Manny Ramirez returned to the big leagues as only he could. Wearing sunglasses and with his famous dreadlocks in a ponytail, the Los Angeles Dodgers' slugger apologized to fans and teammates during a news conference Friday afternoon. He refused to answer questions about steroids, laying off them as if they were pitches in the dirt.

Manny Ramirez undoubtedly will be welcomed with open arms by the Dodgers on Friday when he rejoins the team at San Diego following his 50-game suspension. But his return doesn't figure to be all wine and roses.

For starters, Ramirez can expect a chilly—perhaps even hostile—reaction from fans at Petco Park, where the Dodgers are universally despised and where Padres fans—unlike San Francisco fans who still largely support Barry Bonds—can jeer Ramirez without the slightest hint of hypocrisy.

More important, perhaps, is the fact Ramirez doesn't figure to be in anything close to midseason form when he returns. As general manager Ned Colletti told the Los Angeles Times earlier this week, 50 games is a long time.

Manny Ramirez's suspension didn't slow down the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers played their 50th and final game without Ramirez, beating the Colorado Rockies 1-0 Wednesday on pinch-hitter Rafael Furcal's RBI single in the eighth inning. During Ramirez's absence, the Dodgers went 29-21.

If the Colorado Rockies are going to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, they'll need more of what Jason Marquis gave them Tuesday night against the team with baseball's best record. Marquis pitched a two-hitter to become the league's first 10-game winner, leading the resurgent Rockies to a 3-0 victory.

Andre Ethier and the Los Angeles Dodgers are making a habit of fantastic finishes. Ethier's two-run homer in the 13th gave the Dodgers a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night in the opener of a suddenly significant series between NL West teams. It was Ethier's fourth walk-off hit this season and the 14th time the Dodgers have won in their final at-bat.

Knowing they face the next couple of months without injured third baseman Adrian Beltre, the Seattle Mariners sounded a lot like the Dodgers did in early May when they learned that Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games. The Dodgers still have the best record in the majors with less than a week to go before Ramirez is eligible to return.

The Seattle Mariners overcame some distressing news from ailing third baseman Adrian Beltre, and evened their interleague series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with another dominating performance by Felix Hernandez. Hernandez scattered four hits over eight innings, Ken Griffey Jr. and Russell Branyan each hit home runs, and the Mariners beat the Dodgers 5-1 on Saturday night for their eighth...