Mistakes continue to haunt Dodgers in 3-1 loss to Reds

A flurry of wild pitches, eight-run bullpen implosions, errant throws on sacrifice bunts … the Dodgers certainly don’t lack for inventiveness when it comes to losing games.

Carlos Monasterios became the latest to leave his own special imprint Friday night at Dodger Stadium during the Dodgers’ 3-1 defeat against the Cincinnati Reds.

The fill-in starter bounced a throw past first baseman James Loney in the fourth inning, leading to a pair of unearned runs as the Reds snapped a 12-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.

Brandon Phillips had three hits and drove in three runs and Homer Bailey pitched seven sturdy innings to give National League Central-leading Cincinnati its first victory here since July 28, 2005.

The Reds have fattened up on some of the most disappointing teams in baseball, and the Dodgers became just another morsel of mediocrity on a night they committed two errors and continued to struggle to hit in the clutch.

Casey Blake led off the seventh inning with a double and could only make it as far as third base after Bailey (3-2) retired the next three batters in order. Bailey also escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth as the Dodgers finished 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

On the plus side for the Dodgers, they got 4 1/3 innings out of Monasterios after the right-hander needed 52 pitches to get through the first two innings. But Monasterios contributed to his own demise during Cincinnati’s two-run, fourth-inning rally.

After Ryan Hanigan led off with a single through the left side of the infield, Monasterios fielded Drew Stubbs’ bunt and bounced his throw to the right of Loney, pulling him well off the bag.

Monasterios (3-4) retired the next two batters before Phillips hit a two-run single up the middle to give the Reds a 3-1 lead. Bailey, making only his second start since spending almost three months on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder, held the Dodgers to one run and four hits.

The Dodgers needed some creativity to score their run. Jamey Carroll led off the third inning with a walk, went to second on Brad Ausmus’ single and advanced to third on Monasterios’ sacrifice bunt.

That’s when Ryan Theriot’s squeeze bunt on the third-base side of the mound scored Carroll to pull the Dodgers into a 1-1 tie.

Monasterios was in trouble from almost his initial pitch, yielding consecutive singles to the first two batters he faced in the first inning before striking out the next three. He gave up a two-out single to Bailey in the second that put runners on first and second for Phillips, who stroked a run-scoring single past diving shortstop Carroll.

Monasterios may not get another start in place of Vicente Padilla, even though Padilla is expected to miss at least one more start because of a bulging disk in his neck.

Manager Joe Torre said the Dodgers would probably use an off day Monday to go with their other four starters on regular rest, with Padilla possibly returning before the need for a fifth starter arises again.

The Dodgers remained 12 games behind NL West-leading San Diego--not that it probably matters with only 39 games left in the season--but fell eight games behind Philadelphia in the wild-card race, with three other teams ahead of the Dodgers.

ben.bolch@latimes.com