Yu Darvish gave up two solo home runs and took the loss Tuesday as the San Diego Padres fell 2-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series Game 1.
Darvish let Bryce Harper go deep in the fourth inning and Kyle Schwarber in the sixth during his 95-pitch effort at Petco Park, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out seven over seven innings.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler won the pitching duel, hurling seven innings of one-hit ball, fanning eight and walking one in an 83-pitch gem.
Darvish had held the Phillies to three runs over 13 innings in two regular-season games, and also came into the game on the back of two postseason wins.
The 36-year-old Japanese right-hander had a patchy start, walking Phillies leadoff man Schwarber and letting him reach third with two outs in the first before second baseman Jake Cronenworth denied Harper an RBI single with a fine piece of fielding.
But Harper, who did not play in Darvish's two regular-season starts against the Phillies this year, slugged a 1-0 fastball to the opposite field and over the right-field wall in his second trip to the plate for the opening run.
Schwarber, who led the NL with 46 home runs but just had one hit in six postseason games, then blasted Darvish's first-pitch cutter into the second deck in right field for his second hit on the night.
Wil Myers' fifth-inning single was the only hit for the Padres. The home team had two runners on with one out in the ninth following a fielder's choice, but Jose Alvarado held on to earn the save.
