Watch Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw join MLB's 3,000 strikeout club; full list of members
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.
REQUIRED READING: Clayton Kershaw's first strikeout victim still in awe as Dodgers ace hits 3,000 K's
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."
LIVE UPDATES: Clayton Kershaw at 3,000 strikeouts: Live updates from Dodgers vs. White Sox game
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
Here's a full list of the members of the MLB 3,000 strikeout club that Kershaw joined on July 2, per MLB.com:
Note: Ordered in numerical order of career strikeouts
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