Clayton Kershaw Pulled From Game After Seven Perfect Innings vs. Twins

The three-time Cy Young winner had thrown just 80 pitches, and had 13 strikeouts in the game.

Clayton Kershaw was two innings away from a potential perfect game against the Twins on Wednesday when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts elected to play it safe and pull the 34-year-old star. Fans on social media are not happy about the decision, especially considering Kershaw had thrown just 80 pitches on the day.

Kershaw sat down 21 straight Twins to open the game, fanning 13 in a masterful outing. Given Kershaw’s recent injury issues, and the fact that the entire baseball world is still ramping up after a truncated spring training following the league’s lockout, Roberts’s decision is understandable, if disappointing. 

Clayton Kershaw was pulled after posting 13 strikeouts on 80 pitches through seven perfect innings

(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/geZKoNWZCJ

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 13, 2022

Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia handled the eighth inning and surrendered the team’s only hit to catcher Gary Sánchez. Justin Bruihl was perfect in the ninth, capping the team’s one-hitter in a 7–0 win.

Fans are still buzzing about the controversial decision to pull Kershaw, who does not have a perfect game in his career. He threw a no-hitter in 2014, the same year he won his third and most-recent Cy Young Award.

If it's a no-hitter, whatever. Yank him. Clayton Kershaw has thrown one.

But there have been more than 220,000 games in MLB history. There have been 23 perfect games.

Everything -- especially a pitch count of 80 -- is lining up to at least let Kershaw try. You cannot pull him.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 13, 2022

For those mad about Roberts pulling Kershaw -- I have two words for ya...

Johan Santana.

— 🟣 Ralphie Aversa (@ralphieaversa) April 13, 2022

🗣️ LET CLAYTON KERSHAW FINISH WHAT HE STARTED

— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) April 13, 2022

Someone texted me "baseball is dead" after Kershaw got pulled but I know damn well they'll be watching baseball tomorrow too

They shoulda left him in, yes, we all love narrative and incredible individual achievement, yes, but don't turn this into a sky is falling moment.

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) April 13, 2022

Lining up several hundred megaphones, switching them all on, and saying “C’mon man” into them at Roberts taking Kershaw out after 7

— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) April 13, 2022

This is the right take! If the owners hadn't been sticks in the mud, there would've been a normal spring training and Kershaw would've had more rope to work with. https://t.co/qJdJnAqG9o

— Nick Stellini (@StelliniTweets) April 13, 2022

Clayton Kershaw Perfect game 80 pitches, take him OUT !!!!! WHAT THE! what’s the game coming to?1 of the era’s best, and you take him out with a perfect game in the 7th, 7-0 Dodgers winning. Take him OUT! THIS IS BASEBALL PLEASE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER PLAYED GET OUT OF ITS WAY

— Reggie Jackson (@mroctober) April 13, 2022

We’re nearly a decade removed from baseball’s last perfect game, thrown by Mariners star Félix Hernández in August 2012.

Los Angeles’s only perfect game came in September 1965, when Sandy Koufax fanned 14 White Sox in a 1–0 game.

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