Padres starter Yu Darvish holds historic 280-game streak

The San Diego Padres have so many talented players that it's easy to forget about some of their All-Stars. Yu Darvish is one of those influential players and is getting better with each start after returning from a lengthy absence due to injury and a personal matter.

He didn't look particularly good in his first MLB appearance in over three months, but Darvish has pitched exceptionally well since then, helping the Padres maintain their playoff position. In his most recent appearance on Monday against the Houston Astros, Darvish struck out three batters in six scoreless innings. He needed just 79 pitches to get through the game.

In doing so, Darvish extended an MLB record streak dating back to his five-time All-Star debut. Darvish recorded multiple strikeouts in all 280 of his MLB starts, the longest such streak by a player at any point in his career, according to OptaSTATS.

Darvish is happy to be back with his teammates in the midst of the championship hunt.

“I'm super happy,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie. (Per MLB.com). “I think we've really bonded well in our clubhouse and being able to play in front of these fans. Obviously the games are more exciting now. It's just a lot of fun.”

Yu Darvish allowed five runs in his first three starts since the break, winning two of those starts. This season, the 12-year veteran is 6-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 14 starts.

Padres pull ahead in the Wild Card rankings

The Padres continue their incredible surge since the All-Star break and look to win the series against the Astros on Wednesday. San Diego's next win will be their 10th in September. They are 9-5 and have won 2 1/2 games in the Wild Card standings this month.

The Padres are 4 1/2 games out of missing the playoffs entirely and are atop the NL Wild Card standings. San Diego has the best second-half record in baseball and is headed to the playoffs even if they don't catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

But that race isn't over yet either. LA leads by 3 1/2 games with 11 games remaining, while San Diego has 10. The two teams won't meet again in the regular season, but the Padres have a crucial series with the Arizona Diamondbacks to close out the regular season.

This series could have serious playoff implications, as the D-backs enter Wednesday tied with the New York Mets behind the Padres, while the Atlanta Braves are two games behind them. If the season ended today, the Padres and D-backs would meet in the playoffs. That could be immediately after the regular season finale in Arizona.