Yu Darvish returns to form as Padres complete sweep of Mets

Yu did it.

Now, it is A.J. Preller’s turn.

To the list of things going well for the streaking Padres as they played their final game in July on the last full day before the MLB trade deadline, add Yu Darvish returning to being the pitcher they are counting on to help them into October.

“Looked like the Yu Darvish I’ve been playing behind the last five years,” Jake Cronenworth said. “Just awesome.”

The sage right-hander, who had largely struggled in his first four starts since coming off the injured list earlier this month, was in control from the start Wednesday.

He allowed two hits, struck out seven and took just 76 pitches to get through seven innings, and the Padres’ offense continued to surge in a 5-0 victory over the Mets.

The three-game sweep of a team whose 62 wins were tied for the most in the National League three days ago extended the Padres’ winning streak to five games and moved them to 11 games over .500 (60-49) for the first time since they were 35-24 on June 3. They will end the day no worse than three games clear of their closest pursuer in the race for the final NL playoff spot.

“I thought that was one of our best series of the year,” Gavin Sheets said. “Not just because it was such a good team that we played, but I think finishing a 13-game stretch right out of the (All-Star break), you’re on East Coast trip, hot. … You come back home, and obviously (the Mets) are first place in their division.”

Darvish’s performance not only brought sighs of relief, but it was a record-setter.

The win was his 204th between Nippon Professional Baseball and the major leagues, breaking his tie with Hiroki Kuroda for the most ever by a Japanese-born player.

“It means a lot,” Darvish said. “I’m very happy. We’re talking about legends like Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuroda. And just to be able to get closer to these legends,  it means a lot, and I’m very happy about that.”

Darvish, who has won 111 games in his 13 MLB seasons, spent the first 2½ months of the season on the injured list with an elbow issue.

The 38-year-old right-hander had allowed 17 runs across 16⅔ innings in his first four starts. After yielding eight runs in 3⅓ innings in his previous start, Darvish lowered the arm angle from which he throws during his between-starts throwing sessions this week.

“I was playing catch with it,” Darvish said. “I went into the bullpen leading up to today, and I felt good about it. So I went into the game with a different arm slot than usual, and it worked. So all in all, I’m happy about that.”

His command was far better. His pitches moved more drastically. He retired 13 in a row between singles in the first and fifth innings and threw just 10 pitches in the third, 10 in the fourth and 10 in the fifth and then nine apiece in the sixth and seventh.

“Changed speeds, fastball where he wanted it,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “An artist out there with a paintbrush.”

The Padres had planned since early in the offseason to slow-play Darvish’s season to some extent, given his age and injury history.

So they were not all that bothered by his late start to the season. But he was expected to be one of the three pillars of the starting rotation, so they need him to finish strong.

It could be a big few days for the future of the starting rotation, particularly the pitchers at the top.

Michael King is set to make his first rehab start this weekend after missing the past two months with a nerve impingement in the area of his throwing shoulder.

And Dylan Cease has been the topic of trade discussions, as the Padres attempt to bolster their offense but are said by multiple sources to need to free up payroll space to do so.

There was also word from people familiar with the Padres’ talks with other teams that they are entertaining serious discussion regarding closer Robert Suarez.

The Padres have long been believed to be primarily seeking to improve their offense. They also have expressed interest in bolstering their bullpen, regardless of whether they trade Suarez. And should they move Cease, they would have to replace him in the rotation.

However things play out for the Padres before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, they have reestablished themselves as the team they appeared to be early in the season.

They won 15 of their 25 games in July while getting progressively better on offense. They have averaged an even four runs in July and 4.75 runs over their past 17 games.

From mid-May to the end of June, they were 20-26 and averaged 3.65 runs per game.

Wednesday’s first four runs came in pairs in back-to-back innings, all with two outs.

In the second inning, a single by Martín Maldonado, Fernando Tatis Jr. taking a pitch to the left pinky finger and a walk by Luis Arraez loaded the bases for Manny Machado, who drove in Maldonado and Tatis with a single to left field.

In the third, Jose Iglesias reached on a throwing error by Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor before Sheets homered.

The Padres added on in the eighth when Tatis drew a lead-off walk, went to third on a single by Arraez and scored on Jackson Merrill’s sacrifice fly.

That was more than Darvish needed, as he grew more dominant as the game progressed.

He retired 13 straight batters between a single in the first inning and another in the fifth.

Jason Adam and Suarez worked an inning apiece to finish off the Padres’ MLB-leading 15th shutout.

“This offense has been rolling,” Sheets said, “and obviously we’re throwing the ball extremely well, which is nothing new. But to match that with our offense was really nice.”