Subscribe
Follow Us
In front of a sellout crowd of 53,536 at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw made history once again Wednesday night, adding another milestone to his incredible career, becoming just the 20th pitcher in MLB history, and only the fourth left-hander, to record 3,000 career strikeouts. The milestone came on his 100th pitch of the game, a slider that froze Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra for a called third strike to end the sixth inning.
Kershaw is now part of an elite group that includes fellow lefties Randy Johnson, CC Sabathia, and Steve Carlton. The 37-year-old is also only the third pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts while spending his entire career with one team, joining legends Walter Johnson (Senators) and Bob Gibson (Cardinals).
It’s a moment that Freddie Freeman called special, punctuated by his own walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Dodgers a 5-4 victory over the White Sox and a series win.
“For Clayton to do it here, 3,000 strikeouts, we might never see that again… we got to witness history and we got him a win out of it too,” Freeman said postgame.
Kershaw entered the night needing just three strikeouts. He struck out Miguel Vargas in the third and Lenyn Sosa in the fifth, both on curveballs. The 3,000th came after Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy had to leave the game with a leg injury, adding emotional weight to an already historic frame. The milestone strikeout was also the 251st caught by Dodgers catcher Will Smith.
Clayton Kershaw’s achievement prompted a six-minute in-game delay, which included a tribute video. After recording the strikeout, he removed his cap, waved to the crowd and his family in the stands, patted his chest, and mouthed “Thank you” as fans erupted.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game, “It’s the last box for Clayton to check in his tremendous career.”
Now in his 18th season, Kershaw has built a Hall of Fame resume with three Cy Young Awards, the 2014 NL MVP, two World Series championships, and eight All-Star selections. His 2014 season remains iconic: a 21-3 record, 1.77 ERA, and 233 strikeouts. Coming into Wednesday’s game, Kershaw had posted a 4-0 record with a 3.03 ERA over eight starts, even as his fastball velocity hovers near 90 mph.
Kershaw’s 3,000th strikeout comes at a time when such milestones are becoming increasingly rare. Among active players, only Justin Verlander (3,468) and Max Scherzer (3,412) have surpassed that mark. The next closest are Chris Sale (2,528) and Gerrit Cole (2,254), both in their mid-30s and battling injury concerns.
The left-hander’s feat is a symbol of sustained excellence in a game where long-term dominance is vanishing. As manager Dave Roberts noted, “He’s going to will himself to doing whatever the team needs.”
