He only needed three…and it took six innings to reach the mark.
On July 2, pitcher Clayton Kershaw took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers with 2,997 career strikeouts.
Just 19 pitchers have achieved the major milestone in their careers. In the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox, Kershaw struck out Vinny Capra for career strike out number 3,000!
Capra tipped his hat to Kershaw and noted, “he’s done it for a long time. He’s a really good pitcher, made a really good pitch and it’s 3,000. That’s an incredible moment for him, and good for him.”
Kershaw noted, “It’s a little bit harder when you’re actually trying to strike people out. I never really had to do that before.” He only notched three strikeouts in the game, but it was all he needed.
Speaking on getting 3,000 strikeouts, Kershaw said, “it was overwhelming to feel that. I don’t have a lot of great words other than that it was just really special.”
Kershaw became just the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to earn 3,000 strikeouts and with the format used for pitchers today – few innings and complete games – Kershaw may be the last to do so. The 36 year old Atlanta Braves Chris Sale currently has 2,528 strikeouts is the next pitcher on the list.
He is also only one of four left handed pitchers in the group along with CC Sabathia, Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton.
Kershaw joins Walter Johnson of the old Washington Senators and Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals to reach 3,000 strikeout playing for just one team.
The game was delayed shortly while the 50,000 plus crowd gave Kershaw a standing ovation and rousing cheers, hugs from his fellow Dodgers, and a wave to his wife and four children.
He noted, “I feel bad for Ellen (wife). I know she was nervous. I made her last six innings out there just stressed out that I wasn’t going to get it and have to go to Milwaukee to do it.”
After the game Kershaw shared a toast in the clubhouse with the team and executives. He noted, “just super thankful for tonight, super thankful for my teammates. I told my teammates individual awards are great, but if you don’t have anybody to celebrate with it doesn’t matter.”
Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer are the only active pitchers with at least 3,000 strikeouts.
“It’s an incredible list,” he said. “It’s special to finally be in that group.”
Umpire Jim Wolf was behind the plate and made the call; Wolf is the brother of Randy Wolf who is now retired but was once a teammate of Kershaw’s.
Kershaw noted, “I wanted it to come easy. I would much rather have got it done in the first.” It took six innings and 100 pitches.
Dodger manager Dave Roberts spoke before the game that he would be coaching the game differently in order to give the three time Cy Young Award winner Kershaw an opportunity to get his 3,000th K at home. Roberts said, “I was going to give him every opportunity to do it at home. You could see the emotion he had trying to get that third strike. It just happened the way it was supposed to happen.”
Speaking on Kershaw who is in his 18th season saying, “it’s just again a reminder for me, for anyone, to never bet against that guy. It doesn’t matter — health, stuff — he’s going to will himself to doing whatever the team needs.”
Kershaw earned strikeout number one back in 2008 in a seven pitch at bat facing Cardinals’ Kkip Schumacher.