SO NOW HE’S GOOD
NOVA STIFLES YANKS WITH STUFF HE RARELY HAD IN NEW YORK
PITTSBITTSBURGH — To steal from “Step Brothers,” Ivan Nova sure canc wear the (bleep) out of that PiPirates hat. His old pals fromm The Bronx got a first-hand lolookook SuSunday at PNC Park. LoLook, we knew that Nova had talent. The right-hande er intermittentlyexhibited that during talenthis sseven seasons in a Yankkees uniform. Yet he has cclimbed to another level sincesi moving to Pittsburgh last AuAugust, as exemplified by his 2-1 vivictory over the Yankees. Part oof it surely is pitching to generally inferior offenses in the NationaNational League. Another part, though? It’s not being a Yankee anymoranymore. “It’s vvery different when you know ththat you’re going to pitch every fifive days, that’s for sure,” Nova sasaid. “You’re not worried about whatwhat’s going to happen next. Just go out there and have fun. I think that’s one of the main things.” Asked whether the lack of job security, be it his trips to the minor leagues or his demotions to the bullpen, impacted his time with the Yankees, Nova said, “Oh yeah. It wasn’t because they told me what’s going to happen after. It was something I put in my mind. It was my mistake, my fault, to think that way instead of keeping positive all the time. And that can affect me a little bit.” In handing Yankees rookie Jordan Montgomery his first career loss, Nova allowed a run on four hits and a walk, striking out seven, in seven innings. For the season, he owns a 2.00 ERA in four starts totaling 27 innings; he walked Montgomery, in the Yankee’s first major-league atbat, for his only walk of 2017. As a Pirate, Nova owns a 2.75 ERA in 15 starts totaling 91 ²/₃ innings — and just four bases on balls in that time. “He’s the guy I always suspected he could be,” said Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, his Yankees teammate from teammate 2010-14.
“He’s done some good work here,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “The first-pitch strikes [to 18 of 25 Yankees batters]. He only had two three-ball counts today. Nine guys retired in three pitches or less.”
He’s Mr. Efficiency, a characteristic he displayed only sporadically as a Yankee. Essentially, he registered two good years, 2011 and 2013, and seemed like a lost and/or injured soul for most of the rest of his time. The out-of-the-race Yankees dealt him to the contending Pirates at last year’s trade deadline for underwhelming minor leaguers Tito Polo and Stephen Tarpley, and Nova and the Pirates got along so famously that they re-upped during Nova’s free agency for three years and $26 million.
Asked whether the Yankees gave up too soon on Nova, a near-exasperated Joe Girardi said, “No, no, no. Look at the numbers at our place. He had some good years. He had some tough years. We had to make a decision. Last year at the time, we thought it was the right move to make. And we made the move, and you don’t look back.”
There existed little point in retaining Nova last summer unless the Yankees wanted to give him a qualifying offer, which he likely would have accepted. The greater issue in the hindsight category is whether Nova and the Yankees should have enjoyed a more fruitful relationship together. Nova took some blame. The Yankees might as well concede that their win-now culture, one which has been tweaked in the wake of last year’s trade-deadline purge, created some casualties.
The Yankees nearly won this game to spoil Nova’s revenge effort, loading the bases with one out in the ninth inning only to see Pirates closer Tony Watson strike out Aaron Hicks and retire Pete Kozma on a force out at second to give the Buccos the series victory. The Yankees should have left here with positive vibes as they rest Monday before facing the Red Sox for the first time this season at Fenway Park.
Nova, who insisted this game held no special meaning for him, will go forward with his own positive vibes. Could the divorce work out for both sides? At this point, the Yankees would settle for such a tie.