MIAMI _ Whatever the Pirates hoped for when they re-signed Ivan Nova this winter, he has to have matched it. Nova deftly manipulated the Miami Marlins lineup Saturday night, throwing a shutout in the Pirates' 4-0 victory.
Nova pitched at least seven innings for the third consecutive start. Saturday, he went the distance, shutting out the Marlins on three hits. He struck out seven without walking a batter. The depth to which he pitches into games has helped counteract the brevity of Tyler Glasnow's outings. He has now thrown three complete games as a Pirate, four including the eight innings in a losing effort on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 17.
In addition to saving the bullpen, Nova's brilliance has helped cover for a team struggling offensively this season. The Pirates had enough trouble scoring runs with David Freese and Adam Frazier available. Now they no longer have either, until their hamstrings heal. They haven't had Jung Ho Kang all season and are in the second week of play without Starling Marte. In addition to backup catcher Chris Stewart, manager Clint Hurdle had the following players available on his bench Saturday: Jose Osuna, Alen Hanson, Danny Ortiz and Phil Gosselin.
Francisco Cervelli carried a .211 average and a .291 OBP into Saturday. John Jaso was hitting .111 with a .139 slugging percentage (he boosted those numbers somewhat with his first home run of the season in the ninth, against Marlins closer A.J. Ramos). Jordy Mercer's slugging percentage (.311) was one point higher than his OBP, and Gregory Polanco, hitting .225, had a lower slugging percentage (.282) than OBP (.304). The best active hitter is Josh Harrison, who was hitting .329/.407/.457 entering Saturday.
The lineup lacks power. Saturday, it showed patience.
The Pirates extended their one-run lead to three in the sixth inning without an RBI hit. After Josh Bell's one-out single, the next four batters worked a walk. Andrew McCutchen, Polanco and Cervelli each drew a walk against Dan Straily.
With lefty John Jaso due up, Marlins manager Don Mattingly replaced Straily with Brad Ziegler, a submarine righty. Ziegler walked Jaso to force across the inning's second run.
The only offense through five innings resulted from Mercer's RBI single in the second. Polanco poked an outside pitch down the left-field line for a leadoff double. After two flyouts, Mercer lined an 0-2 pitch back up the middle. Polanco, who was running on the pitch, scored easily.
A dearth of runs is easier to stomach with Nova on the mound. Martin Prado, the second batter he faced, doubled to left field. Nova retired the next 11 batters before Justin Bour singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
Marcell Ozuna's sharp single put a man aboard with nobody on in the eight, but Harrison's second strong defensive play of the night erased him. In the sixth, Harrison, playing third base in Freese's absence, made a diving catch on Dee Gordon's bunt attempt. Two innings later he dived to stop J.T. Realmuto's grounder and start a 5-4-3 double play.
At only 87 pitches after the eighth, Nova was in good shape to go for the shutout. He batted in the eighth and took the mound in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Derek Dietrich almost ended the shutout with a long fly ball to right that just swerved foul. Dietrich flied out to center, and Nova got two groundouts right back to him to end it.
