Pitching prospect Jackson roughed up by Tacoma

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

After the players started filing into Dodgertown last month, and the early spring training numbers were posted, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy all but anointed young prospect Edwin Jackson as the team's fifth starter.

By the end of March, though, Jackson was iffy. In early April, he'd been demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas, still with the possibility of starting for Los Angeles on Saturday.

But the fall of Jackson's fortunes continued Tuesday at Cashman Field. The Tacoma Rainiers tagged the Dodgers' top prospect for six earned runs, four off a grand slam by Hiram Bocachica in Jackson's fifth and final inning. The Rainiers went on to a 7-6 victory against the Las Vegas 51s.

Jackson gave up eight hits and two walks, and struck out two batters in 4 1/3 innings.

The night did not start poorly for him. Two of the hits off Jackson were simply unplayable, including a bunt single and a sky-high chopper that didn't reach a 51s infielder until it was too late. Jackson also gave up two hits to Tacoma first baseman A.J. Zapp, who has electrified the 51s pitching staff, going 7-for-9 in the series thus far.

Jackson intentionally walked Zapp in the fifth inning, loading the bases and setting up Bocachica's home run.

Las Vegas manager Terry Kennedy went to the mound before Bocachica's at bat in the fifth, to gauge Jackson, 20, and encourage him to work through the situation.

"When I went to the mound, he didn't have an empty stare. He wasn't scared," Kennedy said. "He was thinking about what he was going to do."

Kennedy said Cubs ace Kerry Wood went through similar struggles when Kennedy was the manager at Triple-A Iowa. He also said that Jackson, a relatively inexperienced pro pitcher, has some things to work through.

"In this game, you really don't learn until you fall on your face," he said. "It's better to do it down here than up there."

It appears as though Jackson will continue "doing it down here" for the time being. Published reports Tuesday night quote Tracy as saying Jose Lima, not Jackson, will be the Dodgers' fifth starter, at least when they need one this coming Saturday at San Francisco.

Jackson disappeared quickly after the game, and was unavailable for comment. But Kennedy said he sees further growth in Jackson's future.

"We didn't win that one, but we learned from it," Kennedy said. "We're not giving pitching much room to work with."