Nova rides confidence to National League Pitcher of the Month honors

CINCINNATI — Ivan Nova sat in the third-base dugout at Great American Ball Park grinning as he bashfully spoke of his remarkable first month of the 2017 season.

He is not scheduled to start again until Thursday's afternoon game against the Reds, but he was the center of attention after being named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April on Wednesday afternoon.

It was a remarkable month indeed: two complete games in five starts with a 1.50 ERA. The type of numbers the Pirates expected when resigning him during the offseason, but more important, the exact production Nova has always expected from himself.

Even during the toughest of times in New York.



"I'm relaxed," Nova said prior to tonight's 7:10 p.m. game against the Reds. "I'm being confident to go out there and have fun in the game. Executing pitches. Seeing guys behind me make plays."

Acquired from the Yankees last August, Nova signed a three-year, $26 million contract in the offseason to return to the Pirates and it paid dividends immediately. His 3-2 record is less than remarkable until you look closer at the numbers.

The Pirates have scored just 14 runs in Nova's five starts, but he has more complete games than walks. Nova has 22 strikeouts and only one walk, allowing six earned runs during that span. His WHIP is 0.750 and opponents are hitting .198 against him this season.

It was the first time Nova was named pitcher of the month since he was given the award in the American League back in August 2013. It only comes with a trophy and a watch — his brother took the watch from Nova's first time receiving the honor — but this meant so much more to both Nova and the Pirates.

It's the first time since April 2015 a Pirates pitcher won the honor, and showed Nova that what he accomplished during his short time in Pittsburgh last season was not an anomaly.

"Peel back the layers and follow this guy's timeline," Clint Hurdle said. "This hasn't been in his pocket the whole time he's pitched. He's matured. I think he's learned. I do believe there's times in our careers where we're prepared for our future through our past if we've paid attention. This is a case where a guy possibly could have paid more attention than maybe some people realized."

Nova went 5-2 in 11 starts for the Pirates last season, striking out 52 and walking only three in 64 2/3 innings. He'll return to the mound Thursday in the Pirates' series finale against the Reds at Great American Ball Park at 12:35 p.m., and he'll do so with more confidence than he had for much of his time with the Yankees.

"I think I just trusted myself more," Nova said. "I had a year and a half that was really tough in New York, with that Tommy John and everything else that was going on. I finally trusted myself and put in my mind that my arm is fine and my whole body is fine. Just go out there, have fun and don't worry about anything else."

The 30-year-old right-hander tossed a complete game with eight strikeouts while allowing just three hits in a 4-0 win over the Marlins last Saturday in Miami. It was his second complete game in three starts after he allowed two runs on five hits in eight innings during a 2-1 loss to St. Louis.

It was not long ago that Nova was a forgotten man in New York. He allowed 22 earned runs in 26 1/3 innings during June last season. It did not get much better in July, as his final start with the Yankees ended with him throwing his glove at a dugout wall at Tropicana Field in Tampa.

The torn ligament in his right elbow suffered during 2014 forced him to miss most of the first three months of 2015, a season that ended with a 4.90 ERA. The moment he won American League Pitcher of the Month in August 2013 seemed so long ago.

"Thats like, what, three years?" Nova said with a laugh. "I was good that time. I remember I got sent down to the minors. That frustrated me a little bit. I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do in terms of pitching the way I was supposed to pitch. I came back, they gave me the opportunity and I told myself I wasn't going to waste it."

Then Ray Searage came along. The Pirates' pitching coach urged Nova to pitch to contact and attack hitters. Nova said he owes this all to Searage: