NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS DODGERS

October 10, 2024

Yu Darvish

Dodger Stadium

San Diego Padres

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. How much does your experience in elimination games or winner-take-all games help you for tomorrow night?

YU DARVISH: I can't really recall how I was on these elimination games, so I don't think I can give you a good answer on that. But maybe it is the experience that I have accumulated up until today that's making me feel calm right now.

Q. When you first went on the restricted list, was there a point where you thought you might not come back this season? And when did you start realizing, I really want to come back and try to give it a go before the end of the year?

YU DARVISH: No, I mean, I don't think I was necessarily thinking of coming back to baseball while I was on the restricted list, but whenever I actually came back, I think it was towards the end of August, that was the time that I had different thoughts. And I thought, you know, coming back would be a good idea. That's why I'm back.

Q. Given everything that's happened with the team, Joe Musgrove being out, and obviously they've really needed you and you've delivered for them. How do you feel about the decision in hindsight to come back and rejoin the team?

YU DARVISH: Just simply looking back, we're here and I think it was a good decision to come back.

Q. One of your winner-takes-all postseason game was 2017. It was Game 7. It was here, pitching with the Dodgers. Just curious, are you still haunted with that memory?

YU DARVISH: Obviously I remember about that time, but it's, like, how many years ago was that? So there's nothing special that I think about that time. I don't go focus on that time, basically. Plus, I am wearing a different uniform right now, so ...

Q. Given how aggressive the Dodgers were against Cease and King, and given how much trouble you gave them, how much goes in to you and your game plan of maybe changing it up a little bit versus doing what you had so much success with the first time?

YU DARVISH: My style is to go on the mound and look at how the hitters are reacting and then go about what I'm going to do. I've always been like that.

So I don't necessarily have a concrete plan right now. But tomorrow that's kind of what I'm looking to do.

Q. How much are you hoping you get to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto tomorrow? And what was your experience like just the past experiences playing with him?

YU DARVISH: I think it's a great thing that we're able to go at it with each other in Game 5 of an NLDS game. At a personal level, really good friends with him as well.

And just for us to be able to go out there and pitch on the same day, a playoff game, I think it means a lot.

Q. Along those lines, a tremendous amount of talent from Japan in this series, across all of Major League Baseball now. When you look back to when your career started in Texas to now, how do you feel about how Japanese baseball has come in this country?

YU DARVISH: It gives me a lot of joy, obviously. I think the level of baseball in Japan has risen and it's actually showing over here. So it's really good to see all these players that come over here be successful.