If you weren’t paying close attention you might not have even noticed it. But AM570 LA Sports radio broadcasters Rick Monday and Kevin Kennedy certainly did – as did Houston Astros manager A. J. Hinch and rookie phenom shortstop Carlos Correa.

With the Dodgers leading 2-1 after yet another stellar pitching performance by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was called upon in the bottom of the ninth inning to seal the deal. Unfortunately for Jansen, Correa led off the inning with a sharp single to right field. Correa, who was 10 for 13 in stolen base attempts coming into the game and always a threat to steal, drew four pickoff throws from Jansen, none of which was even remotely close.

But what Monday and Kennedy (and Hinch and Correa) noticed was that only once did Jansen throw over from the set position, which was a rather casual “I haven’t forgotten about you” kind of throw. The other three were made before Jansen came set in the hopes of catching the speedster napping and, again, none of them were even close.

Jansen’s pickoff move to first base from the non-set position is basically useless and very easy to detect.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

Armed with this little nugget of information, Correa attempted to steal on a 2-2 pitch to Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena and would have made it without a throw from Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis had Valbuena not fouled the pitch off. After yet another non-set throw over to first, Valbuena struck out swinging. But on the very first pitch to Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis, Correa stole second base in spite of a futile throw by Ellis. In fact, Correa was nearly halfway there before the ball left Jansen’s hand.

Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis never had a chance to throw out Correa at second base because of Jansen’s inability to hold him at first. Correa would eventually come around to score the game-tying run to send the game into extra innings and an eventual 3-2 Astros win. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA).

It’s no secret that Jansen is slow to the plate in his delivery. In fact, according to Kennedy, Jansen occasionally hits the 1.4-second mark, which Kennedy claims is easy to steal off of. And with two outs and Correa now in scoring position, he scored easily on Astros first baseman Marwin Gonzalez’s line single to right, thereby blowing the save, costing Kershaw a well-deserved win and tying the score 2-2. The Astros would go on to win the 3-2 game in the bottom of the 10th inning on a one-out walk-off solo home run by Astros right fielder Jake Marisnick off of Dodgers right-hander Chris Hatcher.

Although we will never know if Jansen would have preserved the win for Kershaw had he been able to keep Correa at first base, you can bet your bottom dollar that the scouting report on Kenley Jansen and his ineffective non-set pickoff throw to first base will spread like wildfire throughout the MLB.

…unless, of course, Kenley doesn’t allow anyone to get on base, which is always a distinct possibility.