Edwin Jackson shuts out Mariners 7-0

I guess scoring 13 runs over two games exhausted the M’s offense, which explains why Edwin Jackson limited the M’s to three hits in eight innings of a  7-0 shutout.  The Mariners were held hitless by the perennial prospect/ ex-Dodger flame-out Jackson until the fourth inning, while the Rays racked up four runs on eight hits in the six innings tossed by Seattle starter Miguel Batista.

With the M’s offense unable to get anything going against Jackson, another meltdown by Eric O’Flaherty didn’t matter, with Eric’s ERA jumping to over 20 by allowing three runs while getting one out in the seventh.  Its quite clear that O’Flaherty needs to spend some time down on the farm for the sake of his mental make-up.

So the M’s return home for an all-important series against the Angels.  (Even though it’s April, it’s always important when they face the Halos.)  Hopefully Kenji Johjima, held hitless in his last 19 at-bats, can rediscover his batting stroke at Safeco, as he is facing a pitcher in Angel starter Jered Weaver that he’s batted .333 against in 18 at-bats.

Tomorrow’s pitching match-up of Weaver against Felix is the latest chapter in what has become a rivalry between two of the best young pitching talents in the AL West.  And is also a rivalry that has Felix continually coming out on the losing end: dropping all four decisions in match-ups against Jered.  Overall against the Angels in his career, Felix has a 2-4 record, and despite posting a 45-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 55 innings, it hasn’t helped garner Felix any sort of edge against Jered, who has won four of five decisions over-all against the M’s, and has posted an 29-to-8 impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio himself  in 42 innings against the M’s.

Raul Ibanez may have a career .526 average and 1.519 OPS against Weaver in their match-ups, but Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Matthews Jr. have combined to hit .400 with six combined extra base hits (and ten RBIs by Matthews) in 55 combined at-bats.  It’s troubling that the m’s offense disappeared today against Edwin Jackson.  If it shows continued signs of slumber, the M’s are going to be toast against Weaver’s offerings.  Final score: 5-1, Angels.