In the face of adversity, having previously dropped 10 of their last 14 contests, the Los Angeles Dodgers swiftly answered back with a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres over the weekend at Dodger Stadium.
It was an impressive series at that, as Los Angeles outscored their divisional opponent, 23-8, and seemingly put an end to their recent offensive struggles. Not all was smooth sailing, however, as Kenley Jansen still showed signs of rust in his lone appearance during the series.
He appeared in Saturday’s contest and squandered a win for Clayton Kershaw, allowing a game-tying home run to Austin Hedges in the ninth. Jansen shrugged off the performance and said a competitive National League West race is serving as additional motivation, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“When the ball is running so much, honestly, like, I’ve got to figure out to maybe stay back or drive a little bit more. Maybe cut myself short since the ball is cutting more. It’s a matter of being consistent. The good thing is we’re 2.5 games back. That’s the motivation that I have. I’ll be ready.”
Since returning from the 10-day disabled list, Jansen has allowed a combined seven hits and five runs in three innings of work (three appearances). Over that span, he’s yielded four home runs while being tabbed with two losses and one blown save.
Jansen has particularly struggled when throwing his cutter as of late, to which he expressed frustration following a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 30-year-old was given a day off in Sunday’s finale against the Padres, to which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts felt was necessary after Jansen’s recent usage and results on the mound. Jansen is again available to close, beginning with Tuesday’s opener against the Texas Rangers.
