On Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3,000 strikeout milestone and only the fourth left-hander to do so. The historic strikeout came in the top of the sixth inning, when Kershaw froze Chicago White Sox infielder Vinny Capra on an 85 mph slider that caught the outside corner. It was his 100th and final pitch of the night.

Kershaw reached the 3,000 strikeout milestone in 2,787⅓ innings, making him the fourth-fastest pitcher in MLB history to achieve the feat. Only Randy Johnson (2,470⅔), Max Scherzer (2,516), and Pedro Martinez (2,647⅔) did it in fewer innings.

The strikeout marked Kershaw’s third of the game and officially cemented his place alongside Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers in the 3,000 strikeout club. It was also the first time Kershaw had thrown 100 pitches in a game since the 2023 season.

Kershaw, 37, finished the outing with six innings pitched, allowing four earned runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out three. Following the performance, he now holds a 3.43 ERA over nine starts and 44 ⅔ innings this season.

Kershaw’s journey to 3,000 began on May 25, 2008, when, as a 20-year-old making his MLB debut, he struck out St. Louis Cardinals leadoff hitter Skip Schumaker — the first batter he ever faced in the big leagues. The Dodgers had selected Kershaw with the seventh overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft.

Over his 18 season career, all spent with the Dodgers, Kershaw has compiled a 216–94 record with a 2.51 ERA. A three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 2014 National League MVP, Kershaw’s 18 seasons tie him with franchise icons Bill Russell and Zack Wheat for the most in Dodgers history.

CLAYTON KERSHAW 💪

3,000 CAREER STRIKEOUTS! pic.twitter.com/aG2mQcAFKa

— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2025