Maeda questions whether Astros’ sign stealing hurt Darvish

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Kenta Maeda wonders whether the Astros’ sign stealing affected the performance of teammate Yu Darvish during the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 2017 World Series loss to Houston.

Darvish lost Games 3 and 7. He gave up nine runs — eight earned — over just 3 1/3 total innings with two walks and no strikeouts. He didn’t make it out of the second innings in either game.

“Yu Darvish usually doesn’t give up that many hits, in that sense now that this news has come out, it makes sense — and he didn’t get any strikeouts,” Maeda said through a translator Friday morning at Minnesota’s spring training complex, four days after he was acquired from Los Angeles.

Maeda didn’t think it sign-stealing affected his performance. He gave up a tying, three-run homer in Game 5 to José Altuve in a game Houston went on to win.

“That’s the only homer I gave up,” Maeda said. “I’m not even sure for 100% if he knew my signs, if he knew the pitch.”

“If I knew for sure Altuve knew my pitch. I would have been bothered, frustrated,” Maeda said.

He is bothered his chance to win the World Series was impacted

“Being a Dodger at that time, it is a little frustrating because the Dodgers had a chance to win the whole thing,” Maeda said.