PITTSBURGH _ Games like Friday's are why the Pirates brought Ivan Nova back. They needed length in their rotation. They needed stability. He gave it to them last August and September, after they traded for him, and with a young rotation this year, they'll hope to get it from him again.
One game does not a season make, but Nova is off to a good start. He helped the Pirates to their first victory of the season, 5-4 against the Atlanta Braves during the home opener at PNC Park. He worked quickly and efficiently, and pitched his way out of jams, even when his defense made matters more complicated than they needed to be.
"I've played with a lot of professionals," said David Freese, who homered Friday. "You ask me who's a pro in this clubhouse, it's Ivan Nova. He showed it today."
At 30, Nova is the old man in the Pirates' rotation. Everyone else is 26 or younger, and three starters are entering their first full major league seasons. Re-signing Nova, who reached free agency during the winter after the Pirates acquired him from the New York Yankees, to a three-year, $26 million deal was the only move the Pirates made this winter to address their rotation. Nova said has faith in the group.
"I'm not the only guy that's going to provide stability," said Nova, who allowed one unearned run in six innings. "Those young guys are going to go their guys also. You see (Jameson) Taillon in Boston pitch a tremendous game (seven scoreless innings Wednesday)."
Nova did not walk a batter Friday. After joining the Pirates last season, he walked only three in 11 starts, a span of 642/3 innings. Three of those starts were complete games, and the ability to provide quality innings to the rotation will help a team that finished 28th in baseball in 2016 in innings pitched by starters.
"Especially with the rotation now and the young kids that we have, I think he's a big key," Jordy Mercer said. "Working quick, being efficient with your pitches, working deep into games. I think that's the biggest thing too, is giving our bullpen a rest. I think last year we got to our bullpen real quick. By the time August came around, guys were drained."
Mercer helped preserve a lead after the bullpen turned a four-run margin into a one-run game. With runners on first and second and one out in the eighth, Nick Markakis lined a Wade LeBlanc offering into the right-center field gap that flew just past the glove of Andrew McCutchen. One run scored. Brandon Phillips singled off Daniel Hudson to drive in two more.
Adonis Garcia hit a grounder up the middle that Josh Harrison dived for and stopped. He flipped it to Mercer for one out. Mercer pirouetted on his right foot and threw to first for the second.
"I don't know how the hell it happened," Mercer said. "Just turned around and wing it."
Prior to Phillips' two-run single, Nova kept him in check. He got Phillips to ground into an inning-ending double play in the fourth, after falling behind 3-0 with the bases loaded, and struck him out in the sixth with men on second and third.
"It doesn't matter if you fall behind, you've still got to make a pitch," Nova said. "No panicking."
The unearned run against Nova scored after Gregory Polanco dropped what should have been the final out of the fifth. Emilio Bonifacio's routine fly ball clanged off his glove, extending the inning, and Ender Inciarte doubled to drive in a run.
Francisco Cervelli followed Freese's homer with one of his own, also off reliever Josh Collmenter, also with two strikes. McCutchen, hitless in his first two games, went 3 for 4 with a walk, and Starling Marte went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Tony Watson saved his first game of the year.
Nova next pitches on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates hope for 30 more starts after that. The team will need production from more than just him, of course, and Nova has faith in the group.
"The whole starting pitching (staff), no matter how many years of service you have, how old you are, we're going to stay together and we're going to try to do the best that we can," he said.
