• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Jackson, Rays blank Mariners to salvage series finale

Apr 10, 2008 - 8:22 PM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Last year, it took Edwin Jackson three months to get two wins. This year, he needed only two starts.

Jackson allowed just two hits in eight innings as the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Seattle Mariners, 7-0, Thursday.

Jackson (2-0) walked four and struck out six to lower his season ERA to 0.64. The hard-throwing righthander worked six innings Saturday to win his season debut against the New York Yankees.

Jackson began last season with eight straight losses before getting his first win on June 24. He didn't get his second victory last year until July 20, when he was 2-9.

"I'm not doing anything different," Jackson said. "It's always good to get a win. The main thing was it was a team effort. The defense made some great plays.

"I've done my share of killing the bullpen, so it's time to pick them up."

Jackson allowed only a fourth-inning single to Adrian Beltre and a sixth-inning single to Raul Ibanez. Trever Miller pitched the ninth for the Rays, who snapped a four-game skid and won at home for the first time this season.

"As a pitcher, you always want to go out for the ninth," Jackson said. "But (Joe Maddon) is the manager and it was his decision. It was a lot of pressure after losing four in a row."

Eric Hinske snapped a scoreless tie with his second homer of the season, a solo blast in the fourth inning off Mariners starter Miguel Batista (0-2).

"Hinske's home run, finally putting us ahead 1-0 was big," Maddon said.

Mike DiFelice added two hits and three RBI for the Rays, who salvaged the finale of their three-game series with the Mariners.

"This was real important," DiFelice said. "You don't want to get on much of a slide."

Leading 2-0, Tampa Bay broke it open with a five-run seventh. After allowing singles to Akinori Iwamura and Carl Crawford, Batista was replaced by Eric O'Flaherty, who promptly plunked Carlos Pena to load the bases.

B.J. Upton followed with a two-run single. Two batters later, Roy Corcoran relieved O'Flaherty and issued a bases-loaded walk to Justin Ruggiano. DiFelice followed with a two-run single to cap the outburst.

"That five-run inning allowed us to settle down," Maddon said.

Batista allowed four runs and eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six-plus innings. The righthander did not yield a hit until Hinske's homer.

Beltre had two of three hits for the Mariners, who were shut out a day after scoring a season-high seven runs.

"Jackson had pretty good command," Seattle manager John McLaren said. "I never saw him before. What I've heard about him is that he is erratic - he's either real good or he's off. I was very impressed with the guy."