PITTSBURGH _ Ivan Nova shut down his former team in the Pirates' 2-1 victory Sunday against the New York Yankees at PNC Park.
The Pirates took two of three games against the Yankees and improved to 8-10, with the Chicago Cubs coming to town this week. The Pirates swept the Cubs in Wrigley Field last weekend.
Nova allowed one run, Jacoby Ellsbury's solo homer, in seven innings. He issued his first walk of the season _ to Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery _ in his first professional plate appearance. In four starts this year, Nova has a 2.00 ERA, with 23 hits allowed in 27 innings.
The Pirates scored only once with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first. David Freese's sacrifice fly brought home a run. They added another in the third on Gregory Polanco's double. Andrew McCutchen ran through a late stop sign from Joey Cora but still scored from first.
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery didn't allow much else. He completed seven innings, walked two and struck out five. The Pirates again loaded the bases with nobody out against Bryan Mitchell in the eighth and came up empty.
What should have been a game-ending double play in the ninth put Tony Watson in a jam when Josh Harrison bobbled the ball. Watson escaped without allowing a run to earn the save.
