The words were simple, but Yu Darvish found the sentiment behind them to be particularly heartwarming.
“We’re going to get this one for you.”
That’s what Darvish said he was told by the other Dodgers in the team’s pregame huddle the day after he lived a nightmare in his first start in a World Series.
We’re going to get this one for you.
— Dodgers teammates to Yu Darvish
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The Dodgers won Game 4 as promised and were victorious again on Halloween in Game 6, extending the series against the Houston Astros and granting Darvish an opportunity to pitch on the greatest stage his sport has to offer, a winner-take-all seventh game Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
“As a team, as a human being, I’m very grateful to have that kind of support,” Darvish said in Japanese. “I thought I was very blessed to be able to play baseball while being surrounded by people like this.”
He showed his appreciation with a small gesture.
After Dodgers victories, players on the bench form a line to high-five the players who were on the field for the final out. Clayton Kershaw has typically been at the front of the welcoming party in this postseason.
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Game 4 in Houston was an exception. Darvish, who was rocked the previous day, was the first to slap hands with players departing from the field of play. Not only that, he didn’t high-five his teammates using his non-pitching hand, as he usually had. He offered them his right hand.
Darvish was somewhere in the middle of the line Tuesday night after the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory, but again presented his valuable right hand.
“He’s not necessarily emotional, but he is sensitive,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It meant a lot to him for players to come out and say that for him.”
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This knowledge that his teammates backed him could explain why Darvish was considerably more relaxed in a news conference Tuesday than he was in a similar setting leading up to his previous start. The day before he was charged with four runs in only 12/3 innings of that Game 3 loss, Darvish looked and sounded extremely nervous. His voice was muted. His sentences were clipped.
He was back to his normal self Tuesday, eloquently covering a number of subjects, from how he still wasn’t upset about the slanted-eyes gesture made by Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel in Game 3 to how the baseballs used in this series felt abnormal.
Darvish sounded comforted by the idea that his dismal World Series performance could have been the result of a slicker baseball. He won his previous two starts of the postseason, giving up a combined two runs over 111/3 innings.
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Joc Pederson celebrates a home run in the seventh inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times )
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Joc Pederson celebrates his solo home run against the Astros with 3rd base coach Chris Woodward in the seventh inning.
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Joc Pederson celebrates his solo home run against the Astros in the seventh inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Joc Pederson hits a solo solo home run in the seventh inning.
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Kenley Jansen celebrates at the end of the game after striking out Astros’ Carlos Betran in Game 6.
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Chris Taylor hits an RBI double against the Astros in the sixth inning.
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Cody Bellinger reacts after striking out in the eighth inning.
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Yasiel Puig, left, Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor celebrate as the Dodgers win game 6.
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Kenley Jansen reacts with his teammates after winning game 6.
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Fans celebrate as the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Cody Bellinger strikes out in the eighth inning of game 6.
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Chase Utley is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run against the Astros in the sixth inning.
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Fans celebrate as they exit Dodger Stadium after the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenley Jansen embraces Cody Bellinger after the Dodgers win game 6.
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Joc Pederson celebrates a home run in the seventh inning.
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Kenta Maeda reacts after escaping a seventh inning jam holding a 2-1 lead.
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Dodgers fans cheer in the 6th inning.
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Chase Utley is congratulated by Enrique Hernandez after scoring a run in he sixth inning.
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Chris Taylor hits an RBI single against the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor shakes his hands as he celebrtes an RBI double in the sixth inning.
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Chris Taylor races down the baseline after hitting a double to score the tying run against the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenta Maeda pitches against the Astros in Game 6.
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Justin Verlander wlaks back to the dugout after giving up the lead to the Dodgers in the sixth.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Turner tosses his bat while popping-out in the 6th inning against the Astros in Game 6.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans cheer as the Dodgers pull ahead of the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Chase Utley is hit by a pitch in the sixth inning.
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Fans celebrate after the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers reliever Brandon Morrow receives a pat on the back from Cody Bellinger as he waits for manager Dave Roberts to pull him from the game in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dave Roberts calls for relief pitcher Brandon Morrow to replace starter Rich Hill, right, in the fifth inning in game 6.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Joc Pederson reacts as he flies out in the fifth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves the Dodgers flag to rally Dodgers fans.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Astros George Springer celebrates his solo home run in the 3rd inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers fans cheer in the 6th inning in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Houston Astros center fielder George Springerruns the bases after hitting a solo go-ahead homer in the third inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig climbs the wall but can’t reach a home run ball hit by Astros George Springer in the 3rd inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor calls off Corey Seager on a third inning pop up from Astros batter Josh Reddick.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans cheer the team before the start of Game 6.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Allen Estrada eats a Dodger dog while wearing a hot dog costume during Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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George Springer homers off Rich Hill int he third innnig.
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Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor tosses his batting helmet after striking out in the third inning.
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Yasiel Puig reacts after hitting a single in the second inning.
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LOS ANGELES, CA, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017 -Justin Verlander pitches a scoreless first inning in game six of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Rich Hill gets Astros’ Carlos Correa to hit into an inning ending grounder in the first.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Tommy Lasorda, left and Orel Hershiser hug after throwing out the first pitch in game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw walks to the bullpen at the start of Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Maggie Ethier, right, takes a photo of her husband, Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, and their 16-month-old daughter, Everly, wearing a witch costume for Halloween before the start of Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans painted with blue faces rally with fellow Dodgers fans.
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Dodgers’ fan Angel Rodriguez, of East Los Angeles shows his Dodger pride as he watches game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Jarratt Rouse, of Santa Barbara, sports his popcorn Halloween costume before the start of Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Madison Jack, 3, of Rancho Santa Margarita, wears her Tinker Bell costume while taking in the World Series scene before the Dodgers game.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Great Bambino” watches as the Dodgers play the Astros in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Mark Morocco, of Palm Springs, shows off his Vin Scully tattoo and his Dodger dog “Great Bambino.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Marissa Arnold and her son, Aidan Arnold, 14, of Break, sport their painted faces on Halloween before the Dodgers game against the Astros.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Joseph Argilagos Sr. and his son, Joseph Argilagos, of Los Angeles, sport beards.
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Yasiel Puig takes in batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts laughs during batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans share a light moment before Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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An Astros fan cheers on her team as the Dodgers play the Astros in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans watch batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans dressed for Halloween watch batting practice under cloudy skies before Game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A Dodger fan takes a photo with former Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager before Game 6.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A fan dressed as a Dodger dog before Game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans dresses in costume for Halloween watch the team take batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“When the game ended, like I told everyone my slider slipped and the ball wouldn’t catch on my finger,” Darvish said. “I didn’t know the ball was slicker.”
He was informed of the possibility by a reporter.
“I compared the balls myself and they were very different,” he said.
When he threw a bullpen session Sunday, he made it a point to use a baseball specially made for this World Series.
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“I think my slider was better in my bullpen session,” he said.
The five-out start was the shortest of Darvish’s career, but he said he didn’t consider it the worst-ever performance.
“If it was the regular season, I wouldn’t have been taken out at the point, so it’s hard for me to think I had my worst start here,” he said. “There’s no point in thinking about it. I just have to pitch well.”
In the middle of Game 4 or Game 5, Darvish said he was told by Roberts he was scheduled to start a potential Game 7. Darvish responded by telling the manager his turn wouldn’t come because the Dodgers would win the series before then.
Evidently, Darvish learned to trust his teammates as much as they trust him.
Darvish is said to not have been particularly close with his teammates in high school or on his first professional team, Japan’s Nippon-Ham Fighters. It wasn’t until the last couple of seasons that he started forming close relationships on the Texas Rangers.
What he discovered upon his trade to the Dodgers was an unusually welcoming environment.
“You want them to feel comfortable, try to acclimate them as fast as you can in any way, saying, ‘Hey,’ asking him what he does, asking him about his family, anything you can do just to make a guy as comfortable as possible,” shortstop Corey Seager said.
Darvish used to occasionally think about how he didn’t enjoy playing baseball as much as he did as a child. That has changed over the last three months.
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“I really look forward to coming to the stadium every day,” he said.
His teammates are a major reason why.
Darvish downplayed the effect this solidarity could have on how he approached the game. Of what the others told him in that pregame huddle, he said, “Even if that didn’t happen, it wouldn’t change the fact I would give 100%.”
Third baseman Justin Turner was pleased the Dodgers could present Darvish with a chance for redemption.
“He probably didn’t feel very good about the way things ended for him in Houston and I’m glad we get a chance to give him another opportunity to go out there and throw the ball like he can,” Turner said.
When Turner returned to the clubhouse after the game Tuesday, he made it a point to speak to Darvish.
“I came in here after the game, gave him a big hug and told him his time was tomorrow,” Turner said.
And if it’s Darvish’s time, it will be the Dodgers’, too.
