Ivan Nova does nothing to help trade value in Yankees 5-1 loss to Rays

Ivan Nova does nothing to help trade value in Yankees 5-1 loss to Rays

ST. PETERSBURG – If Ivan Nova was hoping not to be traded this weekend, he may have helped his cause Friday night.

Nova allowed five runs over 4.1 innings, dooming the Yankees to a 5-1 loss to the last-place Rays to kick off a critical series with Monday afternoon’s trade deadline rapidly approaching.

The righthander allowed six hits and three walks during his forgettable outing, striking out three in the loss, his first in six starts dating back to June 21.

One scout in attendance called Nova’s performance “erratic,” adding that his trade value should be as “a throw-in at best.”

Nova’s outing may have done more than scare off some potential suitors; it also put a dent in the Yankees’ playoff push as they lost back-to-back games for the first time since July 15-16. They missed another chance to pick up a game in the AL East as the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays, leaving the Yankees six games back.

Jake Odorizzi fired 6.2 scoreless innings, limiting the Yankees to six hits. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.

Nova said this week that he hasn’t paid attention to the myriad trade rumors that have swirled around for days, and while the impending free agent knows there’s a chance he gets moved by Monday, Joe Girardi was hopeful that Nova would be able to concentrate and keep the momentum he’s had over his past four starts.

“You always worry about that,” Girardi said before the game. “Sometimes that’s the danger of following everything on the internet and Twitter and family members calling you, but you have to be able to block it out. During the course of a career, there’s going to be distractions all the time.”

Nova had pitched to a 2.66 ERA over his past four starts, helping the Yankees get back into the race while boosting his own trade value for the stretch run of his contract year.

But with several scouts watching from the stands Friday, Nova got off to a horrid start as Logan Forsythe led off with a home run. Two outs later, Corey Dickerson launched a solo shot of his own, the 18th homer allowed by Nova in 15 starts this season.

Brad Miller opened the third with a triple, scoring on Dickerson’s fielder’s choice to push the lead to 3-0.

Odorizzi breezed through the Yankees’ lineup, which continued to struggle after scoring only 3.3 runs per game during their 8-3 run in the past 11 games.

After allowing a pair of one-out hits in the first, Odorizzi retired 14 of the next 15 batters, blanking the Yankees through five innings.

Nova gave up back-to-back doubles to Miller and Evan Longoria to start the bottom of the fifth, boosting the lead to four runs. A one-out infield hit by Steve Pearce put runners at the corners and ended Nova’s night after 4.1 innings, bringing in Chad Green.

A sacrifice fly by Steven Souza Jr. made it a five-run lead, and although Green loaded the bases, the rookie got out of the jam with a strikeout of Luke Maile to close the book on Nova’s unfortunate line.

Green pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, giving the offense a chance to come back.

The Yankees wasted a leadoff hit in the sixth against Odorizzi, then put two runners on base with two out in the seventh. Manager Kevin Cash called on righthander Kevin Jepsen to get out of the jam, which he did when Rob Refsnyder flied out to right.

A two-out rally in the eighth prevented the Yankees from being shut out as Mark Teixeira singled in a run against righty Dylan Floro to put the Bombers on the board, but that was as far as they’d get against Rays relievers. 

إبراهيم زكاغ

مدون وأحب القراءة وكل جديد التكنولوجيا والإنترنت . إنشاء فولفولي جاء من الرغبة في مشاركة تجربتي المتواضعة ولأكون مساهما ولو بالقليل في محتوى الإنترنت.

هنا كود أدسنس