Jansen 'on a mission' in 8th 20-save season

LOS ANGELES -- After Justin Turner’s 100th career home run and Matt Beaty’s first, after Rich Hill flipped from a shaky beginning to seven winning innings and a tie-breaking single, and after Pedro Baez set it up, closer Kenley Jansen locked down the Dodgers’ 5-3 comeback win over the Cubs on Friday night by striking out the side in the ninth.

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Jansen reached the 20-save mark for the eighth consecutive season, and with 288 in his career, he’s tied for 31st on the all-time list with Jose Valverde. He’s on the verge of a fourth All-Star appearance, motivated by the burning desire for a third World Series appearance and a first title.

After last year’s hamstring injury and heart scare, Jansen opened this season healthy but inconsistent. Manager Dave Roberts said a key moment was May 5 in San Diego when Hunter Renfroe beat Jansen with a walk-off grand slam.

“He took that one personal,” said Roberts.

Jansen said that made him mad. What made him Jansen again was a mechanical flaw he discovered on a day off in Tampa last month.

“That day off in Tampa, on my computer and watching that game when I gave it up in the late innings, I figured out some things I was doing with my left hand and it’s been a great ride,” said Jansen, who has limited opponents to two hits in 24 at-bats since that session.

As for the effect of Renfroe’s homer, Jansen said that was simple.

“Just anger,” he said. “It’s not fun giving up a grand slam at the end. I thought I had it. Good for Hunter Renfroe, tip my cap to him. Definitely makes me angry and put me on a mission. We know what we have to accomplish here. Nothing but win a championship. Just let the anger be a motivation.”

Opponents are swinging through Jansen’s cutters again, and he’s mixing in the occasional slider and two-seamer to keep them honest. Since the Renfroe homer, Jansen has 16 strikeouts and one walk in 10 1/3 innings.

“Kenley is throwing the ball as good as we’ve seen him,” said Roberts. “No one now is talking about the velocity because the swing-and-miss is there, the characteristics are there and he’s putting up zeroes. He’s got some toys, and the main thing is he’s healthy and he’s cleaned up his delivery. He’s in a good place.”

Experience is a virtue

After allowing two runs on six hits (including homers by Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant) through the first 2 2/3 innings, Hill (4-1) flipped the switch and retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced, finishing with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

“I didn’t change anything,” said Hill. “The curveball definitely got better as the game went on. Used it as a major weapon.”

Said Rizzo: "That curveball just kind of comes and then hits the brakes and just takes a turn on you. ... It's just something you don't see. It's a really good curveball and he shapes it differently and does a really good job with it. You're ready for it. You're ready for the fastball, you see the curveball and you think you're right on it and it just runs away from you. It's tough, man."

Naturally, Hill was proud of the fourth-inning single that cashed in Beaty’s double and provided a lead the Dodgers protected. It was the 13th RBI of his career.

“I’ll take any hits I can get,” said Hill, who has two this year. “Stuck the bat out there and fortunately got a hit and a run out of that. More of a two-strike approach, choked up. He threw me a changeup, was out in front and went the other way.”

He was asked if it was his first game-winning RBI.

“I don’t know,” said the 39-year-old. “We’ll have to go back to the 20s or 30s.”

Youth is a virtue, too

Beaty slugged a two-run homer in the second inning to tie the game, then doubled and scored on Hill’s single for the lead.

“It’s awesome,” Beaty said of getting back the home run ball he hit off Kyle Hendricks. “I’ll probably send it to my dad. I knew I got it good, the launch angle was right. Running around the bases on a home run, it’s everything you dream about playing in the big leagues.”

Although it was the rookie’s first homer, in 46 at-bats he has nine RBIs and is batting .304. In the ninth inning, he committed a two-base error that brought up the tying run.

“Just didn’t get the glove on it,” Beaty said. “I think the emotions of the ninth inning got to me a little bit.”