Yu Darvish discusses his improved command, the intensity of Padres vs. Dodgers games, and praises the fans for their support after his start

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish's better half, Seiko, celebrated her 45th birthday on Friday. Celebrating the occasion, Darvish's oldest son, Shoei, wished his mother on her big day with an Instagram story, sharing a throwback snap from when he was much younger.

Padres grind out close win; reins are still on Yu Darvish; Ryan O’Hearn and Gavin Sheets continue to perform against left-handed pitching

Yu Darvish threw six dominant innings as the San Diego Padres took Game 1 of their crucial three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Frida

Before he went to the plate for his at-bat in the third inning, Machado had a discussion with veteran starting pitcher Yu Darvish. After the 8-1 win, Machado revealed his conversation with the Japanese star who might have helped the third baseman dig deep.

Darvish hasn't needed his bat since the National League adopted the designated hitter rule permanently in 2022. But he still warms up left-handed on occasion, as evidenced by this video posted to Twitter/X on Tuesday by Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla:

The Padres traded for Mason Miller because he can throw 103 mph with a wipeout slider. A bonus: Evidently, he can pick it at first base, too. In the biggest moment of the Padres’ biggest game yet this season,