(Best E Casino) - Manny Ramirez has made an immediate impact with the Los Angeles Dodgers and will lead his new team this evening, when it opens a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Ramirez was acquired in a three-team deal with Boston and Pittsburgh last week and made his Dodgers debut against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks. The right fielder collected eight hits, including two homers, and five runs batted in for the Dodgers, who are 1 1/2 games behind the D'Backs in the NL West.

In Sunday's 9-3 victory in the series finale, Ramirez finished 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI to help Los Angeles to a split in the four-game set. Matt Kemp went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored for the Dodgers, who have won seven of their last 10 games.

Cory Wade tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings to get the win for Los Angeles. Starter Jason Johnson lasted 4 1/3 frames and gave up three runs on five hits.

The Dodgers will send red-hot righty Chad Billingsley to the hill this evening, and he has won two straight starts and seven of his past nine trips to the mound. Billingsley is coming off an impressive performance against San Francisco on Wednesday, in which he tossed the first shutout of his career.

Billingsley allowed five hits and struck out eight batters without issuing a walk to improve to 11-9 with a 3.05 ERA this season. He is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in three games (2 starts) against St. Louis.

St. Louis has lost three of its last four games and dropped the last two tests of a three-game series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals dropped a 5-4 decision in the series finale on Sunday night, with Ryan Ludwick finishing 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored in the loss.

Troy Glaus hit a solo homer and drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who are 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the lead in the NL Central. Starter Todd Wellemeyer gave up one run on four hits in six-plus innings of work for a no- decision.

Chris Carpenter will make his second start of the season for the Cards on Tuesday night. Carpenter spent the past year recovering from ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow and was making his first appearance in the majors since Opening Day of last season.

Carpenter, the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, did not factor in the outcome of a 7-2 win over the Atlanta Braves last Wednesday. He permitted just one run and five hits in five innings with a pair of strikeouts and two walks.

The veteran righty is 3-0 with a 3.00 earned run average in three career starts against the Dodgers, while holding them to a .222 batting average.

St. Louis won two of three games against Los Angeles at Chavez Ravine from May 23-25 of this season.