ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Although Darren Dreifort isn't pitching as good as he did early in the season, he finally got another win for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite giving up four runs and nine hits over seven innings, Dreifort (4-3) won for the first time in five starts as the Dodgers beat the Texas Rangers 11-6 Wednesday.

"I'll take a win any way I can get it -- me giving up a bunch and us scoring a bunch to win, I'll take it," said Dreifort, who struck out six and walked two.

Dreifort had allowed 21 earned runs in 19 2/3 innings in his previous four starts, giving up 13 earned runs in seven innings of two straight losses. That came after he started the season 3-1 and allowed two earned runs or less in five of seven appearances.

Asked if he could pinpoint the difference, Dreifort couldn't provide an answer.

"Dreifort was a little shaky early," Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said. "He didn't hit his spots, he was up and he didn't throw his breaking ball as effective. Then he got into a pretty good grove and pitched a strong game. It was great for him and great for the ballclub to go seven strong (innings)."

Mark Grudzielanek had three hits, needing only a home run for the cycle, as the Dodgers improved to 5-3 at The Ballpark in Arlington since interleague play began four years ago. They won the last two in this three-game series.

After striking out in the first inning, when the Dodgers went ahead to stay, Grudzielanek had an RBI triple in a three-run second off Texas starter Rick Helling. He hit a double in the fourth, and greeted reliever Tim Crabtree with an RBI single in the sixth.

Grudzielanek, 3-for-5 with three RBI, is hitting .351 (54-for-154) in his last 35 games. He added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Matt Herges, the second Dodgers reliever in the eighth, allowed an RBI double to Jason McDonald, the first batter he faced. But he got out of a bases-loaded jam when Rusty Greer lined out.

McDonald also had an RBI double off Dreifort, as did Greer and Rafael Palmeiro.

Like Dreifort, Helling is a former first-round draft pick. Helling was taken by Texas as the 22nd overall pick in the 1992 draft, a year before the Dodgers took Dreifort with the second overall pick.

Helling (7-4), who lost his third straight start after a five-game winning streak, left after Alex Cora and F.P. Santangelo led off the sixth with consecutive doubles to put the Dodgers up 6-4. Grudzielanek, the first batter that Crabtree faced, hit an RBI single.

The five-plus innings was Helling's shortest outing since he pitched just 3 1/3 innings in his first start this season. He had pitched into at least the seventh inning his last 11 starts.

Helling gave up seven runs on 11 hits, the most he has allowed in 115 major league starts. He struck out five and walked three.

"I gave up a lot of hits. Not all of them were hard hits, but they kept finding holes," Helling said. "I need to do a better job of getting out of the gate. I seem to settle down, but it's hard to get the offense behind the 8-ball early."

Dave Hansen had three hits, including a two-run double off Crabtree in the sixth when the Dodgers put the game out of reach with four runs. Cora doubled twice and scored two runs.

"We made a few good pitches an a whole lot of bad pitches," Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "There were a lot of balls that were catchable and playable that we weren't able to make. Overall, it was just not one of our better days."

Los Angeles scored in each of the first three innings to go ahead 5-3.

Santangelo led off the game with a single, stole second and then scored on Gary Sheffield's single. Hansen had a leadoff walk in the second inning and later came home on a passed ball against Ivan Rodriguez before Cora's RBI double and Grudzielanek's RBI triple.

Notes: After the game, the Rangers optioned relief pitcher Jonathan Johnson back to Triple-A Oklahoma. ... Despite consecutive losses, Texas has won 10 of its last 13 home games. With the makeup Thursday of a rained out game against Houston, the Dodgers begin an 11-game homestand. ... Texas plays its next nine games on the road. ... Ruben Mateo, the rookie center fielder who is out for the season after breaking his right leg last Friday, made a brief appearance in the Rangers clubhouse during the game.