Jackson sees progress in start vs. Blue Jays

ST. PETERSBURG — When you go 5-15 as a starting pitcher in the majors, you tend to take setbacks with a grain of salt. So when Rays right-hander Edwin Jackson gave up two runs in the second inning and two runs in the third inning of Friday’s spring training start against the Toronto Blue Jays at Al Lang Field, he wasn’t discouraged.

In fact, he saw progress.

“It was all right,” Jackson said after allowing four runs, all earned, on two hits and four walks in the Rays’ 8-4, come-from-behind win. “I still want to cut down on the walks, Regardless of how you do it, at this level it’s all about just giving your team a chance to win.”

Jackson’s ERA is now 7.36 with four spring starts. This was his longest, lasting five innings, but he was coming off an even rockier outing, having allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings of a 6-4 loss to the Reds on March 9.

The biggest problem he saw Friday was his control. The walks cost him dearly in the second inning when he issued one-out walks to Matt Stairs and Shannon Stewart, then gave up an RBI double to Lyle Overbay and a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0 Blue Jays.

The score was 2-2 in the top of the third when Jackson issued a one-out walk to Scott Rolen, then served a fat 1-1 pitch to Alex Rios for a two-run shot over the center field fence and a 4-2 Jays’ lead.

“They were close pitches,” Jackson said. “For the most part, I wasn’t erratic. They had a couple of hits, moved their runners over, but I wanted to put the ball in play. I wanted to make sure those two-run innings didn’t turn into four- or five-run innings. Making hitters put the ball in play, it’s going to make you more aggressive as a pitcher and it’s going to keep everyone on their toes, so more plays get made behind you.”


Longoria makes his case

With B.J. Ryan still working his way back from injury, without question Jeremy Accardo is the go-to guy in the Blue Jays’ bullpen. The hard-throwing right hander saved 30 games last year with a 2.14 ERA.

Late in a soggy spring game against the Rays on Friday, he was called upon to get his squad out of a jam, trailing 6-4 with a runner on in the bottom of the eighth inning. At the plate was Evan Longoria, a non-roster player who, despite being a first-round pick and one of the hottest prospects in baseball, still has yet to make his big league debut in games that count.

Advantage Accardo? Nope. Longoria turned on an 0-1 fastball, sending it over the center field fence for the finishing touches on an 8-4 win. Was he nervous, facing Accardo? Not at all.

“I guess I’m going to have to get used to seeing guys like that,” Longoria said. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. My approach was to let him supply the power — obviously he throws it pretty hard. I got a good pitch over the plate that I could handle.”

It was just the latest solid performance for the would-be rookie third baseman who is hitting .333 this spring, with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and a team-leading 18 total bases. Asked before the game if the Rays were any closer to deciding where Longoria would start the season — in St. Pete or somewhere in the minors — Rays manager Joe Maddon said “it’s getting closer.”

“But there’s not a whole lot of cutting going on with us right now, except for pairing down some pitching,” Maddon said. “With our position players, we're pretty tight right now. If we send someone down, we're just going to have to borrow someone back up on a day-by-day basis.”

And they can certainly use Longoria right now, especially since he’s playing as well as — better than, in some cases — the projected opening day regulars.

“I feel like I’ve done my part,” Longoria said. “I feel like I’m going about things the right way. I’ve said all along, things have to fall into place. But as long as I do what I’m capable of, I should be OK. I’ve been doing what I’ve been asked. It’s hopefully going to be a tough decision.”


Must-see TV: Kaz on the mound


As expected, the work Rays’ staff ace Scott Kazmir turned in Thursday morning — he threw 32 pitches during live batting practice at Al Lang before the team traveled to Fort Myers to face the Boston Red Sox — was impressive enough that it’s full-speed ahead in the team’s plans to let him start Sunday at home against the Detroit Tigers.

Maddon said Kazmir should pitch the fist two innings of Sunday’s game, which is being televised by FSN.

“He’s right on track,” Maddon said. “He looks like he’ll do just fine.”

Kazmir strained his elbow on Feb. 26 and has yet to make his spring debut, but a Sunday start could provide Rays fans with a glimpse of the top of the rotation, since James Shields is scheduled to start the team’s next game, on Tuesday at the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater. Monday is an off-day for the team.


Tough break


Pitcher Brian Anderson, who suffered what Maddon called a “career-ending injury” Wednesday, was back at the ballpark on Friday. Maddon said he and other team officials wanted a chance to talk with Anderson about the setback, and there’s a good chance the discussion might turn to ways in which the Rays can keep Anderson involved with the organization.

“Yes, I could see him coaching or in the front office at some point in his future,” Maddon said. “You know how bright he is. He’s got a brain in his head. He can put sentences together. He definitely has a place in the game.”

Anderson, a left-hander who appeared in the World Series with the Angels, was attempting to come back from a pair of surgeries to reconstruct his pitching elbow. The 35-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2005 with the Kansas City Royals.

He was throwing extremely well this spring, so well that Maddon said the Rays were beginning to envision how he could help the pitching staff this season.

Anderson felt a strange sensation in his elbow while throwing against the Yankees on Wednesday and immediately left the mound. An MRI taken Thursday morning revealed a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament — which Anderson had torn twice before — and the flexor mass muscle in his throwing arm.

Maddon said he talked with Anderson by phone on Thursday night.

“Of course he was being stoic about it, but I could tell he’s just completely disappointed,” Maddon said. “It’s such an unfortunate thing.”


No Salas; no Talbot, either

Ongoing visa problems mean relief pitcher Juan Salas remains somewhere in the Dominican Republic. The right-hander went 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA for the Rays last season in 34 games. His visa problems aren’t expected to be resolved until next week, but Maddon joked that he thought Salas might have found a way to sneak into the country — only to wind up in the wrong camp.

“I was looking at a box score in the paper and I saw here some guy named Salas was pitching for the Pirates,” Maddon said. “I wondered if (Juan) showed up in the wrong camp.”

Actually, that’s Marino Salas pitching in Bradenton as a non-roster invitee for the Pirates, but that hasn’t been the only confusion surrounding Juan Salas this spring. In a recent game, Rays relief pitcher Mitch Talbot was on the field wearing Salas’ jersey. Apparently that didn’t help, because Talbot is the team’s latest cut, having been sent down to Triple-A Durham on Friday.

“We’ll have Salas come out with Talbot’s shirt on when he gets here,” Maddon joked.


Odds and ends

Thursday’s 10-inning game against the Red Sox was a good opportunity for long-shot outfield prospect Jon Weber to prove himself, going 2-for-4, raising his spring average to .211, playing the entire way and hitting his first home run of the spring, off Bartolo Colon. Weber was back in the lineup on Friday, batting ninth and playing center field. “That home run he hit, he crushed it,” Maddon said. Weber went 1-for-4 on Friday and scored a run. … Also in Friday’s irregular lineup was Elliott Johnson, who appears to be making a case for the opening day roster as a utility player. Johnson spent Thursday’s game in Fort Myers playing short, and was at second on Friday. He could be needed, since Ben Zobrist has a rather large cast on his right hand, the result of a broken thumb. Zobrist insists he’ll be ready for opening day. Maddon praised Johnson after the game. He went 1-for-3, raising his average to .500. … Vying for a spot as a reserve outfielder, John Rodriguez raised his spring average to .188 by going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored.


-- Kamon Simpson, Herald Sports Editor