36 Edwin Jackson, SP

Cubs starting pitcher Edwin Jackson was sharper than he has been all season Friday against the Mets, but it was still not enough to earn his second win as the Cubs fell, 3-2.

Jackson allowed a pair of solo home runs in the first and fourth inning, but that was all of the damage until the seventh, when he was chased with two outs after opposing starter Matt Harvey drove a single to left field to break a 2-2 tie. Jackson would earn the loss in the game as a result.

Jackson allowed three earned runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out four batters. Despite throwing just his third quality start of the season, Jackson is now 1-6 on the season, with a 5.76 ERA. He will try to get back on the winning side in his next start, Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Cubs starting pitcher Edwin Jackson was finally able to get into the win column Saturday against the Nationals. Jackson, who made his eighth start, allowed two runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings in an 8-2 win.

The right-hander retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced and even helped his cause at the plate as he ripped a two-run double off Stephen Strasburg in the fifth inning. He was pulled after throwing 88 pitches and finished with three strikeouts and two walks.

"It was definitely nice to get that monkey off my back. ... It felt about the same size as me," Jackson said.

Jackson will look to earn another win when he faces the Mets at home next Friday. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in four starts at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs can not be pleased with starter Edwin Jackson, who is 0-5 with a 6.39 ERA since joining the team on a four-year, $52 million contract. Even so, the team has no plans of putting him in the bullpen when Matt Garza is ready to return to the rotation in the next few weeks.

"Nah," manager Dale Sveum told the Chicago Tribune. "Obviously we're going to have to make some decisions, but I don't think he's going to be one of them that goes to the bullpen."

The team is not considering utilizing a six-man rotation, but it appears as if Jackson's spot is safe despite his poor performance.