Dodgers no-hit again, this time by Jake Arrieta

LOS ANGELES -- This is becoming old hat.

For the second time in nine days the Dodgers were no-hit. On Sunday, it was Jake Arrieta who turned the trick in the Cubs' 2-0 shutout win to salvage a game of their weekend series at Dodger Stadium.

Arrieta struck out 12 on the night, needing 116 pitches to complete his masterpiece, his second shutout and third complete game of the season.

Arrieta completed a magnificent August, winning all six of his starts, putting up a microscopic 0.43 ERA during the month, with 43 strikeouts and 10 walks in 42⅓ innings.

"To me his stuff was really good tonight," manager Don Mattingly. "It's always good, but it was really good tonight. You have to tip your cap."

The Dodgers, who were no-hit on Aug. 21 in Houston by Mike Fiers, had only two reach base against Arrieta on Sunday. In the third inning, Kiké Hernandez hit a liner off Starlin Castro at second, a play that gets scored a hit maybe half the time. Instead, it was ruled an error.

"When it happened, [hitting coach Mark McGwire] said the guy was going to review it, but I know how this works. If we didn't get another hit they weren't going to change it. But if we got another hit, they would have changed it because it was pretty clear," Hernandez said. "But he did a great job and overmatched us tonight and threw a no-hitter, and got the benefit of the doubt."

"I asked five of their players at first base, and they all said that should have been a hit," said Adrian Gonzalez. "But at the end of the day the only thing that matters is that we lost."

"It doesn't change the game in any way," Mattingly said. "I think it was a hit. But at this point after you get no-hit you're not going to complain about it."

Hernandez also pulled up lame after making the last out of the eighth inning, leaving with left hamstring tightness.

Jimmy Rollins walked in the sixth inning, but Arrieta retired his final 10 batters faced to finish off the win. Arrieta struck out the side in the ninth to end it.

The last time the Dodgers were no-hit at Dodger Stadium was by Kent Mercker of the Braves on April 8, 1994.

Arrieta's brilliance overshadowed Alex Wood 's best start as a Dodger. Wood allowed a two-run home run to Kris Bryant in the first inning, then nothing the rest of the way. Wood lasted through six innings and struck out seven on the night.

"After that home run in the first, Alex really settled down," Mattingly said. "It could have been a disaster for us, having to use too many guys today. But he hung in there."

Wood threw 72 pitches in the first three innings, but managed to get through six innings at 98 pitches.

"Overall I thought this was the best my stuff has been, in terms of all three pitches," Wood said. "I made one bad pitch to Kris Bryant that ended up biting me in the butt but overall I was pretty good."

Sunday particulars

Home run: Kris Bryant (21)

WP - Jake Arrieta (17-6): 9 IP, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts

LP - Alex Wood (9-9): 6 IP, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts