NEW YORK (Kyodo) — San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish said Thursday he felt good ahead of his start against the New York Mets’ three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer when MLB’s postseason opens on Friday.
Darvish, who went 16-8 this season with a 3.10 ERA and was named NL pitcher of the month for September, played catch at Game 1’s venue, New York’s Citi Field.
“I’ve been in good form up until now,” Darvish said. “I’ve been able to pitch with amazing confidence.”
In eight career starts against the Mets, Darvish is 5-0, but called his unbeaten record against them “just chance.”
“I always pitch the same, but the difficulties that arise always seem to stem from different reasons. If I can pitch the way I usually do, I’ll be OK.”
As for Scherzer, who has 201 MLB wins under his belt, Darvish said, “He’s a pitcher who’s made his mark on history. I’m honored to face him.”
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