Rangers sweep Astros, might have Darvish for next series in rivalry

Yu Darvish spun a slower than slow curveball to Josh Hamilton on Thursday afternoon, and the free-swinging former MVP nearly fell down trying to hit it.

Hamilton missed the pitch for a strikeout, unofficially one of five for Darvish during a live batting practice at Globe Life Park that was to serve as his last before beginning a medical rehabilitation assignment.

The next step could begin Tuesday at Double A Frisco, though Darvish said that he wanted to take an extended look at where he believes he stands after countless bullpens and three live BPs and 13 months on the road back from Tommy John surgery.

At the same time, though, Darvish said that he feels fine, hasn’t had any issues along the way and isn’t worried that a setback is lurking behind his next pitch. The three batters who faced him and the catcher who worked with him believe Darvish is nearly ready for the majors.

As the Rangers finished off a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros later Thursday, they did so with the possibility that they will have Darvish in their rotation the next time the two teams meet next month.

“I think mid-May is realistic, but I think our longer road trip middle/end of May, we’re hopeful it’s on that trip some point,” Daniels said of a six-game swing to Oakland and Houston. “That’s kind of a loose target. We’re going to kind of go outing by outing and see. We’ve come so far — he’s done so well — we’re going to take the same level of caution and make sure we get him 100 percent when he comes back.”

Ian Desmond provided the biggest punch in the Rangers’ sweep-clinching victory against reigning American League Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel, a first-inning three-run homer after Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder had singled with two outs.

Beltre started the eighth with his third homer of the season, his third hit of the game, and A.J. Griffin allowed two runs in six innings for his second victory of the season.

“I think winning teams, championship teams win series,” Desmond said. “That’s the goal I have in mind, and I think the rest of the guys share that mentality. As long as we can keep on building on that, I think we’ll be all right.”

Griffin, who is 4-0 against the Astros in five career starts, is likely to lose his rotation spot to Darvish at some point next month despite pitching well in his first three starts of the season. No offense to Griffin, but the Rangers are eagerly anticipating Darvish’s return.

“What these guys have been able to do this season has been pretty good,” first baseman Mitch Moreland said. “To get a guy like him back will be another shot in the arm for us. When he’s on his game, he’s one of the top pitchers in the game if not the top pitcher.

“We’ve got to take it one game at a time right now. But to get him back would be great for any situation.”

The Rangers play three at Oakland Coliseum on May 16-18 and three at Minute Maid Park on May 20-22. That could give him five rehab starts before facing the Astros, assuming he feels good enough physically and mentally Friday to move ahead with the Tuesday outing.

Darvish threw 47 pitches Thursday in three “innings” of 15, 15 and 17 pitches. Chris Gimenez, who will begin a rehab assignment next week with Frisco after a left leg infection, estimated that Darvish’s fastball was 90 to 94 mph, and Hamilton said that Darvish’s cutter was his best pitch along with the curveball that gets hitters “out of whack.”

Darvish liked how his fastball picked up some zip after his first 15-pitch stint before a five-minute break

But being the perfectionist that he is, Darvish wanted to sleep on things and see how he feels the day after before giving Frisco the go-ahead.

“I felt very good,” Darvish said. “I just talked to the GM and manager, and I need the time to think about, to see where I’m at. I’d like to go home and think about today’s outing and go from there, if I’m ready for a game or not. I just want to wait until tomorrow.

“I feel like they made a pretty good program for me on rehab, and every time I make the next step I have no problem with pain or anything like that. So, I have no fear going to the next step.”

The Rangers are eager to get their ace right-hander back and stack him with their ace left-hander, Cole Hamels. They understand that there could be an adjustment period for Darvish in his initial few starts, but they also know that he has a wide enough arsenal of pitches that he will find something to get him by successfully.

Should they reached their goal of a second straight AL West crown, the Hamels-Darvish 1-2 punch will have helped get them there and would make life difficult on an opponent in a short playoff series.

“Of course I’ve thought about it,” Desmond said. “It’s one of the reasons I came here. Beyond that, don’t level out Martin Perez, either. He’s a stud. And Derek [Holland] and Colby [Lewis]. That’s one of the best rotations going right there if they’re all healthy.”

How the Rangers fared

Hitting: Two-out singles by Beltre and Prince Fielder set the table for Desmond, who drove a pitch into the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center field for a 3-1 lead. ... The Rangers had 14 hits, three by Beltre and two apiece by four other hitters. ... Beltre’s homer, to straightaway center field, was his third of the season.

Pitching: Griffin improved to 2-1 with his best outing. He logged 108 pitches in six innings and allowed only four hits. ... One was a solo homer by Colby Rasmus in the fourth. ... The lefty-hitting Rasmus hit a two-run homer off Tony Barnette with two outs in the eighth and with left-hander Jake Diekman warming in the bullpen. ... Shawn Tolleson has six saves this season. He worked the ninth for a third straight game.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 10:38 PM with the headline "Rangers sweep Astros, might have Darvish for next series in rivalry."