Year. He is the clear leader this season for Horse of the Year, a title

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. Fletcher Cox Eagles Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Mike Quick Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. http://www.eaglesrookiestore.com/Eagles-Nick-Foles-Jersey/ . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. Reggie White Jersey . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Wes Hopkins Youth Jersey . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. DEL MAR, Calif. -- It was minutes after California Chrome had won the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday at Del Mar when his trainer, Art Sherman, walked into a media room for a news conference, looked up, caught the eye of someone standing nearby and said, under his breath, We kind of spooked em a little, didnt we?Use whatever adjective you want -- spooked, embarrassed, dominated. Any superlative will do, for California Chrome throttled -- hows that! -- top-class horses like Beholder and Dortmund in the Pacific Classic, romping over a track that was duller than usual and played to late runners almost all day.The lone exception was an exceptional horse, California Chrome, who shot to the front, set legitimate fractions, had plenty in reserve when Beholder and Dortmund tried to go after him, and cruised to the wire with jockey Victor Espinoza taking a long hold on the reins. The official margin was five lengths, and it was just that emphatic. The best horse in the world had produced another masterpiece on his brilliant 2016 campaign.Im more confident going forward for the future, Espinoza said. We beat the Queen -- Beholder -- and Dortmund.Beholder, who beat the boys in last years Pacific Classic, chased California Chrome throughout and settled for second, 2-1/4 lengths in front of Dortmund. Hoppertunity was fourth and was followed, in order, by Dalmore, Imperative, War Story, Hard Aces, and Win the Space in the field of nine.California Chrome ($4.20), the favorite, covered 1-1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:00.13. The fractions were all his, 23.20 seconds for the quarter-mile, 47.29 for a half, 1:11.22 for six furlongs, and 1:35.69 for a mile.The victory was the fifth straight this year for California Chrome, whose biggest victory the first half of the year was the Dubai World Cup, and whose year-end goal is the Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5. He secured a fees-paid berth to the Classic by winning the Pacific Classic, a Win and Youre In race.California Chrome prefers to be outside horses, but he drew the rail. As a result, Espinoza sent him hard away from the gate, taking the track from his two main rivals.I wasnt worried about the post, Espinoza said. I was more concerned with how hed break out of the gate. I sent him out of there, hard as I can. Try to move out and go from there.Espinoza kept California Chrome a few lanes off the rail, daring anyone to drop inside him. No one took the bait. But as the race unfolded, Gary Stevens on Beholder and Rafael Bejarano on Dortmund had to decide when to move.Stevens said he thought he would end up chasing California Chrome.I was hoping theyd send Dortmund, but I suspected they might not because maybe theyre not sure he wants a mile and a quarter, Stevens said. I had too try and time my move, because if I hooked him too early I might not even be second.ddddddddddddStevens said that when he asked Beholder to go after California Chrome moving around the far turn, he quickly realized she would not repeat.I was hoping for the same kick she had last year. She kicked, and he opened up, Stevens said. When he opened up, I knew Id have to save something for the last eighth if I wanted to be second. Victor was playing with us. I dont think he let him run. Thats kind of scary.Said Sherman of Beholder: The mare ran a hell of a race, but she was hooking different horses than last year.Bejarano was hoping Stevens would be more aggressive, and thought Stevens settled for second. But he also confirmed that 1-1/4 miles might be stretching it for Dortmund.Its a little far for him. He might want a mile and an eighth, Bejarano said.Sherman had said during the week that he expected California Chrome to move forward off his last start, the San Diego here last month, much as he did in the Dubai World Cup following a prep in Dubai. He beat Dortmund by a half-length in the San Diego; he beat Dortmund by 7-1/4 lengths Saturday.One tipoff that California Chrome would fire, Sherman said, was his demeanor in the paddock.He had his game face on, Sherman said. He bows his neck. Hes ready.The victory was the 14th in 23 starts for California Chrome. His resume includes the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2014, as well as that years titles as champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year. He is the clear leader this season for Horse of the Year, a title he will seek to nail down in the Breeders Cup Classic.California Chrome was scheduled to return to his base at Los Alamitos on Sunday morning, according to Alan Sherman, Arts son and assistant.Now age 5, California Chrome, a son of Lucky Pulpit, is owned by a partnership - called California Chrome LLC -- that includes co-breeder, Perry Martin, as well as Taylor Made Farm, where he will go to stud.California Chrome earned $600,000 on Saturday, bringing his career earnings to $13,252,650, a record for a horse born in North America.This was the 26th Pacific Classic, and was the strongest ever. The field collectively boasted a Kentucky Derby winner, the first- and third-place finishers from the Dubai World Cup, two winners of the Santa Anita Derby, runners who have won five Eclipse Awards, two Breeders Cup races, a Horse of the Year title, and 19 Grade 1 races, plus the races only female winner.In the end, though, the race was a showcase for the current brilliance and dominance of California Chrome.I cant believe Im just lucky enough to have him, Sherman said. ' ' '