On May 26, 1970, Wood relieved Gerry Janeski with one out in the seventh, bases loaded, and the White Sox holding on to a 3–0 lead over Kansas City. He allowed a single to Paul Schaal that drove in a run but finished the inning without anymore runs scoring, then a scoreless eighth and ninth inning for the save. In the second game of a doubleheader against the Oakland Athletics on June 21, Wood struck out four straight hitters and five of six he faced in two innings, though the effort came in a 5–4 loss. He struck out four batters in a season-high innings on July 25, though this came in a 9–4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. His longest save of the year came on August 12, when he held the Yankees hitless for three innings and struck out three in a 5–1 triumph. Wood led the AL in games pitched (77) for the third year in a row, also leading the league in games finished (62) and ranking sixth in the AL with 21 saves. He had a 9–13 record, a 2.81 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 36 walks, and 118 hits allowed in innings pitched.