Nova did not disappoint. He stymied the Royals, pounding the strike zone with his fastball, his curveball. He lasted eight innings and allowed only one run, nearly matching his start last week, as the Yankees won, 8-1, at Yankee Stadium.

It helped that the Yankees’ offense finally came alive, powered by Robinson Cano and Lyle Overbay, but the night belonged to Nova and his newfound swagger.

“I don’t remember the last time that I feel the way I feel now,” Nova said.

Before the game, catcher Chris Stewart said Nova had started throwing more downhill lately, driving his fastball lower and for strikes. Batters were forced to take strikes or make contact, which kept Nova’s pitch count down. And if they waited, Nova could throw his curveball, catch them off balance and pile up strikeouts.

Nova had more confidence and a better attitude, Stewart said, noting that before, when Nova got down on himself, he mistrusted his pitches and threw wild.

Nova stayed in control for much of Wednesday’s game. He set down the Royals in order in the second, third and fourth innings. He got two outs to start the fifth, but then allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases, and the pitching coach Larry Rothschild came to the mound.

On the second pitch of the next at-bat, Nova fired a 96-mile-an-hour fastball and Alcides Escobar flew out to left field. Then Nova cruised through the sixth.

He struck out six batters, five with his curveball. He strutted around the mound with each out, as if it were expected, as if this were according to plan. Afterward, Royals Manager Ned Yost said, “His curveball was probably the best we’ve seen all year.”

Just last week, Nova had been an enigma. He had begun the season in the rotation but was bumped out as he struggled and spent time on the disabled list, in the bullpen, and in the minors. He rejoined the Yankees as a spot starter June 23.

Then he threw a gem Friday, his first career complete game, and the next day, David Phelps, another back-of-the-rotation starter, was placed on the disabled list with a strained right forearm. Phelps had allowed 19 runs in his last four starts.

Phelps met with reporters before Wednesday’s game and said his forearm felt great. He planned to rest until Monday, when he would start throwing again, during the All-Star break. He expected to be fine after that.

Manager Joe Girardi will then have to decide what to do with his rotation.

His offense, which has been a more serious problem all season, seemed less so Wednesday, if only for one night. Cano hit a three-run homer in the third, and Overbay added a grand slam in the sixth, both off Royals starter Wade Davis.

“It’s nice to win a game 8-1,” Girardi said.

The offense had scored three runs and managed only one extra-base hit in the Yankees’ previous three games, all losses. Girardi was asked before the game if he would consider juggling his lineup in search of a spark.

“Um, what would you suggest?” Girardi said, laughing. His Yankees had been ravaged by injuries all season. Then he composed himself and vaguely said he had considered doing some things differently.

“But this is what it is,” he said.

Yet, reinforcements may be on the way. Derek Jeter has said he wants to hurry back to the Yankees, but he went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and had a throwing error in his rehabilitation game in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday night.

Girardi tried to temper expectations about Jeter’s return. It is not clear whether Jeter will be back before the All-Star break, but Girardi has said he wants Jeter to play on consecutive days before he rejoins the team.

Asked if Jeter would return Friday, as some reports indicated, Girardi said, “I don’t know.”

He added: “I know there’s reports out there. As I’ve said, we evaluate it every day, and let’s just see where he’s at.”

Of course, Jeter will not solve every one of Yankees’ flaws.

“We understand that he’s one guy,” Girardi said, “and we know he can only do what he’s capable of doing.”

INSIDE PITCH

Travis Hafner (left foot bruise) and Brett Gardner (right leg bruise) left the game early. X-rays for both were negative, and they are listed as day to day.