OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yu Darvish will start the Texas Rangers first playoff game -- and he finally knows all the details about who and when. Manager Ron Washington announced Darvish as his pick before the Rangers lost their regular-season finale at Oakland 12-5 on Wednesday to wind up as an AL wild card. "Of course Im ready," Darvish said through an interpreter. "If Im not ready I probably wouldnt be picked. Im going to approach it like any other start. Ill try to pitch well and give my team a chance to win." The two-time reigning AL champion Rangers will play in the new one-game, wild-card playoff on Friday at home against the Baltimore Orioles. "Hes finally Yu Darvish," Washington said of the clubs prized off-season pickup. "I dont know the date, but it was Boston. He found Yu Darvish then, and hes been Yu Darvish since. He was searching to find what he was capable of doing over here. And I think he realizes now that competing in a relaxed, trusting and believing, that there was something he was searching for all year and he finally found it. Which is what he is when hes at his best, which is what all pitchers are when theyre at their best. Its not just those adjectives Ive described as Yu Darvish. Thats pitchers, period, when theyre at their best." The 26-year-old is 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA in 29 starts and 191 1-3 innings in his first major league season after a stellar career in Japan. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has 221 strikeouts to just 89 walks and was an All-Star. He won his final four decisions and hasnt lost in six starts since Aug. 17. Washington met with Darvish after his Aug. 6 start at Boston, a 9-2 loss in which he was tagged for six earned runs and 11 hits in 6 2-3 innings with nine strikeouts and four walks. Darvish has lost only once since, at Toronto on Aug. 17. "Mainly, its mental. Im pitching with more of a strong mind and with confidence," Darvish said. "We had a conversation (in Boston). But we didnt talk in depth about pitching." Darvish won his first four decisions under the huge hype of his first season in the big leagues. Before being selected an All-Star, the diplomatic pitcher insisted his numbers needed to be on par with the best in the game to earn consideration. Darvish -- with his rock star status from Japan still ever present at spring training -- arrived at the teams Surprise, Ariz., spring site with his shaggy hair tinted orange and a dark goatee. His every move was monitored for months, and still is. Darvish signed a $56 million, six-year contract, and the Rangers paid his Japanese club $51.7 million just to acquire him. "I keep saying it, the guy was under tremendous pressure coming over here, learning everything, making adjustments," Washington said. 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Flacco threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith with 4:26 left as Baltimore won its 10th straight game over Cleveland and 11th in a row inside the AFC North with a 25-15 comeback win over the Browns on Sunday.WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- Even before all the fans had made their way to the seats for Saturdays rain-delayed IndyCar race at the Milwaukee Mile, race promoter Michael Andretti had an announcement to make about the events future. Speaking on the tracks public address system, Andretti told the crowd that IndyCar would be back to Milwaukee in 2013. Andretti Sports Marketing announced that next years race would be held June 14-155 next year, with tickets going on sale Sunday.dddddddddddd The announcement provides some stability for the historic but financially troubled Milwaukee track. After not holding any major racing events in 2010, Milwaukee hosted an IndyCar race in 2011 but drew a lacklustre crowd. Milwaukee originally was left off the 2012 IndyCar schedule but was brought back after Andretti agreed to take over as promoter. ' ' '