LOS ANGELES -- The Pirates are on pace to lose 106 games and the Dodgers are doing what they can this weekend to make it happen.

After a six-run whipping Friday night, four Dodgers pitchers threw a 7-0 shutout Saturday, with Aaron Sele getting the win and Andre Ethier driving in four runs, high for his brief career.

That pretty much was the theme of the night, veterans like Sele and Jeff Kent and Olmedo Saenz combining with rookies like Ethier, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin and Jonathan Broxton to pull the Dodgers back into a tie with San Diego for the division lead and hand former manager Jim Tracy's Pirates their 10th consecutive loss.

Sele, coming off back-to-back short losing starts, corrected a mechanical flaw in his windup and was pleased with his improved body balance and pitch command. After walking eight without a strikeout in eight preceding innings, he struck out four with one walk and only one baserunner advanced past second.

Possessing more Major League victories than any pitcher in training camp, Sele had to swallow his pride and start the season in Triple-A. But he resurrected his career again and since his promotion to replace Odalis Perez in the rotation, he's 4-2 with a 2.73 ERA, giving the Dodgers seven quality starts out of nine outings. He's a perfect 4-0 at Dodger Stadium with a 1.42 ERA.

So after Derek Lowe's complete game and five scoreless innings by Brett Tomko before he left with an injury, Sele added his six innings and Dodgers starters have allowed only two runs over the last 20 innings while being credited with victories in three consecutive games for the first time in more than a month.

"I made an adjustment and felt like it helped my timing," said Sele, who turns 36 Sunday. "I had to get my pitches down and get my walks down and I did. Let them put the ball in play and the defense played good behind me."

By the time Sele was lifted for a pinch-hitter, the Dodgers had a 5-0 lead. Both rallies started with singles by Pirates killer Saenz, were fueled by Kemp doubles and cashed in with RBI singles from Ethier.

Back in Spring Training -- when Ethier was trying to make a good impression on a new organization that had just acquired him from Oakland in the Milton Bradley trade -- the left-handed hitter was quietly amused at indications the club didn't think he could hit left-handed pitching.

"I don't think I necessarily have to prove I can hit lefties," he said after his pair of two-run singles off Zach Duke in four at-bats left him 8-for-19 this season against lefties. "My track record, my whole life, I've hit lefties,"

General manager Ned Colletti traded for Ethier, the Texas League's player of the year in 2005, on the recommendation of veteran scout Al LaMacchia. Ethier's .320 batting average leads all National League rookies

Ethier was caught in a rundown after his second-inning hit, but after his sixth-inning hit he came around to score on an RBI single by Martin. Joining the rookie contribution, Broxton and his 96 mph fastballs followed Sele to the mound and the contrast was overwhelming, as he struck out the side on 14 pitches.

"This is a pretty special group of kids we've got," said Sele. "Not only quality players with talent, but they're quality people and they are willing to learn. And we have enough veterans here that want to teach them how to do it."

Saenz could do some teaching about how to hit the Pirates in general and Duke in particular. He went 2-for-3 and now is 8-for-10 lifetime against Duke, 10-for-18 against the Pirates this year and 21-for-44 (.477) lifetime. On the season, he's batting .306.

Kent again made manager Grady Little's lineup tinkering look brilliant. He homered for the second consecutive game since being returned to the cleanup spot, a two-run shot off Solomon Torres in the seventh inning that capped the scoring.

Since returning from the disabled list June 13, Kent is hitting .341, but his bat caught fire before he injured his wrist. Since bottoming out at .181 on May 4, he has hit .356. He has 339 career home runs, tying Dave Parker, Boog Powell and Tino Martinez for 75th on the all-time list.

Sele combined with Broxton, Joe Beimel and Takashi Saito on the Dodgers' fourth shutout of the season. Saito has not allowed a run in his last 13 2/3 innings over 12 outings.