The closer climbed the stairs back to the diamond, back for a second inning against the Astros, back to face an opponent who had vanquished him twice in five games. On the brink of elimination, in the sixth game of the World Series, Kenley Jansen refused to relinquish the baseball. And he refused to wilt against Houston, slamming shut the door in a 3-1 victory before 54,128 fans at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
The stands will teem with humanity once more on Wednesday, when Game 7 arrives at this ballpark for the first time since the doors were opening in 1962.