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Howie Kendrick, bullpen deliver for Dodgers in 6-4 win

Los Angeles Dodgers' Howie Kendrick, right, greets teammate Justin Turner after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 10th inning on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Howie Kendrick, right, greets teammate Justin Turner after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 10th inning on Tuesday.

(Matt York / AP)
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On the next night, all was well. The bullpen delivered. Home runs sailed. The defense executed. And not so coincidentally, the Dodgers won.

It’s baseball, where every night can bring the unexpected or bore you to tears or simply defy all logic. So one night after every arm summoned from the Dodgers bullpen failed, every arm delivered. One night after the offense shut down early, it continued to rally.

Howie Kendrick singled in the tying run in the seventh and then lined a go-ahead homer in the 10th Tuesday to lead the Dodgers to a 6-4 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

He got plenty of help from hot-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal, who started the Dodgers scoring with two-run homer in the second and then added an insurance two-run double in the 10th.

Kendrick went four for five, raising his average to .298. It was his seventh home run of the season.

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The Dodgers again started the scoring. After Andre Ethier singled with one out in the second, Grandal hit his second home run in as many days and 12th of the season to give the Dodgers the early 2-0 lead.

But once again Carlos Frias was going to continue his almost constant flirtation with trouble. The Diamondbacks got one back in the bottom of the inning after leadoff singles by Jake Lamb and Welington Castillo. Chris Owings hit a fly ball deep enough to center to sacrifice Lamb home.

The Dodgers were hanging onto 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when the Diamondbacks struck again. Lamb again led off with a basehit, and two outs later, shortstop Nick Ahmed homered to give Arizona a 3-2 lead.

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Frias left after five innings, having already thrown 98 pitches. Five innings is regrettably becoming a typical outing for Frias. He allowed the three runs and seven hits, with three walks.

How long can the Dodgers continue to keep him in the rotation? In his last eight starts, he has a 5.20 ERA and has walked 16 and struck out 26 in 45 innings.

When Mike Bolsinger had to leave Monday’s game because of food poisoning, the bullpen imploded. But Tuesday right-hander Juan Nicasio came on to give the Dodgers two scoreless innings, providing enough time for them to tie it in the seventh.

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Arizona starter Ruby De La Rosa, whom the Dodgers had beaten up for nine runs and 10 hits in five innings on June 8, this time held them to two runs in his 5 2/3 innings.

But the Dodgers rallied against reliever Enrique Burgos in the seventh. Jimmy Rollins started it with something rare for him – a walk. It was only his second walk in his last 25 games. This one was timely, however.

Joc Pederson’s basehit moved him to second and Kendrick completed an eight-pitch at-bat with an RBI singled up the middle to score Rollins with the tying run.

After Nicasio, the Dodgers got a scoreless inning each from Joel Peralta and Pedro Baez. Kenley Jansen gave up his first walk of the season and then a two-out RBI double to -- who else? -- Paul Goldschmidt in the bottom of the 10th before striking out Yasmany Tomas to earn his 12th save in 13 opportunities.

Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @SteveDilbeck

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