ARLINGTON, Texas – While some people may be concerned about how the 130-pitch outing by Yu Darvish in his last start will impact him Tuesday, Darvish isn't one of them.
The right-hander, who is scheduled to pitch against Oakland Tuesday, hasn't changed anything about his routine since he beat the Tigers Thursday.
"I didn't have much fatigue after the 130 pitches," Darvish said.
What he did gain was more confidence, especially after winning a matchup against Detroit ace Justin Verlander. While beating a Cy Young award winner was nice and Darvish (7-1) was lauded for his performance by Nolan Ryan, he still isn't ready to consider himself one of the game's best pitchers.
"I still think Verlander is the best pitcher in Major League Baseball," Darvish said. "I only have won 20 or so games here in the big leagues. I don't think I'm at a point where you guys can compare me to the top pitchers in Major League Baseball. I'm not even at the starting point."
While Darvish isn't sure he's at the starting point in the majors, there's one pitch he may have perfected. The 62-mph curveball he got a swinging strike to against Miguel Cabrera was a thing of beauty.
"I got a swing and a miss from Cabrera," Darvish said. "I don't think I have to perfect that anymore."
