Last season, using the terms “Edwin Jackson” and “stopper” in the same sentence usually meant something like “Edwin Jackson was the stopper of the Rays’ momentum today.” Well, today, he needs to be a REAL stopper and give the Rays a chance to salvage the final game of this series with the Mariners and avoid the sweep by Seattle before taking on the division-leading Orioles.
Edwin looked very good in his first outing of the year against the vaunted Yankee offense. Let’s see what he can do against the much less-talented Mariner offense.
What to watch for: Any signs of life. Good hitting. Good pitching. I’ll take either one today. We just need something positive to come out of this game. A win, for instance, would be nice.
Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Edwin Jackson - Jackson got off to a shaky start Saturday against the Yankees when he surrendered a run in the first and then loaded the bases with one out in the second. But the right-hander escaped the second-inning jam without allowing any runs and didn’t allow any more runs during his six-inning stint — retiring the final nine hitters he faced — to pick up his first win of the season. Jackson will be making his first start against the Mariners in this one.
Miguel Batista - Three of the four walks the veteran right-hander surrendered in his first start of the season came in the same inning and helped erase the second of the two-run leads he had to work with against the Orioles. It didn’t help that the usually reliable Seattle defense committed two errors on the same play, leading to an unearned run. Batista threw hard but didn’t change speeds well enough to keep opposing hitters off balance.
Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Miguel Batista.
View the game preview from Baseball Reference.
| TAMPA BAY RAYS |
SEATTLE MARINERS |
| 2B - Akinori Iwamura | CF - Ichiro Suzuki |
| LF - Carl Crawford | 2B - Jose Lopez |
| 1B - Carlos Pena | 3B - Adrian Beltre |
| CF - B.J. Upton | LF - Raul Ibanez |
| 3B - Eric Hinske | 1B - Richie Sexson |
| DH - Jonny Gomes | DH - Jose Vidro |
| RF - Nathan Haynes | RF - Mike Morse |
| C - Mike DiFelice | C - Kenji Johjima |
| SS - Jason Bartlett | SS - Yuniesky Betancourt |
April 10th, 2008 at 10:08 am
ed-WIN, we need you today! Hopefully the guys brought the bats to the yard, a nice 10-14 hit explosion could do wonders right now… this is a morale builder today, a must-win…
April 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am
not quite the lineup I was hoping for… Haynes and DiFelece- thats like having 2 pitchers in the lineup… Ruggi should start every day… Maddon is not making me believe with his brain so far…
April 10th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Jacko’s a flyball pitcher - I’d rather have Haynes’ defense in there (though batting him 7th is questionable). DiFelice is catching a day game after a night game, I’ve got no issue there, either.
Either of them is perfectly serviceable if everyone else is hitting.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Anyone else listening on Gameday Audio? My quality is really crappy.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:47 am
GREAT start, Edwin!! 3-up, 3-down… LETS GO BATS!!
April 10th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Leadoff walk.. I’m liking it.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy listening to Wills and Freed. And really, just how much I enjoy baseball on the radio.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Another strikeout by Pena.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:59 am
And another wasted baserunner… way to fight, fellas.
/eyeroll
April 10th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Sounds like Edwin got hosed by the umpire on that Sexson walk.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
WAY TO GO EDWIN!! 3 Ks, and blowing through the M’s.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Good eye, Jonny. Make this walk hurt, fellas.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
OH MY GOD NO MORE POP-UPS!!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Edwin Jac-K-son!!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Edwin’s doing his part - GET HIM SOME RUNS, FELLAS!!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Hey, at least we wasted another baserunner.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Sweet D, fellas.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
CARL!!!! Savin’ the day! Now, how about some runs?
April 10th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hins-KEY!!!!!!!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Awww… too bad there’s no chat room today. I wanna hear that guitar riff.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
looks like no bats… again
April 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
caruso whats going on, gameday is not updating….
April 10th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Hinske hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning.
Use Sportsline GameCenter: it’s working. http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/gamecenter/live/MLB_20080410_SEA@TB
April 10th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
EDWIN JAC-6K-SON!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
An Aki knock!
/plays the knock sound effect
April 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Nice! Two hits in a row!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Damn it…
April 10th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
grrrrrrr ‘los is killing us, get paid don’t hit…
April 10th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Great great GREAT start by E-Jax
April 10th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
shhhhhh
don’t said it so loud….
Need more runs…
April 10th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Alright Haynes… just need a little single.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
this is why we neeed Ruggiano in the lineup, a bonified bat… now relying on the backup catcher to get a hit… pitcher #2…
April 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Yay! An RBI! :)
April 10th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
well holy shi***** runs, not on a homerun… =)
April 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Dude, you are way overreacting. Have you ever SEEN a pitcher hit?
April 10th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Attaboy, Edwin!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
ANOTHER Aki-knock! On base 4 times!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Time for C.C., ‘Los, and B.J. to get things done.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
2 hits a row!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Call to the bullpen - let’s go EL GATO!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
CCCCCCCMMMMMOOOOOOON UPTON
April 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Juiced for the Bossman… let’s go, BJ!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
blow this sky high
April 10th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Just need a base hit BJ. Or a deep fly ball. No ground balls.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
BASE KNOCK!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
/cowbell
April 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
YYYYYYYAAAAAAA BOY
April 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Hit RUGGIANO
April 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Good call by Maddon to go to Ruggiano here. COME ON RUGGS!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
YES!!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Just need a fly ball, Ruggs. Don’t try to kill it. I worry cuz he strikes out so much.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Three-and-oh!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
He’s DEFINITELY a Corcoran! BALL FOUR!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
BASE KNOCK!!! 7-0 RAYS!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
That’s a “DiFelice Dunker” right there.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
are we comfortable yet?
April 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I am. :)
April 10th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I never am, I am glass half empty by nature… =( I wish I could relax lol
April 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
let him finish?
April 10th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Why does he keep using Trever Miller to start innings and against righties? I don’t get it.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
No. It’s the right call this early in the season.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
should throw g-love in this kinda of game
April 10th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
espn game cast says BJ Upton pitching the 9th lol
April 10th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
BALLGAME! RAYS WIN!
April 10th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
that was just what the Dr. ordered =)