PITTSBURGH — This couldn't-get-any-easier clinching is becoming hard for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They'll be playing one of the National League's best teams in another week, yet they suddenly can't beat the league's worst.
Former Dodgers prospect Andy LaRoche homered twice, doubled twice and singled, driving in six runs as the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates again prevented Los Angeles from winning the NL West with an 11-1 romp Monday.
Zach Duke pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning against a patchwork Dodgers lineup, with Manager John Russell drawing loud boos for pulling him one out away from a complete game. LaRoche set a career high for hits and RBI in going 5 for 5 and scoring four runs.
Already assured of a playoff spot, the Dodgers lost three of four to the Pirates, who had dropped 23 of 26 going into the series - the franchise's worst stretch in 119 seasons. The Dodgers went 3-4 on a road trip against the majors' two worst teams, the Nationals and Pirates.
"It's always dangerous when you play those teams. I hate to say you should beat somebody, but the record tells you should beat them," Manager Joe Torre said.
"These are the types of teams you're not comfortable [playing]."
Technically, the Dodgers' magic number is two, but in reality it is one because they own the tiebreaker against Colorado, who trail them by 4 1 /2 games. The Dodgers have five games remaining and the Rockies six.
The Dodgers blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning Sunday and lost 6-5, then got blown out in the series finale.
They were missing the injured Manny Ramirez (hamstring), Ronnie Belliard (groin) and Casey Blake (hamstring) and their makeshift lineup included Mark Loretta at third, Juan Castro at short and Brad Ausmus catching.
They played like a team that couldn't wait to get out of Pittsburgh while having three runners thrown out on the bases and committing a key error in the first two innings alone.
"We'd give the Bad News Bears a run for their money," Torre said.
Orlando Hudson was caught in a rundown trying to advance on an errant throw in the first. In the second, Loretta was picked off first and Matt Kemp was caught too far off second on James Loney's popup and was thrown out.
"The first couple of innings, the base-running was terrible," Torre said. "I have no excuse for it."
Duke (11-15) was in control from the start, allowing only three singles until Hudson tripled with one out in the ninth - a low total for a pitcher who has allowed an NLhigh 225 hits.
Duke couldn't believe it when Russell lifted him following Chin-Lung Hu's sacrifice fly, with a 10-run lead and only one batter to get for the complete game, and the fans let Russell have it.
"I wanted it pretty bad, I'm not going to lie," said Duke, who is arbitration-eligible and thus lost acomplete game he could have used in negotiations.
LaRoche, traded to the Pirates in the three-team deal last year in which Los Angeles landed Ramirez, went 10 for 18 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI during the series.
"I didn't care if it was the Dodgers or Padres," LaRoche said. "I don't feel like they just got rid of me, they traded me for Manny Ramirez."
LaRoche had a two-run double off Hiroki Kuroda (8-7) during the Pirates' big second inning that began with Loretta's throwing error on Lastings Milledge's grounder.
BRAVES 4, MARLINS 0
Jair Jurrjens (14-10) won his fourth consecutive, pitching seven innings, as host Atlanta beat Florida for its seventh consecutive victory and 15th in 17 games. The Braves closed within two games of idle Colorado in the NL wild-card race with six left. Florida dropped 5 1 /2 games behind the Rockies. Atlanta also moved within four games of first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. The Phillies lost 8-2 at home to Houston.
ASTROS 8, PHILLIES 2 Yorman Bazardo (1-2) pitched 5 2 /3 effective innings against the team that cut him in spring training, and helped Houston improve to 5-0 over host Philadelphia. Miguel Tejada had four hits and Jeff Keppinger had three hits and two RBI for Houston, which is 5-0 against the Phillies this season.
NATIONALS 2, METS 1
Ross Detwiler (1-6) earned his first career victory in his 13th start as host Washington beat New York. Mike Morse led off the sixth inning with a home run to break a 1-1 tie. The home run was his third this season, all in the past three games.
American League BLUE JAYS 11, RED SOX 5 Toronto took advantage after Josh Beckett was scratched from his scheduled start, scoring seven runs off substitute Michael Bowden (0-1), making his second major league start, to hand host Boston its fourth consecutive loss in a game that was called in the seventh inning because of rain.
RAYS 7, ORIOLES 6 Pat Burrell hit a go ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as host Tampa Bay handed Baltimore its 11th consecutive loss.
WHITE SOX 6, INDIANS 1 Gordon Beckham drove in three runs as Chicago beat host Cleveland.
YANKEES 8, ROYALS 2 Robinson Cano capped a five-run seventh inning with his second career grand slam as host New York beat Kansas City.
Monday's games NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 11, LA Dodgers 1 Houston 8, Philadelphia 2 Washington 2, NY Mets 1 Atlanta 4, Florida 0 AMERICAN LEAGUE Chicago White Sox 6, Cleveland 1 NY Yankees 8, Kansas City 2 Minnesota at Detroit, ppd., rain Tampa Bay 7, Baltimore 6 Toronto 11, Boston 5, 7 innings Texas at LA Angels, (n)
Sports, Pages 13, 16 on 09/29/2009