Former Cubs ace Jake Arrieta calls out Dave Roberts for pulling Clayton Kershaw

Former Cubs ace Jake Arrieta roasted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Twitter for taking Clayton Kershaw out with a perfect game bid alive.

If you’re a pitcher and you want to throw a perfect game, Dave Roberts might not be the manager you want making the decision about who stays on the mound.

Roberts took Clayton Kershaw out of the game to start the eighth inning against the Twins despite the Dodgers pitcher throwing seven perfect innings.

People on Twitter were not happy with Roberts in the slightest, though Kershaw himself supported his manager’s decision after the game.

Another big name popped up on Twitter to let Roberts have it: Former Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, who threw two no-hitters and had a perfect game bid broken up in the seventh inning in 2014.

Jake Arrieta calls out Dave Roberts for pulling Clayton Kershaw

“You HAVE to let Kershaw roll in the 8th,” Arrieta tweeted. “Doesn’t matter if it’s his 1st or 30th start. Hitter to hitter.. if any man has ever earned the right, it’s him. Roll the damn dice.”

Arrieta has a unique perspective here as a pitcher who has come relatively close to that elusive perfect game achievement.

However, it’s easier for someone at home to talk about rolling the dice than a manager who has to get his injury-prone ace through an entire season and, ideally, postseason.

Kershaw is coming off an elbow injury that cost him the playoffs last year. He only had a shortened spring training to get up to speed for the season. Pushing his arm this early could have disastrous ramifications for the rest of the season and LA’s ultimate goal of winning a World Series.

It’s a bummer that Kershaw didn’t get the chance to throw the perfect game but he was already over his pitch count and is injury record is concerning enough without pushing it. It was a pragmatic choice from Roberts.