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Dodgers let it get away in 6-4 loss to Reds

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Things seemed to be going well enough for the Dodgers.

Rookie shortstop Dee Gordon had made a couple of terrific plays. Hiroki Kuroda was keeping the Reds in check. And the Dodgers had manufactured a pair of runs to carry a 2-1 lead through five innings.

But this is the season when there is precious little the Dodgers can rely upon. And after Chris Heisey hit a solo home run to tie the score in the sixth inning, it all came undone in an ugly seventh.

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By the time the inning was over Monday, the Dodgers had committed two errors, Andre Ethier threw well wide of home on a play at the plate, Joey Votto had a three-run homer and the Reds were on their way to a 6-4 victory before an announced crowd of 31,372.

The Dodgers have been a reliable defensive team all season, but after several strong plays, Gordon simply dropped a routine Ryan Hanigan grounder to open the seventh.

And the floodgates were open.

Third baseman Juan Uribe nabbed a Paul Janish bouncer and threw to second baseman Aaron Miles to start a double play. Only Miles’ relay throw sailed into a photo well for an error, allowing Janish to take second.

Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo helped his cause with a slicing single to shallow right. Janish rounded third and headed home with the go-ahead run. A strong throw by Ethier maybe gets Janish, but instead he threw about 30 feet short and off line.

That was it for Kuroda, Manager Don Mattingly calling on reliever Matt Guerrier, who proceeded to struggle. Guerrier got the second out, but then walked Brandon Phillips and worked Votto to a full count. His 3-2 pitch was crushed by Votto as it landed several rows up the right-field pavilion to give Cincinnati a 6-2 lead.

The Dodgers cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth inning that featured their two fastest players, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Gordon.

Gwynn beat out an infield single, Gordon lined a drive just over the glove of Votto at first base and the ball rolled into the corner. Gwynn and Gordon went flying around the bases, sprinters on the diamond.

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Gwynn scored and Gordon took third with a stand-up triple. Miles then sent a fly to Heisey in medium-shallow left. Third base coach Tim Wallach threw up his arms telling Gordon to hold, but the rookie tagged and went anyway, beating the throw.

Which completed the comeback, and the night for Arroyo.

The right-hander beat the Dodgers, 2-1, in Cincinnati 10 days earlier, and picked up the victory again Monday. Arroyo (5-6) gave up the four runs on six hits, without walking a batter.

Kuroda fell to 5-8 with the loss, his fifth consecutive, and the Dodgers are now 31-37.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

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