On Thursday, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw made an impactful start in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. He pitched for six innings, giving up one run on two hits, walking one, and striking out five batters, as the Dodgers won the final game of the series and completed a dominant series sweep over their NL West rivals.
A solo home run from Shohei Ohtani and one RBI each from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were enough for the defending champions to sail through the contest. The Dodgers’ bullpen backed Kershaw’s strong start on the mound by not giving up any runs in the game’s last three innings. The Dodgers are now 51-31 for the season, sitting comfortably atop the NL West standings.
Clayton Kershaw is Three Strikeouts Away from Creating History
Baseball analyst and senior writer with USA Today, Bob Nightengale, shared a post on X.com highlighting Kershaw’s approach to a historic milestone in the big leagues.
After Thursday night’s start against the Rockies, the 37-year-old LHP is now just three strikeouts away from joining the 3000 strikeouts club. His current tally reads 2,997 strikeouts. Moreover, he can create history in front of the Dodger faithful at home in LA next week.
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw ends his start with 2,997 career strikeouts and opportunity now to join the 3,000 strikeout club at home next week at Dodger Stsdium.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 26, 2025
Currently, 19 pitchers have achieved this historic milestone in the MLB, with the latest out of the lot being three-time Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer. Kershaw, who is a future HOFer himself, is a three-time Cy Young Award winner, 2014 NL MVP, ten-time All-Star, and 2020 World Series champion with the incumbent champions.
Kershaw made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2008 and is currently playing in his 18th season with the ballclub. The veteran LHP has produced many jaw-dropping highlights over the years as he continues to showcase class and command authority on the mound. His current career tally stands at 215 wins and 94 losses, with a 2.51 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 2,997 strikeouts, which is on the cusp of changing in the coming week.
Kershaw is Having an Amazing Season With the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025
Kershaw is 4-0 in eight starts this campaign with an ERA of 3.03, 29 strikeouts, and a 1.19 WHIP. After a subpar 2024 season marred by extensive stints on the IL, the veteran lefty has bounced back strongly in the 2025 MLB season. Kershaw has made changes to his pitching arsenal.
As his velocity has dipped due to his age, he is more reliant on off-speed changeups and curveballs, which are doing the trick for him. The Dodgers’ ace is set to take the mound in game 2 of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox at home in Dodger Stadium on July 2.