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Before his arrival, the Dodgers left fielders combined for 2 home runs.  Since his arrival in LA, Manny Ramirez has been the NL’s top hitter, smashing two opposite field homers out of the spacious Petco Park in San Diego.  In just 38 games in Dodger blue, Ramirez is hitting .396 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI’s, while sporting a hefty1.264 OPS.

The Dodgers have now won 10 of the last 11 games to take a 3 1/2 game lead over the slumping D-Backs.   Despite their recent success it is no time to take a breather, with 10 of the remaining 17 games on the road where they are just 31-40 on the season.  With an off day Thursday, the Dodgers head to Colorado for a three game series with the Rockies, likely the toughest team they will face for the rest of the year.

News & Notes:  Brad Penny was activated before yesterdays game, and was brought in to relieve Derek Lowe after he was hit by a comebacker.  Penny promptly allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases, but escaped allowing only one earned run after Cory Wade got a double play ball to end the inning.

Closer Takashi Saito worked a simulated game and is likely to be activated before Saturday nights game in Colorado.  Torre has not specified what role Saito will play, but has stated he would like to get ‘Sammy’ into a blowout style game to work an inning and see how it goes.  With the Minor league season over, Saito has not had the chance to pitch in a live game since the injury.

“I would like to say I’m 100 percent (healthy), but because the minor-league season is over and I wasn’t able to get into a (rehabilitation) game in the minor leagues, I don’t know if I can say that,” Saito said, with Kenji Nimura translating.

Shortstop Rafael Furcal also looks to return to the big club in the coming weeks. Furcal took batting practice for the first time during Saito’s simulated start.

“It was a good day because I felt good just from being on the field,” Furcal said. “But I didn’t hit the ball so good.”

Manager Joe Torre said if Furcal doesn’t suffer a setback, he could be activated sometime next week. However, Torre has said repeatedly that he doesn’t expect Furcal to be back in the everyday lineup, and Furcal seemed fine with that.

“I don’t want to be a distraction to the team the way they are playing right now,” Furcal said. “I don’t think I should go out there saying I’m going to play all nine innings the first time and then have to come out after the second or third inning. I just want to try to get healthy, and then I can pinch run or maybe bunt if they need me to.”

Furcal said he also is battling some mild tightness in his left hamstring that could be hampering his swing. But he blamed his lack of comfort with the bat primarily on the fact he hadn’t swung one in four months.

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