CINCINNATI – Rafael Furcal drove in four runs and Wilson Betemit added a two-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to four games with a 10-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

The Dodgers, who lost eight straight and 13 of 14 before the current winning streak, broke a 4-all tie with five unearned runs in the seventh.

Right fielder Ryan Freel dropped Betemit’s fly ball with one out to load the bases. Russell Martin drove in the tie-breaking run with a grounder that shortstop Royce Clayton fielded and stepped on second for one out before throwing high to first baseman Scott Hatteberg.

Consecutive walks produced another run before Furcal, who extended his hitting streak to eight games in the first, capped the inning with a three-run double. He drove in a run with a single in the ninth.

Aaron Sele (7-4) allowed eight hits and four runs over six innings for his first win in three starts since July 9.

Bill Bray (2-2) started the seventh and gave up three unearned runs to take the Reds’ third straight loss.

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the second on two-out doubles by Brandon Phillips and David Ross. The Dodgers answered by scoring four runs with two outs in the third. J.D. Drew started the rally with a double. Andre Ethier followed with a single to left to drive in Drew, who beat Adam Dunn’s one-hop throw to the plate with a slide, and Betemit, acquired from Atlanta in a trade last Friday, gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead with his 10th homer of the season.

Martin kept the inning alive with a single to center, stole second and scored on James Loney’s double to the gap in left center.

Ross drove in his second run of the game with a solo homer to left in the fifth, his 13th of the season and first in 21 at-bats since July 2. He was on the disabled list from July 16 to July 25 with a lower abdomen strain.

Dunn followed Freel’s leadoff double in the seventh with his 32nd homer, tying the score at 4.

Notes: Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo failed in his eighth consecutive attempt to get his 10th win of the season. The right-hander, who is 0-4 since beating the Mets on June 19 at New York, allowed 10 hits and four runs with six strikeouts and one walk in six innings. … Furcal needed just two pitches to extend his hitting streak (15-for-32, .469) with a single to lead off the game. … To make room on the roster for IF Julio Lugo, the Dodgers designated OF Jose Cruz Jr. for assignment before the game. … To make room on their roster for trade deadline pickups LHP Rheal Cormier and RHP Kyle Lohse, the Reds optioned LHP Brian Shackelford to Triple-A Louisville.

AP-ES-08-01-06 2205EDT


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