Clayton Kershaw Pulled After 7 Perfect Innings, Just 80 Pitches

Joe MorganApril 13, 2022

I swear, it’s like baseball wants the game to die.

I’ve screamed and yelled about plenty of things that Major League Baseball has done over the years that harms the game. For instance, trying to take retaliation out of the game when a teammate gets drilled, putting their sole focus on analytics, and checking pitchers in between innings for “sticky substances.”

But on Wednesday afternoon, the move by Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took the cake.

In his first start of the season, soon-to-be Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw was perfect through seven innings, striking out 13 Minnesota Twins while throwing just 80 pitches.

There are a few unwritten rules of baseball — you don’t bunt to break up a no-hitter, don’t admire your home run, and you don’t pull a pitcher when he’s throwing a no-hitter or a perfect game.

Kershaw was pulled at the start of the eighth inning, with the Dodgers holding a 3-0 lead.

Clayton Kershaw exits the game after 7 Perfect innings and 13 Strikeouts on 80 pitches pic.twitter.com/KuCHXOD9Ck

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 13, 2022

I don’t really know who to blame here. Did Kershaw fight to stay in the game and Roberts went against his wishes? Or did Kershaw feel that he had reached his limit, not wanting to push it so early in the season?

Either way, it doesn’t matter. You don’t pull a pitcher in the middle of a perfect game.

Now, it was a cold day in Minneapolis, and MLB’s lockout has made it so that pitchers are not as fully ramped-up as they’d usually be to start the season, but that’s no excuse. In the long and storied history of Major League Baseball, there have been just 23 perfect games.

Social media correctly was floored by Roberts’ decision.

“If it’s a no-hitter, whatever. Yank him. Clayton Kershaw has thrown one,” ESPN MLB reporter Jeff Passan said. “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.”

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

“You can’t pull a Hall of Fame pitcher after 80 pitches if he’s throwing a perfect game unless he asks to come out. Especially if he doesn’t have one in his career,” LA Lakers play-by-play announcer John Ireland said. “Don’t care about pitch counts, time of year, blah, blah, blah. I’m a Dave Roberts fan. I hate this decision.”

You can’t pull a Hall of Fame pitcher after 80 pitches if he’s throwing a perfect game unless he asks to come out. Especially if he doesn’t have one in his career.

Don’t care about pitch counts, time of year, blah, blah, blah.

I’m a Dave Roberts fan. I hate this decision.

— John Ireland (@LAIreland) April 13, 2022

Even the great Reggie Jackson weighed in.

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

To his credit, Kershaw backed his manager after the game, refusing to throw him under the bus, saying his manager made “the right choice.”

“Those are individual things,” Kershaw told reporters after the game. “Those are selfish goals. We’re trying to win. That’s really all we’re here for. As much as I would’ve wanted to do it, I’ve thrown 75 pitches in a sim [simulation] game. I hadn’t gone six innings, let alone seven. Sure, I would’ve loved to … do it, but maybe we get another chance, who knows?”

“I knew going in that my pitch count wasn’t going to be 100. It’s a hard thing to do, to come out of a game when you’re doing that. We’re here to win. This was the right choice.” @ClaytonKersh22 (7 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 13 Ks) on his perfect outing. pic.twitter.com/DtlnlrBTWE

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 13, 2022

The Twins quickly broke up the Dodgers attempt at a team perfect game or no-hitter, when Twins catcher Gary Sanchez singled off of reliever Alex Vesia in the bottom of the eighth.

Baseball — you’re killing me.

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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