Darvish expressed regret after trying to solve the problem with three straight fastballs against Freddie Freeman: "I was too arrogant."

On the 18th, the San Diego Padres sent Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish to start, but unfortunately, he was punished by the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup in the first inning, giving up four runs in that frame. In a post-game interview, he revealed that he aimed to get Freddie Freeman out with three consecutive fastballs in the first inning, but ended up getting hit, admitting he was too arrogant.

Darvish made his first start at age 39 on the 18th, but encountered turbulence in the first inning. After giving up a single to Shohei Ohtani, he then walked Mookie Betts. With one out, Freeman came to bat; despite getting ahead with two strikes, his next 95.5 mph fastball was hit hard for a three-run homer.

However, the Dodgers' offensive onslaught was not over. After two outs, Darvish faced Andy Pages, who hit an 85 mph splitter for another home run. This resulted in Darvish giving up four runs in that inning; overall, he allowed four runs over four innings on the 18th, all concentrated in the first inning. Nevertheless, he struck out five batters, leaving the game with his team trailing 1-4.

Although the Padres' lineup managed to tie the game in the top of the eighth with a ground ball from Jose Iglesias, allowing Darvish to avoid a loss, Robert Suarez, who pitched in the bottom of the eighth, gave up a home run to Betts, resulting in a final score of 4-5, leading to a series sweep.

Darvish mentioned after the game that he regretted trying to solve the problem with three consecutive fastballs against Freeman in the first inning. He said, "It was really a shame to give up that hit to Freeman in the first inning; I feel like I made a foolish mistake, probably a pitch-calling issue. He’s a great hitter, and I got him to swing and miss on the first two pitches, so I thought, 'Can I overpower him with my fastball?' But using three straight fastballs won’t get Freeman out; I was too full of myself."

Darvish stated that the Dodgers' lineup played very well on the 18th, with each batter focused. "There are more games next week, and I will work harder to seek redemption."