Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw on cusp of career milestone vs. Rockies

Clayton Kershaw is on the verge of adding another milestone to his Hall of Fame resume.

Kershaw, 37, needs eight strikeouts to reach 3,000 for his career, and his first chance to get that milestone will come Thursday afternoon when the Los Angeles Dodgers' legend faces the Colorado Rockies to wrap up a three-game series in Denver.

Los Angeles won the first two games, including a rain-delayed 8-1 victory on Wednesday.

Kershaw (3-0, 3.31 ERA) will match up with fellow left-hander Austin Gomber (0-1, 8.38) with a chance to become the 20th pitcher in major league history to reach 3,000 strikeouts.

"I think it's top of mind, and I think that's a good thing," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "That's a credit to him and his career, what he's done. ... I think we're going to start to feel that anticipation build. It's going to be exciting for everyone."

Kershaw's chance of striking out eight Colorado batters is not unrealistic. In 50 career starts against the Rockies, he has averaged 6 1/3 innings and 6.32 strikeouts per outing while posting a 27-11 record and a 3.30 ERA. In addition, Colorado averages 9.83 strikeouts a game this year, and its 787 total in 80 games is second only to the Los Angeles Angels.

The roadblock to Kershaw reaching the milestone may come down to pitch count. He didn't make his 2025 debut until May 17 due to offseason knee and toe surgeries, and in his seven games this season, he has gone more than five innings just once.

He struck out seven batters in five innings at St. Louis on June 8, so getting one more strikeout than that against the Rockies is plausible.

Gomber, meanwhile, is still looking for his first win of 2025, and he'll seek it for a Rockies team that has the worst record in baseball against a Dodgers team that is tied for the best.

Gomber began the year on the injured list (shoulder) before making his season debut against the Atlanta Braves on June 15 with five scoreless innings, but his second start was rough.

He gave up nine runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings in a 14-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. He has faced the Dodgers nine times (eight starts) in his career and is 0-4 with a 5.89 ERA in those outings.

Colorado is 1-4 as it enters the final game of a six-game homestand, and it will be aggressive in trying to get that second win of the past week. Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer has emphasized aggressive play and has shuffled the lineup since he took over from the fired Bud Black on May 11.

He moved Tyler Freeman, Jordan Beck and Hunter Goodman to the top of the lineup, and the trio has produced. Freeman had two singles Wednesday and has a 12-game hitting streak.

"Freeman is doing a heck of a job from the leadoff spot, and he's given us everything you want from leadoff," Schaeffer said. "He's a tough at-bat, he's got speed, and he's getting on base.

"And Goodman is our biggest threat at the moment. So we shuffled that around today, and we put Beck behind (Goodman) to give him a little more protection. And to give ‘Goody' that extra at-bat in the ninth inning if it comes around."

--Field Level Media