Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen had a very light workload in the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
American League manager Dusty Baker told reporters before the game that the ninth inning was reserved for Jansen, but he deviated from that game plan with his team trailing late in the contest.
Baker brought in the hard-throwing righty with two outs in the top of the eighth and Jansen did his job, striking out Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on three pitches. Gurriel was the only batter Jansen faced as the National League went on to snap a nine-game losing streak at the Midsummer Classic with a 3-2 win.
The quick showing from Jansen replicated what the longtime pitcher did at his first All-Star Game in 2016. Jansen pitched one-third of an inning in that contest, needing just three pitches to strikeout Matt Wieters.
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Just getting a chance on the mound, even if it was to face one batter, was more than what Jansen got at his last All-Star Game in 2018 when he didn’t even make an appearance.
Jansen will shift gears now as he returns to the Red Sox, who entered the break on a five-game winning streak. Boston begins the second half of its season Friday with a three-game series on the road against the Chicago Cubs.
And it’s pretty much a certainty that Red Sox manager Alex Cora will have a much larger workload in store for Jansen as Boston looks to make a playoff push.
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Featured image via Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports Images
