Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen extended his scoreless streak to 12 appearances Wednesday night. He did it against his ultimate nemesis: the Chicago Cubs, with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game.
The moment was cathartic. Jansen, 37, struck out Chicago’s Ian Happ on a full-count backdoor sweeper. The pitch froze Happ. The crowd at Comerica Park erupted.
Jansen’s scoreless streak now spans 11.2 innings. He has allowed just four hits and struck out 15 batters during this stretch.
The Cubs have haunted Jansen since his prime with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the 2016 NLCS, Chicago’s patient approach exposed his cutter dependency. The 2017 postseason meltdowns followed. He blew a save in Game 2 of the World Series against Houston, but the Cubs’ left-handed lineup had already carved a psychological scar.
Wednesday’s scenario triggered those old fears. Two outs. Bases loaded. Tie game. Cubs batting.
“I’ve been in this situation before,” Jansen told reporters postgame. “I know what I need to do now.”
His mechanics have evolved. Data from MLB.com shows Jansen is using his sinker and sweeper 38% of the time this season, up from 22% in 2024. His cutter usage has dropped to 62%. The result: a career-best 37.5% whiff rate and an exit velocity against of 85.2 mph.
The pitch-by-pitch drama unfolded quickly. First pitch: cutter at the knees, called strike. Second pitch: sinker low and away, ball. Third pitch: sweeper that missed inside. Fourth pitch: cutter that Happ fouled off. Fifth pitch: sweeper that started at the hip and bent back over the plate. Happ watched it cross.
Jansen then made a heartfelt post on social media during the Cubs series. “Detroit, you’ve embraced me,” he wrote. “This city is special.” The post, reported by Heavy.com, resonated with Tigers teammates and the Detroit community.
Manager A.J. Hinch said the moment was “huge for Kenley, huge for this clubhouse.”
The numbers now tell a clear story. Jansen’s pre-2025 Cubs splits: 4.91 ERA in 18.1 innings, .268 batting average against. His 2025 Cubs splits: 0.00 ERA in 3.1 innings, .091 batting average against.
This base-loaded, ninth-inning triumph was a symbolic breakthrough. It broke a decade-long curse.
Can Jansen sustain this momentum? MLB analysts remain cautious. His cutter velocity is down 1.3 mph from 2023. But his new pitch mix and emotional resilience suggest a late-career renaissance is possible.
For now, Jansen has rewritten his narrative. The nemesis is gone. The legend is growing in Detroit.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: How did Kenley Jansen break his curse against the Chicago Cubs?
- A: Jansen struck out Ian Happ on a full-count backdoor sweeper with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game, extending his scoreless streak to 12 appearances and exorcising demons from the 2016 NLCS and 2017 postseason.
- Q: What pitch adjustments has Kenley Jansen made this season?
- A: Jansen has increased his sinker and sweeper usage to 38% (up from 22% in 2024) while reducing cutter usage to 62%, resulting in a career-best 37.5% whiff rate and an 85.2 mph exit velocity against.
Extended Reading
Data sourced from CBS Sports, MLB.com, and Heavy.com. The Tigers’ playoff push will test Jansen’s newfound dominance against the league’s best lineups.