(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Ivan Nova bounced back from his shelling against the Royals last Tuesday as well as any0ne could’ve hoped for, hurling seven shutout innings of five-hit, five-strikeout, one-walk ball against the Twins, leading the Yankees to a 3-0 victory and series win. It was yet another impressive start in a season full of them for the Yankees’ young righthander.
Nova’s finest moment came in the fifth, with the score still 0-0. The Twins put their first two runners on — the second one reached on a fielding miscue between Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher — and Nova was facing a second-and-third, no-out jam. Nova came up huge, striking both Rene Tosoni and Matt Tolbert out on sliders before coaxing an inning-ending groundout out of Drew Butera.
Nova’s slider was his best pitch by far on Sunday, as he generated five swinging strikes out of the 14 he threw, for a whopping 36% whiff rate. Nova worked off his four-seamer, which didn’t get any swinging strikes, and his curve, which he there 19 times and got one swinging strike. Brooks also has Nova throwing four cutters, which he’d only thrown nine prior times this year according to TexasLeaguers.com, so it’s either a misclassification or perhaps he’s trying to work yet another pitch into his arsenal. Considering Nova’s four-seamer is arguably his least effective pitch, I’d be thrilled to see him develop a secondary fastball.
That the Yankees were even in a scoreless tie in the fifth was pretty unexpected, considering that Twins starter Nick Blackburn had to leave the game with a forearm injury with one out in the second inning and the bases loaded. I’d have to imagine that that’s one of the only times ever the Yankees worked a starter over for 49 pitches across four outs, the starter came out of the game, and the Yankees didn’t actually plate any runs until the 6th inning. Kudos to Anthony Swarzak (who retired all eight men he faced) and the Twins bullpen, I suppose, even if it is the worst in the American League.
The Yankees stranded 18 men on base in this one, with Alex Rodriguez — in his return from the disabled list — responsible for six of them, part of an 0-5 day for the Yankees’ cleanup hitter. Alex may have been a tad excited to get back, as he made outs on the first pitch in three of his five at-bats, but he did also work two full counts. Can’t wait to see the damage this team will do once Alex is fully comfortable and locked back in.
The Yankee offense was provided by a Russell Martin sacrifice fly, plating a Robinson Cano double, and back-to-back home runs by Granderson — his was of the inside-the-park variety, his first of that nature since 2007 — and Mark Teixeira.
This was the seventh time the Yankees shut their opponent out in 2011 — they had eight all of last season.
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8 Responses to Nova leads Yanks to 3-0 win and series victory over Twins
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TIQ IQ
looks like 100 wins is needed to take the division.23 and 14, these next eight games are big.. sox in texas four games, i say they lose 3 of 4..
Inside the park HR’s are always fun to watch regardless of the reason. On top of that Nova pitched a great game and the Yankees won. Whether by coincidence or design the Yankees had 2 great performances Friday and Sunday that were sandwiched around one terrible one by none other than AJ Burnett. So what else is new. The Yankees are 13-6 on the month. Going 19-10 this month is certainly doable. Good luck to the Yankees.
Not this guy again:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/wandy_might_land_in_bronx_886s4ufS6LRP7s8nKxhBdP
A 32-year old career NL pitcher due $23M across the next two years. No thanks. If this guy was so good he’d have been claimed long ago.
If the Yanks are gonna claim a pitcher off waivers, let it be an AL pitcher. Unfortunately the only notable AL pitcher who might be put on waivers is Rich Harden, but Boston didn’t want him due to his health so I’d pass on him.
I really don’t understand the hatred for Jake Peavy at all. I constantly bring him up because he is only 30 and a one-year proposition. How does he suck? I think the White Sox like him but not enough to want to risk paying him $21M for 2012 or $39M for 2012-13. He’s better than Burnett, Garcia, and Colon and a surer good thing for next year than Nova or Hughes as great as Nova has been all year and as much as Hughes seems to have turned things around.
You people just can’t stand that I’m right and I will laugh my ass off if there’s even just a mini-article about the Yanks showing interest in him.
Here’s someone making a case for Peavy. Read it instead of blindly saying no like some little no-brained bitch:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/788356-should-the-yankees-show-interest-in-jake-peavy-if-white-sox-put-him-on-waivers
Here’s someone else saying Peavy would be “as good an option as any” for the Yanks:
http://riveraveblues.com/2011/08/scouting-the-trade-market-jake-peavy-53556/
Jered Weaver just signed a 5 year $85M extension with the Angels.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/angels-extend-jered-weaver.html
One less ace or two (whichever you consider him) in the free agent market after 2012.
I could see the Angels making a play for Sabathia for a Sabathia/Weaver/Haren/Santana/Chatwood juggernaut. Artie Moreno has the deep pockets to sign him.
Below is a list of free-agent starters without options for 2013 (from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.) Pretty slim pickings. Cain and Hamels are the only pitchers on this list I’d give more than a year to, but they’re career NLers. Grienke has a history of mental problems – what if he can’t handle NY? Liriano intrigues me because he’s lefthanded, under 30, and a career ALer, but he’ll probably want at least 4 years.
Joe Blanton
Matt Cain
Kevin Correia
John Danks
Zack Greinke
Jeremy Guthrie
Cole Hamels
Colby Lewis
Francisco Liriano
Kyle Lohse
Derek Lowe
Shaun Marcum
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Brandon McCarthy
Carl Pavano
Anibal Sanchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Joe Saunders
Sabathia/Nova/Hughes/Banuelos/Betances to start 2013 (release Burnett)? I’d give it a shot. Figure Nova or Hughes will do well next year, give the one who doesn’t 2013 to right his ship, give The Killer Bs” a shot.
Below are the free agent starting pitchers without options for 2012 besides Sabathia, Garcia, and Colon (also from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.) Not a single guy above #4 besides Buerhle and maybe Wilson, but Buerhle will probably stay with the White Sox and Wilson will want big money he’s not worth. Kuroda wants to be a loser in LA, if he even would be a #3 in the AL which I doubt he’d be.
I say just re-sign Garcia for another year and go with Sabathia/Garcia/Nova/Hughes/Burnett to start 2012. Garcia is old but not too old and he’s a known quantity.
I’d sign Wang to a minor-league deal and Colon to another year but for less than $900K (say $600K) I think he’d take because he wants a World Series ring and the Yanks would probably be his best/last/only shot at one. If the Yanks won it all next year and Colon was willing to be sent down to AAA at any time and as many times as needed, he would go out as the ultimate team player. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind being a 39-year old New York-Scranton shuttle commuter if it meant a World Series ring on his finger. ‘Dude pitches even one inning for the 2012 Yanks and they win it all, he gets a ring cuz everyone loves the guy.
Mark Buehrle CWS
Bruce Chen KC NO
Kyle Davies KC NO
Justin Duchscherer OAK
Jeff Francis KC
Aaron Harang SD
Rich Harden OAK
Livan Hernandez WAS
Edwin Jackson CWS
Kenshin Kawakami ATL
Scott Kazmir LAA
Hiroki Kuroda LAD
Rodrigo Lopez CHC
Paul Maholm PIT
John Maine COL
Jason Marquis WAS
Kevin Millwood NYY
Brad Penny DET
Oliver Perez NYM
Joel Pineiro LAA
Carlos Silva NYY
Javier Vazquez FLA
Tim Wakefield BOS
Chien-Ming Wang WAS
Brandon Webb ARI
C.J. Wilson TEX
Chris Young NYM
Curtis Granderson, post game, explained the ball that dropped, and took the blame, saying he was ranging near his limit, it was Swish’s normally, they both called for it. Swish backed off in deference, but Grandy was … bashful, realizing his over-aggressiveness, I guess.