Kenley Jansen moves into third place on all-time MLB saves list

As he's done so many times before, Kenley Jansen preserved a one-run lead in the ninth Tuesday night to nail down a save.

With the potential tying run at second base, the Detroit Tigers closer induced an easy fly ball to center field to complete a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on April 14 for save No. 479 of his career, moving him into third place on the all-time list.

Only Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman have recorded more.

"It's awesome,"Jansen told reporters afterward. "It tells me that no matter the adversity you go through in life, in your baseball career, at some point, you think you're done, but you always have that fight in you. You just have to keep believing in yourself, even if you don't that day."

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The milestone was so important to Jansen that he addressed the team during its postgame celebration.

"The speech he gave to the team after, it was really cool to listen," said rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who scored the go-ahead run in the eighth that gave Jansen the opportunity. "He talked about his career, and how it was a grind. It’s easy to quit, but never give up. Guys like that, you’ve got to listen, anytime they talk."

MLB all-time saves leaders

1. Mariano Rivera 652

2. Trevor Hoffman 601

3. Kenley Jansen 479*

4. Lee Smith 478

5. Craig Kimbrel 440*

6. Francisco Rodriguez 437

7. John Franco 424

8. Billy Wagner 422

9. Dennis Eckersley 390

10. Joe Nathan 377

This story was updated to change a video.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kenley Jansen records 479th career save, now third on all-time list