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Seager powers Dodgers past Braves

[June 04, 2016] LOS ANGELES -- Corey Seager said it was simply his night to be a shining star.

"You're just locked in. You see everything. It clicks," Seager said.

Seager homered three times, including the go-ahead home run, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves before 46,366 at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

Seager gave the Dodgers the lead with his second home run in the sixth inning off Braves starter Julio Teheran. He launched his third homer to lead off the eighth off reliever Hunter Cervenka. All three were solo shots.

"It was one of those things when it didn't matter where it was thrown," said Seager, who leads the Dodgers with 12 home runs this season. "It looked like it was on a tee. That's a good feeling when you're hitting. Hopefully, it's will be like that tomorrow."

Seager became the first Dodgers' hitter to homer three times in a game since Adrian Gonzalez did so on April 8, 2015 against the San Diego Padres.

Seager is the club's first rookie to accomplish the feat since Don Demeter, who homered three times on April 21, 1959 against the San Francisco Giants.

"That's fun. These don't come around too much," said Seager, who has two or more hits in five of his last eight games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was impressed, but didn't seem too surprised.

"We're lucky to have him," Roberts said of Seager. "He's just a kid that's unfazed, whether it's a good spot or the notoriety. He just wants to play baseball."

Trayce Thompson, who went 2-for-3, also homered for the Dodgers (29-27), who ended a two-game skid. They have beaten the Braves six times in their last seven meetings at Dodger Stadium.

Kenta Maeda (4-3) allowed two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 6 1/3 innings. Maeda, who threw a career-high 107 pitches, won his second outing in a row.

Relievers Adam Liberatore pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning and Joe Blanton worked a perfect eighth for the Dodgers. Closer Kenley Jansen gave up a hit before earning his 16th save in 18 opportunities in the ninth.

Teheran (1-6) gave up three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks in 5 2/3 innings. All three of the hits were home runs. The Dodgers managed five hits to seven for the Braves.

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It was the latest outing of frustration for Teheran against the Dodgers. Teheran is 0-6 with a 5.50 ERA in seven career starts against Los Angeles.

The Braves, who lost for the third time in the last four games, dropped to 16-38.

An RBI single by Adonis Garcia that scored Freddie Freeman, who reached on a walk and advanced to second on a Maeda wild pitch, gave the Braves a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first.

Mallex Smith's run-scoring base hit drove home Tyler Flowers in the second to boost Atlanta to a 2-0 advantage.

But the Dodgers rallied. Seager cut the deficit in half with a solo shot to right on the first pitch from Teheran to open the fourth. It was Seager's 10th home run this season.

In the fifth, Thompson ripped a solo blast to right-center field to tie the score at 2. For Thompson, it was his ninth homer of the season. Thompson, who is hitting .352 at home, homered in back-to-back games for the second time this season.

NOTES: The Dodgers placed RF Yasiel Puig on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain. The club activated OF Scott Van Slyke to take Puig's roster spot. Van Slyke has been out since April 10 with lower back irritation. He made his first appearance by striking out in the seventh inning before remaining in the game in RF. ... The Braves activated RHP Jim Johnson (right groin strain). Before going on the 15-day DL, Johnson, a former Dodger, compiled a 7.90 ERA in 13 2/3 innings and 15 appearances. Johnson piitched a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two. To make room, the club optioned RHP Ryan Weber to Triple-A Gwinnett. ... Los Angeles INF/OF Howie Kendrick didn't play for the second consecutive game because of a sore shoulder. Kendrick might start Saturday's game, manager Dave Roberts said. ... Braves RHP Mike Foltynewicz (2-2, 3.51 ERA) will face Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-1, 1.56) on Saturday.

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