Clayton Kershaw took a perfect game through seven innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his season debut before being pulled, dominating the Minnesota Twins with 13 strikeouts in 21 batters during a 7-0 victory on Wednesday.
Manager Dave Roberts pulled Kershaw after 80 pitches on a cold afternoon at Target Field. Alex Vesia relieved for the eighth and gave up Minnesota’s first and only hit, a single by Gary Sánchez.
Cody Bellinger, Gavin Lux and Austin Barnes hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth against reliever Dereck Rodriguez, who made his Twins debut.
Justin Turner hit a two-run single in the first, Trea Turner had a sacrifuce fly in the second and Max Muncy went deep in the ninth for the Dodgers, who won a 7-2 game the night before that was paused for 1 1/2 hours due to rain and ended after midnight.
Urshela hit a sharp grounder up the middle with two outs in the seventh that skidded under Kershaw’s glove as he tried to backhand the ball, but second baseman Gavin Lux, who was to the shortstop side of the base, reached the ball and made a spot-on throw for the out to end the inning.
