Clayton Kershaw Nears 3,000 Strikeouts
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ left-handed pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, is about to reach a historic milestone in his career. On Thursday, Kershaw added five strikeouts in six innings against the Colorado Rockies, approaching the 3,000-strikeout mark in his career.
Kershaw, with 2,997 strikeouts in 18 seasons, is only three away from becoming the twentieth player in Major League Baseball to achieve this feat.
Kershaw’s next start is expected to be at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox.
If it materializes, the 37-year-old pitcher would be the third active pitcher to reach this figure, joining Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Verlander, in his 20th season, has 3,468 strikeouts, while Scherzer has 3,412 in 18 seasons.
In Thursday’s game, Kershaw struck out three in the first two innings and got the fourth in the last out of the fifth. He struck out Tyler Freeman in the second out of the sixth inning and left the game after retiring the next batter.
The pitcher threw 69 pitches, 41 of them for strikes. He got two strikeouts with his 73 mph curveball and three more with sliders against a Rockies lineup composed of right-handed hitters.
Kershaw earned his fourth consecutive win, as the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep with a 3-1 victory.
The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star received a huge ovation at Coors Field, where part of the audience gave him a standing ovation as he left the mound after the sixth inning.
Kershaw has made eight starts this season, after being activated from the injured list on May 17 after undergoing surgeries on his left knee and foot during the offseason. His earned run average (ERA) dropped to a season-low 3.03 after Thursday’s game.
