DODGERS’ JANSEN HITS 95 ON GUN IN GAME 3

Here’s one World Series number, courtesy of closer Kenley Jansen, that could mean as much as any: 95.2.

After slumping for weeks with slipping velocity and toothless bite on his signature cutter, the big man at the back of L.A.’S bullpen delivered his hardest fastball in over a month while closing out a 6-2 Game 3 victory on Friday night.

The 95.2 mph fastball that struck out All-star Austin Meadows in the ninth was Jansen’s hardest since Sept. 2. Despite allowing a homer to Randy Arozarena, the right-hander looked as if he has overcome the struggles that briefly cost him the closer’s job he’s held for years.

Thirty-eight of 59 previous teams that won Game 3 for a 2-1 Series lead wound up lifting the championship trophy. Holding that advantage will be much easier if the Dodgers’ longtime closer has his best stuff.

Jansen has been a bullpen fixture for L.A. during its run of eight straight NL West titles, but the 33year-old’s stuff began to back up in 2018, the same season he was sidelined by an irregular heartbeat that prompted corrective heart surgery that November. The right-hander has been good — if not quite great — the past two years.

He became wholly unreliable early in this postseason. His velocity sagged in late September, and he topped out at just 91.3 mph in his first playoff outing, a wild-card game against Milwaukee on Sept. 30 in which he escaped with a save despite poor stuff and command.

A week later, he allowed two runs and nearly blew a three-run lead against San Diego in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. He was removed from the game — and from the closer’s job entirely.

Jansen didn’t pitch at all in L.A.’S next three games, taking a week off in which he and the coaching staff studied his mechanics and tried to get him on track.

He re-emerged with a scoreless, 10-pitch outing during a blowout win against Atlanta in the NLCS — albeit, without cracking 92 mph. Two nights later in Game 5, he struck out the side in the ninth inning, reaching 94.5 mph. He earned the save in Game 6, going 1-2-3 in the ninth with similar velocity.

Padres staff cuts

Three members of the Padres’ major league staff were among the 25 staff cuts made by the club Thursday, according to a team source not authorized to speak publicly. The three: bullpen catcher Griffin Benedict,

strength and conditioning coach Scott Cline and assistant athletic trainer Kevin Pillifant.

Among the reductions to the minor league coaching staffs were outfield/baserunning coordinator Tony Tarasco, Triple-a fielding coach Lance Burkhardt,

high Single-a pitching coach Doug Bochtler, low Single-a pitching coach

Burt Hooton, short-season pitching coach Gorman Heimueller, short-season hitting coach Raul Gonzalez, rookie-level manager

Aaron Levin and rookie-level pitching coach John Halama.

Three scouts (Latin American supervisor Felix Feliz, Ysrael Rojas and

Dominic Scavone) also were not renewed.

The cuts also included several others on the minor league training staffs and lower-level coaching staffs.

Notable

Astros pitcher Josh James underwent hip surgery and will need six to eight months to recover.