Yu Darvish had a bad start for his San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the team’s wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday in Chicago, Ill., and he got the meme treatment as a result.
Darvish allowed a leadoff single to begin the bottom of the first, but was able to get out of the inning without allowing any runs. However, things started to come undone in the second. He allowed a single, double, hit by pitch and RBI single to make it 1-0 for the Cubs. He was removed from the game and was replaced by Jeremiah Estrada. Estrada allowed a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0 but got out of it without allowing anything further.
Darvish got the meme treatment for his brief outing on Thursday.
Yu Darvish’s start#cubs pic.twitter.com/qNvqZ2pLtg
— CUBS WORLD (@CubsWorld80) October 2, 2025
Padres fans : “Leave all out there Darvish”
— 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯 (@xJahstin) October 2, 2025
Yu Darvish : pic.twitter.com/kIzFz37OBZ
Yu Darvish blowing a critical postseason game?! pic.twitter.com/NHxFdMOS4F
— ⭐️LORRAINE ⭐ (@roxygirl7985) October 2, 2025
Yu Darvish choking away a win or go home game in the 2nd inning hmm where have I seen this before pic.twitter.com/a0RHXRQroX
— just max productions (Hou Chronicle contributor) (@jmproductionsyt) October 2, 2025
Though Darvish has been good in the playoffs over his last three postseasons, he is still remembered for his two bad starts in the 2017 World Series with the Dodgers against the Astros. That’s what many fans were referencing in their memes.
Darvish went 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA during the regular season. His official stat line for Thursday’s start was two earned runs on four hits over 1-plus innings. It certainly was an outing that won’t go down in the memory books.
