ESPN MLB

Dodgers 10, Pirates 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Randy Wolf struck out a season-high 10, hit a two-run double that highlighted a six-run third inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-2 on Friday night to improve on the best record in baseball.

Luis Gonzalez, Nomar Garciaparra and Andre Ethier had two RBIs each for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who are 12-5, with eight wins in their last 10 games.

Wolf (3-1) was even more impressive on the mound, giving up one run and six hits in six innings, walking one. Every Dodger scored except Wolf, who added another two-out double down the third-base line in the fifth.

Wolf certainly worked for his third consecutive victory on a damp, 52-degree night that was four degrees colder than the temperature in Pittsburgh. The left-hander tossed 66 of his 104 pitches through the first three innings, with 12 of those fouled away. He was masterful at changing speeds, though, recording six strikeouts over those innings. Wolf struck out the side in the sixth.

Wolf's double in the third chased Tony Armas (0-2), who allowed eight runs on seven hits in 2 2-3 innings, walked two and struck out none. The right-hander brought a 7.98 career ERA into Dodger Stadium and saw it balloon to 10.90.

Ahead 2-1, the Dodgers batted around in the third. Jeff Kent and Gonzalez got things started with RBI singles and Ethier's sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field made it 5-1. Wilson Betemit's RBI single preceded Wolf's two-out double that extended the lead to 8-1.

Los Angeles added a run in the fifth on Ethier's line-drive homer that just cleared the right-field foul pole off a 1-2 pitch from John Wasdin. Gonzalez's RBI single made it 10-1 in the sixth.

The Pirates led 1-0 in the first on a two-out, broken-bat RBI single by Xavier Nady.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead on Garciaparra's two-run single in the bottom of the inning.

Game notes

Wolf struck out 10 batters for the first time since fanning a career-high 13 while pitching for Philadelphia at Cincinnati on Sept. 21, 2002. ... There was no batting practice because of the persistent rainfall during the day that ended by early evening. ... Third base umpire Ed Hickox was chilled enough to wear gloves. ... A fan used the scoreboard to propose to his girlfriend early in the game. He whipped out a ring and after the couple hugged, he showed off a hand-lettered T-shirt that read, "She said yes."