Dodgers have seen this one before: Bodies and runs disappear in 2-1 loss to Reds

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It was like old times Friday for the Dodgers, or at least those less-than-pleasant times from the last month.

Bodies kept coming up lame, scoring remained a concept, and just for a little throwback to last season, Matt Kemp had a brain cramp on the bases.

It added up to a tough 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, tough losses increasingly becoming the Dodgers’ specialty.

Before the game the Dodgers learned right-hander Jon Garland was headed for the disabled list, reliever Vicente Padilla wasn’t ready to come off the DL, and, to make matter worse, they lost shortstop Rafael Furcal in the second inning with a side injury.

And then they went out and struggled to score against a pitcher who hasn’t been able to get anyone out in a month.

Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo entered the game with his right arm almost dragging on the grass. He was 3-5 with a 5.74 earned-run average, and in his last three starts he had surrendered 19 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings.

Friday night, he was practically Johnny Vander Meer. He held the Dodgers to one run in six innings, holding them to five hits and one walk.

Of course, he easily could have allowed two runs, save for Kemp having that inexplicable 2010 flashback.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth after Andre Ethier and Kemp singled and Jay Gibbons was hit by a pitch.

James Loney then lifted a sacrifice fly to Fred Lewis in medium left. Ethier tagged and scored easily. Which should have been that, only Kemp drifted almost half way to third. It was one of those what-are-you-doing moments that Kemp made frequent company last season. He was caught in a rundown and easily tagged out.

Dioner Navarro then grounded out, the rally was over and the Dodgers had their one run for the night.

Hiroki Kuroda made it hold up for a lot longer than he probably had right to expect. He labored through inning after inning, yet was still throwing a shutout heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Then a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for the Reds. Scott Rolen lined a two-run single to left-center field and the Reds had their lead.

Kuroda (5-6) ended up going one more inning, throwing 114 pitches in his six innings. He gave up six hits and walked four.

Still, two runs proved enough for Cincinnati. After scoring 23 runs in three games, the Dodgers have now scored once in their last two.

-- Steve Dilbeck