ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish said he spent the last couple of days focusing on facing the first batter in his first Major League game since 2014.

The result of that at-bat didn't go well as Pittsburgh's John Jason opened Saturday's game with a single.

The rest of the outing went much better though as Darvish, who missed all of 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, struck out seven over five innings as the Rangers beat the Pirates 5-2.

It was the first win for Darvish (1-0) since July 28, 2014, and his fastball hit 98 mph on the Globe Life Park radar gun as he struck out at least one Pittsburgh batter in each of his five innings.

"I was on top a little bit," said Darvish, who threw 81 pitches as he was on a 90-pitch count. "It was just like a normal rehab outing I had before. I was very calm and I think I was in control out there."

Darvish didn't allow a run until his fifth and final inning and by that time the Rangers had scored four runs off Pittsburgh starter Juan Nicasio (4-4).

Texas gave Darvish some cushion in the first inning as Prince Fielder's grounder scored the game's first run. Adrian Beltre followed with a two-run homer to center to give Darvish some breathing room, not that he needed much.

"He started throwing that sinker, and that sinker at 97, 98, if it's tough to catch, I know it's tough to hit," Texas catcher Bobby Wilson said. "Even the sliders, the cutters that he threw kept them off balance. But to look up there and see 97, 98 on the board, it was nice."

While the Darvish outing was nice for the Rangers to see, it proved to be tough for the Pirates to hit. Pittsburgh managed three singles off Darvish. The Pirates got to him for a run in the fifth on an RBI single from Cole Figueroa but could muster nothing else as Darvish walked only one.

"One thing he (Darvish) was doing well today was working the ball down," said Jaso, who was the lone Pirate to collect two hits. "He (Darvish) was painting at the knees really, really well today. That was the biggest thing he had going for him besides the velo. You mix those two together, and it's pretty tough."

The Rangers made it 4-0 in the fourth on a solo homer from Mitch Moreland. Once Darvish exited, the Pirates still had problems scoring. Three Texas relievers pitched scoreless innings. The Pirates got to the Rangers for a run in the ninth on an RBI grounder from Jordy Mercer but that was it.

Nicasio couldn't keep pace with Darvish as he went just 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out four.

"There was not a lot of error for our guy (Nicasio), but I'm really going to encourage him when we chat -- that first inning, we've got to go out and we've got to impose our will on somebody," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "It just kind of seemed he was working his way into the game. Before you know it, you're in a bad spot. After that, four innings, the one run, the homer to Moreland on the breaking ball that got in a spot where he didn't want to get it, the velocity picked up."

Texas, which had nine hits, added a run in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Ian Desmond. Desmond had a pair of hits and an RBI. Jurickson Profar also had two hits and scored twice.

NOTES: The Rangers optioned 3B Joey Gallo to Triple-A Round Rock to make room for Saturday's starter Yu Darvish. Gallo, who was recalled Monday, was limited to one pinch-hitting appearance in four games. ... With its homers from Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco on Friday, the Pirates became the third team this year to have all three of its starting outfielders homer in the same game. The New York Mets (April 19) and Los Angeles Dodgers (May 3) are the other two teams to accomplish the feat. ... Rangers third-base coach Tony Beasley, who has missed the season for cancer treatment, is scheduled to have his last round of chemotherapy treatments next week in Houston. Beasley could be back with Rangers for a road trip that begins June 10 in St. Louis. ...Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III handled the honorary first-pitch duties Saturday. ... The Pirates reinstated LHP Tony Watson from the paternity list and sent LHP Kyle Lobstein to Triple-A Indianapolis.