Yu: “Maybe I'm Thinking Too Much About The Walks”

Out of the gate on Wednesday evening, Yu Darvish looked to be locked in and primed for a gem. He struck out the first three hitters he faced and retired each of the first seven. Then, the walk bug got to Darvish, a problem that’s been surfacing with increasingly worrisome regularity for the 25-year-old.

Walks to the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters in the Angels’ lineup, Chris Iannetta and Andrew Bromine, kicked off the Halos’ six-run third inning. All told, Darvish issued six free passes, four of which came in that most forgettable of innings.

After a thrilling win, the American League All-Star stated the obvious: that he needs to make some adjustments.

“I’m starting to think maybe I’m thinking too much about the walks,” said Darvish, who acknowledged that the walk to Iannetta affected him mentally, per the Dallas Morning News. “I’m paying too much attention to not walking guys. Those are the things I hear from people around me.

“Those things are getting into my head, kind of affecting my mentality. I’m thinking maybe next time, whether I walk 10 guys, I’m not going to be afraid of walking guys as long as I pitch to my all and my team wins.  I’m going to clear my mind and not even think about it.”