Yu Darvish Left Braves Batter Loudly Cursing After Throwing Wicked Breaking Ball

Tim Capurso | May 20, 2024

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic looking disappointed after swinging and missing at a pitch from San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish during the bottom of the fifth inning of Sunday's 9—1 Padres win at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. / Screengrab Twitter @PitchingNinja

It has to be absolutely maddening for a professional baseball player to attempt to hit against San Diego Padres ace Yu Darvish, who is armed with as many as seven—and possibly more—pitches in his arsenal.

MLB fans got a firsthand look into just how maddening during the bottom of the fifth inning of Darvish's latest outing against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night at Truist Park, a 9–1 Padres victory.

Facing Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic with two outs and a 2-2 count, Darvish unleashed a wicked, 79 mph knuckle curve that left Kelenic violently swinging and missing—and then loudly uttering a curse, which was picked up by the ESPN hot mics.

(Warning: There is bad language in this video)

Yu Darvish, Nasty 79mph Knuckle Curve. 😨

Kelenic appears to be mildly upset. 🔉 pic.twitter.com/6PfX4a1BX6

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 20, 2024

It's hard to blame Kelenic, as hitting that breaker from Darvish was an impossible task. Hell, trying to hit Darvish period has been an impossible task lately, as the veteran hurler has now fired 25 scoreless innings, a streak dating back to April 14.

If getting a grown man to drop an F-bomb on live television and not allowing a run for an entire month weren't impressive enough feats, Darvish also entered the history books on Sunday night, becoming just the third Japanese-born pitcher to record 200 combined career wins between the Nippon Professional Baseball League and MLB.

Darvish, 37, is 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings pitched. He'll next take the mound against the New York Yankees on Friday at Petco Park.