Posted on 06/08/2013 11:51:46 PM PDT by TexGrill
If you watch the home broadcast for one of Yu Darvish’s starts for the Texas Rangers, you will, at some point, hear play-by-play man Steve Busby exhorting, “got him swinging,” after Darvish fans a batter.
You’ll hear it a lot, too.
After fanning seven Blue Jays on Saturday, Darvish (7-2) leads the majors with 118 strikeouts, and 12.02 strikeouts per nine innings. At his current pace he would become the first pitcher in over a decade to record 300 Ks in one season.
While his immense talent was apparent during his time in Japan, after just a little more than a year in the majors the 26-year-old is pitching at a much higher level than during his NPB years.
“(He’s) smarter now,” Trey Hillman, Darvish’s first manager with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the current bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, told The Japan Times.
“He used to just get away with talent, now he has to have more of a game plan that adjusts with more hitters to learn, who are always trying to make adjustments, causing him to be able to adjust, also (with) the sheer number, learning curve, travel, all making it more challenging.”
But can Darvish reach 300?
(Excerpt) Read more at japantimes.co.jp ...
Now if only they could get some offense going and get back into the win column .....
Darvish may get 300 K’s this season but the A’s will still win the division again. The Rangers bullpen will not be effective in August and September because their other starters are not consistently getting past the 5th inning.
BTW, how about that 18 inning loss last night?
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