Recently in Manny Ramirez Category

After going 1-for-2 with a walk in his first game of his latest rehab assignment, Manny Ramirez returned for Game 2 in San Bernardino on Thursday.
Ramirez started and played in left field Thursday. He struck out twice and walked, before leaving the game after five innings. He did not appear to be bothered by the sore calf that put him on the DL, but also did look tentative playing left field.

Ramirez is tenatitively expected to play a third game for the 66ers tonight as they wrap up their four-game series with Lake Elsinore at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

The Dodgers said on Tuesday that their oft-injured outfielder, Manny Ramirez will begin yet another rehabilitation assignment with the 66ers on Wednesday. The Sixers are currently hosting Lake Elsinore for a four-game series that runs through Friday before hitting the road.

Ramirez has been out for about a month with a strained right calf, his third stint on the disabled list this season.

In early May, Ramirez played two games for the Sixers at Lake Elsinore, going 1-for-4 with a walk, a run and an RBI. From July 10-12, he played three games in San Bernardino for the Sixers against Lancaster, going 0-for-9 and striking out five times.

Although he served as DH four times in his five previous Cal League rehab games this year, he is expected to play more left field this time. Regardless, fans seemed less enthused this year than last year about Ramirez's appearance, and Ramirez seemed less enthused, too as seen in his performance.

If you want to see a 500-home run hitter in a Cal League ballpark, great. Just don't expect many fireworks.

Last year, he was much more productive for the Sixers, going 3-for-7 in three games with a home run as he returned from suspension.

The 66ers hadn't swept the Lake Elsinore Storm in any series since June 10-12, 2008, and hadn't swept a series at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore since July 31-August 2, 2007.

So despite each pitching staff walking a season-high 11 batters and the Sixers leaving 13 men on base, the Sixers' 10-8 victory over host Lake Elsinore was a thing of beauty for them, giving the Sixers a three-game sweep and a fifth straight win.

It gives the team a lot of momentum heading home for a three-game series against Lancaster. Manny Ramirez is expected to play in a rehabilitation assignment for Saturday's game.

The Sixers snapped a 6-6 tie with four runs in the top of the ninth, the last two of which were unearned against Aaron Breit (2-5). Chris Gutierrez's RBI double snapped the tie, and an insurance run scored on a fielding error by Jesus Lopez on a Brad Ausmus grounder. Two more runs scored to make it 10-6 on a bases-loaded walk by Travis Denker and a sacrifice fly by Pedro Baez, which proved important.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Storm rallied. Allan Dykstra hit a leadoff homer and Jesus Lopez walked before Adam Zornes struck out against Brandon Mann (3-0), who had allowed the tying run to score in the eighth.

Matt Sartor (fifth save) then replaced Mann and allowed an RBI single to Daniel Robertson to make it 10-8, and a double off the wall in right by Cole Figueroa, after Vince Belnome walked for the fourth time in the game to load the bases, Sartor got Cody Decker to pop up and Jaff Decker to fly out to end the game.

It was the second straight crazy win. On Thursday, the Sixers trailed 4-2 entering the ninth, only to score three times to take the lead. Lake Elsinore tied it 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth before Austin Gallagher's sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th gave the Sixers the lead. They had to hold on, however, as the Storm left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th.

Fans of Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez were already expected to be well-represented for Saturday's 66er home game at Arrowhead Credit Union Park in San Bernardino. After all, the Sixers are giving away Ramirez action figures to the first 1,000 fans 12 and under.

But now, Ramirez himself will be in a Sixers uniform for the game.

Ramirez (hamstring) is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment with the 66ers beginning on Saturday, his third such rehab assignment in the last two years.

Ramirez is scheduled to serve as DH for Saturday's game against Lancaster, the opening of a three-game series. He might return to play Sunday and Monday with the team. Both of those games are at home as well.

Earlier this year, Ramirez served a two-game rehab assignment with the Sixers May 4 and 6, going 1-for-4 at Lake Elsinore  He was recovering from a calf injury.

Last year, on June 27-29, Ramirez played three games for the Sixers, as he was returning from a 50-game suspension for failing a drug test. He went 3-for-7 in the three games, homering in his first game, at Lake Elsinore, then playing two games at home against the Quakes.

Also expected to play for the Sixers is Dodgers catcher Brad Ausmus, recovering from a strained back. It would be Ausmus' fourth game of a rehab assignment with the Sixers. He served as DH Wednesday and Friday, and caught Thursday. He is expected to catch Saturday.

Manny Ramirez, appearing in his second game for the 66ers as part of a rehabilitation assignment for a strained right calf, went 0-for-1 with a walk, a run scored and a strikeout before coming out of the game for a pinch-hitter. It appears to be his last rehab game with the Sixers. Prior to the game, he was expected to be activated from the disabled list by the Dodgers on Saturday.

If he does nothing more in his career, Clay Calfee can say he once pinch-hit for Manny Ramirez. Of course, people don't need to know that it was in a Single-A rehab game. Calfee pinch-hit for Ramirez in the fifth inning. Ramirez played left field, but did not have a single ball hit to him.

He did have an adventure on the basepaths. After Ramirez walked in the first inning, Justin Sellers also walked. With one out, Travis Denker hit a line drive right back at Nick Schmidt.

Schmidt couldn't catch it, but knocked it down. Ramirez, apparently thinking it had been caught, stayed close to second. Schmidt didn't realize it and threw to first to retire Denker.

That's when Ramirez took off for third. First baseman Allan Dykstra noticed that and tried to throw him out. But the throw sailed high over third baseman Vince Belnome and Ramirez trotted home to put the Sixers up 1-0.

Manny Ramirez IS with the 66ers in Lake Elsinore. He just finished stretching and is about to take batting practice. He is set to bat leadoff and play left field as he rehabilitates from a right calf injury.

He played on Tuesday in the first game of his rehab assignment and was 1-for-3. He originally was expected to play Wednesday and tonight, but he just took batting practice with the Dodgers Wednesday. Undoubtedly there were some fans who showed up Wednesday in Lake Elsinore expecting to see Manny. The Storm promoted it and I could see several Ramirezs jerseys among the crowd. But he is here tonight in what is expected to be his last appearance with the Sixers.

One day after hearing that Dodgers right-hander Jeff Weaver (back) would be rehabilitating with the 66ers in the opener of a three-game series at Lake Elsinore on Tuesday, the team received a bigger piece of news.

Manny Ramirez (right calf), who played for the Sixers last year, is also expected to be playing for the Sixers on Tuesday on a rehab assignment. It's been reported in several places, including Dodgers.com. There is no word yet how long Ramirez's rehab assignment would be, but he's likely not coming to San Bernardino. After three games in Lake Elsinore, the Sixers play four games at Lancaster. The team returns home May 11.

Last year, Ramirez played for the Sixers at the end of his 50-game suspension for failing a drug test. That first game was also at Lake Elsinore, where he went 2-for-2 with a walk and a home run. He then played the next two days in San Bernardino, going 1-for-5 with a walk.

Not too bad for the Storm. Two years in a row, they get a home game with Ramirez rehabbing for the Sixers. Last year, it was on a Saturday, when there was already going to be a big crowd (over 8,000 ended up turning out). This year, it's on a Tuesday, so an otherwise light night will be quite a bit busier.