"I don't think the first half was particularly good, nor was it particularly bad, but I think what happens from here on out is important."
Lotte's Jackson summarized the first half of the season in this way, but with ace Atsuki Taneichi sidelined due to injury and Kazuya Ojima, who had reached the required number innings pitched for five consecutive seasons until last year, also struggling, Jackson's presence was extremely important.
In his two years playing for DeNA until last season, he reached the required number innings pitched for both seasons, pitching 150 2/3 innings in 25 games last season with a record of 10 wins and 7 losses and ERA of 2.33. He is also performing well with Lotte, where he will be playing from this season. He made his debut for the team on April 1st against Nippon-Ham, pitching 89 pitches over 5 innings, allowing only one hit and no runs, to earn his first win since joining the team.
On this day, he explained his pitching style, saying, "As the game progresses, the batters get used to the pitches after the first and second rounds, so in order to show them that there are different types of pitches I can throw, I think it's necessary to gradually introduce different types pitch." He fastball mainly fastballs, cutter, and change-up during the first round, and then mixed in knuckle curves from the second round onwards.
Before the interleague series, he had a record of 2 wins and 5 losses with ERA 4.35, including three consecutive losses from the game against Orix Buffaloes on May 5th to the game Seibu Lions on May 19th. However, he went on to win four consecutive games from the game against Yakult on June 2nd to the game against Nippon-Ham on July 7th. He started on five days' rest against Softbank Hawks on July 20th and against Orix Buffaloes on July 26th, and in the game against Orix Buffaloes on July 26th, he pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing only 2 runs, to earn his 7th win.
In the first half of the season, he pitched 104 1/3 innings in 17 games, recording 7 wins and 6 losses, 97 strike out, and an ERA of 3.36.
◆ Starting on Tuesday at the beginning of the week
In the first half of the season, he started 12 games on Tuesdays at the beginning of the week, and he was incredibly reliable, pitching 6 inning or more in 10 of those games.
Jackson revealed that when he was scheduled to start on Tuesday, "I went into the first game as pitcher on Tuesday without overthinking it, feeling that if I just put out what I have to offer, I could make a good game."
What was most impressive was that fastball 's pitch never dropped even after inning of pitches. In the game against Chunichi on June 9, with two outs and a runner on first in the sixth inning with a score tied 1-1, he got Sano to swing from 3 balls and 2 strike to struck out at a high fastball, measuring 155 km/h.
"I think it's about not forcing things, believing in what you have, and building on that, so I think the increased ball speed is a result of training and making proper adjustments."
breaking ball including change-up, knuckle curve, and cutter, can be used as both a count pitch and a finishing pitch. Looking at strike out by pitch type, he has a fairly even struck out, with 36 fastball, 28 from change-up, 19 from cutter, and 14 from his knuckle curve.
"I believe in myself and this is a good pitch, so I think I can throw strike in various count."
To advance to the Climax Series, the gap between them and first-place Softbank Hawks has widened considerably, but Jackson needs to have the momentum to win every game he pitches. "We have a series of important games coming up, so after the All-Star break, I want to pitch well in every game I get the chance, and we want to come together as a team and fight each game one at a time." First, he will lead the team to win in his first game of the second half of the season against Nippon-Ham.
(Andre Jackson pitcher interpreter = Takafumi Yajima, Chiba Chiba Lotte Marines' interpreter)
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
