He lost his lone career start against the Pirates in 2012 as a rookie with the New York Mets, getting tagged for seven runs in 1 1/3 innings. He’s got to learn to battle himself through his first back-to-back games of adversity. “He has a ton of competitiveness in him”.
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“I throw a lot of strikes and that’s been a strength for me”, he said. “He’s in his own way, and he just needs to go trust his abilities and be the guy that he’s capable of being rather than trying to make a ideal pitch every single time”.
Houston’s four-game losing streak came to an end after the Astros were unable to overcome an early deficit. Nova then rebounded to retire the next three batters, throwing just 98 pitches while holding the Astros to one run on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
It was the fourth complete game of the right-hander’s seven-year career with the others coming in 2013.
Pirates: RHP Tyler Glasnow (right shoulder soreness) pitched three scoreless innings and threw 57 pitches Monday night in his second rehab start with Double-A Altoona, allowing two hits while striking out six and walking three against Harrisburg in the Eastern League.
“David has been a consummate professional while producing offensively and playing solid defense at both third and first base to help this team win games”, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement.
After belting a home run to left field in the third inning, Polanco smashed his team-leading 19th off left-handed reliever Tony Sipp two innings later to give the Pirates a 6-0 lead through five. The former St. Louis Cardinals playoff hero has settled in nicely in Pittsburgh, with a.276 average in 107 games. Jose Altuve owns 180 hits with 90 runs, 20 homers and 83 RBI.
Musgrove was hammered for eight runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles last Thursday.
Mariners 7, Yankees 5 • Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager each hit a three-run homer as host Seattle rallied to win. Astros INF Luis Valbuena (hamstring) is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery this week.2.
Astros: INF/OF Yulieksi Gurriel grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth a day after leaving his major league debut with right hamstring tightness.
Giants (68-56) at Dodgers (69-55), 10:10 p.m. ET: Madison Bumgarner (12-7, 2.25 ERA) and Kenta Maeda (12-7, 3.29 ERA) begin a crucial three-game series between the NL West contenders. Miami starter Andrew Cashner (4-10) limited the Royals to one run on four hits in six innings.
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Tuesday night will be the middle game of this three game series as Ivan Nova (9-6, 4.83 ERA) faces Joe Musgrove (1-1, 4.18 ERA).
