Blaze's Jackson lines his way out of slump

Bakersfield's Drew Jackson had heard all about the California League's hitter-friendly reputation. But as Seattle's No. 3 prospect makes his way around the league for the first time, he's realized the elements can only help you so much.

"I know people think that's the case," he said. "But here in Bakersfield, the ball really doesn't fly out of the park, particularly at night. It's not like it is down at High Desert or Lancaster. A lot of guys get caught up in that, but I'm just sticking with my approach and trusting it. Hopefully, the results are positive."

In busting out of a slump, Jackson got a great payoff Monday. The 22-year-old collected a career-high three doubles and tied a personal best with three runs scored as the Class A Advanced Blaze rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat the Inland Empire 66ers, 8-7. He had entered the Memorial Day matinee with just four hits in his previous 33 at-bats, dropping his average 30 points to .274.

"I had hit a skid there, but I was still feeling good, still hitting the ball good," Jackson said. "I just tried to stick with my same approach and not overthink things. It's baseball and that's what happens. You just tell yourself that if you go 0-for-4, you're one day closer to going 4-for-4. Compared to last year, this level is a lot more difficult. The pitching, the defense, everything is better."

Even without the four-hit game, he proved to be a key cog in Bakersfield's comeback. Jackson struck out in the bottom of the first, but ripped the first of his three consecutive two-baggers in the third, driving in Joe DeCarlo with a double to center field. He stroked his second two-bagger to center in the fifth and scored on Jay Baum's sacrifice fly to center. After lining his third double to right and scoring on Aaron Barbosa's single in the sixth, Jackson walked and scored on another sacrifice fly by Baum in the eighth.

In his professional debut last year, Jackson hit .358 in 59 games for Class A Short Season Everett in the Northwest League. The Mariners' fifth-round pick in the 2015 Draft knows about the challenges posed by full-season ball, but he said he has a plan to keep it from wearing him down.

"I'm just enjoying every moment with the guys," the Stanford product said. "You make friends for life here. So along with that, I've tried to just get into a routine and stick with it. Make sure I'm getting the necessary amount of sleep and prepare my body as best I can. To me, the key is enjoying the moment and not think of the season as a grind. It certainly is, but I don't think about it that way."

Barbosa set a career high with three RBIs and Chantz Mack went deep for Bakersfield. The rally made a winner out of Vinny Nittoli (1-1), who gave up two hits and a walk while striking out two in two scoreless innings.

Michael Strentz and Zachary Houchins hit three-run homers for Inland Empire. Eric Alonzo (0-1) surrendered a pair of runs on two hits and a walk in two innings.