ARLINGTON, Texas -- In his capacity as general manager of the New York Yankees, Brian Cashman has to be part bookkeeper, part talent evaluator and part fortune-teller.

In the case of Yu Darvish, Cashman would have had to add another duty to his already-full job description: riverboat gambler.

Because a couple of years ago, he took a similar, although less expensive, gamble on a Japanese phenom pitcher named Kei Igawa.

The way that one turned out -- or, I should say, didn't turn out -- had everything to do with why Cashman and the Yankees wound up on the wrong side of Darvish's repertoire Tuesday night.

Igawa was the bet that did not come in. On Tuesday night, Darvish was the bet that did. Everybody knows how to pick the winner after the race is over. But sometimes, it is wiser to keep your money in your pocket. That is what Cashman chose to do with Darvish.

Still, as I watched Darvish humming along, mowing the Yankees down for 8 1/3 innings, making them look foolish with his baffling array of pitches and keeping them off balance with the diabolical speed differential between his fastball and curve, the first thought that struck me was the obvious: Tell me again why the Yankees didn't make a run at this guy?

The second thought that struck me was just as obvious but not nearly so provocative or as much fun: I already know why they didn't.

It made sense at the time and it still makes sense now, but if any night was made for the second-guess, Tuesday night in Arlington was that night.

After all, earlier in the evening, the puzzling saga of Michael Pineda took another odd turn when it was revealed the 23-year-old righty Cashman decided was good enough to part with Jesus Montero for would undergo not one, but two examinations on his sore shoulder by two doctors.

No one knew quite what any of that meant or implied, but not even incorrigible positive thinker Joe Girardi could work up much optimism over seeing Pineda on the mound for the Yankees any time soon.

Then came the ballgame, and Darvish, whom the Yankees scouted in Japan but decided to take a pass on, pitched a masterpiece at the expense of one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball.

Yu Darvish's father credits the Rangers' coaching staff for the gradual improvement in his son's performances. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

He came as advertised, with seven electric pitches at his disposal, and he came better than expected, with the kind of command in the strike zone he had not displayed in his previous three starts, the kind that took away the Yankees' most potent offensive weapon, their ability to run up the pitch count and wear out starting pitchers.

"We had a game plan to make him throw strikes,'' Mark Teixeira said. "But if you tried to be patient, you were down 0-1, 0-2. We tried to work the count, work the count, work the count, but that wasn't happening tonight.''

Darvish gave the Yankees one real opportunity all night, in the third inning when he surrendered a leadoff single to Eric Chavez, walked Russell Martin and brain-locked on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Derek Jeter that became an infield hit.

Now, the bases were loaded, no one out, and Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano were licking their chops for a chance to run this 25-year-old rookie in just his fourth major league start right out of his own ballpark.

But nine pitches later, the threat was over, and so was the game. After befuddling Granderson with a mad mixture of four-seam fastballs, sliders and cutters, Darvish finally froze the Yankees center fielder with a curveball for strike three.

Then, he got A-Rod to tap weakly to third base, where Adrian Beltre turned an easy inning-ending double play.

There were two other minor threats -- Cano doubled, one of just two hard-hit balls all night, to lead off the fourth but never moved after Teixeira and Swisher struck out and Raul Ibanez grounded out; and Jeter doubled with two out in the fifth but went no further. For most of the game, Darvish had the Yankees swinging as if they were trying to kill bees with a sledgehammer.

"He keeps you off balance,'' said Jeter, who had two hits regardless, raising his average to .416. "He threw 97 [mph] I think once when I was hitting, so he adds and subtracts. Any time you have a guy who does that, it's going to be a challenge for you."

It wasn't so much the 97 mph fastball that was the problem; it was the curveball that often followed it, the one that floated in at 76 mph and dove at the ankles.

"He was throwing a cutter, a split, curveball, changeup, and I mean he was throwing everything right where he wanted it,'' said Cano, who, like Jeter, had two hits. "I don't remember anybody who throws that many pitches.''