LOS ANGELES -- Ivan Nova felt fortunate to be pitching in a big ballpark with Pittsburghs fielders behind him.Andrew McCutchen and Jordy Mercer homered to lead Nova and the Pirates past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Friday night.The key to this game was our defense, said Nova, recently acquired from the Yankees. It was not one of the best games that Ive pitched. There were too many hits and its amazing they only had one run.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.Theyre aggressive hitters and some of the balls they hit would have been out of an American League ballpark, Nova said.Los Angeles remained one game behind the first-place Giants in the NL West. San Francisco lost 5-2 to Baltimore.Pittsburgh opened a six-game West Coast swing and moved within a game of Miami for the second NL wild card.Nova twice struck out opposing pitcher Ross Stripling to end a rally. The new Pirates starter was replaced by Antonio Bastardo, who got the final two outs in the sixth. 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.Dating to June 23, the Pirates bullpen has posted the lowest ERA (2.13) and best winning percentage 11-2 (.846) of any major league team.Everyone in the bullpen accepts their roles and pulls for one another, Bastardo said. It gives us confidence and were winning games.Stripling (3-4) started in place of Rich Hill, who remained 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.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.McCutchen had a fantastic game. Im going to keep running him out there, Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said.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.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 season 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.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 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.Mercer led off the seventh with his seventh homer of the season, upping Pittsburghs lead to 5-1.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli is day to day after leaving Wednesdays game after four innings with left wrist discomfort. ... C Chris Stewart, on the DL since July 2 with left knee discomfort, is expected to begin a rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Altoona.Dodgers: 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 in time to start Sundays series finale.CHARLIE HUSTLEDodgers 2B Chase Utley has 409 plate appearances this season without grounding into a double play, the most of any big leaguer. According to STATS, only one Dodgers player has completed an entire season with more plate appearances and zero GIDPs (current manager Dave Roberts in 2003, with 440 plate appearances).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. Cheap Yeezys For Sale Uk . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Yeezy Wholesale Uk . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. http://www.cheapyeezyuk.com/ .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Buy Yeezy Online Uk .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. Yeezy Shoes Uk Sale .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. WEST POINT, N.Y. -- After five straight losing seasons, coach Jeff Monken and Army bid farewell to Michie Stadium Saturday hoping for a big finish.Back over .500? Check. Still alive for a bowl? Check.Beat Navy for the first time since 2001?Well see in three weeks.Before all that, the Black Knights had to take care of Morgan State -- and they had little trouble doing so. Andy Davidson ran for two touchdowns on 111 yards, Cole Macek added two more scores and 108 yards and Army crushed the Bears 60-3. Darnell Woolfolk added a score on 104 yards to keep the Black Knights (6-5) in the hunt for their first bowl game since 2010, thanks to their largest margin of victory since 1958.But first comes Navy.I dont know a bigger football game, said Monken. Thats a goal of ours as a program, to play in the postseason. Itd be great to have that opportunity, but we have no control over getting in right now. We have one game in the world right now and thats the Army-Navy game.Armys triple option, which stalled badly in a 44-6 loss to Notre Dame a week ago, returned to form against an FCS defense that came in allowing 32 points per game. The Black Knights scored on their first two drives and led 29-3 by halftime.The nations No. 2 rushing offense wound up with 504 yards, 561 total yards, as Army clinched its second six-win season since 1996.Chris Andrews (8 for 20) threw for 79 yards for the Bears (2-8, 2-5 MEAC), who converted just three of 16 third downs. Morgan State, which hasnt won a road game since October 2015, failed to score a touchdown for the second time this year and was held to 124 yards of offense.Armys defense clamped down on Morgan States opening drive, forcing a three-and-out, and the Black Knights scored on their ensuing possession, capped by Davidsons 23-yard score.After forcing another punt, the Black Knights got into the red zone on Woolfolks 42-yard rush to the 5. Ahmad Bradshaw ran in on a keeper one play later and the Black Knights led 13-0.Stymied on the ground, the overmatched Bears caught a break in the second quarter when they recovered an Army fumble on one of their five first--half punts.dddddddddddd That set up a drive from the Army 19, but Morgan State had to settle for a field goal for its only score.Armys 249 yards of offense in the first half bested its entire effort in the loss to Notre Dame. A big chunk of that came on Jordan Asberrys first carry. The sophomore took a pitch from Bradshaw at midfield, got to the right sideline and then picked up a block to score with 2:45 left in the half. The Black Knights got another touchdown two minutes later when Bradshaw found streaking Edgar Poe for a 31-yard score.Army, the nations 10th-best defense, racked up six sacks and senior Jeremy Timpf had 10 tackles in his 35th straight start.Theres been a lot of work put into this program the last few years, Timpf said. A lot of sweat and blood has been poured on the field.THE TAKEAWAYMorgan State: The freefall under first-year interim head coach Fred Farrier continued for the Bears, losers of six straight. The result wasnt nearly as close as the programs first meeting, a 28-12 Army victory in 2013.Army: Coming off lopsided losses to Air Force and Notre Dame, the matchup with Morgan State on senior day was a must-win as Army tries to qualify for a bowl. Army is holding its breath since its victory against another FCS foe, Lafayette, doesnt count toward that goal.TRIBUTE TO 28In addition to a new tattoo, Morgan State freshman Rico Kennedy wore No. 28 to honor his best friend, Armys Brandon Jackson, who died in car crash earlier this season. I miss him, I love him, and Im always going to play for him, Kennedy said.UP NEXT:Morgan State: The Bears are at Savannah State on Saturday in a game postponed by Hurricane Matthew back on Oct. 8.Army: The Black Knights are off until Dec. 10s trip to Baltimore to face Navy. Army hasnt won the rivalry game since 2001. After the game, Poe was ready to focus on the Midshipmen.Were tired of hearing, `Is this the year? Thats the most annoying thing I get asked every day. Im ready for it to just happen, he said. ' ' '