From the Associated Press:

The Dodgers said Friday that Manny Ramirez exercised his $20 million contract option for 2010. His agent, Scott Boras, informed Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti of the decision.

Ramirez hit .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs in 104 regular season games. He missed 50 games while suspended for violating baseball's drug policy.

In the NL division series against St. Louis, Ramirez batted .308 with no homers and two RBI. Against Philadelphia in the NL championship series, he hit .263 with one homer and two RBI.

The Dodgers and general manager Ned Colletti have come to an agreement on a multi-year contract extension that will be announced later today.

Colletti and the club had a mutual option for next season, but after guiding the team to back-to-back National League West titles for the first time since 1977-78, it has been widely expected Colletti would soon earn an extension.

Colletti was hired after the 2005 season, inheriting a club that went 71-91. Since then, the Dodgers have made the playoffs in four of five years. They have the second best won-loss record in the NL during Colletti's tenure, behind only Philadelphia, whom they currently trail in the NLCS three games to one.

The lawyer for Dodgers' chief executive officer Jamie McCourt said Thursday that his client has no plans of surrendering her ownership involvement with the Dodgers or her position with the club.

Jamie McCourt, who confirmed her separation from Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on Wednesday, is the highest ranking woman in Major League Baseball.

Her lawyer, Dennis M. Wasser, said that his client had chosen to publicly respond because Frank McCourt's lawyer, Marshall Grossman, had made public statements about the situation late Wednesday night.

``We are disappointed that Mr. McCourt's attorney has chosen to express legal positions in the press, in violation of the parties' specific agreement not to make any public statements about this private matter,'' Wasser said.

``Jamie McCourt had desired to just focus on the Dodgers' success in postseason play. However Jamie and her attorneys now feel she must briefly respond.''

Wasser said that he disagreed with Grossman's statement that Frank McCourt is the sole owner of the Dodgers and that, ``We are confident that if the ownership issue must be adjudicated, the Dodgers will be determined to be community property owned 50 percent by each of the McCourts.''

That determination would be at the heart of any dispute of community property, should the couple divorce.

California law holds that a divorce asset be divided 50-50 between the two parties, which is problematic with a major league baseball franchise that must, by league rule, have only one controlling owner.

A similar situation led to the sale of the San Diego Padres in February, when owner John Moores sold the team as part of a divorce settlement with his wife Becky.

By Ramona Shelburne
Staff Writer

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie McCourt have separated, raising questions about the future of the organization on the eve of the National League Championship Series.

Frank McCourt has owned the Dodgers since 2004. The couple confirmed their separation Wednesday night in a statement issued through the club.

Frank McCourt serves as the club's owner and chairman. Jamie McCourt serves as Chief Executive Officer.

"This is a personal matter and they request that their privacy be respected," the statement said.

There has been no official mention of a divorce, but the potential impact on the organization is clear.

In February San Diego Padres owner John Moores sold the team to former agent Jeff Moorad, a move precipitated by his divorce.

California law requires that you divide a divorce asset 50/50, which is problematic when it comes to a major league baseball franchise.
Baseball policy mandates that each organization have only one controlling owner.
Forbes magazine recently valued the Dodgers franchise at $722 million.
Jamie McCourt, the highest-ranking woman in Major League Baseball, became the team's CEO on March 17. Before that, she had been club president.
The McCourts have been married since 1979. They have four sons: Drew, Travis, Casey, and Gavin.

Wanted to pass along a note from Doug Padilla:

Injured Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda will throw about 35 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday to get ready for a simulated start Tuesday.

Kuroda, who is out of the first round with a bulging disk in his neck, has shown no ill effects from a 20-pitch bullpen session Friday.
Kuroda admits he still is not at 100 percent, but is moving as quick as he can with his recovery to be ready for the National League Division Series. The simulated game Tuesday will go a long way toward deciding if he is a legitimate candidate for the NLCS roster.

Eric Gagne is at today's Dodgers-Cardinals game. As a spectator, of course. The Dodgers showed a montage of Gagne, the Dodgers' former closer, and then showed him on the JumboTron. If the Dodgers keep this 2-1 lead, we'll see if Jonathan Broxton can do his best Gagne impersonation if he has an opportunity to earn a save.

The Dodgers beat the Pirates 5-4 in 13 innings tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full box and recap click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

* Once again, Andre Ethier was the hero, hitting a dramatic, game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the 13th to win it or the Dodgers. Ethier now has a major-league leading six walk-off hits and four walk-off homers this season...Ethier also leads the majors with nine walk-off hits since the start of the 2008 season...It was the Dodgers' 12th walk-off win of the season.

* Ethier became the first Dodger with a 30-homer season since Adrian Beltre slugged 48 in 2004. And for good measure, with his ninth-inning double, Ethier became the first Dodger to hit 40 doubles in a season since Shawn Green's 49 in 2003...His 40 doubles tie for sixth with Raul Mondesi (1996) and Eric Karros (1999) on the Dodgers single season doubles list.

* Jonathan Broxton has not allowed an earned run since August 15, going a perfect nine-for-nine in save opportunities and striking out 28 in 17.0 innings over 16 appearances in that span.

ETC...ETC:

* The Dodgers lead the Rockies by 5.0 games in the NL West and the Cardinals by 2.0 games for the Senior Circuit's top record...Los Angeles' magic number to clinch a postseason berth is 10, meaning any combination of Dodgers wins and Giants losses totaling 10 would send the club to the playoffs for the third time in four years.

* The Dodgers are a season-high 28 games above the .500 mark.

* The Dodgers improved to 27-19 in one-run games, 20-7 at home...Los Angeles in 6-4 in its last 10 one-run contests.

ON DECK:

* In the finale of the three-game series today 1t 12:30 p.m., the Dodgers send RHP Hiroki Kuroda (6-6, 4.00) against RHP Kevin Hart (1-5, 6.46)

The Giants beat the Dodgers 7-2 today in the final game of a weekend series in San Francisco. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

* True to form, former Dodger Brad Penny turned out to be a Dodger killer in this one, going seven strong innings and limiting LA to just two runs. He struck out only two and uncharacteristically relied on the fly out.

* Chad Billingsley was ineffective. His ERA is nearing 4 after another mediocre start -- in this one, he lasted just four innings and allowed three runs. He didn't walk anybody but was knocked around to the tune of eight hits.

* Offensively, the Dodgers had only five hits and were scoreless until the seventh. Their only runs came on a two-run shot by Russell Martin.

ETC...ETC:

* Jeff Weaver was simply a hit-inducing machine. In just 1 1/3 innings, he allowed five hits and was charged with four runs.

* Manny Ramirez had the day off, but the Dodgers outfield still had three of the team's five hits. Juan Pierre replaced Manny in left and went 1-for-4.

* Charlie Haeger pitched the eighth in his first appearance for the Dodgers since September 2 and shut the Giants down 1-2-3.

* The Blue did turn a truly impressive double play in the fifth. On a Pablo Sandoval grounder to first with men on third and first, James Loney threw to Rafael Furcal covering second to get the first out and Furcal threw home, where Martin tagged out Freddy Sanchez.
ON DECK:

* Jon Garland (9-11, 4.23) faces Daniel McCutchen (0-1, 4.85) in the first game of a three-game set with the Pirates.

Today's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Pierre, LF
Ethier, RF
Kemp, CF
Loney, 1B
Blake, 3B
Belliard, 2B
Martin, C
Billingsley, P

Giants
Torres, CF
Sanchez, 2B
Winn, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Schierholtz, RF
Uribe, SS
Ishikawa, 1B
Whiteside, C
Penny, P

The Dodgers beat the Giants 9-1 at AT&T Park tonight. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

* Vicente Padilla continued to shine with the Dodgers, pitching six strong innings. He hasn't lost a start with LA yet.

* Russell Martin and James Loney drove in a combined five runs, as Martin had a three-run homer and Loney went 2-for-4 with a two-run jack.

* Jonathan Sanchez, of no-hitter fame, was knocked around by the Dodgers. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, three walks, and four earned.

ETC...ETC:

* As I write this, the Rockies and Padres are tied at 2-2 in the top of the 10th inning. A Colorado loss would give the Dodgers a three-game lead in the NL West.

* Padilla has made four starts with the Dodgers, posting an ERA of 2.02. A valuable addition, to say the least.

* The LA bullpen was lights out, with just one baserunner allowed by Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, and James McDonald. They struck out four Giants.

ON DECK:

* The Dodgers try to sweep the Giants tomorrow at 1:05 p.m., sending out Chad Billingsley (12-9, 3.93) to face Brad Penny (9-8, 5.15).