Edwin Jackson’s bad night dooms Cubs
BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com April 30, 2013 11:01PM
WEDNESDAY
PADREs
AT CUBS
The facts: 7:05 p.m., CSN,
720-AM.
The pitchers: Andrew Cashner (1-1, 3.26) vs. Scott Feldman (1-3, 3.92).
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Updated: May 1, 2013 2:19AM
One month into the new regime’s first big free-agent deal, and Cub fans don’t seem to like it any better than some of the old regime’s free-agent deals.
The boos began for $52 million right-hander Edwin Jackson about the time Yonder Alonso’s three-run homer landed on the other side of the center field wall Tuesday night — and reached overpowering levels when he was lifted after allowing a run-scoring single to the pitcher four batters later.
“I would have probably booed myself as well, so I don’t blame them,” said Jackson, whose worst start as a Cub — in a 13-7 loss to the San Diego Padres — closed out what he said might be his worst opening month of his career.
Jackson (0-4) is tied for the most losses in the National League. Two more walks Tuesday put him second in the league with 17 and he’s allowed more runs than anyone else in the league (with a 6.27 ERA).
He said there’s nothing wrong physically and he says he’s not pressing with a new team and the biggest contract of his career. Manager Dale Sveum said it all starts with his lack of fastball command.
“It’s just a month into the season, but we’ve got to [figure out] the mechanical [issue] or whatever it is. He’s got it in him. The stuff and everything’s there. We’ve just got to get it out of him,” Sveum said.
Until Tuesday, the starting staff as a whole was the one consistent building block Sveum hoped to have coming off a 10-16 April.
A 3.21 rotation ERA that ranked third in the National League jumped to 3.57.
Notes
Despite another unproductive April for cleanup hitter Alfonso Soriano (one homer, two RBI), Sveum said he has no plans to move the big-swinging left fielder down in the order.
◆ The Cubs 35 homers rank third in franchise history for April behind their 41 in 2000 and 36 in 2004.
◆ Randy Wells, a Rookie of the Year candidate during a 12-win 2009 season for the Cubs, retired Tuesday from the Texas Rangers, at age 30, after fighting through elbow-related issues in recent seasons.
