"The 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez ended on the day the Dodgers became the first team to win 50 games this season -- and with the Dodgers' top standing in the National League, little changed from the day he was banned.

After squeaking past the Colorado Rockies, 1-0, at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, the Dodgers finished with a record of 29-21 during Ramirez's absence and are now 50-29.

The Dodgers also hold a seven-game lead in the NL West over the San Francisco Giants, which is half a game bigger than the lead they had when Ramirez was suspended May 7 for violating baseball's drug policy.

And they edged Colorado in front of 40,455 much the same way they won many of their games during the slugger's banishment: With credible, if at times wobbly, starting pitching; a solid bullpen and clutch hits in late innings.

"They've played hard," Manager Joe Torre said of his players. "It's not until you lose somebody like Manny that you realize there's no safety net out there."

He acknowledged that the team was "at a frustrated stage right now because we haven't scored runs and they're fighting it a little bit."

Indeed, when Ramirez returns Friday as the Dodgers play the Padres in San Diego -- after an off-day today -- the question is whether the rest of the team's offense will arrive as well."