Angels are losing ground, Dodgers win, 6-4

If a 6-4 victory over the Angels on Tuesday offered reasons why the Dodgers should include Corey Seager in their postseason roster, it also showed why they might to consider otherwise.

In only his fifth career major league start, Seager was two for three with a double and a walk at Angel Stadium. He drove in a run and scored another.

The 21-year-old also made two seventh-inning errors at shortstop that resulted in a run and inflated Clayton Kershaw’s pitch count.

Performances like Seager’s can win games in October. They can also lose them.

So with the Dodgers 81/2 games ahead of the second-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West and presumably on their way to claiming their third consecutive division title, they will have to evaluate the pros and cons of thrusting their baby-faced prospect onto the sport’s brightest stage.

With his team still not guaranteed a place in the postseason, Manager Don Mattingly refused to discuss the possibilities.

“Nothing to talk about playoff-wise,” Mattingly said.

Seager certainly has looked capable for the most part, batting .381 and making plays on most of the balls hit to him, whether at shortstop or third base.

“Corey’s been awesome,” Kershaw said. “Obviously not overwhelmed by the situation that he’s been put in. Swinging the bat great, lefties, righties, everything.”

Seager made his two most recent starts at shortstop in place of 36-year-old Jimmy Rollins, who is batting .220 and remained sidelined with a bruised right knuckle.

Uncharacteristically tall for a shortstop, the 6-foot-4 Seager allowed Erick Aybar to reach base when he failed to field a routine grounder in the seventh inning. He made another error later in the inning, this time on a grounder to his backhand side by Chris Iannetta. With the bases now loaded, Kershaw was called for a balk, resulting in a run that reduced the Dodgers’ lead to 6-2.

Kershaw had to strike out Kole Calhoun to end the inning and preserve the four-run edge.

Mattingly said he didn’t mind the mistakes, categorizing them as physical rather than mental.

Seager said he shared his manager’s view.

“You never want to make a mental mistake,” Seager said. “Physical ones are going to happen. It’s just baseball. Move on and make the next one.”

Kershaw (13-6), who limited the Angels to two runs (one earned) and four hits over seven innings, was finished for the night. Juan Nicasio pitched the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Pedro Baez started the ninth, but he gave up two doubles, which prompted closer Kenley Jansen to make his fourth appearance in five days.

For the Angels (69-69) , their defeat kept them 51/2 games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West and dropped them 41/2 behind the Texas Rangers for the second AL wild-card spot with only 24 games remaining.

“There’s obviously an urgency, there’s no tomorrow, there are not too many games left,” Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols said.

Shouldering the loss for the Angels was Andrew Heaney, who was charged with five runs and six hits in five-plus innings.

The Dodgers and Angels traded home runs in the first inning, with Justin Ruggiano homering off Heaney and Calhoun off Kershaw. Heaney uncorked a wild pitch in the third inning that allowed Alex Guerrero to score from third base and move the Dodgers in front, 2-1.

The Dodgers took a 6-2 lead with a four-run sixth inning that included a run-scoring, ground-rule double by Seager. The rookie also scored in that inning.

“He’s hit the ball, he’s used the whole field, he’s taken his walks, he’s been calm on defense,” Mattingly said.

A.J. Ellis was the Dodgers starting catcher for the third consecutive game, as Yasmani Grandal remained sidelined because of problems with his left shoulder.

Grandal underwent an MRI examination that revealed inflammation in the shoulder, which was struck by a foul ball early last month. Grandal said the test showed there was nothing wrong with his AC joint.

Grandal, who is hitless in his last 33 at-bats, said he expects to play in the upcoming three-game series at Arizona, which starts Friday.

Up next

Dodgers right-hander Mat Latos (4-9, 4.92 ERA) will face right-hander Garrett Richards (13-10, 3.77) and the Angels on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Angel Stadium. TV: ESPN, Fox Sports West, SportsNet LA; Radio: 570, 830, 1020, 1330.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez