Dodgers can’t hold off Cubs comeback

National League MVP favorite Kris Bryant hit two home runs in the final three innings, including the two-run game-winner in the 10th inning, giving the Cubs a 6-4 comeback victory over the Dodgers in the opener of a three-game weekend series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The loss, coupled with the Giants’ 7-0 win over the Braves at home, saw the Dodgers’ lead in the National League West shrink to one game over San Francisco.

Dexter Fowler opened the 10th with a line drive single just over the back of Adam Liberatore finishing his delivery. Bryant then followed with a towering drive into the pavilion in right center field to finish the Dodgers.

“A high fly ball, a mean fly ball, a gone fly ball,” called Vin Scully on SportsNet LA, as Bryant’s second home run of the night left the park.

Bryant also walked in the game, scored three runs and drove in three. On the season the second-year star is hitting .303/.395/.587 with 35 home runs and 30 doubles.

The Dodgers had a two-run lead entering the eighth inning, thanks to a much-needed insurance run in the form of a solo shot by Adrian Gonzalez in the seventh inning. The Gonzalez home run was his sixth in his last 10 games

Bryant answered in the top of the eighth with a solo shot against Joe Blanton to pull Chicago within a run.

Jason Heyward led off the ninth inning with a double against Kenley Jansen, who then struck out Jorge Soler but the third strike got away from catcher Carlos Ruiz, allowing Heyward to advance to third.

With Miguel Montero batting and one out, another pitch got away from Ruiz, a catchable ball directly off his glove though it was scored a wild pitch. Either way, it allowed Heyward to score the tying run, for Jansen’s sixth blown save of the season.

Bud Norris allowed single runs in his bookend innings, with the Cubs cashing in two singles and a walk in the first, then converting two walks and a single in the fifth, both runs scoring on two-out singles.

In between he retired 10 of 11 batters, and struck out six, allowing just the two runs.

He might have allowed more were it not for Chase Utley making a sprawling stop to his left, then throwing from his back on the outfield grass to retire Ben Zobrist to end the inning.

Utley, making just his second start of the season against a left-handed pitcher, drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a ground out in the second inning, then later led off the fourth with a double and scored the third run.

The Dodgers’ first three runs all scored on ground outs.

Welcome aboard

Ruiz walked, was hit by a pitch, then singled in his first three plate appearances with his new team. Ruiz is the 12th Dodgers catcher since 1913 to reach base three times in his first game with the team, and the first since Miguel Olivo on May 1, 2014.

Double your pleasure

Corey Seager doubled in the third inning, then doubled in the fourth inning, giving him 37 doubles in the season, tying the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo and the Nationals’ Daniel Murphy for the National League lead.

Seager already has the second-most doubles of any Dodgers rookie, trailing only the 52 by Johnny Frederick in 1929, which is also the franchise record for doubles in a season by any Dodger, not just rookies.

Seager was 2-for-4 on the night, and in August is hitting .386 (35-for-93) with 11 extra-base hits and 12 multi-hit games.

Up next

Julio Urias gets his second crack at the Cubs on Saturday, this time with much more experience than during his second big league start. Jason Hammel starts for the Cubs in the 1:05 p.m. PT start, a game that will be televised by both SportsNet LA and Fox Sports 1, the latter with no blackouts.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Adrian Gonzalez (16); Kris Bryant 2 (35)

WP - Travis Wood (4-0): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

LP - Adam Liberatore (2-1): 1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 strikeout

Sv - Aroldis Chapman (30): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts