Wolf goes 10K to win

With the threat of their first home rainout in seven years looming Friday, the Dodgers’ groundskeepers used a squeegee-like contraption to disperse puddles along the right-field line and a blower to dry troublesome spots in the outfield.

Then, once the skies cleared, the Dodgers effectively took a blowtorch to Pittsburgh starter Tony Armas in the third inning of a 10-2 victory at Dodger Stadium that sent a chilled crowd of 43,845 home with a coupon for free chicken wings by virtue of the double-digit output.

The Dodgers sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs during the decisive third inning, with pitcher Randy Wolf’s two-run double into the right-field corner being the biggest blow. Wolf also doubled down the left-field line in the fifth inning, giving him as many doubles in one game as he had in all of 2006.

“It was a fun day for us,” said Wolf, who has won 12 of his last 13 decisions dating to May 9, 2005.

Wolf proved to be double trouble for Pittsburgh, confounding the Pirates on the mound as well as at the plate. Mixing his fastball and curveball, he gave up one run in six innings and struck out 10, the most by a Dodgers pitcher this season.

It was the most strikeouts by the left-hander since he struck out a career-high 13 against Cincinnati on Sept. 21, 2002. Wolf did not allow a Pirates runner to reach second base after the first inning and was in such control that Manager Grady Little was able to empty his bench over the final three innings.

Armas couldn’t keep the Dodgers off the basepaths in the third after retiring leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal on a foul popup. Juan Pierre singled off first baseman Adam LaRoche’s glove, Nomar Garciaparra walked and Jeff Kent stroked a run-scoring single to left to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.

Luis Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring single to left-center before Armas hit Russell Martin with a pitch to load the bases for Andre Ethier, whose sacrifice fly to the warning track in left fell only a few feet short of a grand slam.

Wilson Betemit continued the onslaught with a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield before Wolf capped the six-run inning with his first double. Armas couldn’t complete the inning, his earned-run average having ballooned to 18.90 after he was shelled for seven hits and eight runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Ethier tacked on an insurance run with a fifth-inning solo homer for the Dodgers (12-5), who now have the best record in the major leagues as they extended their lead in the National League West to two games over second-place San Diego.

Garciaparra put the Dodgers ahead to stay in the bottom of the first when he drove in his team-leading 12th and 13th runs with a two-run single to right.

“Everyone’s chipping in and getting a lot of production,” Little said. “That’s what it’s like for us, and we’re going to remain that way.”

Little had initially planned to send Wolf (3-1) back out for the seventh inning, but after a lengthy bottom of the sixth in which the Dodgers tacked on their final run, Little decided to go with reliever Chad Billingsley.

Wolf needed 30 pitches to get through the first inning before finding a comfortable rhythm.

“I was in the zone but wasn’t able to put away guys quickly,” said Wolf, who walked one and gave up six hits. “My command got better as the game went on.”

The game started on time despite afternoon showers and the fact that the tarp remained on the field about an hour before the scheduled first pitch. There has not been a rainout at Dodger Stadium since April 17, 2000.

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ben.bolch@latimes.com