DENVER — In a Rocky Mountain matinee, Clayton Kershaw delivered a vintage performance on Thursday afternoon while most of LA was at work—six efficient innings, only 69 pitches, and one earned run allowed. But while the Dodgers walked away with another team win, Kershaw’s outing carried even more historical weight: he now stands just three strikeouts away from 3,000, a milestone reached by only 19 pitchers in Major League history.
“Felt better than the last couple,” Kershaw said postgame, relaxed and self-deprecating as always. “That was good.”
Kershaw allowed just two hits, striking out five in the process. He didn’t overpower, but he did outthink—working quickly, inducing soft contact, and leaning on a defense that came up big when needed. None more so than fellow vet Miguel Rojas, whose fourth-inning double play may have quietly saved the game.
“Play of the day was Miggy,” Kershaw said, referring to Rojas’s slick turn after a leadoff walk. “Totally hits the ball hard down the line. That could have been one run in, runner on second, nobody out. So that double play there was kind of a game changer.”
Efficiency was the theme of the night. Kershaw threw just 69 pitches across six innings, the kind of economical outing that’s becoming his trademark in the later years of his Hall of Fame career.
“I mean, you always want to be efficient no matter what,” he said. “My days of throwing 115 pitches is probably over, but getting through six is probably the biggest thing. Doc’s doing a good job of protecting me, which I appreciate.”
With the calendar turning to July and Kershaw still building strength, the Dodgers are clearly easing him in. But even on a pitch count, the left-hander is delivering results. The Dodgers have now won all three games he’s started since rejoining the rotation.
“I want to just be able to go back out there every fifth day. So whatever that means for me is good for now.”
Of course, the headline is what looms just ahead: strikeout number 3,000. With five punchouts on the night, Kershaw now sits at 2,997—poised to become just the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach the hallowed mark.
He’s well aware of the number.
“Yeah, I mean, I know I had eight to go,” he said with a small grin. “Freddy’s going to remind me every day.”
While he acknowledged that racking up milestone strikeouts in Coors Field isn’t ideal, he now has a chance to reach the milestone at home, likely during his next start at Dodger Stadium against the White Sox on Wednesday. That possibility isn’t lost on him.
“To maybe strike out 3,000 at home would be really cool.”
In typical Kershaw fashion, he downplayed the overall journey—even while on the verge of joining a club that includes Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martínez, and Max Scherzer.
“Overall, it’s kind of neutral,” he said, reflecting on his performance since returning. “There’s good days and bad days, good pitches and bad pitches. Not as consistent, not as perfect as I would want. But the results have been okay.”
The Dodgers certainly aren’t complaining. Kershaw’s starts have been quality, and more importantly, they’ve been wins.
“At the end of the day, we’re winning games that I’ve been on the mound. So I’m thankful for that. Just a product of being on a great team.”
As Kershaw inches closer to 3,000, the Dodgers fanbase is preparing for yet another milestone in a career already stuffed with accolades: three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, a no-hitter, two World Series titles, and soon, one more number that cements his status among the game’s immortals.
Next stop: strikeout 3,000. And if all goes according to plan, it’ll happen where it all began—on the mound in Chavez Ravine.
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