DETROIT -- After Yu Darvish’s last start, against the Philadelphia Phillies, Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos had dinner with Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis, a good friend. Galvis admitted to him that he had hunted Darvish’s slider, which is regarded as perhaps the best breaking ball in Major League Baseball right now.
Galvis waited on the pitch, and waited, looking to attack the slider whenever Darvish decided to try to slip it past him. He ignored the fastball, as well as the full spectrum of other pitches that Darvish can throw.
Sure enough, Darvish threw him a slider, and Galvis jumped at it, anxiously -- and missed it by a whole lot, flailing as the pitch spun into the dirt.