Padres News: Yu Darvish Aged Like Fine Wine in Sunday's Mexico Win

Yu started slow but finished strong in his Sunday outing

Your San Diego Padres picked up a win in their final game in Mexico City against the Giants. The offense woke up in the eighth inning on Sunday, and the pitching did just enough to get their second consecutive win. 

Padres righty ace Yu Darvish started his fifth game of the season, and although it didn't start pretty, he ended it like the ace he is. Darvish didn't pick up the win, but he finished on a high note to keep the Friars within striking distance. 

Padres manager Bob Melvin saw Darvish a bit off, but he liked how he was able to brush it off. 

“I didn’t think there was any chance he was going to go six innings early in the game,” Melvin said. “He looked like he was struggling with his breaking ball, leadoff home run to start the game, gives up another run, gives up two in the fourth, then pitches his best in the fifth and sixth … when he was somewhat tired. And we needed that kind of performance.”

The 36-year-old went six innings, allowed nine hits, four earned runs, no walks, and nine strikeouts on 97 pitches. Darvish gave up his four runs in his first four innings, and after that, he was lights out. 

The five-time All-Star retired eight straight batters after giving up an RBI single from Mike Yastrzemski in the fourth inning. Darvish hasn't had the best of starts to the season, but the Padres have won their games in his last two outings. 

Let's hope his last two innings carry him into a dominate stretch.