SAN DIEGO _ The Padres' summer sell-off already underway when they signed Edwin Jackson, the 32-year-old right-hander was upping his pitch count at Triple-A El Paso when he learned General Manager A.J. Preller had opened up another spot in San Diego's makeshift rotation. On Monday, Jackson one-upped the man he ultimately replaced in a 2-1 win over the Red Sox.
Adam Rosales provided all of the Padres' runs on a two-run homer off former Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz, Jackson struck out 11 batters _ more than any other Padre this season _ over seven shutout innings and Brandon Maurer got pinch-hitter David Ortz to fly out to center with a runner on first for the final out.
One of two Padres selected to the All-Star Game, the 27-year-old Pomeranz won eight of his 17 starts with the Padres, posted a 2.47 ERA over that stretch and emerged as one of baseball's most-coveted starting pitchers heading into trade season.
Because he was left-handed. Because he was pitching well. Because he had two more years of control beyond this breakout season.
That led the Red Sox to offer their top pitching prospect _ Anderson Espinoza _ straight up for Pomeranz after he turned in a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game at Petco Park.
Boston's prize has won just twice since the trade, his latest effort becoming yet another tough-luck loss when Rosales touched him for a two-run shot in the fourth inning.
Pomeranz pitched into the sixth but exited with Boston trailing 2-0 following Alex Dickerson's two-out double to right. He struck out five, but allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while throwing just 66 of his 105 pitches for strikes.
Jackson remained in line for the win because his defense picked him up in his final inning of work.
After yielding back-to-back singles to open the seventh, he fetched a double play ball off the bat of Jackie Bradley Jr. before fanning Yoan Moncada a third time to strand the only runner to reach third.
The strikeout was also his 11th of the game, one more than the 10 that Pomeranz racked up on two occasions while in a Padres uniform and two shy of Jackson's career-high.
Jackson scattered two other hits and two walks in his first quality start since throwing seven shutout innings at Pittsburgh on Aug. 10.
Chris Young greeted reliever Brad Hand with a solo homer in the eight and Aaron Hill put the tying run on second with an ensuing double.
But Hand fetched a grounder from Dustin Pedroia, caught a break when Hand's wild-pitch strikeout hit Sandy Leon to stick the tying run back at third base and then struck out Xander Bogaerts.
