LOS ANGELES -- The New York Mets did not need a reminder that they are struggling. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Yasiel Puig gave them one anyway, and they didn't take kindly to it.

Puig hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning, and left-hander Rich Hill rebounded from a poor effort to pace the Dodgers to an 8-2 win over the Mets on Wednesday.

The Dodgers (47-26) earned their sixth straight win and moved past the Colorado Rockies for first place in the National League West.

It was the way the controversial Puig acted after his home run that bothered the Mets (31-40), who have lost six of their last seven and have fallen to a season-low nine games under .500.

The right fielder, who is appealing a one-game suspension for an indecent gesture in a game at Cleveland, crushed a 3-1 pitch by rookie Tyler Pill. He flipped his bat, paused to admire the blast and then loped to first base, exchanging words with first baseman Wilmer Flores after rounding the bag and catcher Travis d'Arnaud as he crossed the plate.

Between innings, he was met on his way back to right field by Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes and shortstop Jose Reyes. The three had a brief, animated conversation near the mound.

"I don't think he knew what's happening in respect to the game," said Flores, referring to the Mets' troubles. "We're playing horrible right now. He disrespected us. There are other ways to enjoy a home run."

Puig said, "We're hitting the ball well and a lot of home runs. If that's the way he feels, he should worry about the way they're playing.

"(Cespedes) said I should run faster and tried to give me some advice. I just don't look at it that way."

Mets manager Terry Collins declined to discuss Puig: "I don't want to get into it. We have bigger troubles than that."

The Mets have three-fifths of their rotation on the disabled list, forcing Collins to shuffle players in from Triple-A or go to the bullpen for starts. The Mets have allowed 71 runs in their past nine games, 30 to the Dodgers in the past three.

The Dodgers improved to 20-6 since May 25, and they are 28-10 in home games this year.

Yasmani Grandal hit solo home runs in the sixth and eighth innings, giving him nine long balls this season and the Dodgers 30 in their past 11 games.

"We're giving up three to four home runs a game," Collins said. "That's tough to make up. What we need right now is a well-pitched game. Tyler pitched well, but he left a pitch in the middle of the plate to Puig."

Two of the Dodgers' early runs came thanks to errors by third baseman T.J. Rivera and right fielder Jay Bruce.

Hill (4-3) -- coming off a two-inning, seven-run outing -- allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out eight in five innings Wednesday. Four relievers struck out seven more Mets in the last four innings.

In the first inning, Hill was greeted by Curtis Granderson's home run to center and a double by Flores. Hill struck out two of the next three hitters to escape further trouble. He worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth, striking out Reyes, Gavin Cecchini and Pill with his sweeping curve.

The Dodgers got a run in the third thanks to a two-base throwing error by Rivera and Hill's sacrifice fly -- the veteran pitcher's first RBI since 2009.

Los Angeles blew the game open in the fourth. Cody Bellinger legged a double to right field, took third when Bruce air-mailed his throw to second and scored on Logan Forsythe's double. Pill walked Joc Pederson intentionally to get to Puig, who slugged a 3-1 pitch to left, his 13th homer of the season, for a 5-1 lead.

NOTES: The Dodgers recalled RHP Brandon Morrow from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was 2-0 in five relief appearances earlier this season, not allowing a run while striking out seven in six innings. He replaces RHP Brock Stewart, who pitched three innings of relief Wednesday and earned a save before being optioned to the minors. ... Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez says he will not rush back from his herniated disk as he did earlier this season, and he may not return until late July. Gonzalez received an epidural injection for the injury after going on the DL and is working to strengthen his back. His two trips to the DL this season were the first in his career ... Mets RHP Zach Wheeler was placed on the 10-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis. New York recalled RHPs Tyler Pill and Erik Goeddel from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned INF Matt Reynolds (.177) to Las Vegas.