Dodgers rally to beat Atlanta Braves in 10 iings

ATLANTA >> The Dodgers booked flights and hotel rooms for eight relief pitchers, one more than usual, for their road trip this week. That’s begiing to look like a smart move.

Starting pitcher Ross Stripling suffered his shortest outing as a major leaguer and was removed in the fourth iing of Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves. For the second consecutive night, the Dodgers needed five relievers to complete nine iings.

The proverbial light at the end of the tuel for the Dodgers, a well-rested Clayton Kershaw is starting the series finale Thursday, became visible before the final score. That’s because nine iings weren’t enough.

A pair of runs in the 10th iing lifted the Dodgers to an eventual 5-3 win before the aounced crowd of 16,087 at Tuer Field.

Adrian Gonzalez’s two-run home run, his second of the season, tied the game at 3 in the sixth iing.

In the 10th, Chase Utley singled, stole second base and scored the go-ahead run when rookie center fielder Mallex Smith dove for, and missed, a line drive by Justin Tuer. Tuer wound up on second base, officially credited with a double.

Yasmani Grandal drove in Corey Seager with an RBI single to cap the Dodgers’ long-awaited rally.

Kershaw can lift the Dodgers to a series win in his fourth start of the season.

Stripling, who had a 2.03 eaed-run average when the day began, wasn’t entirely to blame for his misfortune. He gave up six hits and three runs (two eaed) in 3 2/3 iings. The rookie right-hander walked two batters and struck out four.

The Braves scored an uneaed run in the third iing, taking advantage of Seager’s second fielding error in two days. But they gave the Dodgers an out in the fourth iing when Erick Aybar got caught in a rundown between third base and home plate after a failed squeeze bunt.

The iing continued, and with ruers on second and third and two outs, Stripling intentionally walked Nick Markakis to load the bases for Daniel Castro. Castro kept his eyes on Stripling’s final pitch, a curveball tailing away from the right-handed hitter, and shot it into right field for two-run single.

The Dodgers’ bullpen (combined eaed-run average: 3.86) was the unsung hero of this game. The unit didn’t give up a run for 6 1/3 iings, capped by Kenley Jansen’s sixth save in as many outings.

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