• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Dodgers eye four-game series split vs. Diamondbacks

Aug 3, 2008 - 12:45 PM Arizona (57-53) at LA Dodgers (55-55) 4:10 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake each showed the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday exactly how they could play a large role in helping them overtake the Arizona Diamondbacks atop the National League West.

On Sunday, the new Dodger duo will look to help their current employer keep pace with the Diamondbacks and salvage a series split when the teams conclude their four-game set.

Ramirez, acquired in Thursday's three-way trade deadline deal with Boston and Pittsburgh, wasted little time appealing to his new team, gong 2-for-4 with his first homer as a Dodger in Los Angeles' 4-2 win on Saturday.

Blake also belted his first home run with his new team in the victory for the Dodgers, who trail Arizona by two games in the hotly contested NL West.

In the series finale, the pair will attempt to solve Doug Davis (4-5, 3.86 ERA), who flirted with a perfect game in his last outing and is 4-2 lifetime with a 2.06 ERA in seven starts against the Dodgers.

The lefthander, who yielded just two hits and struck out eight over 7 2/3 innings in Tuesday's 3-0 win at San Diego, did not allow a baserunner until Brian Giles' broke up his run at perfection with a two-out single in the seventh.

Los Angeles will counter with journeyman Jason Johnson (1-0, 1.38 ERA) , who will make only his second start since August 16, 2006. The righthander collected his first win in over two years in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Giants after allowing five hits over six frames.