Dodger fans undoubtedly rolled out of bed on Saturday morning with a huge smile on their faces, and why wouldn’t they? They went to bed on Friday night having witnessed exactly what they had hoped for – a dominating win by just-acquired right-hander Yu Darvish, who the Dodgers picked up in the final minutes of the July 31 trade deadline to compliment Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in their starting rotation heading into the stretch run.

With Kershaw still on the disabled list with right lower back tightness and his return not likely for another three to four weeks, all the former Texas Ranger and four-time All-Star (in five MLB seasons) did was allow no runs and only three hits (all singles) while walking one and striking out 10 over seven strong innings of work in Friday night’s powerful 6-0 win over the Mets to collect his first Dodgers and National League win.

“The energy with us coming here, packed house, you don’t want to say playoff atmosphere, but I think the excitement for us as coaches and players, for Yu there was a lot of energy,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, after the game. “It’s one start, but for us, he did everything that we hoped he would do.”

Darvish, who has pitched exclusively out of the stretch position since 2014, flat out dominated the New York Mets on Friday night in his Dodgers debut. He could very well be the difference-maker that the Dodgers have been looking for to get them into their first World Series since 1988. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Darvish was seen giving his new manager a huge hug after completing his seventh and final inning of work in front of a sellout City Field crowd of 41,187 – many of whom were dressed in Dodger blue.

“It wasn’t just about being a Dodger and the first outing or anything like that, I gave up 10 runs in the last outing,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “So when I came back from that, I was a little concerned about that. That was the nervousness.”

If Darvish was nervous, he most certainly didn’t show it outwardly. In fact, aside from a lead-off single by Mets center fielder Michael Conforto to left field and a one-out walk to ever dangerous Mets first baseman Jay Bruce in the bottom half of the first inning, a single to left by Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom in the third inning (which was followed by deGrom’s first career stolen base) and a single to left by Mets rookie shortstop Amed Rosario (making his MLB debut) in the bottom of the fifth inning, the 6′-5″ / 220-pound Darvish was perfect in every sense of the word, including striking out the side in his final inning of work.

“He threw fastballs from 90 mph to 97,” Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said. “It’s pretty hard for you to get good, solid contact. On top of that, you’re getting movement from side to side and top to bottom. All of a sudden, you’re got a four-pitch mix and it’s pretty much pick your poison.”

Of course, no win is possible without some offensive support and the soon-to-be 31-year-old (on August 16) Habikino, Japan native received plenty, including a line drive home run by Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor to lead off the game and a monster one-out solo solo home run to center by Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig in the top of the second inning.

Chris Taylor’s home run to lead off Friday night’a three-game series-opener against the Mets would prove to be the eventual winning run in the Dodgers 6-0 shutout of the team from Queens. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But the crushing blow – both in scoring and in destroying what little enthusiasm Mets fans had – was Chase Utley‘s sixth-inning / two-run homer to right-center field off of Mets left-hander (yes, left-hander) Josh Smoker to silence the constant boos that the 38-year-old / 15-year veteran second baseman received whenever his name was announced. Mets fans have a very definite dislike for Utley, who broke former Mets utility infielder Wilmer Flores‘ leg during a slide in the 2015 National League Division Series that eventually led to MLB changing the rules regarding take-out slides by creating “the Utley Rule,” as it has come to be known. Utley’s two-run blast also sent many of those booing to the exits.

With the win, the Dodgers improved their season record to a remarkable 77-32 and have won 42 of their last 49 games. In fact, with a win in game-2 of the three-game weekend series on Saturday night, they would accomplish what many said could not be done – top their remarkable record-setting 42-8 run set in 2013. If Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill and his teammates can pull off the win on Saturday, they will have gone 43-7 to establish a new 50-game record en route to their fifth consecutive National League West Division title.

Then again, the very reason why the Dodgers traded away three of their top prospects this past week to land Darvish is to get past the NLDS and the NLCS and bring an end to their painful World Series drought of 29 years.

Play Ball!