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This...
ace doin ace stuff https://t.co/howrSIi1Lq
— Mike Taddow (@taddmike) August 18, 2016
Handball gif of the day:
Player of the Game: Yu Darvish is possibly the best pitcher in the American League with Jonathan Lucroy shepherding him through lineups. Come to my house and fight me if you disagree.
Darvish went seven innings and a batter tonight and allowed two runs on eight hits while striking out nine. As far as Darvish outings go, that doesn't sound totally otherworldly Darvishian, but you have to understand that it was coming against an A's team that he had gone 1-8 against and was sporting a career-high 4.76 ERA against Oakland among teams he has faced more than twice.
Darvish hadn't beaten the A's since the very first time he faced them all the way back on May 16, 2012. And just watch that video up there. Fitting, that big strikeout to hold onto a tenuous 3-2 lead came against Coco Crisp (who homered to lead off the game) as Crisp is one of the remaining through lines on the A's from when Darvish debuted in 2012.
Oh yeah, and Lucroy hit a dinger and drove in three runs because Yucroy is everything baseball was missing.
Up Next: The Rangers have the day off tomorrow before playing the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time this season beginning on Friday. Cole Hamels will make the start for Texas because the Rangers are, to turn a phrase, holding aces.