The baseball universe was certainly divided on Wednesday afternoon: Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw was carving the strong Minnesota Twins lineup and was perfect through seven innings.
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts, with Kershaw’s pitch count at 80, decided to pull him and give the ball to reliever Alex Vesia to start the eighth frame, thus ending Kershaw’s bid for a perfect game.
Kershaw knows what it’s like to pitch a no-hitter: he did it in 2014.
He also knows what it’s like to win the Cy Young award, the MVP, and a World Series.
If anything is missing on his resume, it’s a perfect game.
However, it’s also important to note that last year was filled with arm injuries for him, and this was his first start of 2022.
He wasn’t stretched out to make 100 pitches or anything close to it: even 80 may be pushing it.
Did Roberts Do The Right Thing?
Jeff Passan, however, strongly believes Roberts should have left him on the mound to make a run at history.
“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,” he said, adamantly.
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
He may have a point, and most people definitely side with him.
But the Dodgers play to win a World Series, not to give Kershaw a chance at pitching a perfect game.
If one of those goals has any chance of affecting the other (leaving in Kershaw would have greatly increased his odds of getting injured), then it’s best to play it safe.
It wasn’t a popular decision (and Passan certainly didn’t like it), but Roberts may have saved the 34-year-old Kershaw from future injury issues with his decision to pull him.
NEXT: Clayton Kershaw Pulled With A Perfect Game Intact