Rangers Darvish Looking to Extend Run of Quality Starts

Yu Darvish has been solid in his last 4 starts

On Monday Texas Rangers starter Yu Darvish allowed three earned runs and three hits over seven innings of work in beating the Kansas City Royals. Darvish took a perfect game into the sixth inning after retiring the first 17 batters. It marked the fourth straight quality start by Darvish. Manager Ron Washington thinks Darvish may have turned the corner in his first season with the Texas Rangers.

”He was doing everything he wanted to do out there. He’s getting a feel for what is working and he’s staying with it.”

In that stretch Darvish has allowed nine earned runs in 27 2/3 innings, which is more of what the Rangers were looking for when they signed the Japanese ace in January to a six-year deal.

Darvish had allowed 27 runs and 31 1/3 innings before turning things around.

Darvish is 14-9 on the season in 161 2/3 innings, pitching to a 4.29 ERA and a WHIP of 1.37. He has struck out 188. Darvish will face Tampa Bay and Cy Young contender David Price in his next outing. Darvish beat the Rays and James Shields 1-0 on August 29.

“I’m very satisfied with the way I’m pitching right now,” Darvish said. “My sole goal every time out is to give my team a chance to win.”

While the Rangers are 27 games over 500 and lead the division by 5 1/2 games over Oakland, the Rangers need the Darvish they have seen in the last four outings.  An efficient Darvish with Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and a rejuvenated Ryan Dempster make Texas a favorite to return to a third straight World Series in 2012.

Harrison has emerged as the Rangers’ most consistent starter. Dempster is now 5-1 as a Rangers pitcher and now has four straight quality starts.

The Rangers are six and one overall in games that Dempster has started. Offensively, few teams can match up with the Texas Rangers.

Good starting pitching may determine if the Texas Rangers can win the last game of the season in 2012.