Slow start does in Chicago Cubs' Darvish
With Yu Darvish, it took a little time.
It took a little patience.
And it took some good health.
In the second half of the Chicago Cubs' season, Darvish has suddenly become an important piece. It was a mixed bag for the right-hander Tuesday night in a 4-2 Cubs loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.
Darvish pitched 7 innings, giving up 6 hits and 4 runs. He walked only one and struck out 13, including a club-record eight in a row from the second through the fourth innings.
But a 3-run first inning hurt Darvish, who gave up an RBI double to Joey Votto and a 2-run homer to Aristides Aquino.
"I made a good pitch for Votto," said Darvish, who fell to 6-7. "But he's a great hitter. He hit the double. That's fine, but for Aquino, that's mistake (of) choice. I should throw a breaking ball."
There will be more starts for Darvish to end the regular season, and he may be their top guy heading into the postseason, if the Cubs make it. They fell to 82-69. They are tied for second place with the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, 2 games behind St. Louis. The Cubs and Brewers are tied for the second wild-card spot.
It's a different look from last year for Darvish, when injury allowed him to make only 8 starts.
"We're seeing the real version of himself as a person, not just as a baseball player," said pitching coach Tommy Hottovy. "I think the comfortability level of him with everybody - the media, the coaching staff, the city - every aspect of him has played into it. When he's in a good place mentally feeling good and physically feeling good and he's comfortable, the sky's the limit with him and what he can do."
Darvish said he is feeling OK about where he is.
"I think I'm in a pretty good place, but still, we lost today," he said. "We need wins at this point. So I'm so frustrated."
Manager Joe Maddon agreed that patience was a key with Darvish, even with the six-year, $126 million contract Darvish signed before last season.
"You do have to give things time," Maddon said. "You've got to be patient. Everybody wants instant gratification. There was a lot going on there for him, and just adjusting to the new contract beyond the injury. He's a very sensitive young man, a very bright young man. And he's aware of all of his surroundings. Right now, he's comfortable with all that stuff.
"And that's why you're seeing the product on the field. He's healthy. He feels great about where he's at."
Another player who required a little time helped the Cubs stay in the game in the early going. Kyle Schwarber doubled home a run in the bottom of the first against tough right-hander Sonny Gray and tripled home another in the third. The triple raised Schwarber's RBI total for the season to 90.