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Wolf aims to get Dodgers back on winning track

Jun 1, 2007 - 3:22 PM LA Dodgers (31-22) at Pittsburgh (23-30) 7:05 pm EDT

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Little did Randy Wolf know in 2003 that his body would betray him to the point that he would have to wait nearly four years before getting an opportunity to repeat his lone All-Star season. It looks like he's getting that shot.

The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to PNC Park to start a three-game weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

Wolf (6-3, 3.41 ERA), whose 71 strikeouts are the third-highest total in the National League, is having his best season in four years, the last time he was able to make 30-plus starts in a campaign. He succumbed to elbow pain the following season and eventually elected to undergo elbow ligament replacement surgery in July 2005.

The 29-year-old lefthander, who is 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA in seven career starts against Pittsburgh, will be looking to win his fourth straight decision. He tossed six scoreless frames on Sunday in a 2-1, 11-inning victory over the Chicago Cubs but did not factor into the decision despite allowing just three hits and striking out five.

The Dodgers have won six of their last eight games but suffered an 11-4 loss in the series finale against the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

The Pirates will counter with Zach Duke (2-5, 5.55), who benefited from 10 runs of support in his last start. He yielded five runs - three earned - and seven hits in five innings in that outing, a 14-10 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday.

He is 1-2 with an 8.15 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles.