he Tar Heels again before facing North Carolina State in 2019.South Carolina is still getting its feet wet under new coach Will Muschamp. Where more advanced SEC teams mightve run from the C

LOS ANGELES -- Kris Bryant heard the MVP chants from the contingent of Chicago fans at Dodger Stadium. Inside the clubhouse, his teammates showered him with more of the same.Bryant hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 10th inning to go with an earlier solo shot, lifting the Cubs over the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Friday night in the series opener between NL division leaders.Its humbling and just keeps me going and keeps me determined to do all I can, Bryant said. Its pretty cool to hear.Bryants NL-leading 35th homer capped a comeback from an earlier two-run deficit and extended the Cubs winning streak to four games. Bryant heard the crowds chants as he scored behind Dexter Fowler, who singled leading off.Bryant went 2 for 4 and scored three runs to increase his major league-leading total to 107.His swing has gotten shorter, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Its more contact oriented, he is not chasing as much. He is able to put the ball in play with two strikes. That for me is the biggest difference over last year.Chicago improved to 19-4 in August while earning its major league-leading 82nd victory.We never give up, Bryant said. We always believe we can win in the final innings.Travis Wood (4-0) got the victory with one inning of relief. Aroldis Chapman tossed a scoreless 10th with two strikeouts for his 10th save in 12 chances since being acquired on July 25 from the Yankees.Adam Liberatore (2-1) took the loss, allowing two runs and four hits in one inning. The Dodgers had their NL West lead cut to one game after San Francisco won.Bryants first homer leading off the eighth pulled the Cubs to 4-3.Chicago tied the game 4-all in the ninth on a wild pitch by closer Kenley Jansen that allowed Jayson Heyward, who led off with a double, to score from third.A misfire with the cutter, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Kenley is tough for anyone to catch. His ball does a lot of different things.The Dodgers took a 4-2 lead on Adrian Gonzalezs homer leading off the seventh.New Dodgers catcher Carlos Ruiz went 1 for 3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat after being acquired Thursday from the Phillies for catcher A.J. Ellis, a popular and well-regarded player in the clubhouse. Ruiz failed to catch Jansens wild pitch that led to the tying run.His ball was moving real good and it surprised me, Ruiz said. I have no excuse.The Dodgers led 3-1 in the fourth when a run scored when Howie Kendrick grounded into a double play. They got runs in the third on Justin Turners RBI groundout and another by Chase Utley in the second.The Cubs closed to 3-2 in the fifth on Anthony Rizzos RBI single with two outs.Utley made a diving stop on Ben Zobrist in the fifth, when he threw on his back to Gonzalez for an inning-ending out that stranded two runners.Dodgers starter Bud Norris allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, struck out six and walked four.Cubs starter Mike Montgomery gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, struck out five and walked four.JANSEN MOVES UPDespite blowing his sixth save of the season, Jansen struck out two to surpass Jim Brewer for most strikeouts by a reliever in Dodgers franchise history with 606.MAKING MOVESThe Dodgers recalled pitcher Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Sundays series finale. The 24-year-old right-hander has appeared in three games (two starts) with the team this season, going 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA. He is a combined 9-3 with a 1.68 ERA in 20 minor league starts with three different teams, including Oklahoma City. To make room on the roster, the Dodgers optioned C Shawn Zarraga to OKC and RHP Kenta Maeda to the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers, whose season ends Sunday.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw threw a 60-pitch bullpen session Friday. Hes been on the DL for nearly two months with a herniated disk in his back. Next he will face hitters. ... LHP Brett Anderson, on the DL with a finger blister, threw a bullpen session and expects to face hitters next week.UP NEXTCubs: RHP Jason Hammel (13-6, 3.07 ERA) starts the middle game of the series. He is winless in eight games (five starts) at Dodger Stadium. In his last outing, he allowed a season-high-tying 10 runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings of an 11-4 loss at Colorado.Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias (4-2, 3.95) has won his last three decisions.Jozy Altidore Jersey . 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How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif.COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Mason Zandi was grateful his South Carolina teammates dug when it wouldve been easy to give in. The result has the Gamecocks back in the postseason after missing out last season.The Gamecocks (6-5) won for the fourth time in the past five games to become bowl eligible with a 44-31 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday night. Zandi always believed, even with his team at 2-4 and facing several big challenges, South Carolina would succeed.We came together as a team. Nobody points fingers at each other. Nobody says, `Oh, woe is me, Zandi, the left tackle, said. Im incredibly proud to play next to these people.And Zandi, a fifth-year senior, will have one additional game to savor.Deebo Samuel scored three touchdowns, including a 100-yard kickoff return, while Rico Dowdle ran for 226 yards and two scores in South Carolinas win.Samuel, the sophomore receiver, made his mark in the running game with a pair of 2-yard TD runs and with his dazzling return on a first-quarter kickoff as the Gamecocks (6-5) doubled their win total from a year ago.This is a huge relief for us, Zandi said. Its even bigger for the program moving forward.The Catamounts (2-9) of the FCS Southern Conference kept denting the Gamecocks defense and were within 41-31 after Detrez Newsomes 93-yard kickoff return touchdown with 9:13 to go.But South Carolina was able to hold on and avoid the embarrassment of a second straight FCS defeat after falling to Citadel 23-22 in their 3-9 season last fall.At the end of the day, we needed to get to a bowl game, first-year South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said . It was really important with where we were after our first games.Freshman tailback Dowdle had a 43-yard touchdown run on South Carolinas opening series, then a 1-yard TD rush on the teams next series. He has rushed for over 100 yards in three of the past four games.Dowdles total yards were the most since Gamecocks great Marcus Lattimore gained 246 in a win over Navy in 2011.A.J. Turner added 97 yards rushing for South Carolina, which ran for 422 yards, its highestt total since gaining 352 yards rushing against Coastal Carolina in 2013.dddddddddddd.Western Carolina fell to 0-52 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams and 0-19 all-time against Southeastern Conference opponents.THE TAKEAWAYDespite an early flourish, Western Carolina was overrun by its quicker, stronger FBS opponent. But the FCS school, which received $400,000 to come to South Carolina, has several FBS teams on upcoming schedules. Next year, the Catamounts play Hawaii and North Carolina. In 2018, its the Tar Heels again before facing North Carolina State in 2019.South Carolina is still getting its feet wet under new coach Will Muschamp. Where more advanced SEC teams mightve run from the Catamounts at the start, the young Gamecocks needed some time to get going before securing the win. Thats a big reason the coach wanted his team to qualify for the bowl -- the extra weeks of prep, planning, film study and practice the postseason gives his building program.FCS BACKERWestern Carolina coach Mark Speir said he hears all the time that SEC teams should not take on FCS teams like the Catamounts. This was a great game, said Speir, whose team scored more points on the Gamecocks than any other this season. I think the fans had a great time. Thirty-three of our players got a scholarship to come to Western Carolina because South Carolina gave us the opportunity to come down here and play.SAMUELS SWEEPReceiver Deebo Samuel has been an effective scorer for South Carolina near the goal line. He had two touchdowns near the goal line, running a patented jet-sweep play. That jet sweep has been money for us, Samuel said, smiling.How long did it take Muschamp and the offensive staff to know Samuel could be effective in the red zone? After about the third day of spring practice, Muschamp said.UP NEXTWestern Carolinas season is finished.South Carolina plays at Clemson on Saturday, trying to end a two-game losing streak to its rival. ' ' '