Edwin Jackson struggles; Washington Nationals lose 7-0 to LA Dodgers; Dusty Baker thinks it’s an easy fix...

WASHINGTON, D.C.: In back-to-back losses before Friday night’s outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the nation’s capital, Edwin Jackson gave up 12 hits (four home runs), four walks, and ten runs (nine earned) in nine innings pitched.

Opposing hitters put up a .316/.372/.711 in those starts, against Milwaukee’s Brewers on the road in Miller Park, and against the Philadelphia Phillies in Nationals Park.

In a postgame interview after facing the Phillies, Jackson talked about what’s been different between starts when he’s enjoyed success or struggled.

“I would say the biggest difference you see the games where I’ve been aggressive and the games I haven’t been aggressive, it’s been night and day results,” Jackson said.

“The games where you’re ahead and you put the pressure on the hitter, you have much different results than when you’re behind in the count and you have to make pitches, and if you don’t execute, then that’s what happens.”

Jackson failed to execute on a 3-2 fastball to Justin Turner in the first inning tonight, giving up a solo shot to left on a 93 mph heater up and out over the plate that the Dodgers’ infielder smoked for his 20th home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.

In the second, Yasiel Puig hit a 2-1 slider up high outside to right for an opposite field blast that cleared the out-of-town scoreboard and put LA up 2-0.

Two doubles in the second, one that Jayson Werth lost, or never saw, led to another run and Jackson was down 3-0, and then 6-0 when the Nats’ right-hander walked a batter and gave up a three-run blast by Corey Seager, who crushed a first-pitch fastball.

Seager’s blast, for those who lost count, was the seventh home run surrendered by Jackson in his last 11 IP.

A walk, single, and RBI groundout in the third ended Jackson’s outing after 55 pitches and seven runs.

“When he’s missing he’s missing out over the plate, and they’re not missing,” Dusty Baker told reporters after the 7-0 loss to the Dodgers.

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“He’s made some quality pitches, but like I said, when he misses it’s right over the plate and right around waist-high,” Baker added.

“He’s got to keep the ball down or elevate upon command.”

In spite of the fact that Jackson has struggled in each of his last three outings, Baker said he didn’t think it would be too hard a fix.

“Yeah, should be,” Baker said. “He’s pitched a long time and I’m sure [Pitching Coach] Mike [Maddux] will address it. In the last start he was throwing a lot of strikes early and then lost command of the strike zone, so it’s a matter of location and a matter of height, so we’re hoping to correct it.”