Clayton Kershaw was six outs away from pitching the first perfect game in nearly a decade on Wednesday afternoon vs. the Twins.
But, after seven innings, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to pull the All-Star pitcher based on his pitch count. Even though he’d only thrown 80 pitches in his first start of the season, the team didn’t want to overwork him this early in the season.
The decision sparked a major discussion about whether or not Roberts should have pulled Kershaw or let him attempt to pitch what could have been just the 24th perfect MLB game in history.
Some fans, former players and analysts were not happy with Roberts, to say the least.
However, Kershaw even admitted after the game that he thought it was “the right decision” to pull him early from the game. He blamed the delayed start of the season and the fact that he didn’t practice much in the offseason.
Some fans saw the silver lining of the decision, agreeing that in the long run, Roberts’s choice will benefit the Dodgers more than adding Kershaw’s name to the history books.
- Dodgers Star Clayton Kershaw Was Removed From The Game Despite Being Perfect Through 7 Innings
- Kershaw: Dodgers Made ‘Right Choice’ in Early Exit
- Inside The Dodgers: Dodgers: Former LA Outfielder Thinks Most of MLB Cheated Like Astros
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