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Scott Van Slyke has two homers, four RBIs in Dodgers’ 6-2 win

Dodgers relief pitcher J.P. Howell is congratulated by catcher Tim Federowicz after ending the seventh inning with a double play against the Reds on Monday night.
(Joe Robbins / Getty Images)
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KEY MOMENT: Scott Van Slyke already had hit one home run against left-hander Tony Cingrani when, in the fifth inning, Van Slyke came up with two on and two out. The Reds had right-hander Logan Ondrusek warming up, but they stuck with Cingrani. He gave up another home run to Van Slyke, increasing the Dodgers lead from 3-2 to 6-2, and then the Reds brought in Ondrusek.

AT THE PLATE: Van Slyke reached base all five times, on two home runs, a single and two walks. He set career highs with three runs, three hits, and four runs batted in. Matt Kemp reached base three times, on two walks and a double. In his last 12 at-bats, Kemp has six hits, three for extra bases.

ON THE MOUND: Dan Haren recorded the victory despite his shortest start this season. Haren (6-4) lasted 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs, one on a home run by Ryan Ludwick, the other on a wild pitch. J.P. Howell stranded two inherited runners in the sixth inning; he has stranded 16 of 18 this season. Howell also induced two ground-ball double plays, including the first in the major league career of speedster Billy Hamilton.

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FROM THE TRAINING ROOM: Catcher A.J. Ellis (sprained ankle) is expected to be activated this week without a minor league rehabilitation assigment. … Outfielder Carl Crawford (sprained ankle) said he still is regaining strength and “explosiveness” in the ankle, so he will almost certainly not be activated when eligible Thursday, as the Dodgers had hoped. … Third baseman Juan Uribe (strained hamstring) ran at less than full speed Monday and said he hoped he could return within two weeks.

SHORT HOPS: Manager Don Mattingly benched all three of his left-handed hitters — first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, second baseman Dee Gordon and outfielder Andre Ethier — against the left-handed Cingrani. Mattingly said the day off had been planned for Gonzalez, who is hitless in his last 20 at-bats and is batting .164 against left-handers this season. ... Gordon, who has one home run, has the same .395 slugging percentage as Brandon Phillips, the Reds second baseman and No. 3 hitter. … Gonzalez leads first basemen and Yasiel Puig leads outfielders in the latest NL All-Star voting results, released Monday.

UP NEXT: The Dodgers’ Josh Beckett (3-3, 2.57 ERA) faces the Reds’ Mike Leake (3-5, 3.29) on Tuesday at 4:10 p.m. PDT at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. TV: SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020.

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