Yasiel Puig continues dominance of Braves

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers swept the Braves away on Thursday night thanks to the mound mastery of Clayton Kershaw, but the bulk of the offense came from Yasiel Puig, who continued his hot hitting against Atlanta.

Puig was 2-for-3 with a walk on Thursday, giving him at least one hit in all 11 career games against the Braves, including the playoffs. Against Atlanta, Puig is 23-for-45 (.511) with eight multi-hit games, four doubles, three home runs, a triple, 11 runs scored and eight RBI.

Puig walked in the first inning, his team-leading 48th of the season. Puig then raced home on a double to the gap by Adrian Gonzalez, and might have been out on a relay from shortstop Andrelton Simmons but catcher Evan Gattis was unable to hold on to the throw. But he didn't. 1-0 Dodgers

In the third inning Puig launched a ball into the left field pavilion for his 13th home run of the year. It was just his second home run in his last 51 games, and his first home run at Dodger Stadium since May 28, snapping a string of 26 home games and 111 plate appearances without.

Puig added a double in the eighth inning, his team-leading 30th of the season. Puig is on pace for 45 doubles this season, a figure reached by only two players since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958. Shawn Green hit 49 two-baggers in 2003, and Wes Parker hit 47 in 1970.

Doubles by Puig and Gonzalez gave the Dodgers 207 doubles on the season, second in the National League to Colorado.

On the season Puig is hitting .319/.406/.552 with 30 doubles, nine triples and 13 home runs. Only three LA Dodgers have reached double digits in doubles, triples and home runs in a season: Willie Davis (1962, 1971), Wally Moon (1959) and Charlie Neal (1959).

Puig will get another crack at the Braves in Atlanta for a four-game series from Aug. 11-15.