Cutting down on his walks helped Jackson win 14 games for AL champion Tampa Bay last year, but the Rays, who had starting pitchers who were out of options along with talented left-hander David Price, opted to trade him to Detroit for outfield help, power-hitting prospect Matt Joyce.

Jackson has cut his number of walks per nine innings nearly in half this season, averaging close to two after his six-strikeout, six-hit performance in a 14-1 win over Oakland.

Jackson says he just wants to keep attacking the strike zone.

That's nothing new in baseball, but attacking the strike zone with a consistent mid-90s fastball and a slider with a super-sharp tilt plus an occasional changeup isn't something you see every five days.

The numbers Jackson has posted his last couple of seasons have steadily improved, something GM Dave Dombrowski of Detroit felt would continue.

So far, Dombrowski's gamble has paid off.

TIGERS 14, ATHLETICS 1: LF Ryan Raburn and 3B Brandon Inge both hit grand slams Friday night and RHP Edwin Jackson stayed fresh through a 1:13 rain delay to earn his third victory of the season. Raburn's slam capped a five-run first inning and Inge's belt came in the sixth to make it 13-1. Jackson pitched four innings, allowing one run, before rain halted the game for a second time. It was delayed 1:01 at the start. Following the second play stoppage, Jackson came out and worked three more innings before turning the game over to rookies -- RHP Ryan Perry and LHP Luke French, who made his major league debut. Raburn and Perry also had one additional RBI. It was the first time the Tigers had two grand slams in the same game since OF Jim Northrup did it all by himself in 1968.