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Jansen: 'I'm not going to throw' at Astros but Dodgers are true champs

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen believes defeating the Houston Astros on the field is a better form of revenge than throwing at their players.

The Dodgers - who will play Houston this season - lost to the Astros in seven games in the 2017 World Series. However, Major League Baseball concluded in January 2020 that Houston illegally stole signs during 2017 and parts of 2018.

"I feel like we are the true champions in 2017. It should be us, we got cheated," Jansen said Wednesday on "The Sedano Show." "But if we're going to play them this year, just beat them, man. I'm not going to throw at guys, or whatever. ... I don't wish anybody to do that, to throw at people. Just play them and try to be at my best."

The two clubs will face each other in the upcoming 60-game campaign due to geographical division play. The Dodgers will play 40 contests against the NL West and 20 games versus the AL West, which includes the Astros.

Houston received a lot of criticism during spring training in March, and a few major leaguers hinted that physical retaliation should be on the table. However, fighting is prohibited in 2020 with new player-safety protocols in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Astros kept their 2017 championship despite MLB's findings. Former manager AJ Hinch and ex-general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended and subsequently fired, while the team also lost its first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021, and received a $5-million fine.

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