Nova is AL Pitcher of the Month

Yankees starter Ivan Nova's perfect August has earned him American League Pitcher of the Month honors.

The right-hander went 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA, one complete-game shutout, 12 walks and 31 strikeouts over 43 1/3 innings in six starts to earn his first career monthly award on Wednesday. He's the first Yankee to win the honor since CC Sabathia in July 2011.

Among league leaders for the month, Nova finished first in ERA (minimum 27 innings), was tied for first in wins and starts and tied for third in innings pitched. Opponents hit .250 against him, and he allowed just one home run -- the fewest allowed per nine innings in the AL during the month.

Nova held the Padres to four hits, while striking out eight, over seven shutout innings on Aug. 3. He then limited the first-place Tigers to one run on eight hits while striking out seven over seven innings, getting no decision, on Aug. 9.

He beat the Angels on Aug. 14, becoming the first Yankee to throw at least seven innings and allow three or fewer earned runs over seven straight starts -- a run that began on July 5 -- since Sabathia in 2011. Nova was the first Yankees right-hander to accomplish that feat since David Cone, who had seven straight such starts in 1998.

Nova capped his stellar month with his first career shutout on Saturday, surrendering three hits and one walk against five strikeouts in a 2-0 win against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.