Padres pitcher Yu Darvish, who helped the Padres win the WBC = World Baseball Classic Japan, started a practice game at a camp in Arizona and threw four innings with eight strikeouts to prepare for the start of the season.
Padres pitcher Darvish, who pitched as a reliever in the WBC final against the United States and helped the team win the championship, started a practice game against a minor league team at a camp in Peoria, Arizona, on the 25th.
Darvish, who pitched three days after the WBC final, struck out two in the first inning to keep the game at three, but in the second inning, a hit and an error led to a pinch hit at second base with one out, and he was hit by a timely hit and gave up a run.
In the third inning, he threw only 3 pitches in a three-way tie, so he faced another one under special rules and struck out.
He walked off the mound in the fourth inning with three strikeouts.
Darvish threw a total of 10 pitches in four irregular innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out eight.
Darvish also had no problem dealing with the pitch clock, which will be introduced this season with the time limit between pitches, and seemed to feel the response, saying, "I wanted to know how the game would go on with the pitch clock, but I think it was really good, including the changeup.
On the other hand, he said, "Of course, I gave everything I have, but I'm still tired, so I feel like I'm not at 100% yet.