Baserunners getting best of Cards this season

ST. LOUIS — The fact that the Cardinals rank 29th with 32 stolen bases this year is of little surprise given their personnel. What has been much more unexpected, however, is how often teams have been running against them.

With the Brewers’ three stolen bases in a 12-5 win on Thursday, the Cardinals have now allowed 69 on the season. It’s a figure that sits slightly below league average, but one much higher than their norm.

Since catcher Yadier Molina debuted in 2004, the Cardinals have never allowed more than 64 in a season. Fifty-one of this year’s 69 steals have come with Molina behind the plate. That total, as well as opponents’ 79.7-percent success rate off him, are career highs for the veteran backstop. Over his career, Molina averaged one stolen base allowed every four games. This year, it’s every 2.5.

However, the Cardinals’ troubles controlling the running game hardly rest on Molina’s shoulders. According to data compiled by Statcast™, Molina’s pop time — defined as the time elapsed from the moment the pitch hits the catcher’s mitt to the moment the intended fielder receives the throw — is the same as it was last year (1.92 …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com