PROFILES » injury and a left knee injury earlier this season.S

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. Ivan Lucic Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Niklas Sule Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. 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Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams was suspended four games Tuesday for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy.Its his second four-game suspension and first since 2011. He tested positive for marijuana multiple times over the summer of 2011 and served it that season.Williams will miss Washingtons games against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Hes eligible to return to the team Dec. 5.We met with Trent today to discuss this unfortunate news, the team said in a statement that deferred questions to the league and NFL Players Association. Per the terms of the policy, Trent will be permitted to participate in team meetings and workout at the Redskins facilities throughout this time.The Redskins are counting on Trent to help our team when he returns from suspension. Our focus will now turn to the Minnesota Vikings after our bye this upcoming weekend.The four-time Pro Bowl left tackle has missed only three games dating to 2012. His propensity to battle through injuries has drawn rave reviews from teammates and coach Jay Gruden, who said of Williams: Usually hell play with just about anything.Williams played Sunday against Cincinnati with a sore knee that Gruden described as sstructurally OK.dddddddddddd He had a glute injury and a left knee injury earlier this season.Something has to be torn or broken to miss a game with injury, Williams said. Other than that, a sprain, I can get through that. Bruises, I can get through that. As long as the doctor tells me its nothing structurally wrong with what Ive got going, then Im going to do everything Ive got to do to get on the field.In 2012, Williams said the 2011 suspension was something of a wake-up call. He wanted people to know how much he had matured.I dont want to be known for the guy who failed multiple drug tests, Williams said at the time. That is me, in a sense. It did happen. I embrace that wholeheartedly. That happened, but I have an opportunity to change it, and thats what I want to do.Williams has been an offensive captain for Washington since 2011 and is one of the most respected players in the locker room.With Williams out, Ty Nsekhe is expected to move into the starting left tackle spot. Nsekhe started two games for the Redskins (4-3-1) last season.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '