Taylor's slam adds to LA's homer binge

SAN DIEGO -- After just setting a franchise record for home runs in a month with 53, the Dodgers set out to break it by opening July with three more Saturday night in an 8-0 blowout win over the Padres.
With manager Dave Roberts at his seaside home on suspension for a Friday night dustup with opposing manager Andy Green, the Dodgers limited their contact to the plate.
Grand slams mean 40% off pizza
Corey Seager and Justin Turner went back-to-back in the fifth inning (sixth time this year for the team) and Chris Taylor walloped his 10th homer and third grand slam of the season in the seventh inning in support of Rich Hill's 11 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings.

That was Taylor's Major League-leading third slam of the season, fourth of his career and the seventh for the Dodgers this season, one more than they had all last year. Taylor came into the season with two Major League home runs in more than 300 plate appearances. After Austin Barnes' slam on Friday night, the Dodgers have grand slams in back-to-back games for the first time since Robin Ventura and Olmedo Saenz did it in 2004.
Taylor's explanation for his slamfest?
"Coincidence? I don't know," he said. "I don't think I do anything different with the bases loaded. Try not to do too much and I've run into a couple. I try to treat it the same when guys are on or not. Just try to simplify my approach and execute it."
Taylor is the most pleasant Dodgers surprise this side of Cody Bellinger. Acquired last summer from Seattle for pitcher Zach Lee, he hit only .207 with a .620 OPS during his big league callups to the Dodgers last year and opened this season at Triple-A until injuries to Logan Forsythe and Rob Segedin led to his April 19 promotion.
<p. .227="" .296="" .322="" 10="" 37="" a="" and="" april="" at="" bases.="" but="" club="" coming="" field="" field.="" fourth="" he="" hit="" hitting="" in="" is="" june.="" leads="" left="" off="" on="" p="" rbis="" right="" s="" second="" started="" stolen="" team="" the="" third="" with=""> "I've been grinding through ABs the last few weeks, working through things mechanically, but I'm starting to figure it out," he said. </p.>

Meanwhile, Seager slugged his 13th home run and first since missing five games with a mild hamstring strain, a blast that Statcast™ estimated at 439 feet. Seager finished with three hits, pushing his average to .299, and had another possible one ruled an error.
Turner went 1-for-4, dropping his average to .388, 12 at-bats shy of qualifying for the batting title. His homer was No. 7 this season. He had 11 at this point last year en route to a career-high 27.
Then there were the four hits by Forsythe for the second consecutive game against his former team, raising his average from .208 to .247.
"He's a pro," Turner said of Forsythe. "I started terrible last year ... you look up at the end of the year and you have the same year you always have. He's a veteran guy that understands it, and we're starting to see the pendulum swing the other way."