Kenley Jansen was an All-Star Game snub after an impressive first half of the season but his two appearances since then have both resulted in a blown save.
In both instances it came with the Los Angeles Dodgers being in position to move into a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West. Jansen’s second consecutive blown save earned him boos as he walked off the field at Dodger Stadium.
“Obviously it’s not a good one today,” he said after the Dodgers’ 4-2 loss. “You’ve just got to shake it off. Let it go and get back on that horse. That’s pretty much it.”
Jansen’s appearance began with a pinch-hit leadoff single by Buster Posey, followed by Wilmer Flores hitting an elevated cutter for a go-ahead home run. Jansen’s movement on that particular pitch and overall didn’t appear to be his sharpest, but he wasn’t ready to fully dissect matters.
“I’ve got to check and see what it was,” he said. “Like I said, it’s just a bad one. I don’t want to overthink it. I work my butt off too hard to let one moment like this try to mess your season up. Ain’t no time to think about it.
“These guys are going to play us tough like this the rest of the year and we’ve just got to keep battling. I’ve got to be out there and do better. That’s pretty much it. Get those last three outs. Like I said, I’m not going to overthink it. Just shake this one off and get back on the horse.”
With the loss the Dodgers can’t overtake the Giants or earn a share of first place in the NL West when the series concludes Thursday. The teams will next meet at Oracle Park for a three-game set from July 27-29.
“Every game counts. All 162 games count,” Jansen said. “To me, every game that we play, if I’ve got a chance to help our team win, I’m going to have that mindset to close it out. If it’s April, June, September, October, it doesn’t matter. Try to get those 27 outs. They beat us. We’ve got to shake it off and get them tomorrow.”
Jansen not focused on boos
In the past Jansen has vowed to win over the fans who were booing him, but he took a more general view after the harsh treatment Wednesday night.
“Like I said, I didn’t get my job done. I’m going to focus on getting back,” he said. “I work my butt off and at the end of the day I’m just going to come out here and compete and help the Dodgers win ballgames. That’s all. Today wasn’t a great day. We’ll move on from that.”
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