WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nationals Park was rumbling when Grant Dayton handed the ball to Kenley Jansen in the seventh inning Thursday night. Chris Heisey had just hit a two-run home run to narrow the Dodgers’ lead to 4-3, and Clint Robinson was on first base with a single.
In came Jansen, the Dodgers’ closer, to record as many of the final nine outs as he could — something he’d never attempted in his life.
And when Jansen ran out of pitches it was Clayton Kershaw, who pitched into the seventh inning of Game 4 a mere two days earlier, who ended up getting the final two outs.