Texas Rangers: Can Yu Darvish Break The Spell in Oakland?

The Rangers play against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum on Tuesday, but Texas starter Yu Darvish is wishing it was in Arlington. Throughout his career Darvish has not pitched well in Oakland, but looks to change his fortune on Tuesday.

This season Yu Darvish is 1-1 2.33 ERA in three starts and is the ace of the Texas Rangers rotation. For some reason whenever Darvish pitches in Oakland he struggles, but will that change on Tuesday?

In five career starts in Oakland, Darvish is 1-3 5.72 ERA, but did pitch seven shutout innings last September in a 5-0 victory at the Coliseum. Is it just bad luck or does the 30-year-old starter just have problems pitching in that ballpark?

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According to T.R. Sullivan, Darvish had this to say about his struggles in Oakland. “One of the reasons I’ve struggled here is I can’t find the reason why,” Darvish said. “I had one good outing last year. It’s not a good history so I have to continue the success I had last year and go from there.”

It’s unbelievable, for some reason Darvish just becomes a different pitcher once he steps foot in the Coliseum. The Rangers are facing one of the hottest pitchers in the league which doesn’t help. Oakland is starting 28-year-old Andrew Triggs against the Rangers on Tuesday.

This season Triggs is 2-0 in two starts and has yet to allowed an earned run. He’s pitched 11.2 innings, allowing just one unearned run, and has kept batters off balanced.  He is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in eight starts going back to last year.

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Darvish looks to change his fortune tonight in Oakland, but Triggs is not going to make it easy on him. The Rangers look to jump out of last place in the AL West on Tuesday.