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.<\/p>\n
Kershaw, 37, reached the milestone when he struck out Vinny Capra in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium.<\/p>\n
Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, Kershaw had gone into Wednesday’s game needing three strikeouts to reach the 3,000 mark.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Kershaw struck out former team-mate Miguel Vargas in the third inning and then bagged Lenyn Sosa in the fifth to set up his storybook moment in the sixth.<\/p>\n
The Dodger Stadium crowd roared its appreciation for the pitcher as he reached the 3,000-mark, giving him a lengthy standing ovation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“It was such a special night all the way around, it really was,” Kershaw said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Running out there for the sixth inning and hearing that crowd roar was up there for me in special moments.<\/p>\n
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Give the White Sox credit — they didn’t make it easy on me at all.<\/p>\n
“So it was a tough night. But what a way to end it with Freddie coming up clutch at the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I told my team-mates — winning individual awards are great, but if you don’t have anybody to celebrate it with, it doesn’t matter.”<\/p>\n
Kershaw joins two other active MLB pitchers in the 3,000 club — Justin Verlander, who is 10th in the all-time list with 3,471 strikeouts, and Max Scherzer, who is 11th on 3,419.<\/p>\n
Nolan Ryan heads the all-time rankings with 5,714 strikeouts.<\/p>\n
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