--LHP Shawn Estes, who had such a poor spring training that the Dodgers basically allowed him to go to Class AAA Albuquerque as a favor rather than releasing him, suddenly has pitched his way onto the organizational radar. In four starts for Albuquerque, including his six shutout innings Tuesday at New Orleans, Estes is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA and has walked just four batters in 19 innings. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti conceded that Estes, like fellow major league veterans and Albuquerque teammates Eric Milton and Jeff Weaver, is now a viable candidate to help the big-league club at some point this season.
--INF Blake DeWitt delivered as a pinch hitter Wednesday and is now 2-for-4 in that role for the season. But DeWitt still is hitting just .176 (3-for-17) overall in the majors this season, and club officials remain concerned that his development is being hampered by a lack of regular playing time. DeWitt said earlier this week that he isn't concerned at all and that he is learning a lot simply by being around the major league club every day. --LF Manny Ramirez hit three doubles Tuesday, matching a franchise record achieved many times.
BY THE NUMBERS: .480 -- Combined batting average for Dodgers reserves Brad Ausmus and Mark Loretta, two veteran players and former everyday guys on the down sides of their careers who have accepted bench roles in their first season with the club. Ausmus, who turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, is hitting .417 (5-for-12). Loretta, 37, is hitting .538 (7-for-13), including five hits in seven pinch-hit at-bats.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "A good night for the old guys. It was past our bedtime, and we had already missed the buffet." -- Dodgers C Brad Ausmus, after delivering two critical hits in the late innings of a three-hour, 45-minute marathon on April 24 at Colorado. Ausmus had scored one tie-breaking run when he was driven in by fellow "old guy" Mark Loretta in the eighth inning, and Ausmus drove in another tie-breaking run in the ninth that ultimately held up as the winner.
