LOS ANGELES -- After pulling even with San Francisco for first place in the NL West this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers have hit a bump in the road and are chasing the Giants again.Andrew McCutchen and Jordy Mercer homered to lead newcomer Ivan Nova and the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 victory Friday night that kept the Dodgers a game behind San Francisco.The Giants lost 5-2 to Baltimore.Los Angeles has dropped consecutive games, with an off day sandwiched in between. This time, the Dodgers failed to take advantage of their opportunities against Ivan Nova.Handed a three-run lead before he threw a pitch, Nova (2-0) has won both starts for the Pirates since they obtained him from New York at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. The right-hander scattered nine hits over 5 1/3 innings in his first outing against the Dodgers and improved to 9-6 overall this season.He didnt walk guys, made us put the ball in play, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Those guys over there can really defend.I thought we had some good at bats against Nova, hit some balls hard, got some hits, hit some other balls that they made plays on. Defensively, they can track it down.Ross Stripling (3-4) went seven innings for the Dodgers, giving up six hits and five runs -- including two homers.Ross has had a great opportunity and really seized the moment, Roberts said. I think that now and going forward it has been a great learning process for Ross. I think his growth has been exponential.Ross threw really well tonight. He gave us seven innings and his pitch command was real good.Stripling (3-4) started in place of Rich Hill, on the disabled list with a middle finger blister on his pitching hand. After a rough first inning, Stripling retired 17 of 19 hitters but gave up five runs, including solo homers to McCutchen and Mercer.Those were probably the two worst pitches I made all night, Stripling said. They definitely punished me for them.Pittsburgh, which had lost eight of 10 road games, extended its recent dominance of the Dodgers. The Pirates have beaten Los Angeles in four of five games this year and improved their record to 14-4 against the Dodgers since the beginning of the 2014 season.Pittsburgh jumped on Stripling for four hits and three runs in the first. McCutchen and David Freese stroked RBI singles, and Mercers RBI fielders choice made it 3-0.I think I threw the ball really well, Stripling said. The first inning was obviously frustrating, when really one ball makes it to the outfield and you give up three runs. I was able to kind of calm down and bounce back from that.Howie Kendricks two-out RBI single in the second cut the lead to 3-1. Kendrick finished with three hits.McCutchen continued his torrid hitting at Dodger Stadium with a third-inning solo shot, his 16th homer of the season. In his last seven games at Dodger Stadium, the slugger is 8 for 16 with four doubles and two home runs.I love Dodger Stadium and LA. Its Paradise, and the weather is always great, McCutchen said. When we come out here, I seem to get more down time and Im more relaxed.McCutchen also made an outstanding, over-the-shoulder catch near the warning track in left-center in the second inning to take an extra-base hit away from Yasmani Grandal.Los Angeles outfielder Josh Reddick robbed Josh Harrison of a home run when he reached over the low right-field wall to make a grab.Nova twice struck out Stripling to end a rally. Antonio Bastardo got the final two outs in the sixth before Felipe Rivero, Neftali Feliz, Juan Nicasio and Tony Watson followed and shut down the Dodgers.Watson came on with runners at the corners and retired Corey Seager for his fifth save.It was just one of those games where nothing went our way, Roberts said. I dont think it is an indication of where we are at, scoring one run tonight.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw, on the 60-day DL with a mild disk herniation, is scheduled to play catch Saturday. No target date has been set for his return. ... RHP Joe Blanton was reinstated from the bereavement list, and the Dodgers optioned LHP Luis Avilan to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... The Dodgers plan to activate LHP Brett Anderson (herniated disk surgery) off the DL to start Sundays series finale.HOCKEY NIGHT AT CHAVEZ RAVINELos Angeles Kings players Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Brayden McNabb and Tyler Toffoli threw out the ceremonial first pitches.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (7-7) pitches Saturday. His last time out, Cole gave up four hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings and lost 7-3 to the Reds. He is 3-0 against the Dodgers in four career starts.Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-2) felt healthy during workouts this week and is expected to pitch Saturday. In his last outing, McCarthy went 3 2/3 innings, gave up two runs and walked five against Boston. Chad Henne Super Bowl Jersey . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Charvarius Ward Super Bowl Jersey . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Customized/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Derrick Thomas Super Bowl Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Demarcus Robinson Super Bowl Jersey . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. LIVERPOOL, England -- Manchester Uniteds defensive tactics blunted Liverpools prolific attack as Englands two most illustrious teams toughed out a 0-0 draw in the Premier League on Monday.United manager Jose Mourinhos approach went to plan at Anfield, with Liverpool having 65 percent possession but failing to score in a home league game for the first time in exactly 10 months. United was the opponent then, too, but under Louis van Gaal.I think we controlled the game tactically and emotionally, Mourinho said. Its not easy to do both things here. The result is acceptable ... A very positive performance.When Liverpools players did break free of Uniteds fierce pressing, they found David de Gea in fine form, with the Spain goalkeeper producing excellent saves to deny Emre Can and, in particular, Philippe Coutinho in the second half.Liverpool started the leagues eighth round of games with the joint-most goals of any team and had scored nine times in its two home matches so far. The hosts improved in the second half, especially after fit-again midfielder Adam Lallana came on as a substitute, but were never going to get the three-goal victory that would have put them top.It (the game) was what United wanted, and what we didnt want, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. We tried everything, only with the wrong tools.United stayed in seventh place, five points off the lead.What is often regarded as the biggest fixture in English soccer failed to live up to its billing and much of that was down to Mourinho.The 35 percent possession statistic, provided by the Premier Leagues official stats supplier Opta, was the lowest United has had in a Premier League game since Opta was first used by the league in 22003.dddddddddddd. Two minutes after leaving his post-match news conference, Mourinho returned to the room and told journalists that United had 42 percent possession, according to his clubs stats department.Two shots on target with 65 percent of possession, you have to be critical of Liverpool, Mourinho had said earlier. It is their problem, not our problem.Mourinhos United team has been accused of lacking intensity this season compared to its likely title rivals but his players discovered their energy here, harassing Liverpool into mistakes in an error-strewn first half that featured no clear-cut chances. Holding midfielder Ander Herrera was particularly effective.Referee Anthony Taylor played a central role in a niggly half, somehow holding off from brandishing a yellow card until the 43rd minute after a series of fouls from both teams. Zlatan Ibrahimovic left the field at halftime wagging his finger at Taylor, with the only two bookings falling to United players -- Eric Bailly and Ashley Young (for dissent).Liverpools two shots represented its joint-lowest total in the first half of a Premier League home game.Ibrahimovic had the first real chance of the game, directing his header across the face of goal instead of at goal in the 54th.After that, Liverpool was on top. De Gea went down low to his right to palm aside Cans left-foot shot and produced the moment of the match by clawing away Coutinhos curling shot from 30 meters in the 71st.Wayne Rooney started on the bench for United for the third straight game. He came on in the 77th minute, but had little effect. ' ' '
