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Wolf chases away Pirates

Dodgers starter strikes out 10, hits two doubles to pace L.A. rout

Gus Ruelas / AP
Dodgers catcher Russell Martin gets hit by a pitch from Pirates starter Tony Armas in the third inning of Friday's game. The Dodgers won 10-2.

Gus Ruelas / AP Dodgers catcher Russell Martin gets hit by a pitch from Pirates starter Tony Armas in the third inning of Friday's game. The Dodgers won 10-2.

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LOS ANGELES You would think a 10-strikeout night would have been enough for Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf.

Nope. Wolf also doubled twice for the first time in his career and drove in two runs as the Dodgers routed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-2, on a chilly Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

"Everybody is chipping in and getting a lot of production," manager Grady Little said after watching his team pound 13 hits. "That's what we're like, and it's going to remain that way."

The Dodgers trailed after a half-inning but otherwise were in such control throughout that Little started taking his starting position players out by the sixth inning.

The 10 strikeouts by Wolf were three shy of his career-high, but they were the most he has recorded since his 13-strikeout game on Sept. 21, 2002. It was also the 10th time Wolf has reached the 10-strikeout mark in his career.

Wolf threw 38 pitches when he surrendered a run in the first inning. But he also struck out the side. He labored through a high pitch count in the first three innings but settled down and coasted through the next three.

"I was going 3-2 on a lot of people," Wolf said. "I was around the zone but I wasn't putting people away quickly and that kind of ran up my pitch count. That has been kind of the trend lately. I'm trying to stop that."

The Dodgers got a good look at their Rafael Furcal-Juan Pierre tandem potential in the first inning when Furcal led off with a walk and Pierre singled him to third. Pierre stole second and scored with Furcal when Nomar Garciaparra singled to right-center field.

The Dodgers broke open the game in the third with a season-high six-run inning. They roughed up Pirates starter Tony Armas by getting five of their first six batters on base in the inning. Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Wilson Betemit had RBIs to boost the lead to 6-1.

Wolf followed with his first double of the game, a shot into the right-field corner that scored Russell Martin and Betemit for an 8-1 lead.

"I think I got more pats on the back for hitting instead of pitching, but it was a fun day for us," Wolf said.

Wolf reached the 104-pitch count by the end of the sixth inning and wanted to pitch one more inning, but Little didn't allow it.

"He got off to a slow start," Little said. "He was missing with some pitches, missing with some location there early and created a lot of pitches that he had to throw in the first three innings."

Ethier homered in the fifth for a 9-1 lead and Wolf doubled down the left-field line later in the inning.

Even after such a strong overall game, Wolf came up with a topper.

"I hit two home runs once in a game," Wolf said. "I'll always remember that more than any game I've ever pitched."

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