Clayton Kershaw etched his name deeper into baseball history Wednesday night, becoming the 20th pitcher to record 3,000 career strikeouts.
The milestone came on his 100th pitch, when he froze Vinny Capra with a slider on the outside corner in the sixth inning, prompting a standing ovation from a sellout Dodger Stadium crowd and an emotional tribute video.
Kershaw joined an elite group of left-handers—Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, and CC Sabathia—to reach the mark and is just the fifth pitcher to notch all 3,000 strikeouts with one franchise. Despite injuries that have slowed him in recent seasons, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has remained remarkably effective, posting a 2.08 ERA over his last seven starts. His career 2.51 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the Live Ball era with at least 1,500 innings.
Manager Dave Roberts called 3,000 strikeouts “the last box” in a Hall of Fame résumé already adorned with an MVP, 10 All-Star selections, and over 200 victories.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].