complete game of the year.

Chicago also had a chance to score in the third when Brant Brown hit a one-out double. However, he was thrown out by Twins leftfielder Marty Cordova trying to stretch the double into a triple.

After the third inning, Radke was untouchable. He retired 18 of the last 19 Cubs batters to improve his record to 8-4.