The Los Angeles Dodgers capped off a dominant series sweep over the Colorado Rockies with a 3–1 win on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field, powered by another stellar performance from Clayton Kershaw and a clutch home run by Shohei Ohtani.
Inching ever closer to baseball immortality, Kershaw delivered six strong innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out five. With the outing, the three-time Cy Young Award winner now sits at 2,997 career strikeouts, just three shy of joining the exclusive 3,000-strikeout club.
“It would be very special… it’s inevitable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “We’re all just waiting for the moment.”
Kershaw’s poised effort kept the Rockies’ bats quiet after an early solo home run from Brenton Doyle in the second inning. From there, it was all Dodgers.
Ohtani’s Bat Delivers the Lead
Tied 1–1 in the seventh, Shohei Ohtani sent a thunderous shot into the right-center field seats for his 28th home run of the season, putting the Dodgers on top for good. The reigning MVP continues to prove why he’s one of the most feared hitters in baseball.
“He’s unbelievable,” said teammate Freddie Freeman. “Every time he steps to the plate, something electric can happen.”
Freeman contributed as well, delivering a key RBI single to give the Dodgers some breathing room late in the game.
The Dodgers bullpen held firm once Kershaw exited, with Tanner Scott tossing a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save of the year. The victory pushed Los Angeles to 51–31 on the season and extended their winning streak against Colorado to 10 games.
With his next start projected to take place at Dodger Stadium, fans and the entire baseball world will be watching to see if Clayton Kershaw can make history on home turf. Reaching 3,000 career strikeouts would place him among all-time greats like Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens.
“This is what baseball’s about,” said Roberts. “Moments like these that you’ll never forget.”