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Bullpen quickly gets its mojo back

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Times Staff Writer

One of the most reliable bullpens in baseball restored order Sunday, two days after a rough inning in which Dodgers relievers momentarily imploded.

The Dodgers bullpen again flashed the form it has shown for most of the season during a 2-1, 11-inning comeback victory over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium.

Rudy Seanez, Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley gave up one run in five innings, with Broxton and Billingsley combining for three scoreless innings. Broxton had given up five hits and three runs -- two earned -- in one-third of an inning Friday during the Cubs’ seven-run seventh.

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“It’s a great effort by them to come in and basically hold them down and just get something freaky to happen at the end of the game for us to win,” said Dodgers starter Randy Wolf, referring to Juan Pierre’s being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th inning. “It was perfect.”

The Dodgers relievers also pitched four scoreless innings Saturday, three by Billingsley. Billingsley (3-0) pitched a perfect 11th Sunday and is 2-0 with a 1.76 earned-run average in his last 10 appearances.

“They did another good job out there,” Dodgers Manager Grady Little said. “Chad came in and gave us another outstanding inning and was able to come away as the winning pitcher.”

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Dodgers catcher Russell Martin made the defensive play of the game in the seventh inning when he snagged Matt Murton’s foul pop-up with a backhanded catch after a long run and then fell backward into the first row of seats, dangling over the protective netting by his knees. Martin received a standing ovation.

“I was closer to the fence then I actually thought I was and I just stuck my glove out there and fell into the crowd,” Martin said. “That’s why you play baseball, to make a play like that.”

Martin said he landed on a woman who said she had a black belt in karate and he signed a ball for her after the game.

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“That was an outstanding play, one of the best plays you’ll ever see a catcher make,” Little said.

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Rafael Furcal, back in the lineup after being sidelined Saturday because of knee irritation, didn’t wait long to extend his season-high hitting streak to 13 games. Furcal blooped a single to right-center on the first pitch he saw from Cubs starter Rich Hill, but Hill picked off Furcal with a 3-and-2 count on Pierre.

Furcal finished with two hits and is hitting .482 with eight runs batted in during his hitting streak.

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Jason Schmidt, whose recovery from shoulder inflammation had been slowed by a bout with flu-like symptoms, threw about 50 pitches in the bullpen before the game. He could pitch a simulated game in a few days.... Olmedo Saenz started at first base in place of Nomar Garciaparra, who was scheduled to receive the day off but wound up flying out to center as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.... Little said Brady Clark started in right field instead of Andre Ethier because Clark was hitting .294 against left-handed pitchers. Ethier came off the bench to hit a game-tying homer in the eighth off of left-hander Scott Eyre.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

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