Wed Apr 16 01:56:41 2008

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Dodgers crush Pirates on Jackie Robinson Day

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Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Jeff Kent clubbed a three-run home run as the Los Angeles Dodgers pummeled the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-2, on Jackie Robinson Tribute Night at Dodger Stadium.

Russell Martin also homered, while James Loney extended his season-opening hitting streak to 14 games with an RBI single for Los Angeles, which snapped a two-game losing streak. The top four hitters in the lineup for the Dodgers were a combined 8-for-16 with seven RBI and eight runs scored.

The win went to Esteban Loaiza (1-2), who tossed five innings of one-run ball in relief of Hong-Chih Kuo. Kuo allowed one run on two hits over four innings in the start, walking three and fanning six. Coincidentally, Kuo had replaced a struggling Loaiza in the rotation.

The loss went to Matt Morris (0-2), who surrendered six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in another shaky outing for the Pirates. The veteran hurler walked a batter and fanned one, while the bullpen also struggled.

Nate McLouth went 2-for-4 with a run scored for Pittsburgh, which had a four- game win streak snapped.

A special pregame ceremony was held to mark the 61st anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. All players and uniformed personnel also donned No. 42 in Robinson's honor, while Don Newcombe, a former teammate of Robinson with the Dodgers, tossed the game's ceremonial first pitch.

With ceremonies aside, the Pirates were able to scrape together a first-inning run, as McLouth hit a leadoff single and came all the way around to score on three consecutive two-out walks to Jason Bay, Xavier Nady and Ronny Paulino.

Los Angeles came storming back in the fourth, putting three on the board. Rafael Furcal doubled, Matt Kemp singled and both scored on Andre Ethier's double. Kent then grounded out, but Ethier came home on Loney's base hit to right.

A five-run fifth followed.

Furcal's RBI single made it 4-1, and after he stole second, Kemp tripled for a four-run cushion. Phil Dumatrait then came on to stop the bleeding for the Pirates, but he promptly plunked Ethier before Kent blasted a three-run shot to fuel the rout.

Kent grounded into a double play, but still pushed across a run in the seventh. Pittsburgh got it back in the eighth on Freddy Sanchez's sac fly, but the Dodgers added two more in the home half, including Martin's leadoff homer.

Game Notes

The Pirates have not won five consecutive games since April 22-27 of last season...The Dodgers had dropped six of seven coming in...Behind Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers won six pennants in 10 seasons along with the 1955 World Series title.