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Super Nova leads Yankees over Reds

Jun 21, 2011 - 3:17 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Ivan Nova shut the Reds down for eight innings.

It took three more Yankees pitchers to finish the job.

Nova struck out seven in a four-hit performance Monday night, and the Yankees finally turned to Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning to close the door on a 5-3 victory over Cincinnati.

Nova (7-4) gave up one run -- in the first inning -- and didn't walk a batter, improving to 6-2 in his last eight decisions.

"It looked like he felt confident even though he had to battle in the first inning," said Yankees catcher Russell Martin. "After that, it looked like a piece of cake for him. Even after he got behind in the count, he wasn't afraid to go after them."

Nova left with a 5-1 lead and the Reds scored two in the bottom of the ninth before Rivera pitched himself out of trouble for his 18th save.

Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano had two hits apiece and both knocked in runs during New York's four-run first inning against fill-in Reds starter Travis Wood.

The Yankees padded their lead in a sloppy defensive eighth inning by Cincinnati and moved to 9-2 in their last 11 games.

Wood (5-5) took the hill after scheduled starter Johnny Cueto was scratched because of a stiff neck. He gave up four runs, eight hits and a walk while striking out six in seven innings.

New York reliever Luis Ayala gave up a leadoff single to Brandon Phillips in the bottom of the ninth and was yanked for Boone Logan, who hit Joey Votto with his only pitch. Rivera came on and got an out before surrendering an RBI single to Scott Rolen.

Chris Heisey grounded into a force out, scoring another run, but Rivera struck out pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria to end the game.

The Reds have lost three of their last four games, while Wood dropped to 4-2 in his last six decisions. He settled down after facing eight batters in the first inning, but the damage was done.

"I felt good," said Wood. "I just tried to put that first inning behind me."

Four batters knocked in runs during the rally: Rodriguez and Andruw Jones had RBI singles, Cano hit an RBI double and Rodriguez scored on Martin's ground out.

Cincinnati got a run back in the bottom of the first when Drew Stubbs led off with a single, stole second base, moved to third on Phillips' single and scored when Votto grounded into a double play.

But Nova dominated the Reds in his final seven innings, surrendering just a single to Paul Janish in the fifth and a base hit to Fred Lewis in the eighth.

The Yankees scored in the top of the eighth when Curtis Granderson walked and made it around the infield on errors. He stole second base and moved to third when Janish missed the throw, then scored on Jose Arredondo's wild pitch.

Game Notes

The Reds are still 4-3 against the Yankees since interleague play began. They won two out of three in series during the 2003 and '08 seasons...Nova was 0- for-3 in his first career MLB at-bats...The Yankees are 9-2 in their last 11 road games...Rodriguez, who is battling a sore left shoulder, was taken out for a pinch-runner after hitting a single in the eighth inning. "I don't think there's a guy in Major League Baseball who feels 100 percent right now," he said, "and I'm no exception"...Jones appeared to jog to first base as he grounded into a double play to end the third inning. He said afterward that he has a balky ankle that gives him trouble from time to time. "I rolled it so many times. Those things happen," he said.