Hal McCoy: Cordero lets Dodgers put an end to 12-inning game

The strikeout parade began against Dodger lefthander Clayton Kershaw, whose name sounds more like a country fiddler than a major-league pitcher, but the Reds certainly fiddled around against him. He struck out 11 in his seven innings.

“Kershaw is one of the best young lefthanders we’ve seen this year, throwing 95 and 96 with a good breaking ball,” said Baker. “He was dealing and we didn’t have much chance.”

The Reds scored their only runs in the second when Darnell McDonald, who was a No. 1 draft choice by the Baltimore Orioles 12 years ago, hit his first major-league home run with Scott Rolen on base.

“That game went so long I almost forgot about my home run,” said McDonald. “It felt good, but would have felt better with a win. And I would have loved to have hit a home run off my cousin (LA’s James McDonald). I was on deck to face him but didn’t get up there.”

McDonald was the winning pitcher, giving up no runs, one hit and striking out two in the 11th.

Arroyo didn’t give up a hit until the fifth when Kemp launched his 24th home run and the Dodgers then tied it on Kershaw’s single off shortstop Paul Janish’s glove.

“That’s a play Janish usually makes, but that ball took some crazy hops out there today and that was the difference. They say, ‘Follow the bouncing ball,’ and that ball was bouncing,” said Baker. “The ball just seems to never bounce our way.”