CASE OF PROS, CONS FOR JACKSON IN WIN EFFORT IS IMPRESSIVE BUT INCONCLUSIVE DODGERS 5, MILWAUKEE 2.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

For those who believe Edwin Jackson should have had a spot in the Dodgers' rotation coming out of spring training, Wednesday night's game provided both an endorsement and a rebuttal.

In his first major-league start this season, the 20-year-old Jackson struggled with his control at times and lasted only five innings because of a high pitch count. But he also showed flashes of the electric stuff that convinced the former Dodgers regime not to trade him over the winter.

Scott Podsednik's leadoff home run was the only hit that hurt Jackson, who won for the third time in four career starts as the Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 in front of 27,871 at Dodger Stadium. Eric Gagne got the final four outs for his 76th consecutive save and 13th of the season.

With the victory, the Dodgers won their second consecutive series after losing four in a row. They took advantage of Milwaukee starter Ben Hendrickson, a 23-year-old right-hander making his major-league debut and pressed into service because of Ben Sheets' ear infection.

The Dodgers scored three runs in the first three innings and, after Podsednik's homer, Jackson kept the Brewers scoreless despite several jams. Jackson allowed three hits, walked three, struck out three and threw 96 pitches in his first start since Sept. 27, when he threw six shutout innings to beat San Francisco.

Despite his strong effort, the Dodgers are expected to return Jackson to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he can start on a regular basis. The Dodgers have an opening in their rotation because Wilson Alvarez's request to go to the bullpen was granted, but that spot won't be taken by Jackson.

``Irregular work or pitching out of the bullpen is not how you develop a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher that has the capability, down the road, of being part of the foundation of a very young pitching staff,'' manager Jim Tracy said.

Tracy said he was also mindful of the fact that young power pitchers have a history of suffering arm injuries after sharp increases in the number of innings pitched. Jackson threw 170 1/3 innings last season, a high total for a pitcher in just his third professional season.

``Guys get pushed real hard, real quick, and then they run into a wall,'' Tracy said. ``We're just trying to have due diligence and avoid that as much as we possibly can.''

After Podsednik's homer, the Dodgers didn't trail for long. They loaded the bases in the first on a single and two walks. Paul Lo Duca then hit a slow grounder through the left side that allowed Cesar Izturis and Milton Bradley to score for a 2-1 lead.

Izturis had reached on a single to to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Dave Roberts led off the third with a triple, which got past diving right fielder Ben Grieve, and scored one out later on Hendrickson's wild pitch.

The Dodgers added a run in the fifth when pinch hitter Jason Grabowski doubled, went to third on an outfield error and then scored on Izturis' squeeze bunt. Hendrickson allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. Lo Duca hit a solo home run, his second of the season, off Matt Kinney in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Jackson didn't cruise but stayed out of significant trouble. He stranded runners on third base in the second and fourth innings, but he had three-ball counts on nine of the first 12 batters he faced.

Brooks Kieschnick singled home a run against Gagne in the ninth.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Alex Cora dives for a grounder off the bat of Milwaukee's Lyle Overbay, who could not beat Cora's throw to first Wednesday.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

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