Why Clayton Kershaw's 3000 strikeout milestone was especially 'cool'
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He needed three more punches to become only the 20th player in MLB history to reach that mark.
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He strikes out Miguel Vargas for 2,998, I believe in the second or the third inning, gets Lenin Sosa to swing over a curveball.
Dave Roberts lets Kershaw come back out for the sixth inning, and he gets Vinny Capra looking.
On a backdoor slider to reach 3,000.
We've debated this before about what is the coolest version of the best kind of way to finish a World Series game, like what's the final out?
Like, you don't ever get, or, or we've talked about it for like the first career hit, right?
What is, what is an ideal first career hit?
Cause sometimes it's just like a squibber and you beat out an infield hit.
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And you have like a replay review, and it's like this was, well, maybe the slider isn't necessarily the pitch he is known for, but it probably should be, compared to the curveball when you consider how effective it's been even this late in his career and to get him looking to finish the inning, it was really, really, really cool.
The Dodgers broadcast, this was perfect.
The music in the stadium, the theater, Steven Nelson on the call.
Handled it sublimely.
Kershaw walks into the dugout, kind of hugs every single human being that's in there, which is always sweet and funny, like he hugs PK Hernandez for a long while, and then he like, you know, Dalton Rushing, thanks for the two games you caught me.
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Thanks for showing up, big guy.
Um, and then he comes back out, tips his cap, they play the music, he waves to the family.
And then they continue on with the game.
He is one of only three to reach 3,000 only pitching for one team, along with Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson.
And that is where a moment like this becomes so special and carries so much weight because for a pitcher in particular, to stay in one place for this long and to be good enough for this long to get here is, amazing.
And that is why he's one of the greatest of all time, and why his association with the Dodgers is tough to match in just all of baseball history in terms of player and team.
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