Kenley

Jansen

The Tigers entered the ninth inning with a comfortable 6-1 lead, but after the Rockies pushed a run across and had a couple of runners on base with two outs, Tigers’ skipper A.J. Hinch went to his closer to finish it out. The 38-year-old hurler got Connor Norby to strike out swinging to end the game. Jansen has now converted 19 of his first 25 save chances on the season while posting a 3.60 ERA.

Jansen got the call to protect a one-run lead in the final frame and immediately made things interesting by issuing a leadoff walk to Kody Clemens. He managed to wriggle out of the jam completely unscathed by coaxing a harmless fly ball from Ryan Jeffers before getting Josh Bell to hit into a game-ending double play. The 38-year-old veteran has converted 18 of 24 save opportunities this season to go along with a pedestrian 3.63 ERA across 39 2/3 innings of work.

Jansen came in to try and clean up Drew Sommers in the eighth inning and immediately let a three-run lead disappear after a bases loaded walk and two-run single. No runs were charged to him because he entered the game with the bases already loaded, but this was a poor showing from the legend.

Jansen’s save was his 17th of the year. He retired the side in order while recording a strikeout against the Rays Tuesday. It was career save No. 493 for Jansen, who’s third on the all-time saves list behind Hall-of-Famers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.

It’s the fifth time in his long career that Jansen has allowed two homers; it happened once in 2013, twice in 2018, once in 2022 and once last year, when the Tigers actually homered off him three times while he was pitching for the Angels. The blown save was Jansen’s fifth of the year but first since May 24. As much as this loss hurt, Jansen, who had a 1.35 ERA since the beginning of July, should remain the Tigers’ primary closer for now.

Jansen’s save was his 16th of the season. He retired the side in order while recording two strikeouts. It was career save No. 492 for Jansen, who has allowed only two runs in his last 14 appearances (1.37 ERA). He has a 3.74 ERA on the year.

It wasn’t exactly an inspiring performance -- he allowed two sharp lineouts -- but Jansen had a 1-2-3 inning against the heart of the Guardians order to secure a 3-0 lead. He has a 1.50 WHIP in his last 15 games with 11 walks in 14 2/3 innings, so this remains tenuous, but he’s the clear closer here.

It’s his 490th career save. Working with a three-run lead, Jansen gave up a leadoff single and then walked back-to-back batters with one out, loading the bases. However, he got out of the jam with a routine sac fly to right and a grounder to second. Jansen has converted all seven of his save chances since coming off the IL in June. Since the beginning of July, he’s allowed only two runs despite walking nine in 11 1/3 innings. Jansen threw 29 pitches tonight, so the Tigers might look to Tyler Holton or someone else to close Wednesday.

Jansen gave up his run on a bunt single from Jeff McNeil. It was the second hit he allowed in the outing, but he was able to whiff two and keep the A’s from scoring again. That’s the 13th save of the season for Jansen, and it’s very possible that this could be the last for Detroit with the deadline looming.

He got a pinch-hitting Jac Caglianone to fly out, then struck out Vinnie Pasquantino and induced a Nick Loftin pop-up to end it. Jansen’s season has been rough, but he’s thrown seven straight scoreless innings to lower his season ERA to 3.90 and his WHIP to 1.23.