SWB Yankees sweep doubleheader as Ivan Nova nearly tosses no-hitter in debut
Published: June 30, 2009
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
e-mail this
share this
jason farmer / Staff Photographer The Yankees' Shelley Duncan scores as Rochester catcher Jeff Christy tries to make the play during the second inning of the nightcap of Monday's doubleheader. The Yankees won both games, 5-0 and 3-1.
MOOSIC - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees needed something - anything - to snap them out of a week-long funk that had seen them lose seven of eight and within two games of losing their hold on first place in the division.
They got Ivan Nova.
Making his Triple-A debut in the first game of Monday's doubleheader, Nova came four-outs away from a seven-inning no-hitter while leading the Yankees to a 5-0 win against the Rochester Red Wings.
Following Nova's lead, Romulo Sanchez and Paul Bush combined for six shutout innings in the second game, giving the Yankees another win, 3-1.
"It's the middle of the year, and sometimes things can be real (grim)," right fielder Shelley Duncan said. "When you have things bust up the monotony, sometimes that bring energy."
The Yankees needed to bust a monotonous series of games that had seen them win once since last wee's rain postponements and cancellations. Nova did just that.
Called up from Double-A on Saturday after George Kontos went on the disabled list and Casey Fossum left the team via an out in his contract, Nova arrived on a hot streak, having allowed no more than one earned run in any of his previous five starts.
Working down in the zone with a 93-to-94-mph fastball, as well as a changeup and curveball, Nova got eight of his first nine outs either on the ground or on strikes. Through five innings he had pitched around two walks, he seemed poised to pitch around another walk in the sixth when he struck out back-to-back batters to face No. 3 hitter Steve Tolleson with two outs and a runner at first.
On a 2-1 pitch, Tolleson ripped a line drive to left field. Shortstop Doug Bernier tried to make a leaping catch, but the ball glanced off the tip of his glove for a sure single. It was Nova's 90th pitch, and his last.
The crowd gave Nova a loud ovation as he was removed for reliever Jonathan Albaladejo, who stranded the two base runners and pitched a scoreless seventh for his fourth save.
All told, Nova struck out five, walked three and allowed one hit. His outing was reminiscent of June 6, 2004, when Robert Ellis pitched a seven-inning no-hitter on his first day with the Red Barons.
"Sometimes when you're not scoring runs, you'd like a guy to go out there and put those zero's up, and that's what he did," Yankees manager Dave Miley said. "That's what the guys in the second game did too." Making his second spot start, Sanchez struck out six and walked none through 3â innings before Bush pitched 2â hitless for his second win in four days.
Edwar Ramirez loaded the bases and allowed one run in the ninth, but struck out the Red Wings Nos. 3 and 4 hitters for his second save.
Behind the strong pitching, the Yankees offense did enough.
In the first game, three two-out hits gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the third inning before a three-run home run by Eric Duncan - his second homer of the season - gave them breathing room in the sixth.
In the second game, Juan Miranda doubled in Shelley Duncan in the second inning, then scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by P.J. Pilittere.
Austin Jackson's third home run of the season - his second in as many days - boosted the lead to 3-0 in the third.
But hitting was secondary on this day, as the Yankees pitching staff fed off the dazzling debut of the most recent rotation addition.
"He definitely helped us out," Bush said. "He did a great job getting ahead of guys, throwing strikes. He kind of set the tone for the day."
Contact the writer: cjennings@timesshamrock.com
Be the first to comment on this article!