.FRANKLINS JOURNEY: Penn State lost four straight to end 201

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CHICAGO -- The Cubs have soared to the top of the major leagues with little help from Jason Heyward in his first season in Chicago.If their $184 million man can start delivering like he did Sunday, look out.Heyward tied it with a single in the ninth inning and his liner to left-center in the 13th won it as the Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Sunday to take three of four games in a possible playoff preview.Its huge because we have a good team, Heyward said of his recent uptick, and when you add that to it, it just makes us that much better.Anthony Rizzo led off the 13th with a single off Matt Reynolds (0-1) and went to second on Ben Zobrists groundout. Addison Russell, who had three hits, was walked intentionally before Heyward drove in his third run of the game.Heyward left St. Louis in the offseason for a big-money deal with the Cubs, but he was hitting. 225 when manager Joe Maddon benched him for four games last month.I really believe when a very good major league player may be struggling, if he just sits and watches a major league game being played and then understands, `Im one of the best, it does something internally, Maddon said.Heyward has five multihit games in his last eight starts.Just being more consistent with timing, with better swings, swinging at better pitches, Heyward said.Trevor Cahill (4-4) worked a perfect inning in a series in which all four games were decided by one run.The Cubs maintained a 16 1/2-game lead in the NL Central, while the Giants lead over the Cardinals for the first wild card was reduced to 1 1/2 games.The Cubs were staring at a second straight loss when Russell led off the ninth with a double against Santiago Casilla. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Heywards single up the middle to hand Casilla his NL-high seventh blown save.The Giants appeared on their way to the win in regulation despite managing two hits thanks to seven innings of five-hit ball from Johnny Cueto and a perfectly executed suicide squeeze.Eduardo Nunez doubled in the fifth, stole third then broke for home as Ehire Adrianza put down a soft bunt in front of the mound that forced John Lackey to throw to first and snapped a 1-all tie.In his first start since Aug. 14 because of a shoulder strain, Lackey allowed one earned run and one hit in five innings.Heyward made up for a two-base error in the second when he couldnt make a running catch of Hunter Pences fly to right-center. Pence scored the unearned run on Nunezs groundout.After the Cubs tied it when Haywards bloop single scored Anthony Rizzo in the fourth, the Giants got their first hit an inning later on Nunezs one-out liner to the gap.The Giants mustered 14 hits in the four games, failing to score in 16 innings against Chicagos bullpen.To go against a staff like this youd figure they were going to be low-scoring games. Its tough to come away with three losses, manager Bruce Bochy said. They played well. We just didnt do a lot of hitting.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: Bochy didnt start SS Brandon Crawford and LF Angel Pagan with a day game Monday at Colorado. Both ended up pinch-hitting.Cubs: Setup man Hector Rondon (triceps) could come off the disabled list as soon as Monday.RIZZO RECOVERSMaddon pointed out Rizzo took off immediately to score on Heywards liner a day after a baserunning blunder in the ninth inning of a 3-2 loss.SCARY MOMENTGiants 1B Brandon Belt, who has had multiple concussions, stayed in after taking Rob Zastryznys 87 mph fastball of his helmet in the seventh.NATHAN DEBUTRHP Joe Nathan making his first appearance with San Francisco since the 2003 playoffs, struck out Kris Bryant in a perfect 12th.SIXTH MANChicago will stick with a six starters through another turn in the rotation, with LHP Mike Montgomery getting the ball Wednesday at Milwaukee.UP NEXTGiants: LHP Matt Moore (9-10, 3.88 ERA) flew early to Denver and starts Monday against Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (11-7, 5.17).Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (13-7) carries the majors lowest ERA of 2.09 into Mondays start at Milwaukee against RHP Zach Davies (10-6, 4.07). Guy Lapointe Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Jeff Petry Jersey . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. http://www.officialcanadiensproshop.com/Canadiens-Alex-Galchenyuk-Adidas-Jersey/ . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Montreal Canadiens Jerseys . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Mikhail Sergachev Jersey . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Penn State was picked fourth in the Big Ten East in the preseason and 2-2 after an ugly loss at Michigan, prompting the athletic director to issue a public vote of confidence for third-year coach James Franklin.Two months later, who would have thought the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions would have thrown a wrench into the College Football Playoff hypotheticals by earning a berth in the Big Ten championship game opposite No. 6 Wisconsin?Things would have been so much simpler if Ohio State hadnt lost to the Lions on the road on Oct. 22.A win in Indianapolis on Saturday night would give the Lions (10-2, No. 7 CFP) two victories over top-10 teams to weigh against their losses to Pittsburgh and Michigan. Imagine the outrage in Happy Valley if the Lions beat the Badgers and, as conference champion, were excluded from the group of four teams to play for the national championship. It could happen.The Buckeyes (11-1, No. 2 CFP) would be at the mercy of the committee if Penn State wins, but the chairman already has said Ohio State has the better resume.If Wisconsin (10-2, No. 6 CFP) wins, the committee could logically pick Ohio State based on its overtime win over the Badgers in Madison on Oct. 15. If that happens, the city known as Madtown would surely be that.Franklin tried to stay above the fray Sunday when it came to playoff possibilities.To be honest with you, I dont really have a strong opinion, he said. Were focused on Wisconsin and excited about this opportunity. And after that game, whatever the powers that be decide, well be happy and excited for whatever that opportunity its.Five things to know heading into the Big Ten title game:---OLD VS. NEW: This will be the sixth Big Ten title game, and Wisconsin is in it for the fourth time. Penn State is making its first appearance and going for its first championship since 2008.The Badgers are 2-1 in Indianapolis, beating Michigan State 42-39 in 2011 and Nebraska 70-31 in 2012 and losing to Ohio State 59-0 in 2014.Wisconsin is 9-8 all-time against Penn State. This will be the first meeting since Nov. 30, 2013, when Penn State won 31-24 in a wild game in Madison.INJURY UPDATE: Penn State star running back Saquon Barkley is expected to play after injuring his right foot against Michigan SState on Saturday, Franklin said.ddddddddddddBarkley averages 101.6 yards a game to rank third in the Big Ten. He was held to 14 yards on 12 carries in the 45-12 win over the Spartans.Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook is day-to-day after getting knocked out of Saturdays game against Minnesota with an apparent concussion. Bart Houston played the entire second half. Chryst said Hornibrook told him he felt better Sunday.FRANKLINS JOURNEY: Penn State lost four straight to end 2015 and got off to a 2-2 start this season with those losses of 42-39 to Pittsburgh and 49-10 to Michigan. A few days after the loss in Ann Arbor, athletic director Sandy Barbour pledged allegiance to Franklin, saying his job was not in jeopardy.Despite a run of injuries that hit the linebacker corps especially hard and left the Lions without seven starters, Penn State turned into one of the hottest teams in the nation.Linebacker Jason Cabinda said he and his teammates never ruled out a chance to play in Indy.We talked about it all last season. That this was our goal and this is where we wanted to go, so we put our head down and went to work, Cabinda said. Every week we have improved and gotten better and now we have a tremendous opportunity to go Indianapolis next week and finish this thing and get a Big Ten championship.BADGER DOMINANCE: Wisconsin and Alabama are the only Power Five programs to reach conference title games four times since 2011. The Badgers have won at least 10 games six of the last eight years and are 17-3 in their last 20 games. Theyre 15-3 against Big Ten West teams since the conference went to the current divisions in 2014.ITS ABOUT DEFENSE: Wisconsin and Penn State rank Nos. 3 and 4 in total defense in the Big Ten, with the Badgers allowing 292 yards a game and the Lions 346.No one has been running much against either team lately. Only five opponents have run for 100 yards against the Badgers. Penn State has allowed no more than 110 yards on the ground in any of its last five games.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '