ATLANTA (AP) — Yu Darvish dominated a slumping Atlanta Braves offense and extended his career-high scoreless innings streak to 25 while earning his 200th professional win as the San Diego Padres rolled to a 9–1 victory Sunday night.
Darvish (4–1) gave up only two hits, struck out nine, and walked just one on 99 pitches in seven innings, lowering his earned-run average to 2.08.
“Yu has been elite the last four times out,” Padres Manager Mike Shildt said. “He’s been nothing short of magnificent.”
Darvish became the third Japanese-born pitcher to reach 200 career wins between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, joining Hiroki Kuroda (203) and Hideo Nomo (201). Darvish, who has won his past four starts, has 107 major-league victories and 93 in Japan.
“Those two other pitchers, obviously we know how good they are,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “Just to be a little bit closer to them, I feel honored, and it gives me confidence moving forward.”
Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano, and Ha-Seong Kim hit home runs for the Padres, who entered with no extra-base hits in their previous three games. Jurickson Profar was 3 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI.
Luis Arraez was 2 for 4 with a walk, a run scored, and a stolen base to extend his on-base streak to 23 games, the longest active stretch in the majors.
Atlanta starter Bryce Elder (1–2) struggled from the outset and allowed six earned runs in three innings. He gave up nine hits and walked three, also striking out three.
Braves reserve shortstop Luke Williams pitched a perfect ninth inning.
Meanwhile, the Padres’ pitching has dominated the Braves through the first two games of the four-game series, limiting Atlanta to two runs and 11 hits while recording 29 strikeouts.
Darvish “was locating every pitch, and we couldn’t get him tonight,” said Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who was 1 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to 11 games. “He was good.”
The Padres entered the series after losing three consecutive games to the last-place Colorado Rockies.
“That’s just baseball,” Cronenworth said. “That’s a really good team over there. They’ve had 100 wins for the last ‘X’ amount of years, We came in after an off day and reset and played good baseball.”
San Diego took a 3–0 lead in the first inning. Cronenworth hit a two-out, two-run homer into the restaurant in right field. Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill followed with singles to produce a third run.
