In 2016, Clayton Kershaw told Sporting News that he’s not a fan of the idea of robot umpires replacing humans behind home plate:
How do we know (the technology is) accurate? I think the umpires do a really good job, and I don’t want to see that. As much as the hitters complain at times about strike zones, the high strike would be called in that box, and that never gets called, so they would have more issues than they think, for sure.
I’d like to hear if Kershaw still feels that way after Saturday night! Baseball’s best pitcher walked four Padres batters, and, well, that hardly ever happens.
First 4-walk game by Clayton Kershaw since May 10, 2015. First game with 4 unintentional walks since April 23, 2013
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) May 7, 2017
Clayton Kershaw has 2 unintentional walks tonight, first time in 31 starts he has done that. Last time was 9/19/2015 vs. Pirates
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) May 7, 2017
And one pitch called a ball by home plate umpire Toby Basner really bothered Kershaw. So much so that Kershaw immediately did a pirouette on the mound (better video can be found on MLB.Com):
Clayton Kershaw Really Hates Getting Squeezed. pic.twitter.com/hb5zKEOb5i
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 7, 2017
Call hurts #Dodgers
Ball 2 should be strike 3
Bot 8 Kershaw vs Myers
18% call same
1.9in from edge pic.twitter.com/NygOwT2ylC— Dodgers Strike Zone (@DodgersUmp) May 7, 2017
What should’ve been strike three on San Diego All-Star Wil Myers became ball two, and the plate appearance eventually resulted in a walk.
Kershaw still managed to give up just one run over 7 1/3 innings in the Dodgers’ 10-1 victory at Petco Park. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts let Kershaw throw 118 pitches (for some reason against a bad Padres lineup in early May), and the left-hander will get an extra day’s rest before his next start:
Roberts said Kershaw (118 pitches) will get an extra day's rest before next start.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) May 7, 2017
[MLB]