Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw will take aim at a milestone few aces reach on Wednesday night, as he's just three strikeouts shy of 3,000 for his career. Kershaw was pulled early from his previous start in Colorado with the hope he'd be able to set said record at home against the Chicago White Sox. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are the only other active pitchers to reach the 3,000 strikeout mark, and Kershaw could be the last for awhile.
“It’s just a product of the game changing a little bit as far as usage and different things starting to change,” Kershaw said. “I’ve talked about it before, I think the game would be better off if we tried to reemphasize starting pitching a little bit more. The problem is that bullpens are so good now, that when you have a chance to have a bullpen guy come out instead of a starter the third time through the lineup, [and] when the guy’s throwing really hard and really good, it’s tough to argue."
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Clayton Kershaw's 3,000th strikeout won't be an unique as Pedro Martinez's
While Kershaw will join an exclusive group of pitchers to record 3,000 strikeouts on Wednesday night (more than likely) – only 19 pitchers have struck out that many batters – he will not do so in a way that only Walter Johnson and Pedro Martinez can relate to.
Martinez's 3000th strikeout victim was Aaron Harang, a fellow starting pitcher, who was in the lineup as Martinez was facing a National League team. Walter Johnson, who struck out his 3000th hitter in 1923, recorded his legendary K against his opposing starting pitcher as well. This is a gift Kershaw will not receive.
Pedro in particular didn't care who he struck out to reach that mark. He understood the importance of the record regardless. “It’s indescribable,” Martínez told The New York Times at the time. “I’m really excited, I’m really happy and I’m very thankful.”
Will Clayton Kershaw be the final member of the 3,000 strikeout club?
Kershaw could very well be the final member of the 3,000 strikeout club given the nature of the game today. Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole both have realistic chances to reach the milestone if they can stay healthy, but as of this writing both starting pitchers are on the injured list. Charlie Morton and Yu Darvish are within reach, too, but they are both over the age of 38. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a bit more optimistic that Kershaw won't be the final nail in the 3,000 K coffin.
“You know, you say that [no one is reaching 3,000 again] until it’s not [true], but again, you got to start early, you got to stay healthy, you got to be great,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Guys aren’t punching 12, 13 guys out a game and going on five days’ rest instead of four days’ rest these days. So you’re not getting the 32-34 starts, either. So yeah, it’s going to be a tough one [to reach].”
Kershaw's achievement could be unique in the sense that it's the final one, but those strikeouts will not come courtesy of opposing pitcher Brandon Eisert.