ARLINGTON - Right-hander Yu Darvish, returning from Tommy John surgery, could cross the 100-pitch barrier as soon as his next start, scheduled for Tuesday at Baltimore.

Darvish on Wednesday worked six innings for the second consecutive start and had a season-high 93 pitches against Oakland. Manager Jeff Banister said he was prepared to have Darvish go back out for the seventh, but he "emptied his tank" in the sixth with an inning-ending strikeout of Khris Davis.

"I felt like I could go [longer], but at the end I was letting all go out against the last hitter I faced," said Darvish, speaking through an interpreter. "It was very tough."

This was Darvish's sixth start. Miami's Jose Fernandez reached 100 pitches last year in his sixth start after the surgery. Fernandez threw 112 pitches and made one more start before missing a month because of a strained biceps muscle.

Darvish will have the advantage of an extra day of rest before the scheduled start against the Orioles. He faced Oakland on the normal four days' rest.

Darvish allowed four hits and two runs against Oakland. It was also only the fifth time in 89 career starts that he worked at least six innings with no walks.

"He's solid," said Oakland's Coco Crisp, who triggered the two-run first inning with a triple. "You go out there, you know you're going to be in a battle."