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Jul 4, 2009 - 6:49 AM 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.