Nova: 'I'm going to win' a rotation spot

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Hit hard for the first time in spring training, Ivan Nova emerged confident as ever -- and willing to issue a guarantee. "I'm going to win," he said of one of the available back-end spots in the Yankees' rotation. "I'm fighting for it to the end, and I'm going to win."

Nova, who entered having allowed three hits and no runs in five innings, gave up two runs and five hits in three innings in a 10-3 loss to the Blue Jays.

His confidence should not be mistaken for delusion. "I didn't throw too well today," said Nova, 24. "My fastball command wasn't there. I know I [usually] have really good command. It made me feel a little bit bad because I always throw a really good fastball most of the time, but today it wasn't there."

Much of Joe Girardi's presumed starting lineup was back in Tampa for a split-squad game against the Braves -- a 6-2 loss -- but he made the trip here specifically to see Nova.

"It felt good at first because he came here to see me pitch," Nova said. "I know I didn't show him good things today. But that doesn't affect me. I'm mentally good. I'm strong and I'm waiting for my next opportunity to try and fix what I did today."

Girardi likes Nova's confidence but said he needs to do better. "He knows he can pitch," he said. "The bottom line is he has to make the adjustment the next time he goes out and get it right. Because he's got much better command than what he showed today."

Girardi doesn't want any of the contenders -- Nova, Bartolo Colon, Sergio Mitre and Freddy Garcia -- thinking too much about the four-for-two math of the competition, but it is reaching the point that results matter. "You put too much pressure on yourself if you look at it that way," he said. "But obviously you want to get your stuff right and be pitching with your best stuff at the end of spring training.''

Nova liked his curveball and changeup but was up in the zone with his fastball and never could command it. Of his 60 pitches, only 34 were strikes. "I was trying to make an adjustment,'' he said, but I couldn't do it today."

Jose Bautista, who hit six of his 54 homers last season against the Yankees, hammered Nova's 2-and-0 fastball over the left-centerfield fence. A fierce wind was blowing out, but Nova wasn't looking for excuses. "If I strike him out,'' he said with a smile, "the wind doesn't affect it."

He added, "If you're confident in yourself, you're always going to be good. If you don't have confidence in you, that's difficult."

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