It’s one of those things that pretty much remains under the radar and isn’t a problem … until it is.

It is a problem for the Dodgers. A serious problem. In fact, it is why their nine-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Monday night against one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball – the NL East last-place Miami Marlins. The Dodgers are having bases stolen against them at will.

As every fan of the game knows, the inability of pitchers to hold runners on first base immediately puts a runner in scoring position without even putting a ball in play, and they don’t call it ‘runner in scoring position’ for nothing.

On Monday night, the lowly Marlins, under the tutelage of former Dodgers manager and current Marlins manager Don Mattingly, stole four bases, all off of Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler and catcher Will Smith (two by Marlins center fielder Starling Marte). Of those four, three would come around to score in the eventual 5-4 Dodgers loss.

“I think it’s more of we just gotta be better at varying our times, quicking up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame, noticeably uncomfortable with the question. “I think Walker got really slow and didn’t really give Will a chance. I think two outs, a hit batsman to Starling Marte, started that (three-run third) inning off. And then there were just some seeing-eye ground balls that went through. Certainly, if we’re going to give ’em time, then those guys are going to be opportunistic.”

Those guys were opportunistic.

“It just wasn’t as crisp as I need to be, some pitches in places they could do things with it,” Buehler said of his first loss of the season in 17 starts. “You know, obviously let ’em kind of steal a few bases that put ’em in a position to score and that kind of thing. I’m not super happy about it.”

To his credit, Buehler did manage to pick off Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the fourth inning, so there’s that.

Through 85 games, Dodgers pitchers have allowed an MLB-worst 0.79 stolen bases per game. That said, Smith has thrown out a National League second-most 14 would-be base stealers and Austin Barnes seven (tied for 11th). And though nearly all stolen bases are off of the pitcher, not the catcher, Smith has allowed 42 stolen bases and Barnes 25.

So how do you fix this problem? To this, Roberts gave a rather evasive non-answer:

“I think it’s something we gotta be mindful of.”

Yes, Doc, you do … especially with advanced scouts from every team in Major League Baseball sitting in the stands taking notes.

Play Ball!

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