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MLB: Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw Throws 3,000th Career Strikeout

He is just the 20th pitcher ever to reach this milestone.

Written by Matthew Gideon
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MLB: Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw Throws 3,000th Career Strikeout

Last night, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw threw his 3,000th career strikeout as LA was able to down the Chicago White Sox for the 5-4 victory. He became just the 20th player all-time to throw at least 3,000 strikeouts and the third active player to reach this milestone, joining the Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer and the Giants’ Justin Verlander.

“I made it interesting for sure. Made it take too long. Honestly, [I] didn’t pitch that great tonight. Slider was so bad, but this was such a special night all the way around. It really was,” Kershaw said during the postgame press conference. “Couldn’t have asked for anything more, really. It just was so fun to get to be out there.”

It wasn’t easy getting to that 3,000th strikeout. In six innings pitched, Kershaw allowed nine hits, a home run, and four earned runs, which put the Dodgers in a 4-2 hole early on.

“It’s a little bit harder when you’re actually trying to strike people out. I’ve never really had to do that before,” he explained. “It was hard. You give the White Sox credit, too. They didn’t make it easy on me at all. So, it was a tough night all the way around.”

Coming into last night’s game, Kershaw had 2,997 career strikeouts. After the first five innings, Kershaw had accumulated two more strikeouts, bringing his career total to 2,999.

“Obviously, you go through five innings, and he has two strikeouts, and [the] pitch count’s climbing up there,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after the win. “It was just one of those things that I felt I was going to give him every opportunity to do it at home. Fans showed out from the first pitch. Everyone was so excited.”

Clayton Kershaw struck out Chicago third baseman Vinny Capra in the sixth inning, giving Kershaw his 3,000th career strikeout on what would be his final pitch of the evening.

“That was his last hitter,” Roberts explained. “You can see the emotion that he had today, trying to get that third strike. And I think, you look at the first, probably, 14, 15 hitters he got to two strikes – probably ten of them – and just couldn’t put them away. Just couldn’t execute that final pitch, but I think it just happened the way it’s supposed to happen in the sense that it was the third out. We got a chance to really celebrate him. [For] him to take [in] the moment.”

“I wanted it to come easy,” Kershaw laughed. “I’d much rather just got it done in the first. But, now, looking back on it, with us winning the game, and the last pitch of the night being the last strikeout, I don’t think I would change it now.”

Once he got that third strike, the stadium erupted in cheers as the Dodgers began to walk off the field and into the dugout. Before exiting the game, though, Kershaw took off his hat to salute the crowd.

“To get 3,000 strikeouts, that takes a long time, and a lot of trials, tribulations, surgeries, rehab, frustration, tears, to continue to fight back, come back, show up, and post, that’s hard to do,” Dave Roberts said. “To get 3,000 strikeouts, and for me to be a part of the back part of that journey for him. There was a lot of emotion for Clayton, and I hope he enjoys this one. Now, I think he can even say that every box for him has been checked.”

“I’ve been through it a lot. Ups and downs here. More downs than I care to admit, but the fans tonight. It really meant a lot,” Kershaw said. “Usually, I try not to acknowledge anything before the game just because [I’m] trying to lock it in a little bit, but it was too hard not to tonight. It was just overwhelming to feel that. I don’t have a lot of great words other than it was just really special.”

Los Angeles and Chicago are once again in action tonight at Dodger Stadium. The first pitch in that game is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. EDT.

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