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- Clayton Kershaw threw 7 perfect innings of baseball for the Dodgers on Wednesday
- He was pulled by manager Dave Roberts due to pitch count
- Read more MLB news here
Clayton Kershaw put on an absolute show against the Minnesota Twins.
The left-handed veteran threw seven scoreless innings, striking out 13 batters, and not allowing a single baserunner. Entering the eighth, Kershaw had a perfect game intact.
He was absolutely dealing.
.@ClaytonKersh22 gets his first K of the season on a nasty slider. pic.twitter.com/yXS3vyHtm2
— MLB (@MLB) April 13, 2022
That’s when Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts made the most head-scratching decision of this short season.
He yanked Kershaw from the game despite the pitcher having an opportunity to go down in Major League Baseball history. Roberts blamed it on the pitch count, which was at just 80 pitches at the time of Kershaw’s removal.
Making things worse, Los Angeles had just scored three runs in the top of the frame to give the Dodgers a more than comfortable 6-0 lead.
Kershaw’s replacement, Alex Vesia, gave up a walk and a single with two outs in the eighth inning to blow both the perfect game and the no hitter.
As one could expect, social media reaction was irate about what they’d just witnessed.
MLB World Reacts To Head-Scratching Decision To Pull Clayton Kershaw From His Perfect Game
Fans and media are stunned by the decision to remove Kershaw from the game. There have been only 23 perfect games in Major League Baseball history. The lefty had a chance to join one of baseball’s most prized clubs. Instead, the game will go down as just another victory under Kershaw’s belt.
Folks took to Twitter to let their thoughts be known. They were… not happy.
Pulling Clayton Kershaw six outs away from a perfect game at 80 pitches should be a crime punishable by up to 90 years in prison. Come on.
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) April 13, 2022
It wouldn’t bother me if not for the fact that the Dodgers consistently overuse their starters in the postseason. Can’t let Kershaw finish a perfect game in April because he’s got to pitch the fifth inning of game 4 of the NLCS out of the pen on 2 days rest with a dead arm.
— Chris Castellani (@Castellani2014) April 13, 2022
Dodgers P Clayton Kershaw has just thrown 7 perfect innings and is being taken out of the game. Wow.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 13, 2022
I LOVE Dave Roberts. With that being said if I’m Clayton Kershaw there would be a physical altercation with whom ever it was that was telling me I was done for the day. It’s QUITE LITERALLY THE ONLY THING LEFT FOR THIS MAN TO DO ON A DAMN BASEBALL FIELD!
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) April 13, 2022
Clayton Kershaw getting pulled from this perfect game after just 80 pitches is everything that’s wrong with new school baseball. Real great way to draw new fans in. Dave Roberts should be ashamed
— Tommy Smokes (@TomScibelli) April 13, 2022
🗣️ LET CLAYTON KERSHAW FINISH WHAT HE STARTED
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) April 13, 2022
You HAVE to let Kershaw keep going. I understand it more with a young guy early in the year. But Clayton Kershaw is 6 outs away from a perfect game!! HAVE to let him try and finish it off!!
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) April 13, 2022
Unbelievable move on Dave Roberts’s part.