Yu Darvish knows Rangers’ 2017 hopes hinge on next two weeks

At this point for the Texas Rangers, every game has become crucial. Five games under .500 with eight teams ahead of them in the wild card race.

While the Rangers’ chances of contending for a third consecutive American League West title appear dashed, a wild card spot remains doable, but only if the club can turn it around.

“Of course it’s going to be crucial, not just this game and the next game but the game before,” Darvish said of last start, a loss to the West-leading Astros. “That was very important. Every game from now on is going to be very important.”

Darvish pitched well but for the second consecutive start he surrendered a three-run homer in the fifth. Both came on a slider that hung over the middle of the plate instead of diving down below the knees. Darvish took the blame for the loss, when he was unable to match the scoreless innings of Atros’ ace Dallas Keuchel. Darvish felt the Astros were purposely trying to get his pitch count up to knock him out of the game. It worked. He left after throwing 104 pitches in five innings.

“It was one pitch and I gave up a home run, but at the same time they had the plan going against me and they executed that plan,” said Darvish, who is 5-4 with 3.13 ERA. “I feel like they wanted to make me throw more pitches and take me out of the game early. They executed and that’s why I didn’t like the results.”

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Yu Darvish knows Rangers’ 2017 hopes hinge on next two weeks."