PHOENIX -- As he was getting knocked around in his previous outing, Randy Wolf was unhappy but not upset. He knew what was wrong and how to fix it.
The left-hander was much more effective Sunday against a heavy-hitting Texas team.
Wolf allowed only one hit over six innings and struck out six, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 11-4 victory over the Rangers.
The veteran pitcher even had a big day at the plate with a pair of hits, including a two-run double.
Wolf yielded only two runs in his first five starts before the Chicago Cubs roughed him up for seven runs and 10 hits last Tuesday.
"I didn't like how I was throwing and my arm angle needed an adjustment," Wolf said. "I had a good side session with [pitching coach] Rick [Honeycutt] and it helped out quite a bit."
On a blustery day with the wind blowing out, Wolf allowed only Joaquin Arias' fourth-inning single in his 79-pitch stint. He did more damage than that himself, doubling home Juan Pierre and Brad Ausmus in the second and then singling and scoring on Orlando Hudson's two-run double in the fourth.
Wolf had plenty of offensive support from Matt Kemp, who hit his third homer of the spring, and Jason Repko, who added a three-run shot in the eighth.
"[Wolf] was something. He used all his pitches, located his fastball and even swung the bat," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "When we pinch hit for him, you feel like a criminal."
The Rangers got all their runs in the final two innings. Chris Davis had a solo homer in the eighth and Adam Fox hit a two-run shot off reliever Cory Wade as part of a three-run ninth.
"We had a very sluggish day. Our day off [Monday] is coming at the perfect time," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "That's a pretty good hitting lineup over there. They make you throw the ball over the plate and our pitchers were getting the ball up."
Manny Ramirez, who has missed a week with tightness in his left hamstring, is scheduled to return to the Dodgers' lineup Monday against the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe. Torre said Ramirez will be a designated hitter for at least the first two or three games.
Notes
The field of pitchers vying for the fifth spot in the rotation was reduced by one when the Dodgers cut LHP Shawn Estes. The 36-year-old, who had an 8.44 ERA this spring, has the option of a minor league assignment with the team. That leaves RHP James McDonald, LHP Eric Milton, RHP Eric Stults and RHP Claudio Vargas as the remaining candidates for the job. RHP Charlie Haeger, LHP Stephen Randolph, RHP Nick DeBarr, INF Hector Luna, OF Mitch Jones and OF Valentino Pascucci also were reassigned to the minors, reducing the roster to 41 players. ... Dodgers OF Andre Ethier was 0-for-5, dropping his spring average to .188.
