Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press Chris Duffy steals second as Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal drops the ball while trying to tag him during the third inning today.

LOS ANGELES -- Another fine start by Tom Gorzelanny, some badly needed offense generated by Chris Duffy and a save by Salomon Torres helped the Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-5, this afternoon to snap a four-game losing streak.

"There was a lot to like in this one," manager Jim Tracy said.

"It felt good," Duffy said. "Really good."

Gorzelanny allowed three runs in six innings to improve to 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He struck out six and walked two while giving up five hits.

Duffy, the Pirates' leadoff man, went 3 for 5, scored three runs, stole two bases and took another when drawing an errant throw. He is batting .292 for the season and has reached base safely in 14 of the 15 games in which he has made a plate appearance.

The bullpen played a role, too, undoubtedly more than it might have liked.

The Pirates led, 7-3, entering the eighth, and Los Angeles' first batter, Juan Pierre, lined a Shawn Chacon pitch off the tip of second baseman Freddy Sanchez's glove and into right field. It was generously ruled a single.

Olmedo Saenz walked, and that was it for Chacon. Matt Capps got Jeff Kent to fly out but walked Luis Gonzalez to load the bases.

Russell Martin's sacrifice fly brought one run, and pinch-hitter Nomar Garciaparra's single cut the Pirates' lead to 7-5.

Torres' inning would be harrowing, too, but he would emerge with his sixth save.

Andre Ethier's routine fly to right that should have opened the ninth with an out, but it clanked off the heel of Nate McLouth's glove for another defensive blunder. Torres fanned Rafael Furcal on a splitter, but Pierre singled to right to put the tying runs at first and second.

That brought up Saenz, a longtime Pirates nemesis who already had doubled and homered in the game. Torres froze him with another sharp splitter.

Finally came Kent, who grounded out to third after Torres had dug him an 0-2 hole.

"Our closer ... give him credit," Tracy said. "We haven't made things very easy for him, I can tell you that. And this man is still standing out there with his head held high. He's going to be doing that all year for us."

The Pirates finished their seven-game road trip 3-4 and improved to 7-10 overall.

Duffy was largely responsible for a quick 3-0 lead.

In the first inning, he beat out a bunt single, stole second and took third on Martin's errant throw from behind home plate. One out later, he came home on Freddy Sanchez's groundout.

Duffy opened the third with a single to right and, again, stole second. He took third on Brett Tomko's wild pitch, then scored on Jack Wilson's infield single. Wilson took an extra base on that play when the second baseman Kent misfired with the throw. One out later, he scored from third when Pierre dropped Jason Bay's popup in shallow center.

"I was pretty frustrated with my running game," Duffy said. "All that stuff about timing the pitcher, watching his slide step ... I threw it all out the window and just ran."

Gorzelanny was perfect through three, but Los Angeles got to him in the fourth to pull within 3-2.

With runners on second and third and two outs, it appeared he might escape a jam. But he could not handle Gonzalez's sharp comebacker to the mound, which squirted between his legs for an infield single and one run. Two full-count walks brought another run.

The Pirates got those back after two outs in the sixth.

LaRoche rode Tomko's first-pitch fastball the other way for a solo home run to left-center. He has six hits all season, but half of those have been home runs.

Jose Bautista followed with a hustling double to center and trotted home on McLouth's looping liner to the same part of the park.

Saenz opened the bottom of that inning with a solo shot to the left-field pavilion, and Los Angeles was within 5-3.

That was it for Gorzelanny, as his pitch count hit 107.

Can he sustain this level of pitching all season long?

"I hope so," he said. "I'm going to go out there every day and try. I'm going to battle, compete and keep us in the game. That's all that matters."

Bay's two-run double - precisely the type of hit the Pirates have been lacking all season - in the seventh off Chad Billingsley made it 7-3.

Also today, the Pirates optioned reliever Juan Perez to Class AAA Indianapolis to clear space for John Grabow, who will rejoin the team Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Perez had a 0.00 ERA through eight appearances but had given up four hits and five walks in his 3 1/3 innings.

Outfielder Xavier Nady was held out of the game because of the left hamstring that was strained Saturday night. The initial prognosis in the morning, based on Nady's strength tests Saturday, were "very good," Tracy said. But that changed after more tests yesterday, which Tracy described as "a little less" on the scale.

Nady will be evaluated when the team returns to Pittsburgh, and an update will come Tuesday.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.