Dodgers manager Don Mattingly decided to pull Clayton Kershaw after five innings in Thursday's game, and the L.A. pitcher did not like it one bit.
Cameras showed Kershaw giving Mattingly an earful after the decision. The Dodgers pitcher has a chance for his third consecutive National League Cy Young Award, so it's understandable why he got upset.
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Kershaw and Mattingly discussing their favorite coffee shops. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/QBwg7JFdAS
— Kalí (@kalicoconuts) September 24, 2015Trailing 3-0 at the time, Mattingly pulled Kershaw, who had singled in his first at-bat, for pinch-hitter Austin Barnes to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Barnes was retired on a fly out, but the Dodgers would score six runs in that inning to take the lead, capped by a Chris Heisey grand slam.
After the game, Mattingly didn't seem too upset that his pitcher was yelling at him during the game.
"He doesn't ever want to come out. We just had to try to score, down three runs," Mattingly said, via MLB. "It never bothers me. Guys want to be competitive and stay in the game, that never bothers me at all. That's just part of it. I make that decision, you don't like it, we can talk about it later."
Kershaw, who gave up six hits and three runs but struck out nine in his five innings, wasn't willing to discuss what went on in the dugout.
"I'm not going to talk about that at all. If you guys want to talk about the game, I'm more than happy to talk about it," he said.
He was asked about his emotions and responded, "Do you have a baseball question?" He continued to refuse to answer what went on as reporters kept pressing.
"Make it up then, that's fine," Kershaw said. "It's between Donnie and I. No one else needs to know."
In the end, everything turned out all right. The Dodgers' six-run spark in the bottom of the fifth actually gave Kershaw credit for the win, his 15th of the season.
