Ivan Nova Not Feeling Pressure to Deliver Yanks’ Win

Feb 26, 2014; Bradenton, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher

(47) walks back to the dugout after he pitrched against the Pittsburgh Pirates McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The first two games of the season have been clunkers for the New York Yankees. On Tuesday they lost to the Astros by a score of 6-2 and on Wednesday they fell 3-1. The season is still in its infancy (Like newborn) and the Yankees still have an entire season ahead of them. They still have to pick up their first win and tonight they’ll send out Ivan Nova to do just that. After C.C. Sabathia was roughed up in the opener and Kuroda was foiled by lack of run support, the team is counting on Nova to keep the Astros bats at bay while the lineup tries to finally muster up enough offense to put a win on the board. In 2013, Nova struggled so much in the first half of the season that, after an injury, the Yankees were forced to send him down for a time. After he returned he was one of the best pitchers in baseball and one of the Yankees’ best players. The Bronx Bombers are counting on Nova to send them to Toronto on a high note. So how does Nova feel about that job?

“It would be nice if we win the first one tomorrow, but there’s no extra pressure.” Said Nova last night “If this was the end of September and we were two games behind, I may think about it.”

So the 27-year-old right-hander feels no extra pressure to deliver the Yankees a win. That’s good because the team doesn’t need a nervous arm on the mound. Nova has to be able to overcome his past inconsistencies in order to become a staple in the Yankees’ suddenly-young rotation. Tonight is the last game of the Yankees’ opening series in Houston and tomorrow night they’ll be in Toronto to face the Blue Jays with Masahiro Tanaka on the mound to start the series. The Yankees and their fans are counting on Super Nova to lead them to their first win of the highly anticipated 2014 season. Nova feels no pressure and is ready to go. Let’s hope it translates to a big game.