Who wanted the ball right after the All-Star Game to get the Cubs off to a good start after the break and then shut down the Pirates? Yu Darvish. Who's been the team's best starter since July? Yu Darvish. Who's completely turned their season around from the worst walk rate to virtually walking no one for the past two months? Yu Darvish.
Who do you feel most confidence in going into a game down the stretch? Yu Darvish.
After two devastating losses to the Padres the Cubs faced a must-win game on Thursday to salvage a series split. The Brewers had already swept a four-game series in Miami, while the Cardinals were beating up on the Rockies.
Darvish set the tone early, retiring the first eight batters he faced and if it wasn't for a single by the pitcher he would have been perfect through three innings. The Cubs got an early run and Darvish made it stand through his six innings of work, striking out 14 Padres.
That included eight straight to finish his start and three in a row in the sixth inning following a leadoff triple.
That's now eight of 12 starts in which Darvish has allowed two or fewer runs. Darvish walked two batters for the first time since June 26.
In his last three starts, Darvish has allowed just one earned run in 19 innings, striking out 28 while walking four and giving up 10 hits.
When the Cubs have needed someone to step up big in the second half of the season Darvish has responded.
And you can even go a little farther back to see that Darvish has transformed into the four-time All-Star he was before signing with the Cubs.
There haven't been many things going right for the Cubs in 2019, but Yu Darvish coming up big in the most important time of the season and emerging as an ace is definitely something you have to love seeing.
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