Kenley Jansen had faced Buster Posey 25 times over the last decade or so before Monday night, the Dodgers’ closer giving up eight hits — none for extra bases — for a .320 batting average, striking him out six times and walking him three times.
But Jansen had a new wrinkle for Posey in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-2 victory over the Giants on Monday night, the cut-fastball specialist throwing the three-time World Series champion and 2012 National League most valuable player three straight sliders.
Posey took the first two pitches, both of them 83 mph, for strikes and waved through the third one, an 86-mph breaking ball, for the second out of the inning.