Bryant inspired by ‘great teammate’ Heyward

LOS ANGELES — If it weren’t for Kris Bryant’s first homer, Jason Heyward’s extra effort in the ninth wouldn’t have meant as much. And if it weren’t for Heyward’s extra effort, Bryant wouldn’t have gotten a chance to hit a second home run that lifted Cubs in the the series opener Friday night against the Dodgers.

Bryant belted two home runs, including a solo shot in the eighth and a two-run, tiebreaking blast in the 10th to power the Cubs to a 6-4 victory over the Dodgers. It was Bryant’s fourth multi-homer game this season, and he took over the National League lead with 35, passing the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado (34).

“He doesn’t quit,” Heyward said of Bryant. “He doesn’t want to stop, and that’s special in the makeup of somebody young, and special in the makeup in a player in general. … You can talk about why he’s hitting the ball well, and he has a good approach. It’s that simple. He works his tail off every day to try and go out there and help us win. When you have that gift and that work ethic, a lot of good things can happen if you stay positive.”

It would be easy for Heyward to be negative considering the way his first season with the Cubs …

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