It was a dramatic turn of bad luck in recent days that ended the Rangers’ hopes—and expectations—of going to their third World Series in a row. They lost the Series in both 2010 and 2011, and hoped Yu would help them not just get to the Series but win it this year.
It wasn’t to be—but Darvish wasn’t the problem.
Darvish was excellent Friday against the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out seven. And, for the first time in the 30 games he has now pitched in the United States, he did not walk even a single batter. Walks have been his nemesis since he joined Texas. But in September, he walked far fewer men than in previous months and on Friday got that down to none.
The Rangers led their division throughout the year and everyone assumed they would be in the post-season race for the American League pennant and the World Series championship.
But while Darvish was pitching even better than normal during September, the Rangers batsmen suddenly turned cold at the end of the season. As recently as September 24, the Rangers led the American League West division by five games with just nine games to go.
They then lost seven of those nine games, losing the division title.
The leaders of the three divisions automatically advance to battle for the American League pennant. Under new baseball rules, the two teams with the best records after the division leaders then play a single playoff game to determine who will join the top three in the pennant competition.
That playoff was fought Friday night in Texas between the Rangers and the Orioles. Showing the faith manager Ron Washington has in Darvish, he was picked to pitch that do-or-die game. It was the first time the Rangers had ever used a rookie pitcher to start a post-season game.
The Orioles, however, won 5-1.
Darvish gave up two earned runs during his 6 2/3rds innings. A third run was scored on a Rangers’ first base error. Two more runs were given up by the reliever brought in to replace Darvish and finish the game.
The Rangers’ vaunted bats didn’t come through. Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre, the pair the team relies on to stack up the scores, didn’t even get a single hit during a combined eight turns at bat. Rangers’ batters grounded into three double plays and scored only once in the seven times they had runners in scoring position. The Rangers did manage to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth. But with two out, the next batter flied out. End of season.
In the postgame interview room, Darvish was still stunned by the outcome. “Me and my teammates and the Rangers’ fans, I don’t think we thought it would end this early. I mean, right now I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do tomorrow.”
He is likely to change his flight reservations and head back to Japan earlier than planned to visit his Iranian dad and Japanese mom.
Manager Washington had nothing but good things to say about Darvish despite the loss. “I thought he did a great job for us. He actually kept us in the ballgame. He did his job,” Washington said, leaving unsaid the thought that the batters did not do their job.
Major League Baseball’s summary of the game was headlined: “With little help, Yu’s effort spoiled in playoff debut.”
In the sixth inning, Darvish gave up his first earned run of the night. He started feeling some tightness in the trapezius muscle in his right shoulder. Washington, pitching coach Mike Maddux and trainer Kevin Harmon all went to the mound. The Rangers even summoned interpreter Joe Furukawa to the mound to make sure they understood what Darvish was saying. It required a conference of six umpires before Furukawa was allowed out on the field, but Major League rules allow an interpreter during injury situations.
After much debate and a few trial pitches, Darvish decided he could continue.
“I felt a light cramp in there,” Darvish said. “But at that time, I had discomfort. I didn’t know if I could throw or continue to throw. They let me throw a few more pitches, and I stretched out a little bit, and I felt fine.”
Darvish got out of the sixth inning with the Rangers only one run behind. But he gave up a one-out single in the seventh and then an Oriole bunted the pinch-runner to second. With a left-handed hitter coming up, Washington decided to bring in a left-handed pitcher, Derek Holland. Darvish had thrown 91 pitches and didn’t appear as if he wanted to come out.
“Getting taken out in the seventh inning or any time the manager takes me out, that’s his call,” Darvish said. “That’s his decision. So I never question what the manager does.”
Holland gave up a single that brought another runner home.