Ivan Nova pitched six strong innings Thursday night, and the Yankees three-headed bullpen monster struck out five batters as New York beat Oakland 4-1. Nova is now 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA in three starts, compared to a 5.14 ERA in relief. It seems like the Yankees should keep him in the rotation. Note that as a reliever, Nova allowed one home run, one walk, and struck out seven in 14 innings. As a starter he allowed three home runs (accounting for all his runs allowed) and two walks with eight strikeouts in 16 innings. In terms of three-true outcomes, he was just as good if not better as a reliever. The hits just fell in the wrong spots. I suspect he’ll stay in the rotation, especially now that Aroldis Chapman gives the Yankees more bullpen depth. There’s nothing other than a small sample of bad luck that indicates he’d continue to do better in one role or the other.