CINCINNATI — After his promotion to the major leagues, Zach Jackson doesn't want to waste any time tap-dancing around hitters.

That's been the key to his success — and something that could help keep him with the Milwaukee Brewers for quite some time.

Jackson, a 2001 graduate of Seneca Valley, earned his first major-league victory Monday in the Brewers' 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

He surrendered four home runs over seven innings, but he struck out six and didn't issue a walk.

"I try to block everything out and just look at the big picture and play the game," said Jackson.

"The biggest thing is the execution of pitches. Your execution of pitches is the main focus. If you do that, everything will take care of itself," he added.

After being called up from Class AAA Nashville, Jackson pitched a scoreless ninth inning June 4 against the Washington Nationals, which included a pair of strikeouts.

Brewers manager Ned Yost gave Jackson his first start last Wednesday against San Diego. Jackson received a no-decision in a 6-5 loss. He struck out two, walked one and allowed four runs.

"I left the game down 4-3, but two of the runs were unearned and one error was mine," said Jackson. "I threw the ball away."

Aside from being Jackson's first big-league start, he almost had another highlight from the game.

On the first pitch of his first at-bat, Jackson smoked a deep fly ball, but Padres outfielder Brian Giles made a jumping catch at the wall to rob Jackson.

"That was brutal," said Jackson. "Brian Giles, of all people. I grew up watching him play for Pittsburgh.

"It was hard to have one taken away like that, but it was a lot of fun. A couple more feet, maybe a foot, and things could have been different," he added.

In Monday's win over Cincinnati, Jackson gave up home runs to Adam Dunn, Jason LaRue and two to David Ross, accounting for all of the Reds' runs, but Jackson isn't one to shy away.

"That's what I want to do: be aggressive," said Jackson. "I pitch for contact. I'm facing the best hitters in the world.

"You just have to bear down and throw the next pitch and execute. One thing I've learned is to avoid the big inning," he added.

In 14Z\c innings with Milwaukee, Jackson has surrendered 19 hits, but has struck out 10 and walked only one batter.

"I want to make sure (the batter) earns it, not necessarily just throwing down the middle," said Jackson. "You want to make quality pitches and challenge them."

After earning his first win, you would think there's a sense of relief, but Jackson doesn't see it that way.

"I consider it more of a motivational factor," said Jackson. "Personally, I want to win. I'm a competitor."

The Brewers are using a youth movement to get back to playing winning baseball.

After last year's 81-81 season, their first non-losing year since 1992, the Brewers are 31-34 through Monday, but are a team on the rise with talented players such as Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks and Brady Clark and pitchers Ben Sheets (injured) and Chris Capuano.

In his first week with the team, Jackson already loves the atmosphere and knows he'll be given a chance to show what he can do.

"I enjoy it. We're a team and that's the first thing," said Jackson. "If I don't get the 'W' next to my name, that's OK as long as we come out on top.

"I don't know what they have planned for me, but it's a results-oriented game. I'll just go out there and control the only thing I can and that's between the white lines."