CHICAGO (DA) — Curaçao’s Kenley Jansen earned his 497th career save Friday night, closing out the Detroit Tigers’ 11-8 victory over the Chicago White Sox with a perfect ninth inning.
Jansen struck out 1 and needed 10 pitches to secure his 21st save of the season, moving closer to the 500-save milestone. He ranks third on baseball’s career saves list, behind Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601).
The right-hander has recorded at least 20 saves in 14 seasons, the third-most in major league history. Rivera accomplished that in 16 seasons and Hoffman in 15.
Jansen has not allowed a hit or run across his last 5 appearances, striking out 5 and walking 2 over 4⅓ innings. He earned saves in 4 of those outings.
In his first season with Detroit, Jansen has converted 21 of 27 save opportunities and posted a 3.35 ERA in 48 appearances. He signed a one-year contract with the Tigers in December.