Yankees' Nova fires 6 2/3 shutout innings vs. Phillies in return from Tommy John surgery

Words failed Ivan Nova when he tried to articulate how his long-awaited return to the mound at Yankee Stadium might compare to his MLB debut.

"This is like another dream," Nova recently told ESPN's Andrew Marchand. "I can't describe what is going through my mind."

Nova's performance Wednesday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies, his first start in a New York Yankees uniform in roughly 14 months, was equally indescribable.

Nova, who missed most of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, hurled 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Wednesday's series finale, lifting the Yankees to a commanding 10-2 win over Philadelphia.

The resilient 28-year-old threw 51 of his 92 pitches for strikes, allowing just three hits and two walks with one strikeout before yielding to reliever Bryan Mitchell with two outs in the seventh inning.