By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- This couldn't-get-any-easier clinching is
becoming very hard for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They'll be
playing one of the NL's best clubs 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 RBIs 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)."

Uh, oh: The Dodgers get another such team Tuesday in the Padres,
who trail them by 21 games. 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.

It was no day at the beach for the Dodgers, even if it might
have resembled one as wind gusts of up to 30 mph created huge
whitecaps on the Allegheny River behind PNC Park's right-field
stands.

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 baserunning was terrible,"
Torre said. "I have no excuse for it."

The Dodgers had champagne iced in their clubhouse, ready to
celebrate on Sunday, but the Pirates scored four runs in the
bottom of the ninth. Now, it must be toted to San Diego for the
start of a two-game series.

"It's baseball, baby, it's baseball. It happens," Hudson said.
"They just weren't going to roll over and let us celebrate on
their field."

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 NL-high 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. Even Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa seemed
surprised, saying something to Duke as he walked by.

"I wanted it pretty bad, I'm not going to lie," said Duke, who
is arbitration-eligible and thus lost a complete 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 three
homers and nine RBIs 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.

Garrett Jones had an RBI single in the second and homered, his
21st, in the fourth immediately after LaRoche went deep. Jones
was called up June 30 and leads NL rookies in homers.

LaRoche had a chance for the cycle his final two times up. He
rounded second sharply and thought about trying to advance after
he doubled to center in the sixth, but pulled up. He hit a
two-run homer in the eighth, his 12th.

NOTES: Duke was 0-4 with an 8.54 ERA in five starts since
beating the Reds on Aug. 22. ... The Pirates' home attendance of
1,577,853 was their lowest since PNC Park opened in 2001.