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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres 7/4/2009</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:49:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:49:00 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Padres beat Dodgers 7-4 to spoil Ramirez's homer]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO(AP) -- Manny Ramirez needed only five plate appearances
before hitting his first post-drug suspension home run.

It wasn't enough to help Los Angeles overcome 22-year-old rookie
Everth Cabrera's three RBIs and brilliant defense as the San
Diego Padres beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday.

Ramirez homered in his second game back from his 50-game
suspension for violating baseball's drug policy. It was his
seventh homer of the season and 534th of his career, tying
Jimmie Foxx for 16th on the all-time list. Up next is Mickey
Mantle with 536.

Ramirez dodged reporters afterward, leaving the clubhouse
through a side door.

"I think this is his comfort zone, in that batter's box, in the
ballpark, in the clubhouse, something that he hasn't had for a
couple of months," manager Joe Torre said. "I think it's going
to take a little time, but I think it's just him getting the
rust off and getting used to what he's doing."

With two outs in the first, Geer got ahead of Ramirez 0-2 before
throwing an outside pitch for ball one. The right-hander then
served up a 79-mph changeup that Ramirez drove an estimated 369
feet into the seats in left field for a 1-0 lead.

"I think this is the best medicine for him after having to go
through what he went through," Torre said. "Again, it's not that
you're feeling sorry for him because he obviously was suspended
for a reason and we're past that."

Ramirez left after six innings for the second straight game.
He's 1-for-6 with a walk in two games back.

"I just hung one there with Manny in the first inning," Geer
said, "and of course most good hitters will take advantage of
it."

San Diego scored three runs in the seventh inning and added
three unearned runs in the eighth. Cabrera hit a go-ahead,
two-run single in the seventh. He added an RBI infield single in
the eighth, with a second run scoring on the play on third
baseman Casey Blake's throwing error.

Cabrera had nine assists at shortstop, including two on
grounders by Ramirez that led to bang-bang plays.

"I feel very happy," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "I
always wanted to play like that."

He seemed happiest that it was against the team with the best
record in baseball.

"I get very motivated in those kinds of games and I like the
pressure and feed off it."

Ramirez also hit two ground balls that led to close plays.

Cabrera fielded Ramirez's grounder deep in the hole in the
fourth and threw him out with a one-hopper to first baseman
Gonzalez. Ramirez whipped off his helmet and argued with umpire
Sam Holbrook before being pushed away by first base coach
Mariano Duncan.

With runners on first and third and two outs in the sixth,
Ramirez hit a grounder to almost the same spot. Cabrera bobbled
the ball before throwing to second baseman David Eckstein to
force Russell Martin. Martin argued with Dan Iassogna, and
manager Joe Torre also came out to argue, unsuccessfully.

Even Torre was impressed with Cabrera.

"He seemed to be everywhere we hit the ball," Torre said. "He's
not shy about swinging the bat, either."

The Dodgers had runners on second and third with one out in the
eighth when manager Bud Black turned to NL saves leader Heath
Bell. Andre Ethier had an RBI groundout before Bell got Casey
Blake to fly out to end the inning.

Bell allowed one run in the ninth, on a walk and a single,
before striking out the side to get his first five-out save and
his 23rd in 24 chances.

The Dodgers had gone ahead 2-1 when Blake scored on Greg Burke's
wild pitch in the seventh. It was Burke's first pitch after
relieving starter Josh Geer. Burke (1-0) got two outs in the
seventh for the win.

Loser Ronald Belisario (1-3) allowed three runs and three hits
while getting only one out in the seventh. He walked one batter
and hit another.

The Padres tied it in the third when Geer led off with a double
for his first career extra-base hit, advanced on Cabrera's
sacrifice bunt and scored on David Eckstein's single to
right-center.

Dodgers starter Randy Wolf held San Diego to one run and four
hits in six innings while striking out eight and walking none.
Geer went 6 1-3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. He
struck out one and also didn't issue any walks.

NOTES: Padres C Henry Blanco is headed to the disabled list
after leaving the game with a strained right hamstring. Blanco
pulled up rounding first base after hitting a broken-bat single
with two outs in the second inning. He was replaced by
pinch-runner Eliezer Alfonzo, who stayed in as catcher.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105501-Padres-beat-Dodgers-7-4-to-spoil-Ramirezs-homer</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105501-Padres-beat-Dodgers-7-4-to-spoil-Ramirezs-homer</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:47:07 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dodgers-Padres Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (50-29) at San Diego (34-44), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Manny Ramirez didn't accomplish much in his first game back, but
the Los Angeles Dodgers didn't exactly have high expectations
for him.

Ramirez will try again for his first hit since returning to
action after his 50-game suspension when the Dodgers and San
Diego Padres play the second game of their weekend series
Saturday at Petco Park.

The colorful slugger made his much-anticipated return for Los
Angeles (51-29) on Friday in his first action since May 6. If
the time off hurt him, it showed as he went 0 for 3 with a walk
and barely hit the ball out of the infield in the Dodgers' 6-3
victory.

His first at-bat was a loud one, with Dodgers fans standing and
cheering, and Padres fans trying to drown them out with boos.
Ramirez drew a walk off Padres starter Chad Gaudin.

"It was great," Ramirez said. "I was kind of nervous at first,
but once I stepped to the plate I was fine."

Manager Joe Torre took Ramirez out after the top of the sixth
with the Dodgers leading 6-1.

"I'd be a little jumpy if I were him," Torre said. "There's no
question he's rusty. The only way you can play this game is
practice it, and he really hasn't had a lot of practice."

Ramirez's ban was based on evidence he used human chorionic
gonadotropin, a fertility drug that's banned by baseball, a
person familiar with the suspension told The Associated Press
after the suspension was announced on May 7, speaking on
condition of anonymity because those details were not released.

Rafael Furcal had a season-high four hits and Russell Martin
drove in two runs Friday as the Dodgers improved to 29-11
against NL West opponents this year. They are 8-3 against the
Padres (34-45), who have lost three straight.

"Obviously for the greater part of the season they're still the
top in a lot of offensive categories," San Diego manager Bud
Black said. "Manny makes them that much better."

San Diego managed four hits Friday, and has scored a total of 13
runs over its last six games. The Padres have scored a
league-low 297 runs.

Ramirez will try to fare better Saturday against Josh Geer (1-3,
5.68 ERA), who he has two hits against in three at-bats,
including a homer.

Geer is winless in his last six starts, going 0-2 with a 6.19
ERA. He lost Monday to Houston after allowing three runs over
seven innings in a 3-1 loss.

The right-hander's only start against the Dodgers came April 30
when he allowed four runs over six innings and did not get a
decision in an 8-5 loss.

Los Angeles starter Randy Wolf (3-3, 3.61) hopes for a fresh
start in July after going 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA in six starts in
June. The left-hander gave up two runs over six innings Monday
in a 4-2, 13-inning win over Colorado.

Wolf, who made 21 starts for San Diego in 2008, is 0-2 with a
7.84 ERA in two career starts at Petco Park as a visitor. He is
0-1 with a 4.22 ERA in two starts versus San Diego this year.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105416-Dodgers-Padres-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105416-Dodgers-Padres-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:49:19 GMT</pubDate>
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