Welcome to the 3,000 career strikeout club, Clayton Kershaw.
In the sixth inning of an interleague game against the Chicago White Sox at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, the 6-foot-4 veteran southpaw struck out Vinny Capra looking to unlock perhaps the greatest achievement of his Hall of Fame-bound resume and career.
The World Series champion is the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach one of baseball’s hardest feats. He entered the night three strikeouts away from joining the 3,000 club,
His first strikeout of the night came in the third inning when White Sox first baseman Miguel Vargas went down swinging at a curveball in the top of the third inning. Second baseman Lenyn Sosa struck out swinging on a curveball in the top of the fifth and Capra struck out looking on a slider in the sixth.
The three-time National League Cy Young winner is the first pitcher to join the exclusive 3,000 career strikeout club since Max Scherzer did so vs. the San Diego Padres in 2021 when he was a teammate of Kershaw’s following a trade deadline move by the Dodgers from the Washington Nationals.
Noted by USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale, Kershaw’s first career strikeout came on May 25, 2008 against then-St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Skip Schumaker at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw would strike out seven Cardinals hitters that night in six innings of work where he gave up just two runs on five hits and a walk.
‘I figured I was going to ambush him and welcome him to the big leagues,’ Schumaker told USA TODAY Sports. ‘The first pitch was an elevated fastball. It was harder and faster than I thought, and I swung and missed. Then he threw a curveball. It was something different. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.’
Watch Clayton Kershaw record career strikeout 3,000 vs. White Sox
Here’s a look at Kershaw’s 3,000th career strikeout in the sixth inning at Dodgers Stadium against Vinny Capra on July 2:
MLB pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts
Note: Ordered in numerical order of career strikeouts
Nolan Ryan: 5,714 career strikeouts
Randy Johnson: 4,875 career strikeouts
Roger Clemens: 4,672 career strikeouts
Steve Carlton: 4,136 career strikeouts
Bert Blyleven: 3,701 career strikeouts
Tom Seaver: 3,640 career strikeouts
Don Sutton: 3,574 career strikeouts
Gaylord Perry: 3,534 career strikeouts
Walter Johnson: 3,515 career strikeouts
Justin Verlander: 3,416 career strikeouts
Max Scherzer: 3,407 career strikeouts
Greg Maddux: 3,371 career strikeouts
Phil Nierko: 3,342 career strikeouts
Fergie Jackson: 3,192 career strikeouts
Pedro Martinez: 3,154 career strikeouts
Bob Gibson: 3,117 career strikeouts
Curt Schilling: 3,116 career strikeouts
CC Sabathia: 3,093 career strikeouts
John Smoltz: 3,084 career strikeouts
Clayton Kershaw: 3,000 career strikeouts
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
