Rich Hill continues strong pitching in Dodger win

LOS ANGELES —- The formula that produced so many wins for the Dodgers returned on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. Good starting pitching and Dodger power equaled a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.

When the Dodgers get a six-plus inning start like Rich Hill had, the Dodgers are 27-3.

And when they hit three or more home runs in a game, they are 21-1.

They also tend to win when they score six or more and give up two or less.

Rich Hill had only one stressful inning as he pitched 6⅓ innings and gave up two runs while striking out eight and walking two.

Pedro Baez and Brandon Morrow closed it out. Baez retired all five hitters faced, striking out one. Morrow, who had fun with MPH display, hitting 99 and 100, retired the final three in a row with one strikeout.

Three different Dodgers, Corey Seager, Chase Utley and Chris Taylor homered for the Dodgers.

With the game tied 2-2, the Dodgers would score the tie-breaking run in the complete opposite of way of hitting the ball over the wall as it was a pair of dribblers that produced it.

In the bottom of the sixth, Yasmani Grandal hit the first dribbler that went for an infield single. Logan Forsythe came up and a single to left.

Joc Pederson would hit the hardest the ball of the inning, a 100+ MPH hopper to second that was turned into a double play, Grandal went to third.

Yasiel Puig then followed with the second dribbler, Julio Teheran fielded it and threw to the plate and ball was kicked away and Grandal scored the go-ahead run.

Hill would retire Ender Inciarte in the top of the seventh and then Baez and Chris Taylor were double-switched in with Taylor taking over for Trayce Thompson in left field. Baez retired the next two to end the seventh.

Taylor led off the bottom of the inning with the third solo home run of the game, that made it 4-2.

Taylor then decided that hitting a home run wasn’t enough, so in the eighth inning with two out and two on, he tripled to right center to score two runs that made it 6-2.

Earlier, the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead when Seager hit a solo home run in the first inning. In the third inning, Utley made it a two-run lead on his home run into the right field bullpen.

Hill had his toughest inning in the fifth. Hill hit Teheran and a double by Johan Camargo put runners on second and third, Freddie Freeman drove in a run with a ground out. Matt Kemp followed with a single to make 2-2.

Up next

A pair of left-handers, Clayton Kershaw and Sean Newcomb, will pitch in the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Corey Seager (16), Chase Utley (6), Chris Taylor (12)

WP - Rich Hill (7-4): 6⅓ IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts

LP - Julio Teheran (7-8): 6⅓ IP, 9 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts