Dodgers Dugout: The fans want Corey Seager to start over Jimmy Rollins

Hi, welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, looking forward to finally seeing a Freeway World Series. There is a freeway between here and Kansas City, right?

Seager vs. Rollins

In Monday’s Dodgers Dugout, I asked you to vote in a poll on who you would start at shortstop for the Dodgers when Jimmy Rollins is ready to return, Rollins or Corey Seager. The result was pretty clear, as 79% of you voted for Seager, with only 21% voting for Rollins. Times Dodgers blogger Steve Dilbeck would go with Rollins, saying the Dodgers need experience and better defense at short in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke has a better solution: Why not play both?

Magic number update

The Dodgers won two of three from the Colorado Rockies and still lead the NL West by 7½ games over the Giants. Their magic number to win the West is now 10 as they start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at Dodger Stadium in what could be an NL Championship Series preview. Despite the fact they will probably be a wild-card team, the Pirates have a better record than the Dodgers (87-59 vs. 84-61)  and are 3-0 against L.A. this season.

What the devil?

Easy question: Who got the loss in the one game the Dodgers lost to the Rockies? Mat Latos, of course. He gave up a solo homer to Nolan Arenado in the 16th inning of Tuesday’s 5-4 defeat. That raised Latos’ ERA with L.A. to 6.66, which seems appropriate somehow. The Dodgers performed an exorcism of sorts on Thursday, designating Latos for assignment. Now the wait for the Hall of Fame announcement and for the Dodgers to retire his number begins.

Bullpen update

As longtime Dodgers Dugout readers are aware, I have been critical of the bullpen all season. Though they have pitched better lately, I will still be holding my breath throughout the playoffs whenever that bullpen gate opens. But the big question the Dodgers will be facing come playoff time is exactly which members of the bullpen will they take? Here are the candidates (including Carlos Frias, who just came off the disabled list Thursday), with their numbers after the All-Star break and in September:

Joel Peralta, 0-0, 6.55 ERA after All-Star break; 0-0, 0.00 ERA in September

Yimi Garcia, 0-1, 0.61; 0-0, 0.00

Chris Hatcher, 1-1, 1.26; 0-0, 1.50

Ian Thomas, 1-0, 2.16; 0-0, 2.70

J.P. Howell, 2-0, 3.52; 1-0, 2.70

Kenley Jansen, 0-0, 3.24, 16 saves; 0-0, 3.38, five saves

Jim Johnson, 0-3, 10.20; 0-1, 4.15

Luis Avilan, 0-1, 5.68; 0-1, 7.71

Juan Nicasio, 0-1, 3.57; 0-0, 8.31

Pedro Baez, 2-1, 4.37; 0-0, 8.44

Carlos Frias, hasn't pitched since June

Assuming they go with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood as their starters, and assuming they have no plans to put Mike Bolsinger in the bullpen, which of the above seven pitchers would you take? I would take Jansen, Howell, Garcia, Peralta, Nicasio, Baez and, yes, Hatcher. Frias is the wild card, depending on how he pitches the rest of the season.

Bad trade

Seager hit his first major league home run on Saturday at Arizona, and it turns out the fan who caught the ball was more than willing to give it to Seager in exchange for something. A signed bat or ball by Seager? Perhaps something from Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona’s best player? No, he traded it for a signed ball by David Peralta. That’s it? Really? I hope I can find this guy on EBay, because I bet I can talk him into giving me a great deal.

Trivia time

How well do you know your Dodgers history? Well enough to name their top 21 career home run leaders since moving to Los Angeles? Go take our quiz here, and see if you can name all 21 in 10 minutes.

Ask Ross Porter

Former Dodgers announcer Ross Porter will be answering select reader questions for the rest of the season. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on to him. His latest response:

Evan Sirkin asks: Ross, is the first playoff series a best of five or seven?
 
Ross: It is a best of five, Evan. The two divisional winners with the best records have home-field advantage, which means the Cardinals and either the Dodgers or Mets will host Games 1, 2, and 5 in the divisional series. Entering play tonight, the Dodgers have a game and a half edge on the Mets, and two games in the loss column.
 
The Dodgers have 10 of their last 17 at home while the Mets play nine of their remaining 16 in New York. They don't play each other.

In head-to-head  meetings this season, the Mets have won four of seven against the Dodgers.

At Dodger Stadium:
Mets 2, Dodgers 1
Dodgers 4, Mets 3
Mets 8, Dodgers 0

In New York:
Dodgers 3, Mets 0
Dodgers 7, Mets 2
Mets 15, Dodgers 2
Mets 3, Dodgers 2
 
Do you pitch Greinke and Kershaw in Games 1 and 2 whether at home or on the road, or do you start one in Game 1 and the other in Game 3? If there is a Game 5, the pitcher in Game 1 will get the start with five days' rest.

And finally

Two things for you to look at. First, the Dodgers dismissed 10 coaches from the minor leagues this week, including former Dodgers Franklin Stubbs and Rick Rhoden. Go read about it at truebluela.com here. Second, Bill Plaschke takes a video look at whether the Dodgers should play Yasiel Puig when and if he returns from his hamstring injury. Watch the video here.

Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston.