When it came time for manager Dave Roberts to reassure him, Kershaw did not fight either. Kershaw played a perfect seven-man game for the Dodgers, until he pulled after 80 pitches, dominating the Twins with 13 shots on 21 batteries during Wednesday’s 7-0 win. “These are selfish goals. We are trying to win. “That’s really just what we’re here for,” Kershaw said. Roberts consulted Kershaw after the sixth, and the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner told him his preference: another inning with an 85 pitch limit. “I wish I had stayed, but bigger things, man, bigger things,” Kershaw said. So, on a gray, stormy 38-degree afternoon at Target Field, Alex Vesia came in eighth to rebuke the Dodgers’ blue-collar fans at 17,101. Vesia abandoned the first and only success of Minnesota, a single-out single by Gary Sánchez. Cody Bellinger, Gavin Lux and Austin Barnes fought in a row in the eighth race against the relief Derek Rodriguez, who made his Twins debut. Chris Paddack had a tough first start with the Twins, also less than a week after acquiring him in a trade with the Padres. It lasted four runs, with six hits and three runs allowed. Justin Turner hit a two-row single in the first, Three Turner had a sacrifice in the second and Max Mansy went deep into the ninth for the Dodgers, who won a 7-2 game the night before that was interrupted for 1 1/2 hours due to rain and ended after midnight. Kershaw was quite refreshed. Re-signing with the Dodgers for $ 17 million this year, after losing more than two months in 2021 with an inflammation in his left forearm, Kershaw remained fifth in the rotation out of the gate. This unusual mission was to give his hand more time to gain strength in light of the limited spring training program. “Put it on the padlock. Blame it on me for not picking up baseball until January, “said Kershaw, who threw a non-hitter against Colorado on June 18, 2014.” My slider has been horrible for the last two innings. year.” However, the break ball was very good before that. Kershaw threw 41 sliders, with 17 hits, with a fast ball that never exceeded 91 mph. He hit the side in the sixth and launched every hit of the Twins at least once except Gio Urshela, who finished in third place and flew to the right in the first two of his bat-bat. “It simply came to our notice then. It is a great success. So he knows how to do it, “said Urshela, who hit a sharp ground in the middle with two outs in the seventh that slipped under Kershaw’s glove as she tried to backhand the ball. Lux, shifted to the side of the second base arm, made a perfect pickup and throw for the inning-ending out. “Every decision I make is in the best interest of the player, his health and the ball club, because there are a lot of people cheering for the Dodgers, not just for today and Clayton to throw an unbeaten, but also for the Dodgers for “to win the World Series,” said Roberts. “To do that, we need him healthy.” FEELS HOME Roberts has pulled off an initial pitcher with one that has not been hit in the past. Walker Buehler came out after six appearances in May 2018, Rich Hill left with a blister after seven perfect innings in September 2016 and Ross Stripling walked away after a 7 1/3 innings in April 2016. “These kids are bothering me,” Roberts said. TEAM PLAYER Kershaw hugged Barnes catcher in the dugout after his day was over. “He said, ‘Sorry,’” Barnes said. I knew it was the right call and the like, but I thought we could do it. “This is baseball.” FOR THE LYKOMYRIO This was Khersow’s 66th double-digit game in his career in 380 regular-season appearances. The Twins became the 27th team in the big league to face, without missing only the Red Sox and the Orioles. He played against Boston in the 2018 World Series. MAYBE KOREA HELPED The Twins gave Carlos Correa and center Buxton a break in DH, in response to late Tuesday night. Buxton hit out all three times he faced Khersow. NEXT Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-0, 1.80 ERA) takes the lead for the first game Friday at Dodger Stadium against Cincinnati. LHP Reiver Sanmartin (0-1, 19.29 ERA) gives the Reds ground to start the four-game series. Twins: After a break on Thursday, RHP Joe Ryan (0-1, 4.50 ERA) takes the mound at Fenway Park on Friday to start a four-game winning streak against Boston. RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1, 6.35 ERA) starts for the Red Sox.
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