Nova (16-4) unbeaten in last 15 starts

Beyond stating the obvious, that CC Sabathia will be his Game 1 starter in the Division Series, Joe Girardi has dismissed other questions about his playoff rotation.

"Let's get there first,'' he has said more than once.

Well, the Yankees will get there, and Ivan Nova's role has become as obvious as Sabathia's when they do: that of No. 2 starter.

The Yankees, behind Nova's 72/3 shutout innings and four RBIs from Curtis Granderson, took another step toward clinching a playoff berth last night with a 5-0 victory over the Rays in front of a sellout crowd of 46,944 at the Stadium.

The Yankees moved six games ahead of the Red Sox and lowered their magic number to two for clinching a playoff spot and to three for winning the AL East. In the wild-card race, the Rays stayed two games behind the Red Sox, who lost to the Orioles.

"We have a chance to get there, and that's a step,'' Girardi said. "We need to continue to play good baseball because our goal is to win the division and have home-field advantage.''

Nova (16-4, 3.62), who leads all rookies in victories and is unbeaten in his last 15 starts, allowed six hits. He struck out three and walked three.

"He pitched absolutely amazing,'' said Granderson, who had three hits and increased his RBI total to 119, which leads the major leagues.

Eric Chavez, getting the start at third base because Alex Rodriguez was the designated hitter, had two hits, as did Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner and Russell Martin. Jeter has 3,082 hits, putting him alone in 19th place all-time. He passed Hall of Famer Cap Anson.

The Yankees did leave 18 on base, but that issue was mostly eclipsed by Nova, who was more than a bit player in the Rays' stranding nine.

The 24-year-old righthander allowed at least one baserunner in innings two through eight but came through unscathed, with the seventh his most impressive escape act. The Rays loaded the bases with none out but Nova got out of it. Desmond Jennings flew to short leftfield and B.J. Upton grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.

"It was unbelievable,'' Nova said of the seventh. "In that inning I didn't have command of my pitches. I don't know what happened.''

What didn't happen was the inning unraveling, a problem for Nova in 2010 but not this season.

Nova's poise impressed Nick Swisher.

"To be a young guy and to have a head on his shoulders like that, to be composed when he goes out there,'' Swisher said, "it kind of looks, when he's on the mound, like a veteran guy.''

Girardi said if Upton had gotten a single, he would have gone to Rafael Soriano. And if it had been last season, he might have pulled Nova well before that.

"I remember in those situations in the past he would have taken me out,'' Nova said. "It gives me confidence when he leaves me in the game.''

But for Girardi, it's part of the growth process.

"He has done a much better job at that this year and has figured out how to get out of innings,'' Girardi said. "That's just maturation, and we need him to continue to grow up for us.''

After walking Casey Kotchman in the eighth, Nova left to a standing ovation and doffed his cap on his way to the dugout. Boone Logan retired Matt Joyce and pinch hitter Brandon Guyer to end the inning.

Nova missed about a month this season when he was sent to the minors in a rotation numbers crunch. He said he has his sights set on victory No. 17, not beyond that, meaning where he might fit in the postseason.

"You have to win and wait,'' he said. "I've never been in the postseason before in the big leagues.''

That will change soon enough.