BALTIMORE — Right-hander Ivan Nova is meant to eat innings within the White Sox’ rotation, which isn’t precisely asking rather a lot from a veteran with the highest-priced contract within the group.
He expects to do greater than put within the hours.
‘‘I want to pitch good,’’ he stated when it was advised to him that his job is to be an innings-eater. ‘‘I want to pitch good.’’
But Nova, whom the Sox acquired from the Pirates in an offseason commerce, has been unhealthy most of the time in his first 5 begins and hasn’t been worse than he was in his 4 innings in a 9-1 loss Tuesday to the Orioles.
White Sox pitcher Ivan Nova had a tough evening in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
‘‘Missed location with all my pitches,’’ Nova stated. ‘‘I threw the ball a lot over the plate, and I got hit.’’
To the tune of 9 runs and 11 hits, together with 4 house runs.
‘‘This was the worst one since [the beginning of] spring training,’’ he stated. ‘‘I should do a better job. You keep fighting out there. The good thing is you have another start in five more days.’’
Nova (0-3), who doesn’t have overpowering stuff however normally throws strikes — he entered the sport with three walks — was off from the get-go. He allowed a double to leadoff man Jonathan Villar and walked Renato Nunez within the first earlier than serving up 4 homers in a stretch of 12 batters masking the third and fourth.
Nunez, Chris Davis, Dwight Smith Jr. and Joey Rickard all went deep in opposition to Nova, who regardless of his 6.23 ERA getting into the sport hadn’t allowed a protracted ball. He walked three and gave up seven hits along with the homers, and the injury may need been worse had it not been for a pitcher-to-home-to-first double play within the second.
The Sox’ highest-paid beginning pitcher with an $8.5 million base wage, Nova will take an 8.42 ERA into his subsequent begin.
‘‘I’m assured I can get out of this,’’ Nova stated. ‘‘You want to pitch good every five days, but in this game you’re going to have loads of ups and downs. The first begin was actually good, the second was a foul one, the third one was good after which two unhealthy in a row. You wish to be constant.’’
The Orioles, who broke a four-game shedding streak, all the time have given Nova matches. He now has a 5.51 ERA with 24 homers allowed in 19 appearances (18 begins) in opposition to them.
Orioles starter Andrew Cashner (4-1) held the Sox to 5 hits and a stroll and struck out 5 in seven innings.
The Sox made some onerous contact early, however the one run they acquired got here on an RBI single by Tim Anderson that scored Yoan Moncada, who had tripled, within the sixth.
Right-hander Ervin Santana, the opposite veteran within the Sox’ rotation, takes a 10.38 ERA in two begins into the rubber recreation of the sequence Wednesday. Santana is one victory shy of 150 for his profession.
The Sox’ starters now have a collective 6.22 ERA. Manager Rick Renteria must see that go down.
‘‘He had quite a few misses today,’’ Renteria stated of Nova. ‘‘We wanted him to eat up some innings and get some outs. Just a tough day, one he’ll wish to put behind him.
‘‘He’s mislocating. He’s annoyed with himself, however he’ll return to the drafting board and get again on observe. Hopefully he’ll give us these innings we want.’’
‘‘Oh, yeah,’’ Nova stated. ‘‘It’s the primary month of the season. I’m wholesome and nonetheless assured and able to go.’’
The Sox solely can hope so.