David Ortiz, Red Sox Hot as Manny Ramirez and Dodgers Come to Town

In case you hadn’t heard, Manny Ramirez is coming to town.

Ramirez returns to Fenway Park for the first time since he was traded from the Red Sox midway through the 2008 season when the Sox host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

All eyes will be on the Dodgers’ slugger, who hit .312 with 274 home runs in seven-plus seasons in Boston while mystifying many with his antics on and off the field.

When he arrives, Ramirez will be a shadow of his former self, although still very productive. He is hitting .295 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 48 games, missing some time earlier in the year with a right calf injury.

Ramirez and the rest of the Dodgers, who have lost four of their last six, will face Red Sox left-hander Felix Doubront, making his major league debut in place of the injured Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Fellow rookie Carlos Monasterios goes for L.A.

WHEN AND WHERE

HEAD TO HEAD

PITCHING MATCHUP

Doubront went 6-1 with a 2.11 ERA in 12 starts split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, earning the call-up to fill the start of Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was placed on the disabled list last Saturday.

The Venezuela native, who impressed with seven scoreless innings with the big club during spring training, did not allow a home run in 59 2/3 innings in the minors.

Doubront’s counterpart, the 24-year-old Monasterios, is not far removed from his first major league start, either, which came early last month. He is coming off his worst outing with the Dodgers, however, giving up four runs on seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings against the Angels five days ago.

LINEUPS

STAT SHEET

• Boston owns the best record in the majors at 36-19 since April 20.
• David Ortiz is 11-for-23 (.478) with four doubles, two homers and eight RBIs in his last six games.
• Daniel Nava is 8-for-18 (.444) with six RBIs in five games since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Dodgers

• L.A. is 101-115 in interleague play and hasn’t had a winning record in a season against AL teams since 2004.
• Righty John Ely has a 9.20 ERA over his last three starts.
• The Dodgers drew seven walks and struck out twice in Thursday’s 7-1 loss to Cincinnati.

BLACK AND BLUE

• Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a right forearm strain. He will throw a three-inning simulated game on Saturday.
• Outfielder Jeremy Hermida was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday after an MRI revealed five fractured ribs, the result of a collision with third baseman Adrian Beltre one week earlier.
• An MRI conducted last Wednesday revealed a new fracture in outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury‘s ribs. Ellsbury, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 28 for the second time this year, went to the Athletes’ Performance center in Arizona last week for at least two weeks of rest and recovery.
• Josh Beckett threw long toss again Wednesday. He is expected to have one more day of throwing before taking a day off. Beckett remains on the DL with a lower back strain.
• Infielder Jed Lowrie continues to try to work back from mononucleosis.

Dodgers

• Right-hander Chad Billingsley went on the 15-day disabled list with a right groin strain, retroactive to June 12.
• Righty Vicente Padilla has been on the DL since April 23 with a right forearm injury, but is expected to be activated to start the series finale.
• Shortstop Rafael Furcal was placed on the bereavement list Thursday.

OUTLOOK

With Boston coping with the loss to one team from L.A. already, the Red Sox will attempt to provide a lift and exact revenge on another. The Sox are in a good position to do so, winners of seven of their last 10 and owners of a 7-2 interleague record this season. Their consistent play has also pulled them within two games of AL East leaders New York and Tampa Bay.

The Dodgers will provide a true test after taking two of three from the NL Central-leading Reds.