Los Angeles Dodgers beginning pitcher Clayton Kershaw is on the cusp of becoming a member of an unique membership.
After recording 5 strikeouts in six innings in Thursday’s 3-1 highway win over the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw wants simply three extra strikeouts to turn out to be the twentieth pitcher in Main League Baseball historical past to notch 3,000 in a profession.
Hitting this milestone would bolster Kershaw’s résumé for the Baseball Corridor of Fame. The 3,000-strikeout club has a number of HOFers, together with Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson and Randy Johnson. Future HOFers like San Francisco Giants beginning pitcher Justin Verlander are additionally members.
Kershaw might’ve doubtless recorded his 3,000th strikeout in opposition to the Rockies. Coming into Thursday’s recreation, Colorado had the second-most strikeouts (787) in baseball. The pitcher, nevertheless, might need to do it when the Dodgers return to L.A. subsequent week for his or her collection in opposition to the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.
“One half I am certain he desires to do it in Los Angeles,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned earlier than Thursday’s recreation, via MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. “The opposite a part of it’s he desires to get it over with. I believe it is inevitable. It is going to be laborious if he will get to 2 strikes to not go for the strikeout. However that is what he is all the time carried out. So that does not actually change.”
The Dodgers have saved Kershaw on a pitch rely since he returned from a meniscus tear in his left knee and a left toe problem on Might 17. That also should not cease him from reaching the mark. He has 29 strikeouts by means of eight video games and posted a stable 3.03 ERA.
