Clayton Kershaw had a perfect game going through 7 innings on 80 pitches Wednesday at Target Field, but Dave Roberts pulled him.
Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of the game at Target Field on April 13, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Dave Roberts will have some explaining to do after Wednesday’s series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
Kershaw then put on a jacket, and headed into the clubhouse. Six outs away from what would’ve been the 24th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, Roberts didn’t give Kershaw the chance to at least try to finish it off. ESPN Senior Baseball Writer Jeff Passan clearly didn't agree with Roberts' decision.His catcher, Austin Barnes, said the same.
It raises one of the most popular questions in baseball, especially early in a season: Do you let a pitcher try to chase history, or do what you can to prevent injury down the road? Roberts will take criticism, but there might be a method to his madness.