DODGERS NOTEBOOK : LASORDA TO BE EXAMINED.

Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda will undergo his third examination of the week today at Centinela Hospital Medical Center, and a decision on his immediate future should be made by early next week.

Lasorda, who underwent an angioplasty on June 26 after suffering a heart attack, is expected to meet with cardiologist Anthony Reid and team physician Michael Mellman on Monday. He has not managed since June 23.

Lasorda had lunch recently with club owner Peter O'Malley and executive vice president Fred Claire, and club officials have refused to speculate as to when - or if - Lasorda, in his 20th season, will return to the bench.

In the meantime, Lasorda said, his medication has been cut back. He has not pressed doctors about his return, he said.

``And they're not telling me anything,'' Lasorda said.

He added, ``They tell me everything I did was monitored right and turned out right. I can't wait (to get back). Everything went well. I've got a lot of my strength back.''

Baker gets extension: The San Francisco Giants announced Thursday that they signed manager Dusty Baker to a two-year extension that will run through the 1998 season. Baker was appointed prior to the 1993 season.

``Hopefully,'' Baker said, ``this will ignite my team here.''

At the time of the press conference, the Giants had lost 15 of their last 17 games and had fallen 8-1/2 games out of first place in the National League West.

``It's been touchy the last couple of weeks,'' Baker said, ``because it seemed like we didn't start losing until we started negotiating this contract.''

Baker's winning percentage of .529 (263-234) ranks fourth in San Francisco Giants history. That includes a 103-59 mark in 1993. The Giants have not had a winning season since.

``Dusty Baker is one of the greatest assets of this franchise,'' said Peter Magowan, Giants president.

Also: The Dodgers held an early workout Thursday, four hours before game time, in which they stressed fundamentals. Everyone but All-Stars Mike Piazza and Todd Worrell had the previous three days off. . . . Dodgers right-hander Ramon Martinez flew to his native Dominican Republic in order to be with his father, who suffered a heart attack over the weekend. Club officials received reports that the elder Martinez is recovering. . . . Piazza uses a Mizuno-made bat of Japanese white ash. Of his All-Star experience, Piazza, who was the game's MVP, said, ``I think the whole experience for me was overwhelming. More importantly than the game itself was the experience my family had. The pride they had. It sort of made them stars themselves.''