After a rough start to the 2018 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers took over sole possession of first place in the National League West for the first time when they defeated the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.
Part of the reason the Dodgers struggled so much at the beginning of the season was due to a rash of injuries. Another facto was players not performing as well as they are capable of, and one of those was All-Star closer Kenley Jansen.
Jansen blew two of his first four saves to begin the season while also giving up a game-winning home run in a tie game. Since that second blown save, Jansen has completed 24 of 25 save attempts while posting a 1.19 ERA in 37.2 innings.
He recorded his league-leading 26th save of the season in Thursday night’s victory over San Diego, and after the game, said he is using the team being in first place as motivation for the rest of the season, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“It’s still going to be a tough race,” said Jansen. “Three more games until the All-Star break, then it’s the playoff push. It’s time to go. It’s a great feeling. I’m using first place as my motivation every time I go out there. Everybody was saying how terrible the Dodgers’ team is this year. Just use that as motivation, and the whole team did it, and it’s awesome to be in first place.”
Overall in 42 games on the season, Jansen has posted a 2.23 ERA, 3.04 FIP and 0.95 WHIP while striking out 46 hitters and walking only 12 in 44.1 innings.
He was recently named to his third consecutive NL All-Star Team, an honor that he called the most special to him considering the rough start he got off to this season.
With Jansen closing out games at the backend of their bullpen, the Dodgers will look to take control of the NL West in the second half of the season and win their sixth straight division title.
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