Rich Hill continues groove, pitches Los Angeles Dodgers to win vs. Atlanta Braves

LOS ANGELES -- Rich Hill has his groove back after making an adjustment with his windup last month.

Hill was struggling with an early season blister and then his mechanics were off, but he's back on track and smiling a lot more.

Hill struck out eight and allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings in leading the Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

In July, Hill (7-4) is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He's held opponents to a .183 batting average this month after going 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA in June.

The Dodgers hit three home runs to help Hill's cause and snapped a two-game slide after winning 11 in a row.

"It's much more fun when you don't (stink). It's good when you contribute to the team," Hill said. "That's what I want to do, regardless of the outcome at the end of the day, continue to keep giving that your best effort you can give."

Corey Seager, Chase Utley and Chris Taylor homered.

Taylor also delivered a two-run triple in the eighth inning to provide the final margin. His home run made it 4-2 in the seventh.

Taylor came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh but as has been the case all month, he delivered at the plate, too.

"He's a spark," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We talk about how many good players we have who contribute. He's not so much under the radar now, but he adds that spark and quality at-bats. The metrics in the outfield with what he's done (show) he continues to get better. I almost want to say elite, really, with the plays he's made. To come off the bench with a huge homer and a triple to clear the bases, these are things that perpetuate winning and keep us in good spots."

Yasiel Puig hit an infield grounder in the sixth inning that scored Yasmani Grandal and gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Catcher Tyler Flowers couldn't hang on to the ball when he met Grandal and his forearm.

"It was just like it looks," Flowers said. "Hit the glove, ball flies out, just baseball. Catch it, he is right there, (he) hit it. I looked at it. There is nothing I can tell you I would do differently tomorrow."

Seager hit a solo home run to right-center field in the first inning off Julio Teheran to give the Dodgers an early lead. It was his 16th home run of the season, third-most on the Dodgers behind Cody Bellinger (26 home runs) and Puig (18).

Teheran (7-8) gave up four runs and nine hits, including three solo home runs, in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.

"I think I threw the ball pretty well," Teheran said. "Those long balls, I think one was a mistake and the other was pitches I want to throw. They just put three good swings on them. I didn't lose my focus in the game. I was battling the whole time. The team gave me a chance."

Hill struck out the side in the first inning and retired the first five batters. He gave up back-to-back, two-out singles in the second but struck out Dansby Swanson to end the inning. He struck out at least one batter in each of the first four innings.

Former Dodger Matt Kemp tied the score at 2 with a run-scoring single to left in the fifth inning. Freddie Freeman drove in Atlanta's first run in that inning. Kemp also made a diving catch in left field in the third to rob Grandal of a hit.

NOTES: Braves INF Brandon Phillips was held out of the lineup for the second consecutive game with hamstring soreness. ... RHP Brandon McCarthy is scheduled to make his start Tuesday for the Dodgers. If McCarthy's blister is an issue and he can't pitch, RHP Kenta Maeda will make a spot start. Alex Wood is scheduled to pitch Wednesday. ... Los Angeles INF Justin Turner was out of the starting lineup Saturday because he was sick but expected to be back Sunday. ... The Dodgers traded reliever Sergio Romo and cash considerations to the Rays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. ... When Braves LHP Jaime Garcia hit a grand slam Friday, it was just the second time in MLB history that a Mexican-born pitcher accomplished that feat. Enrique Romo hit a grand slam for Pittsburgh in 1980. Atlanta's 12 runs on Friday were the most they'd ever scored in a game at Dodger Stadium. ... Los Angeles C Yasmani Grandal had his third consecutive multi-hit game.