LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw became just the 20th pitcher to record 3,000 career strikeouts on Wednesday in a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Kershaw, 37, reached the milestone when he struck out Vinny Capra in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, Kershaw had gone into Wednesday’s game needing three strikeouts to reach the 3,000 mark.
With a raucous home crowd roaring him on, he made hard work of reaching the milestone as the White Sox took a surprise early lead over the World Series champions.
Kershaw struck out former teammate Miguel Vargas in the third inning and then bagged Lenyn Sosa in the fifth to set up his storybook moment in the sixth.
The Dodger Stadium crowd roared its appreciation for the pitcher as he reached the 3,000-mark, giving him a lengthy standing ovation.
Kershaw, a three-time National League Cy Young Award-winner and a former NL Most Valuable Player in 2014, has played the entirety of his career at the Dodgers, making his major league debut in 2008.
The Dodgers went on to win Wednesday’s game with a dramatic three-run rally in the ninth inning, Freddie Freeman walking it off to complete a 5-4 victory.