{"id":48509,"date":"2017-10-24T07:30:55","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T07:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=48509"},"modified":"2017-10-24T07:30:55","modified_gmt":"2017-10-24T07:30:55","slug":"dodgers-closer-kenley-jansen-best-late-inning-playoff-weapon-since-mariano-rivera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/dodgers-closer-kenley-jansen-best-late-inning-playoff-weapon-since-mariano-rivera.html","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen: The best late-inning playoff weapon since Mariano Rivera"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen: The best late-inning playoff weapon since Mariano Rivera<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen: The best late-inning playoff weapon since Mariano Rivera:-A sense of finality used to permeate at the ballpark whenever Mariano Rivera trotted in from the bullpen, a feeling heightened at Yankee Stadium when his entrance song, the hard rock classic \u201cEnter Sandman,\u2019\u2019 blared through the loudspeakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Opponents essentially knew the game was over, with the main question being how many bats Rivera would break with his signature cutter.<\/span><\/p>\n

A similar phenomenon has materialized on the other side of the country, where the Los Angeles Dodgers\u2019 Kenley Jansen has been toiling with Rivera-like efficiency that\u2019s even more evident this postseason, when he has allowed two hits and no earned runs in eight innings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Replace \u201cEnter Sandman\u2019\u2019 with \u201cCalifornia Love,\u2019\u2019 Jansen\u2019s warm-up tune, and the sense of doom for opposing hitters is about the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

Armed with a power cutter and an improved slider, Jansen has become such an imposing figure that once-sacrilegious comparisons to Rivera \u2013 the all-time saves leader who will be elected to the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible after next season \u2013 are now considered legitimate.<\/span><\/p>\n

So says none other than Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees\u2019 longtime general manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a pretty special pitcher in his own right. So no, I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s sacrilegious,\u2019\u2019 Cashman said. \u201cI think Kenley Jansen is starting to earn that right to have his name come up in those types of conversations. He\u2019s that special.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

And he\u2019ll present a major obstacle for the Houston Astros in their pursuit of the first championship in franchise history as they meet the Dodgers in the World Series beginning Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jansen, 30, led all major league relievers in ERA (1.32) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.57) while tying for the NL lead with 41 saves, blowing just one chance. He held right-handed batters to a .120 batting average, and it just so happens most of Houston\u2019s top hitters \u2013 Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Yuli Gurriel and Alex Bregman \u2013 swing from that side.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jansen has been recognized as one of the game\u2019s premier closers for some time now, with back-to-back All-Star Game nods and a five-year, $80 million contract signed last offseason that reflects his immense value to the Dodgers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since becoming a full-time closer in 2012, the native of Curacao has averaged 37 saves and a 2.07 ERA while striking out 13.7 batters per nine innings. Over the years he has refined his command, to the point he struck out 109 batters while walking just seven in 68 1\/3 innings this season.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows his ball cuts, but he\u2019s so big and has sort of a long reach; you feel like the ball\u2019s on top of you,\u2019\u2019 said veteran slugger Matt Holliday, who is 2-for-9 in his career against Jansen. \u201cAnd he pitches up in the zone so effectively. While a lot of them are balls, it\u2019s really difficult to lay off because it\u2019s right there at the top of the strike zone, maybe a little bit higher. For a guy who\u2019s got as much movement and velocity in that cutter, he\u2019s got really good command of it.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

And now Jansen is more than a one-pitch closer, as the slider and two-seam fastball have become a bit more prominent in his arsenal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy go-to pitch is still the cutter. I\u2019m going to die with it out there,\u2019\u2019 Jansen said of the pitch he now throws about 85% of the time. \u201cBut I\u2019m also going to be smart, and to win I\u2019m going to use my secondary pitches.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are not just sitting on one pitch. I keep them on their toes now. It\u2019s already hard for them to fight that cutter, and now I\u2019m going to mess with their timing. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve been doing, slow them down or change the eye levels.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Like Rivera, Jansen has demonstrated a willingness to go beyond the ninth-inning duties that have become the closer\u2019s typical domain. When Dave Roberts became the Dodgers\u2019 manager before the 2016 season, he asked Jansen to expand his range, and he responded with five saves of more than three outs. This year that figure grew to 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most memorably, Jansen threw 51 pitches in an epic 2 1\/3-inning outing that helped secure the Dodgers\u2019 Game 5 victory in their 2016 division series against the Washington Nationals. In this postseason, he has three saves in three chances \u2013 two of more than one inning \u2013 and a win.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 24 career postseason games, he has 11 saves, a 1.91 ERA and strikes out a staggering 15 batters per nine innings. The save total is barely one-fourth of the way to Rivera’s playoff record 42.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Jansen strikes out more than twice as many playoff batters as Rivera’s seven per nine innings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roberts said such a weapon forces opponents\u2019 hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour mind-set\u2019s different when you know you have a guy like that at the back end of the bullpen,\u2019\u2019 Roberts said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know when the manager\u2019s going to use him, so sometimes you have to be a little bit more aggressive than you might like to be, especially in a postseason setting, where we have Kenley potentially for six outs.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Roberts had another request for Jansen after taking over, urging him to become more of a leader, especially among the relievers. Jansen speaks four languages, including Spanish, and has a strong relationship with several of the Latin players. Roberts wanted to use that bond to help unite a clubhouse that had been fractious in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Dodgers fell two wins short of the World Series last year and Jansen and fellow veterans like Justin Turner, Rich Hill and Chase Utley re-signed with the club, Jansen emphasized the need to strive for a common goal, even if it came at the expense of individual accomplishments.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dodgers not only posted the majors\u2019 best record at 104-58, but finally reached the World Series after a 28-year absence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a big voice in the clubhouse,\u2019\u2019 reliever Brandon Morrow said of Jansen. \u201cHe spoke up when we had that lull in August and September. He was one of the guys trying to fire us up.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t necessarily come naturally. The laid-back Jansen is the youngest of three brothers and more comfortable following guidance than providing it. But he eventually accepted Roberts\u2019 challenge and began to exert his influence.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Dodgers demoted an underperforming and misbehaving Yasiel Puig to the minors in August 2016, Jansen texted him every day to encourage him to keep a positive attitude. This season Jansen has been one of Puig\u2019s main supporters as the outfielder turned around his career, hitting a personal-best 28 home runs and playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a while, to be honest,\u2019\u2019 Jansen said of embracing the leadership role. \u201cLast year I was getting there, but this year I was more comfortable. I know I\u2019m going to be here for a while. He (Roberts) is helping me become a leader in the bullpen and all that stuff. I want to make sure we have the best bullpen in the league.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

They did, leading the National League in ERA and throwing 17 shutout innings in the NLCS. Guess who has led the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mlb\/2017\/10\/24\/kenley-jansen-world-series-best-closer-mariano-rivera\/792633001\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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