Red Sox closer Jansen laments poor outing: 'I've got to be better'
Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen held himself accountable after giving up two ninth-inning runs in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
"To me, it's unacceptable ... I've got to be better in that situation," Jansen said according to MassLive's Christopher Smith.
After striking out Josh Lowe to begin the inning, Jansen walked Randy Arozarena on four pitches. Jonathan Aranda and Isaac Paredes then hit consecutive singles, followed by a Richie Palacios RBI sacrifice fly.
"I'm just frustrated I walked the hitter," Jansen said.
"I think at this point in my career, my life - no disrespect to any hitters - but I just have to come in and do my job also knowing that one day you're going to lose, one day you're going to win."
Jansen is one of baseball's most decorated closers and has posted a respectable 3.45 ERA in 2024. However, all six earned runs he's allowed have come at Fenway Park.
He took the loss after his club failed to score in the bottom of the ninth.
"We had the right guy on the mound. It happens," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "The walk put us in a bad spot."
Jansen and Co. will look for better results on the road; they begin a three-game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis on Friday night.
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