SAN DIEGO -- Playing his first season in the big leagues in 2012, Yu Darvish was going through a rough patch. Hiroki Kuroda, then a veteran pitching for the Yankees, reached out to him.

“I think, in Japan, older guys don't necessarily reach out to the younger guys to provide advice or give advice,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie on Friday night. “But in Kuroda's case, he just reached out and gave me everything that he had -- all this advice. So I think I look at that, and that’s basically what I want to do to the younger guys.”

Kuroda spent 20 seasons pitching in Japan and MLB, amassing 203 combined victories -- a record he held solo until Darvish equaled it on Friday in the Padres’ 5-3 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Kuroda had 79 wins in the Majors and 124 in Japan. Darvish has 110 MLB wins and 93 in Japan.

"Just a big honor,” Darvish said. “It's just a great honor to be mentioned alongside someone like that."

Indeed, Darvish has paid it forward. The right-hander is generally revered for the wisdom he imparts on young Japanese players.

At 37, he’s still going strong, too. Darvish recently returned from a three-month spell away from the team while on the injured list and the restricted list (as he dealt with a personal family-related matter). He has posted a 3.31 ERA on the season, including a 3.55 mark in five starts since his return.

On Friday, Darvish allowed two runs in the first inning, but he settled in to allow three runs total on three hits over 5 1/3 innings. With the victory, the Padres secured the top Wild Card spot and home-field advantage for the National League Wild Card Series.