“The Story Is Yu Darvish”: Derek Jeter Brings the Spotlight on the Real Hero in Padres’ Game 2 Win Over Dodgers

Padres successfully won the game 2 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Who played the best out of them? Well, Derek Jeter gives all this credit to Yu Darvish. Captain Clutch was spotted alongside legends David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez on the Fox Sports podcast, chatting it up and sharing their thoughts on the game. So what was special about the night? It was Game 2 series between two divisional rivals in which the Padres won 10-2, tying the series till now. What a turnaround!

After the Dodgers went wild in Game 1 with seven home runs, they just couldn’t find their groove in Game 2. And as Jeter believes Yu Darvish was living up to the hype, totally shutting down that same lineup that racked up runs the other day. At 38, Darvish isn’t showing any signs of slowing down—five innings, just one run allowed, and three strikeouts! By the time we hit the top of the sixth, the Padres were leading 4-1, and by the end, the scoreboard was in their favor and so was Derek Jeter.

What does Derek Jeter feel about Yu Darvish and the Padres’ win?

There are a few things that Derek Jeter believes contributed to the Padres’ win over the Dodgers. Starting off the conversation, Jeter showed confidence in the team, saying that he knew they were gonna hit runs. And well, that ended up being the case in reality too. But the 50-year-old believes the force behind this is, “the real story is Yu Darvish. He kept the hitters off balance throughout the game” with three strikeouts. Yu was surely keeping the hitters on their toes.

But only good pitching didn’t help the Padres win; while it contributed as they had fewer hits, for that, the defense should be top-notch. Which Jeter believes was the case too: “If you’re going to pitch well, you need solid defense behind you, and that was definitely impressive.” And the defense behind him was outstanding. All three outfielders were on a hot streak. And those stops at first base? Wow! They also pulled off a crucial line drive double play that totally stopped the Dodgers’ hold in its tracks.

The Padres’ defense and overall gameplay were so much better that even superstars like Shohei Ohtani couldn’t keep up. Ohtani, who slammed a three-run homer in game 1, just couldn’t match Yu Darvish’s energy in game 2. Their showdown? Let’s just say it didn’t go Ohtani’s way – Darvish totally shone in that inning.

Yu Darvish vs. Shohei Ohtani; who was better on Sunday?

The Darvish-Ohtani face-off started with the first plate appearance, where Yu Darvish threw two balls outside the strike zone, making it look like the pitcher was just feeling things out. But then, the right-hander came roaring back with back-to-back strikes – you could feel the tension in the air! Subsequently, Darvish unleashed his 90 mph splitter, and it was just too good—Ohtani chased that down-and-away pitch, which really makes you wonder: Was facing Ohtani part of Darvish’s master plan all along?

“No, it’s not something just specifically talking about facing Shohei,” the 38-year-old said. Instead, he noted that the focus was on facing all nine Dodger hitters with equal fierceness. Main focus? To get all of them out. Plus, the pitcher also admitted that going into the game he was focused on the field, especially considering the veteran has had a tough recent years. Did you know Yu Darvish was actually part of the Dodgers squad that made it to the World Series in 2017?

But we know how that ended—they lost to the Astros. Ever since, he’s been on a bit of a rollercoaster trying to find that top form, but his time with the Padres has been a fresh start, and Game 2 was the perfect example of that! Now, with the series tied and three more games to go, it’s anyone’s game. Will the Padres keep riding high on Darvish’s pitching, as Derek Jeter believes, or will the Dodgers bounce back like they did in Game 1? That has yet to be seen, but what do you predict? Drop your thoughts in the comments