LOS ANGELES -- After he watched Manny Ramirez strike out in his first
two at-bats against Carlos Zambrano on Thursday night in Game 2 of the
National League Division Series, Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe had a
question for the slugger when he got back to the dugout.

"I said, 'Manny, do you feel bad for that guy?'" Lowe recalled. "He
said, 'I'm OK, Papi, we've got a long way to go.'"

A long way is exactly how far Ramirez hit the ball in his next at-bat,
a towering homer to dead center in the fifth inning and he drove in
another run in the eighth inning with a single.

While others express surprise at the kind of numbers Ramirez has put
up in this series -- a .500 batting average to go with two homers and
three RBIs, four runs scored and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of
1.850 -- or the fact that he's done it with a big smile on his face
the whole time, Lowe and Nomar Garciaparra just chuckle.

The pair played with Ramirez in Boston and grew accustomed to amazing
performances at the plate and a playful attitude to go along with it.

"This is who he is," Lowe said. "I think people on the West Coast
don't realize how good he is, how consistent he is. People on the West
Coast maybe not seeing as much as I have are kind of taken aback by
how good he is game in and game out."

Ramirez hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games for the
Dodgers after coming over from Boston just moments before the July 31
Trade Deadline.

For Garciaparra, the way Ramirez has produced reaffirmed what he said
on the day the Dodgers acquired the slugger.

"I told you that before when he was coming over here what he was going
to be like and I don't think I was wrong," Garciaparra said. "I was
right on, and I think you guys are finding that out right now. The guy
enjoys the game, plays hard, is amazing to watch. It's the stuff I've
seen for the longest time."

Ramirez's tenure in a Red Sox uniform ended on a sour note with plenty
of bad feelings, but the unhappy Ramirez that was seen in Boston
earlier this year is something to which Lowe cannot relate.

"I wasn't there this year, but this is how he's always been," Lowe
said of Ramirez's good nature. "He's a kid is really what he is. This
is how he's been and probably how he always will be."

Ramirez's carefree demeanor has had a positive effect in the Dodgers'
clubhouse, and he has certainly taken some of the pressure off his
teammates.

"You probably had an impression of him when he was coming over and you
are probably scratching your head," Garciaparra said to reporters.
"He's an awesome guy, he's fun, he enjoys the game and he's amazing to
watch. This is the stuff I've seen all along throughout all the time I
played with him. He's always having fun, enjoying himself and doing
what he's doing. It doesn't surprise me because I've seen it. It's the
type of guy he is."

No one has hit more postseason home runs than Ramirez, who hit his
26th Thursday night. After his Game 1 performance in which he homered
and once again played a big role in a Dodgers' win, Ramirez downplayed
the mark and then told the media that he was changing his name to Dave
Roberts, the speedy outfielder. That was in reference to the fact that
he was able to beat out an infield hit.

So, have you ever had this much fun playing baseball, Manny?

"Yeah, I have fun every day," he said. "I'm just happy to be alive and
blessed to be in the playoffs."

So far in this series, it's the Dodgers that seemed to be blessed with
Ramirez's presence.

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Postseason Power

Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez is the all-time leader in Major
League postseason home runs.

No. Player HR PA

1 Manny Ramirez 26 433
2 Bernie Williams 22 544
3 Reggie Jackson 18 318
3 Mickey Mantle 18 273
5 Derek Jeter 17 562
5 Jim Thome 17 216
7 Babe Ruth 15 167
8 David Justice 14 471
9 Jim Edmonds 13 252
9 Chipper Jones 13 412
9 Albert Pujols 13 224

Source: Steve Gilbert / MLB.com