Video: Rangers’ Yu Darvish dazzles in MLB debut

PEORIA, Ariz. – Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish shrugged off the pressure of facing his first major league batters and the distraction of 150 news reporters and a live NHK telecast in Japan.

Yu Darvish struck out three batters and allowed two hits in two innings Wednesday. It was deliciously Darvish, and after Wednesday’s two-inning, scoreless, two-hit, three-strikeout performance in the Rangers’ 6-2 Cactus League victory vs. the San Diego Padres, Darvish-mania is officially underway.

“He’s got a whole country on his shoulders,” Padres veteran second baseman Orlando Hudson said. “He’s got pressure from Japan. Pressure from the States. Pressure from ESPN. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to.

“But I think he’ll do a hell of a job. He’s got seven pitches to embarrass you with. He’s like Nintendo up there.”

Darvish, who insisted he wasn’t nervous, showed why the Rangers invested $111 million in perhaps Japan’s greatest pitcher. He threw six types of pitches, including a fastball that reached 95 mph; threw 26 of 36 pitches for strikes; induced nine swings-and-misses; and made an acrobatic leap to save a run.

“He’s definitely more athletic than some Japanese pitchers we’ve seen over here,” Padres center…

via Rangers’ Yu Darvish dazzles in MLB debut – USATODAY.com.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIIZai8kH5A]