Oh, the MLB season kicked off with a bang this Wednesday. Picture this: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres duking it out in Seoul, South Korea. And who’s on the mound for the Padres? None other than Yu Darvish, showcasing some of his nastiest pitches to an international crowd.
Imagine stepping up to the plate and the first thing you see is Darvish walking Mookie Betts. But hey, don’t let that fool you. After that little hiccup, Darvish was on fire for the rest of the inning. Freddie Freeman, with all his might, couldn’t even touch a wicked two-seam fastball from Darvish. Betts was just chilling on first, probably as amazed as we were.
And, oh boy, the Ump Cam. That thing gave us a front-row seat to what it’s like staring down one of Darvish’s fastballs. One second, it’s coming at you, and the next, it’s swooshing over the plate for a strike. Talk about a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment.
If Darvish keeps throwing like that all season, the Padres might just shake off the dust from a rather gloomy 2023. But, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Darvish on Wednesday. The guy got yanked after 3.2 innings, having given up three walks, two hits, and one run. Not the best day at the office, but hey, it happens.
The game didn’t end too well for San Diego, though. They lost 5-2, with the Dodgers’ pitchers pretty much putting the Padres’ hitters in their pockets after the fourth inning. But, no worries, the Padres have a shot at redemption in tomorrow’s game. They’re aiming to even out the Seoul Series before heading back for their home opener on March 28.
So, yeah, baseball’s back, folks. And it’s already shaping up to be an interesting season. Let’s see if the Padres can turn things around in the next game. Fingers crossed, right?
