It was a cute story, how the Dodgers embraced the newcomer who was not only from another country but was also wired unlike anyone else they knew.
The ending was nowhere near as heartwarming. Yu Darvish failed the Dodgers on the sport’s greatest stage.
Darvish did the unimaginable and inexcusable, following one historically atrocious start with another, the second coming Wednesday night in a 5-1 defeat to the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series. He never gave the Dodgers a chance to win the championship they waited 29 years to reclaim, giving up five runs while registering only five outs at Dodger Stadium.
The right-hander looked devastated when he entered a postgame news conference. His eyes were watery. His face was red.
Darvish gathered himself and spoke of how he wanted to repay the Dodgers for an enormous debt he felt he owed them.
“They gave me a lot,” he said in Japanese. “I’ve had some painful ones in the past. To be honest, since coming to the major leagues, my passion toward baseball had started to decrease. I was really concerned about that, especially in the last three years.”
Darvish gulped.
“They gave me goals,” he said of the Dodgers. “They gave me the goal of not wanting to lose until the end. Then my goal became to perform well in the World Series.”
His appreciation only intensified his anguish.
“Everyone has really awful days,” he said. “When I have an awful day, what I think about is how for every awful day I’ve had, I’ve had a great day and I’ve added another wonderful person to my life. When I think like that, it’s easier. But what I did today affected everyone on the Dodgers, so I don’t know if that’s going to work.”
Clayton Kershaw pitched four innings in relief, raising questions about why he didn’t start instead. Here’s why: Darvish is a four-time All-Star. This became a subject of conversation only because Darvish didn’t do what he was supposed to do. This wasn’t about manager Dave Roberts or the front office not to think outside of the box and bring back Kershaw on two days’ rest. This was about Darvish not showing up on baseball’s greatest stage, plain and simple.
Games like this can happen to anyone. Kershaw squandered a four-run advantage, then contributed to the Dodgers blowing a three-run lead, all in the same Game 5 loss. Only Darvish failed to show up twice in the same seven-game series. He recorded as many outs Wednesday as he did in his Game 3 debacle.
History will record his July 31 trade to the Dodgers in absolute terms. Darvish helped the Dodgers reach the World Series, winning a game in a National League division series and another in the NL Championship Series. That’s not what will be remembered. The organization’s goal wasn’t to reach the World Series. It was to win it.
You get what you pay for, right? Darvish spent the previous 51/2 seasons with the Texas Rangers, who parted with him for what felt like a minimal cost. The most prized prospect the Dodgers traded for him was Willie Calhoun, a defensive liability who didn’t figure into their long-term plans.
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The Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
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Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel, second from left, third baseman Alex Bregman, left fielder Marwin Gonzalez and second baseman Jose Altuve celebrate after beating the Dodgers 5-1.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 3/61
Houston Astros players run to celebrate with teammates after beating the Dodgers.
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The Houton Astros celebrate with the Commissioner’s Trophy.
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Astro players spray champagne in the clubhouse.
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The Astros’ Josh Reddick gets sprayed with champagne after his team defeated the Dodgers.
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The Astros’ Josh Reddick gets sprayed with champagne during the postgame celebration.
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The Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 9/61
The Houston Astros celebrate beating the Dodgers, 5-1, in Game 7 to win their first World Series.
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The Dodgers watch the Astros celebrate their World Series title.
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The Houston Astros celebrate beating the Dodgers to win the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) 12/61
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa holds up the flag of Puerto Rico after his team won the World Series.
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The Astros swarm pitcher Charlie Morton after he held the Dodgers to one run over the last four innings to preserve the win.
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Yasiel Puig heads to the outfield in the ninth inning.
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Dodgers watch their World Series dreams disappear with a 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros in the ninth inning.
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Clayton Kershaw leaves the mound after the top of the third inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 17/61
The Houston Astros celebrate beating the Dodgers to win the World Series.
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World Series MVP Houston Astros center fielder George Springer, left is hugged by teammates after winning the World Series.
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Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa holds the flag of Puerto Rico during the postgame celebration.
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Houston Astros catcher Brian McCann jumps on pitcher Charlie Morton after Morton held the Dodgers to one run over the last four innings.
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Augusto Romero, of Granada Hills, left, embraces his girlfriend Lizet Perez, of Sylmar, after Dodgers lost.
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Members of the Dodgers watch the Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
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Astros outfielders George Springer, right, and Cameron Maybin run in to celebrate with teammates after beating the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
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Yasiel Puig shows his frustration after fouling off a pitch in the fifth inning.
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Cody Bellinger looks down while standing on first base after a force-out in the fifth inning.
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Tyler Howard, center, of Los Angeles, along with other fans watch Game 7 at the Short Stop in Los Angeles.
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Manager Dave Roberts talks with Clayton Kershaw after the sixth inning.
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Corey Seager splits his bat while grounding out to end the sixth inning.
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The Dodgers’ Justin Turner gets hit by a pitch in the third inning.
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Kenley Jansen and Austin Barnes talk during a break in the seventh inning.
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Dodgers fans react at the Down N Out bar in downtown during Game 7.
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A frustrated Dodgers fan watches the game in the fifth inning.
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A lone Dodger fan watches the Houston Astros celebrate their 5-1 victory.
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The Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig slams his bat into the ground after popping up with two runners on base in the third inning.
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Clayton Kershaw walks off the field after striking out Yuli Gurriel to end the top of the third inning.
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Angeles Maurino, center, reacts with Dodgers fans at the Down N Out bar in downtown Los Angeles during Game 7.
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Mescal Miranda, left, of Los Angeles, along with other fans watch Game 7 at the Short Stop in Los Angeles.
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Bartender Nate Joyner wears face paint as he watches the game with Dodgers fans at the Down N Out bar in downtown Los Angeles.
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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig, right, and center fielder Joc Pederson react after pitcher Yu Darvish was taken out of the game.
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yu Darvish looks down after giving up a double to the Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez in the second inning.
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Orlando Villa, of Los Angeles, reacts as the Houston Astros go up 5-0 in the second inning.
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, center, and the infield wait for a relief pitcher after starter Yu Darvish was taken out of the game.
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yu Darvish stares into the outfield as George Springer reaches home plate after hitting a 2-run homer to give the Astros a 5-0 lead in the second inning.
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Astros right fielder George Springer, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run homer against the Dodgers in the second inning.
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The Astros’ George Springer, second from left, celebrates his two-run home run with Carlos Correa in the second inning.
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The Astros’ George Springer runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish in the second inning.
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The Astros’ George Springer reaches home in front of Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning.
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The Dodgers’ Corey Seager strikes out in the first inning.
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Enrique Hernandez encourages Yu Darvish in the dugout before the first pitch in Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
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Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda arrives to watch Game 7.
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Dodgers fans Greg Uy watches the Dodgers in the first inning with bases loaded at the Down N Out bar in downtown Los Angeles.
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Dodgers fans show concern as the Astros score twice in the first inning of Game 7.
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Dodgers fans boo the Astros’ Yuli Gurriel in the first inning of Game 7.
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Dodgers fan Tim Kell, right, of Rancho Cucamonga, cheers for his second World Series championship game at Dodger Stadium. “This is the ultimate,” Kell said, who attended the 1988 World Series.
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Sarah Keh dances to mariachi music in the right field pavilion before game 7 of the World Series.
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A pair of sportscasters stand beside the Commissioner’s Trophy before the start of Game 7.
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Young Dodgers stars Corey Seager, left, and Joc Pederson take batting practice before the start of Game 7.
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Fans try to get a closer look at players from the corner of left field before the start of Game 7.
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Astros fans watch their team warm up before the start of Game 7.
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A Dodgers fan is literally blue in the face before the start of Game 7.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) The Rangers probably knew something. They probably knew he was as likely to perform how he did in this World Series as he was of ever realizing his breathtaking potential. Darvish made two postseason starts for the Rangers and lost both.
The Dodgers weren’t asking of Darvish what the Rangers did. The Dodgers weren’t looking for Orel Hershiser of 1988. What they wanted was someone who could pitch five or six innings — perhaps even fewer in the postseason.
Darvish couldn’t do that. Again.
“Last time, my slider and my other breaking pitches didn’t work at all,” Darvish said. “Over the last four days, I made adjustments and was able to get them to the point where I could throw them for strikes. But I wasn’t able to get them to the point where I could dominate hitters. It’s disappointing I wasn’t able to do that in the last two games.”
Darvish gave up a leadoff double to George Springer. The next batter, Alex Bregman, hit a grounder to first baseman Cody Bellinger. Darvish ran to cover first base, but Bellinger’s throw sailed behind him, allowing Springer to score and Bregman to reach second. Bregman stole third and doubled the Astros’ lead to 2-0 on a groundout by Jose Altuve.
The two-run deficit silenced a Dodger Stadium crowd that was rocking the previous night. The Dodgers never recovered. The fans didn’t either.
With two outs in the second inning, Darvish served up a two-run home run to Springer, which increased the Astros lead to 5-0.
“My slider wasn’t sharp,” Darvish said. “Against a batter like Springer, it was difficult. In the end, with the count 3-2, [catcher Austin] Barnes called for a slider, but with the quality of my slider today, I figured the same thing would happen [as it did in the first inning], so I went with a fastball instead.”
Darvish was removed from the game, this game matching his last as the shortest start of his career.
Darvish said that he never previously thought about wanting to pitch in a World Series because it was never a dream of his when he grew up in Japan. He does now.
He will be a free agent this winter. Asked of what he would look for in his next team, he replied, “I want to pitch again in the World Series. An organization that has a chance to make that happen would be best.”
Darvish paused.
“I would like to return here with the Dodgers,” he said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series
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