Dodgers’ Matt Magill founders in 8-1 loss to Braves

The two large video screens at Dodger Stadium turned out to be a portent of Sunday’s game.

Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully was giving his usual pregame comments on the screens when they suddenly lost their feed, flickered chaotically and went dark.

The same thing more or less happened to Dodgers starting pitcher Matt Magill once he faced the Atlanta Braves.

BOX SCORE: Atlanta 8, Dodgers 1

It was the second time in a week that Magill was called up from the minor leagues to make a spot start for the injury-plagued Dodgers, and for the second time it was rough sledding for the right-hander from Simi Valley.

Magill wobbled through two innings unscathed, but then the rookie right-hander’s erratic control, along with a costly error by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, led to seven runs in the next two innings as Atlanta cruised to an 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

Even three more hits by rookie marvel Yasiel Puig made little difference as Dan Uggla powered the Braves with two home runs, including a three-run drive in the third inning.

The win gave the Braves, who lead the National League East, a split of their four-game series with the Dodgers, who fell to 27-35 and remain in the NL West cellar.

Magill (0-2), who started because veteran Ted Lilly went on the disabled list Sunday because of a neck strain, lasted 32/3 innings, during which he walked six and gave up four hits and seven runs.

But only three were earned runs.

In the third inning, Jason Heyward drew a one-out walk. Justin Upton then reached base when Gonzalez misplayed his grounder for an error.

Freddie Freeman followed with a single to load the bases, and Evan Gattis hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Heyward for Atlanta’s first run, but that should have been the third out. Uggla then blasted his three-run home run.

One inning later, the Braves again loaded the bases, Freeman drove in all three runners with a double and Magill’s day was over.

Magill refused to assign any blame to Gonzalez.

“It had nothing to do with him,” Magill said. “I didn’t have great control. I should be able to get a ground ball there [to Uggla] and get out of the inning.”

In his last start, against the Colorado Rockies, Magill gave up six earned runs and walked nine batters in six innings.

“You can’t continue to get in bad counts with big league hitters and expect to get away with it very long,” Manager Don Mattingly said.

Atlanta starter Mike Minor (8-2) held the Dodgers to one run and six hits in six innings.

But the crowd of 39,028 had a couple of Dodgers moments to cheer about.

Puig finished his first week in the major leagues with two singles and a double, lifting his batting average to .464 (13 for 28). The week included four home runs and 10 runs batted in.

And Skip Schumaker had an infield single in the first inning to extend his career-high hitting streak to 15 games.

james.peltz@latimes.com