It wasn't enough to help Los Angeles overcome 22-year-old rookie Everth Cabrera's three RBIs and brilliant defense as the San Diego Padres beat the Dodgers, 7-4, yesterday.

Ramirez homered in his second game back from his 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy. It was his seventh homer of the season and 534th of his career, tying Jimmie Foxx for 16th on the all-time list. Up next is Mickey Mantle with 536.

Ramirez dodged reporters afterward, leaving the clubhouse through a side door.

"I think this is his comfort zone, in that batter's box, in the ballpark, in the clubhouse, something that he hasn't had for a couple of months," manager Joe Torre said. "I think it's going to take a little time, but I think it's just him getting the rust off and getting used to what he's doing."

With two outs in the first, San Diego's Josh Geer got ahead of Ramirez 0-2 before throwing an outside pitch for ball one. The right-hander then served up a 79-m.p.h. change-up that Ramirez drove an estimated 369 feet into the seats.

"I think this is the best medicine for him after having to go through what he went through," Torre said. "Again, it's not that you're feeling sorry for him because he obviously was suspended for a reason, and we're past that."

Furcal ss 4   1   1   0   .250      E.Cabrera ss 4   2   2   3   .306   

Martin c 4   0   2   0   .254      Eckstein 2b 5   0   2   2   .272   

M.Ramirez lf 3   1   1   1   .337      Ad.Gonzalez 1b 5   0   2   1   .267   

Pierre lf 0   0   0   0   .321      Hairston cf-lf 4   0   0   0   .307   

Ethier rf 4   0   0   1   .253      Kouzmanoff 3b 3   0   0   0   .230   

Blake 3b 4   1   2   0   .287      Headley lf 3   0   0   0   .228   

Loney 1b 3   1   1   0   .279      G.Burke p 0   0   0   0   ---   

Kemp cf 3   0   1   1   .303      Venable rf 1   0   0   0   .135   

J.Castro 2b 4   0   1   0   .328      H.Blanco c 1   0   1   0   .218   

Wolf p 2   0   0   0   .094      1-Alfonzo pr-c 2   2   1   0   .265