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Associated Press
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Kershaw appreciates his latest All-Star Game selection while understanding its unusual circumstances
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw appreciates his 11th career All-Star Game selection while acknowledging this one's a little different from the rest. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has made only nine starts this season but still got selected to the National League team as a Legend Pick by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, under a provision in the collective bargaining agreement. 'You never take for granted getting to go to an All-Star Game, regardless of the circumstances,' Kershaw said Monday before the Dodgers played the Milwaukee Brewers. 'Obviously, I don't deserve to get to go this season. I haven't pitched very much.' This marked the first time Manfred made a Legend Pick for the All-Star Game since 2022, when Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols both received that designation. 'I didn't really actually know that was a thing,' Kershaw said. 'At the end of the day, it's weird, but it's cool, so I'm just going to enjoy it.' The honor comes less than a week after Kershaw recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming just the 20th pitcher to reach that plateau. He's in his 18th season with the Dodgers, tying Hall of Fame outfielder Zack Wheat and shortstop Bill Russell for the franchise record. The 37-year-old left-hander didn't make his season debut until May 17 as he worked his way back from toe and knee surgeries. He also had undergone shoulder surgery after the 2023 season. He owns a 4-0 record and 3.43 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. 'I think it's mixed,' Kershaw said. 'I think there's some good and some bad. I think it's helpful to be able to get the reps, go back out and be able to feel OK in between starts to work on some stuff and try to figure out some things mechanically and pitch-wise and stuff. I'd say overall, I wouldn't say I'm happy, but I wouldn't say I'm disappointed, either. Just kind of right in the middle.' All these career milestones naturally lead to questions about Kershaw's legacy and future. Kershaw says he's just focusing on the here and now. 'I don't know what's going to happen in the future,' he said. 'I really have no idea when it comes to the years beyond this one, so I'm just trying to enjoy it, trying to be part of a really good team this year. We've still got a lot to accomplish, and we still have October. It's really hard to look at stuff individually when you're trying to accomplish something as a team.' But he still appreciates this latest honor, no matter how he was selected. 'I'll never pass up that opportunity,' Kershaw said. 'It's a tremendous honor. Super thankful to get to go. Regardless of the situation or how I maybe snuck into the All-Star Game, it's pretty cool to get to be able to go.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers rally past White Sox in 9th inning; Kershaw reaches 3,000 strikeouts
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy holds his knee after tagging out Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor attempting to steal third base during the during the sixth inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) tips his cap after recording his 3,000th career strike out by striking out Chicago White Sox's Vinny Capra during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws against Chicago White Sox's Vinny Capra during the sixth inning to strike him out for his 3,000th career strikeout Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws against Chicago White Sox's Vinny Capra during the sixth inning to strike him out for his 3,000th career strikeout Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy holds his knee after tagging out Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor attempting to steal third base during the during the sixth inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) tips his cap after recording his 3,000th career strike out by striking out Chicago White Sox's Vinny Capra during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws against Chicago White Sox's Vinny Capra during the sixth inning to strike him out for his 3,000th career strikeout Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw got his 3,000th strikeout and Freddie Freeman capped a three-run ninth inning by singled in Shohei Ohtani, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Wednesday night. Kershaw became the 20th pitcher to reach 3,000 when Vinny Capra took a slider for a called third strike for the final out of the sixth inning. Advertisement Los Angeles trailed 4-2 and hadn't scored since the second inning when Michael Conforto singled and Tommy Edman and Hyesong Kim drew back-to-back walks from Grant Taylor (0-1) to open the ninth. Ohtani hit into a run-scoring forceout, Mookie Betts tied the score with a sacrifice fly off Steven Wilson and Freeman singled sharply to right. Los Angeles won for the 14th time in 17 games and clinched its seventh straight series victory. Andrew Benintendi had a two-out RBI single in the first. Will Smith tied the score in the bottom half against Sean Burke with his 11th homer and Andy Pages lead off the second with his 17th homer. Austin Slater hit a two-run homer in the third for a 3-2 lead and Edgar Quero added a flare RBI single. Advertisement Key moment Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was injured while tagging out Michael A. Taylor in the sixth. Taylor was caught stealing as catcher Will Smith threw to Muncy, who tagged Taylor for the second out of the inning. Muncy sprawled on his back as a Dodgers athletic trainer came out to check on him. The team said he had left knee pain. A White Sox trainer also checked on Taylor, who sustained a bruised left trapezius in his back. Key stat Kershaw threw a season-high 100 pitches, giving up four runs and nine hits in six innings. He struck out Miguel Vargas in the third and Lenyn Sosa in the fifth. Advertisement Up next White Sox RHP Aaron Civale (1-4, 4.74 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday. Dodgers RHP Dustin May (4-5, 4.68) faces Chicago for the first time in his career. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
For Clayton Kershaw, reaching 3,000 strikeouts is the latest milestone in a generational career
In today's day and age of sports, the term 'generational' is probably used more than it should be. The truth is that only a very small number of players ever live up to the expectations and gravity of that term. But for Dodgers' longtime ace Clayton Kershaw, there's no superlative too excessive or too hyperbolic to describe what his career has entailed. And on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, he added another jewel to his future Hall of Fame résumé, striking out Vinny Capra on a slider in the sixth inning for the 3,000th strikeout of his illustrious career. The 3,000-strikeout milestone has long been a benchmark of baseball's most elite pitchers. Through the 121-year history of Major League Baseball, only 20 players have exhibited both the dominance and the longevity to clear that threshold. The club includes names such as Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Bob Gibson, to name just a few. Advertisement The Dodgers' southpaw is the first hurler to reach 3,000 strikeouts since Max Scherzer joined the club back in 2021, also while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kershaw is the third left-handed pitcher ever to reach the mark. Over the course of his career with the Dodgers, Kershaw has accomplished about as much as a starting pitcher can achieve. Since debuting in May 2008 at the age of 20 — he struck out the first batter he faced — Kershaw has won three NL Cy Young Awards, been named an All-Star 10 times, won the ERA title five times and led the NL in strikeouts three times. He won the pitching Triple Crown and a Gold Glove in 2011, and he threw a no-hitter and won the NL MVP Award in 2014. And, of course, he's a two-time World Series champion. For the past 18 years, the Dodgers' southpaw has been not only dominant on the mound but also historically great — generational, you might rightly say. Kershaw recorded a sub-3.00 ERA in 13 seasons, which includes three seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA. Since MLB lowered the mound in 1969, only Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom has a lower career ERA than Kershaw. Kershaw's three Cy Youngs rank him fifth all time; only Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux have more. Advertisement Being considered the ace of an organization is an honor for a starting pitcher. Being the ace for a team such as the Dodgers, one that has an extensive history of elite starting pitching, takes it to a different level. Nonetheless, Kershaw has been able to carve out his own place in history at a stadium that was once home to Sandy Koufax, the pitcher nicknamed 'The Left Arm of God.' That tells you everything you need to know about Kershaw's greatness. Whenever he decides to call it a career, Kershaw will have his No. 22 retired at Dodger Stadium, enshrining him alongside Koufax and fellow 3,000-strikeout-club member Don Sutton in Dodgers immortality. It's also not hyperbolic to say that Kershaw might be the last pitcher to ever reach 3,000 strikeouts. The way the game has evolved, with pitchers throwing fewer innings and not pitching as deep into games, makes 3,000 career strikeouts feel like something from a bygone era. The only active pitcher with a realistic opportunity to get there is Braves ace Chris Sale, and he's 472 away. The scale of this accomplishment and the unlikelihood that we will ever see it again is even more reason to celebrate Kershaw's milestone. Advertisement Looking forward, who knows how long Kershaw will continue to pitch for the Dodgers. L.A.'s left-hander has signed one-year deals the past few seasons, and he has never definitively said when he's going to call it quits. Injuries have slowed him some and limited his production in recent years, but so far this season, he is once again delivering for L.A. No matter when his career concludes, one thing is certain: Cooperstown will be calling his name for first-ballot enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This latest accomplishment in what has already been a storied career serves as a reminder that Kershaw is not only the best starting pitcher of his generation but also one of the greatest pitchers the game of baseball has ever seen.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
For Clayton Kershaw, reaching 3,000 strikeouts is the latest milestone in a generational career
In today's day and age of sports, the term 'generational' is probably used more than it should be. The truth is that only a very small number of players ever live up to the expectations and gravity of that term. But for Dodgers' longtime ace Clayton Kershaw, there's no superlative too excessive or too hyperbolic to describe what his career has entailed. And on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, he added another jewel to his future Hall of Fame résumé, striking out Vinny Capra on a slider in the sixth inning for the 3,000th strikeout of his illustrious career. The 3,000-strikeout milestone has long been a benchmark of baseball's most elite pitchers. Through the 121-year history of Major League Baseball, only 20 players have exhibited both the dominance and the longevity to clear that threshold. The club includes names such as Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Bob Gibson, to name just a few. Advertisement The Dodgers' southpaw is the first hurler to reach 3,000 strikeouts since Max Scherzer joined the club back in 2021, also while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kershaw is the third left-handed pitcher ever to reach the mark. Over the course of his career with the Dodgers, Kershaw has accomplished about as much as a starting pitcher can achieve. Since debuting in May 2008 at the age of 20 — he struck out the first batter he faced — Kershaw has won three NL Cy Young Awards, been named an All-Star 10 times, won the ERA title five times and led the NL in strikeouts three times. He won the pitching Triple Crown and a Gold Glove in 2011, and he threw a no-hitter and won the NL MVP Award in 2014. And, of course, he's a two-time World Series champion. For the past 18 years, the Dodgers' southpaw has been not only dominant on the mound but also historically great — generational, you might rightly say. Kershaw recorded a sub-3.00 ERA in 13 seasons, which includes three seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA. Since MLB lowered the mound in 1969, only Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom has a lower career ERA than Kershaw. Kershaw's three Cy Youngs rank him fifth all time; only Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux have more. Being considered the ace of an organization is an honor for a starting pitcher. Being the ace for a team such as the Dodgers, one that has an extensive history of elite starting pitching, takes it to a different level. Nonetheless, Kershaw has been able to carve out his own place in history at a stadium that was once home to Sandy Koufax, the pitcher nicknamed 'The Left Arm of God.' That tells you everything you need to know about Kershaw's greatness. Advertisement Whenever he decides to call it a career, Kershaw will have his No. 22 retired at Dodger Stadium, enshrining him alongside Koufax and fellow 3,000-strikeout-club member Don Sutton in Dodgers immortality. It's also not hyperbolic to say that Kershaw might be the last pitcher to ever reach 3,000 strikeouts. The way the game has evolved, with pitchers throwing fewer innings and not pitching as deep into games, makes 3,000 career strikeouts feel like something from a bygone era. The only active pitcher with a realistic opportunity to get there is Braves ace Chris Sale, and he's 472 away. The scale of this accomplishment and the unlikelihood that we will ever see it again is even more reason to celebrate Kershaw's milestone. Advertisement Looking forward, who knows how long Kershaw will continue to pitch for the Dodgers. L.A.'s left-hander has signed one-year deals the past few seasons, and he has never definitively said when he's going to call it quits. Injuries have slowed him some and limited his production in recent years, but so far this season, he is once again delivering for L.A. No matter when his career concludes, one thing is certain: Cooperstown will be calling his name for first-ballot enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This latest accomplishment in what has already been a storied career serves as a reminder that Kershaw is not only the best starting pitcher of his generation but also one of the greatest pitchers the game of baseball has ever seen.
