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. Kevin Greene Jersey .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Artie Burns Jersey . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseyssale.com/?tag=terry-bradshaw-jersey-sale . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Xavier Grimble Jersey . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Chukwuma Okorafor Jersey . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. JACKSON, Miss. -- Haboubacar Mutombo scored 15 points and Western Carolina held Jackson State to just 14 field goals in a 58-47 win in the first-ever meeting between the schools Saturday.The Catamounts (2-4) held Jackson State (1-5) to just 14 of 50 from the field (28 percent), including 2 of 16 (12.5 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. Whats more, the Tigers got just four points from its bench in 57 minutes of play.Mutombo was 6 of 9 from the field and Western Carolina was collecttively 20 of 42 from the field (47.dddddddddddd6 percent), including 7 of 17 from distance. Elijah Pughsley scored 10 points off the Catamounts bench, which contributed 22 of the teams 58 total points.Paris Collins had 13 points on 4 of 20 shooting from the field, including 0 of 6 from beyond the arc for Jackson State. Maurice Rivers contributed 11 points. 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