LUCKY 13: JACKSON TIES MARK IN DEBUT
A’s rally for dramatic road win in newcomer’s strong start for his 13th major league team
DETROIT >> Facing a former team is nothing new for Edwin Jackson, he’s got plenty of them. But there was something special about this one.
Making his A’s debut, Edwin Jackson became a part of baseball history by pitching for his 13th major league team in Monday’s 5-4 victory against one of his previous 12 teams, the Tigers. He now shares that unique distinction of the most teams played for with former A’s reliever Octavio Dotel.
Dotel and Jackson were teammates with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. The two also both played for the Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves at one point in their careers.
For a youngster like rookie second baseman Franklin Barreto, playing for so many teams over a career is an unthinkable scenario.
“It’s incredible. I can’t imagine what it’s like playing for that many teams,” Barreto, 22, said. “I’m happy he’s been able to pitch for this long. He’s a good pitcher and a good person.”
It’s certainly a special accomplishment for a player, but Jackson won’t be going out to celebrate the feat.
“It’s just a fun fact,” Jackson said. “Scoreboard trivia.”
More important for Jackson and the A’s (41-38) than the significance of making the historic start were the results. Utilizing primarily a fastball and slider, the right-hander allowed only one run on six hits and no walks, striking out seven over six innings before he was replaced by Ryan Buchter to begin the seventh.
“For most guys it’s tough to go to a new team in the middle of a season. There can be some nerves and uncomfortableness,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “But this is probably the last guy you worry about that. He seemed real comfortable when he came out of the bullpen before the game and on the mound.”
Even when he found himself in trouble, allowing runners to reach second and third with one out in the second and sixth, Jackson remained calm and was able to pitch out of it and strand the runners both times.
“I think it’s just the veteran presence,” Melvin said. “He’s not gonna get flustered by guys on base, just go out there and execute pitches. That’s what experience does for you. With what we’ve been going through, he was very welcomed.”
Jackson, 34, does not appear to be anywhere close to the end of the line.In his 16th big league season, Jackson was still pumping his fastball around 9396 miles per hour, looking like he could probably go past the 80 pitches he ended up throwing.
The fastball got Jackson to the big leagues with the Dodgers in 2003 as a top prospect at just 19 years old. Seeing that type of fastball Monday was a bit of a surprise for Melvin, but Jackson said he could still reach that type of speed when he needs to.
“I try to be young once a week,” Jackson said with a smile. “I’ve never been worried about velocity. I probably can’t hit those high velocities like I could consistently when I was younger, but I know my ceiling where I can top out and pick and choose when I want to give it a little velocity.”
Maybe it was seeing the Tigers (36-43) again. Jackson’s most successful season came with Detroit back in 2009 when he was named an All-Star for the first and only time in his career, when he finished 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA.
“I like coming back to this field. A lot of great memories here. Great atmosphere,” Jackson said. “And it’s always good even when you’re on the visiting team to be welcomed back to a city and stadium. Always fun to go back and play in places where you’ve
had success.”
His first big league start of the season also came eight years to the day after he tossed a no-hitter, a fact he did not know until he was notified by his wife, Erika, after he arrived at the ballpark. He was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, then his fourth different team played for, before getting traded to the Chicago White Sox the next month.
Jackson will likely be living out of a hotel in the Bay Area when the club returns to Oakland. On a minor league deal, there’s no guarantee he’s with the A’s next season, or even finish out this season as he’s pitched for two different teams in each of the past three years. It can be a tough lifestyle, especially now that he’s married with kids, but Jackson doesn’t plan to give it up anytime soon.
“It’s always good to be wanted. When I can’t find a team that wants to bring me in, then I guess it’ll be time to sit it down,” Jackson said. “But until then, I like to come out and have fun and compete. I feel like I still have something left in me that can bring value to a team. I’m just playing and having fun right now.”
Though Jackson did not get the win, his strong start enabled the A’s to eventually complete a lateinning comeback.
After trailing 4-1 following a three-run home run surrendered by Lou Trivino in the eighth, the A’s wasted no time getting those three runs back in the eighth with a rally that was capped off by a booming double to leftcenter by Franklin Barreto that drove home Jonathan Lucroy from first for the game-tying run. An inning later, Jed Lowrie gave the A’s the lead with a solo shot to right off Shane Greene.
The A’s have now scored 101 runs this season in the eighth inning or later, most in the majors.
“Our best at-bats come late in games,” Melvin said. “It’s a little demoralizing when one of your best pitchers give up a home run and all of a sudden you’re down by three, but they kept grinding and fought through it.”
Blake Treinen came on in the ninth and pitched around a single to convert his 14th consecutive save opportunity and 18th save overall on the season.