The Boston Red Sox were clinging to a three-run lead Sunday afternoon, needing a win to avoid a sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres.
Thanks to Kenley Jansen's continued dominance on the mound, they were able to clinch the 4-1 victory.
Jansen faced three batters in the top of the ninth and retired them all. He recorded one strikeout and forced two fly outs.
In doing so, Jansen notched a save – his 16th of the season and the 436th of his career.
Jansen is now tied for the fifth-most saves all-time with Craig Kimbrel, who is the only other active pitcher inside the top 10. Aroldis Chapman is the next closest active player on the list, ranking No. 20 with 324 career saves.
Because Jansen and Kimbrel are both active, the pair could wind up jockeying back and forth on the leaderboards until one of them retires. Still, they are both likely to solidify top-five spots in the near future, considering Francisco Rodriguez ranks No. 4 with 437.
Jansen has been on fire as of late, converting all 12 save opportunities he has gotten since April 20. On the whole this year, the 36-year-old right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA, 1.024 WHIP, 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, a .184 batting average against and a 1.2 WAR.
The Red Sox are 22-6 when Jansen takes the mound this season, including a 9-0 record since June 9. Over his last 12 appearances, Jansen has allowed just seven hits, one walk and one run.
Still, trade rumors have been swirling around Jansen since the offseason, when the Red Sox were favored to finish in last place. Jansen is on the final year of the two-year, $32 million contract he inked with Boston prior to last season.
Even with the Red Sox exceeding expectations at 44-39 midway through 2024, the buzz of a Jansen trade hasn't died out.
Jansen is making a push to go to his fifth All-Star Game, already doing so three times with the Los Angeles Dodgers and once with the Red Sox last year. He was a staple in the Dodgers bullpen from 2010 to 2021 before leading the NL in saves with the Atlanta Braves in 2022, then heading to Boston in 2023.
