CLEVELAND — Ivan Nova walked into the visitors clubhouse after throwing in the bullpen at Progressive Field Tuesday afternoon, pulled off his cleats and changed into a dry-fit shirt to prepare for a run around the warning track.
"This is fun, man," he said. "I'm able to do my workouts outside, lifting weights, too. Even throwing bullpens. Plus, look at what the other guys are doing. It's amazing."
Nova, now 31, is the heartbeat of a rotation that's posted a 2.47 ERA and .230 batting-average-against in the past 13 games. Their mastery has the Pirates riding a 10-game winning streak, the franchise's first since 2004, and they've won 12 of 13 to draw within 4 1/2 games in the Wild Card race.
And perhaps no one is enjoying the run more than the rotation's most experienced pitcher. After all, he wasn't even able to run on the field or lift weights 12 months ago. "I'm healthy," Nova proclaimed, beaming at his locker stall. "It wasn't fun last year, let me tell you. Not at all. I love to pitch and take the ball every five days. But I was struggling. You never want to put your head down. That's why this is so fun."
Nova, acquired from the Yankees two years ago and signed to a three-year extension in December 2016, had a 1.09 WHIP and 67 strikeouts to 15 walks in 18 starts during the first half of last season. However, the right-hander had a 1.61 WHIP and 5.83 ERA in his final 13 starts.
Nova couldn't throw bullpens, and his only pregame workouts were on a stationary bike. He's not a fan of running by any means, but it's been part of his routine for more than a decade. Plus, he couldn't strengthen his lower body on the leg press or squat rack. As a result, his balance on the mound was off, leading to messy mechanics, and he'd tire quickly during starts.
The Pirates handed Nova a new workout regimen and strict diet to follow when he returned to the Dominican Republic in the offseason. Following that plan helped him lose 10 pounds. Nova never mentioned the knee injury last season, although it nearly forced him to miss a start in Atlanta in late May.
He never used it as an excuse. But it's now clear how much it impacted his pitching. Aside from a rough May — the result of a sprained ring finger on his right hand — Nova has returned to form. He had a 0.85 WHIP in four June starts, which followed a 1.02 WHIP in four starts during March/April.
"The running part is really important," Nova said. "That’s where you get your endurance when you go out to pitch. The lifting part is the power that you need in your legs. If you don’t have the legs of a starting pitcher, you’re going to feel fatigued and tired. It was never on my mind. Even when I was pitching a bad game, I was confident I’d do better next time. It took a really bad stretch, but I never put my head down. I knew I’d get back on track."
The whole pitching staff has. The Pirates have the second-most strikeouts in the National League this month, and their rotation's ERA over the past 13 games ranks second in the majors behind the Red Sox. Trevor Williams, their most consistent starter for much of last season, has pitched 11 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two starts, the latest a rain-shortened six-inning complete game shutout against the Indians Monday night.
Nick Kingham has a 2.89 ERA and .194 opponents' batting average over his last three starts. Jameson Taillon has a 1.59 ERA and 16 strikeouts to two walks in 11 1/3 innings over his past two starts. Joe Musgrove, the Pirates' starter Tuesday in Cleveland, has thrown at least seven innings in two of his past three starts, although his last start was marred by a rough eighth inning.
Nova lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his final start before the All-Star break; however, he allowed just two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Reds Sunday in Cincinnati. "From the pitching standpoint, from the starters, I can tell you we like seeing each other succeed and trying to out-duel one another," Williams said.
Only 16 days ago, Neal Huntington seemed ready to pull the plug, telling reporters the week before the All-Star break would determine whether or not he'd sell at the non-waiver trade deadline, and he shouldered the blame for a struggling young bullpen. Nova, under contract through next season, was among the club's veterans who could have been dealt on or before July 31.
Instead, he's a passionate leader for a young rotation making a push towards contention, and it appears he's not going anywhere. Nova has a 3.18 ERA over his last three starts, striking out 10 with only two walks. A victory Tuesday against one of the top offenses in the American League would give the Pirates 11 wins in a row for the first time since 1996.
And all involved know exactly what's at stake.
"Everybody is free and relaxed," Nova said. "They know what they have to do. You don’t want to be the guy who ends the streak. At some point it's going to happen. Whoever is on the mound today thinks they’re going to win."