2012 » e of our guys stats, some guys didnt average two fouls

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Yu Darvish ended his first season with the Texas Rangers starting a postseason game. The right-hander from Japan hasnt pitched in October since that wild-card game in 2012.After missing the 2015 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Darvish will make his AL Division Series debut Friday when he starts Game 2 against the Toronto Blue Jays.Its a great thing for me. Last year ... I wanted to pitch, but I couldnt, Darvish said Thursday through his interpreter. This year, Im physically healthy and Im ready. I can pitch in the game. So Im happy about that.Darvish (7-5, 3.41 ERA) started this season on the disabled list while still rehabbing from the elbow surgery he had during spring training in March 2015. After his season debut May 28 this year, he made three starts before missing another five weeks because of shoulder discomfort.A regular in the rotation since mid-July , Darvish goes into the postseason after winning his last two starts. He allowed one earned run over 13 innings in wins over Oakland and Tampa Bay.Ive been working on my command and stuff, he said. I was thinking too much about commanding my stuff. And then when I was able to fix those mental adjustments, and just a few minor mechanics changes on those days that I was able to work on, and Im in a (good) place right now.Left-hander J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18) starts Friday for the Blue Jays.Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Darvish is at his best when hes excited. The pitcher has exhibited that emotion at several different times this season.An extremely accomplished pitcher. I feel comfortable with where hes at mentally, physically, Banister said.Darvish hasnt pitched against the Blue Jays since before his surgery. He is 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven career starts against them, with 61 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings.The 30-year-old Darvish spent seven seasons in Japan before signing a six-year deal with the Rangers that goes through next season. He was an All-Star each of his first three seasons (2012-14), a span when he had 680 strikeouts before getting shut down late in the 2014 season.In that 5-1 loss to Baltimore in the 2012 AL wild-card game, Darvish struck out seven and allowed three runs (two earned) in 6 2/3 innings.Asked how he is different as a pitcher since then, Darvish replied: Both physically and mentally stronger.Orlando Cepeda Braves Jersey . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Fake Braves Jerseys . 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The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12.ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- As successful as Michigan has been under John Beilein, the Wolverines have also become a bit predictable.Theyll shoot well from the perimeter, and theyre an unselfish team thats difficult to guard because of their superior precision and spacing. On defense, they avoid fouling and dont force many turnovers -- and their opponents are often all too comfortable at that end of the court.This season, Beilein is hoping to correct some of those defensive problems.New assistant Billy Donlon, who joined the Michigan staff this offseason after a six-year run as head coach at Wright State, is the man Beilein is turning to for defensive expertise. The Wolverines barely made the NCAA Tournament last season but return plenty of experience -- and they could certainly take a big step forward in 2016-17 if Donlon can help them become a stingier group.I am giving him a lot of responsibility, Beilein said at media day Monday. My eye, and the detail that we do in offense, I think hes got a similar eye for defense, and were trying to combine that without confusing everybody.When Michigan reached the NCAA title game in 2013, the Wolverines ranked No. 1 in the nation in KenPom.coms offensive efficiency stat. They were No. 3 the following season, when they went to the Elite Eight.Defensively, its been a different story. Michigan was 88th in 2014, 99th in 2015 and 95th last season. Thats bad enough to be a real problem in seasons when the offense is merely good and not outstanding.You cant really move the offensive needle, Donlon said. I think the players are wanting to also move the defensive needle some, and I think they recognize if we do that, what could happen.Michigan is rarely aggressive on the offensive boards, and its defensive problems have only fueled the criticism that comes with being more of a finesse team.We know people like to call us soft, senior Zak Irvin said.ddddddddddddIt is a mindset to be tough. Weve got to do the gritty things, and were working on that each day.One of the trademarks of Michigans defense has been a lack of fouling. Many coaches would be happy with that, but its fair to wonder if the Wolverines have been operating at too much of an extreme. Michigan averaged 15.5 fouls a game last season. Donlons Wright State team averaged 22.Could Michigan benefit from a little more aggressiveness on defense, even if it leads to more fouls?You look at some of our guys stats, some guys didnt average two fouls a game, so thats a little bit too cautious, Beilein said. Somehow weve got to take Bills defense where they fouled more, and still stay out of the one-and-one and still keep our best players on the floor.Beileins program isnt about to undergo any sort of overhaul. His accomplishments at Michigan include the Final Four in 2013, as well as Big Ten titles in 2012 and 2014. But the last couple seasons have been more of a struggle, thanks in part to injuries to some key players. The Wolverines missed the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and were eliminated in the round of 64 last year.He had to shake up his staff a bit this offseason because Bacari Alexander was hired to lead the Detroit Titans and Wisconsin-Milwaukee hired LaVall Jordan.In Donlon, Beilein hopes hes found someone who can help the Wolverines in an area where theyve been lacking.He is a head coach that is now as the assistant coach, Beilein said. Hes got a lot of the head coach qualities already, where hes strong with his command. ... I can tell by our kids eyes, they are learning from him, they love listening to him.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '