It was an awfully weird game today, as the focus was obviously on Clayton Kershaw‘s pursuit of 3000 strikeouts, but the White Sox were battling hard to not be a part of that. While he finally did get it, the achievement also came after they potentially lost Max Muncy for a while due to injury.
Regardless, it’s an incredible achievement that we may not see again, and we’re all lucky as fans to be a part of his journey to the mark.
Clayton’s journey to 3,000. pic.twitter.com/lAq7ebLBfF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
The Kershaw family’s reaction to Clayton reaching 3,000 career strikeouts. ? pic.twitter.com/OPhE9Gt2s0
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
A special message from Clayton’s biggest fans. ? pic.twitter.com/WWRUvCogWN
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
Thanks for helping us celebrate your dad, Cali, Charley, Cooper and Chance. ? pic.twitter.com/IUczpPncKd
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
As far as the game goes, the White Sox did surge against Kershaw to take a lead, and then the bats couldn’t cash in some chances … until the 9th, when they rallied for three runs to walk it off in a 5-4 win.
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Obviously the focus of everybody in the game was Clayton Kershaw and his quest for 3000 strikeouts, but it unfortunately seemed to be one for the White Sox as well, as they focused on contact and got results out of it.
He didn’t manage to tally a strikeout in the 1st despite five two-strike accounts, and he gave up a one-out triple and a two-out single to Andrew Benintendi to start the scoring with a White Sox run.
Sox strike first ? pic.twitter.com/k8HrNqrvAA
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) July 3, 2025
Things could’ve been a lot worse, as after an infield single a ball was hit to the wall in left where Michael Conforto was thankfully waiting to make a leaping catch.
Michael Conforto saves some bacon with a leaping catch at the wall. pic.twitter.com/UsPoRENnvH
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 3, 2025
Kershaw rebounded with a clean 2nd that also didn’t have a strikeout despite two more two-strike counts. The 3rd was then a bit of a mess, as a single and Austin Slater homer plated a pair of runs.
AUSTIN. SLATER. ‼️ pic.twitter.com/FvFTQ76MUT
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) July 3, 2025
He did then get strikeout #2998 against Miguel Vargas…
No. 2,998. pic.twitter.com/plXQ8t8mLU
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
…but a double and Edgar Quero single made it four runs. There were three more two-strike counts in that inning.
Edgar Quero RBI single ✅ pic.twitter.com/1anHpzmcJY
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) July 3, 2025
In the 4th, he got another three two-strike accounts and an out on a sac bunt (?), but couldn’t get a strikeout. In the 5th, when it looked like he might not get it, he closed with a strikeout of Lenyn Sosa for strikeout #2999.
No. 2,999. pic.twitter.com/OYdFOXbEZw
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
The brought up the bizarre 6th inning, which included a swing of emotions. After an initial out, Michael Taylor doubled, which was important because he tried to steal third, and while Will Smith threw him out as Max Muncy applied the tag, Taylor’s head and shoulder collided with Max’s knee. Muncy was down for a while clutching the knee, and it looked … very bad.
A different view of the Muncy injury https://t.co/yyVyZF1C9w pic.twitter.com/3rbPj75wow
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 3, 2025
Literally like a day after profiles of him where he says he feels like he’s finally back to where he was after his 2021 injury. Just brutal. https://t.co/Lv6bH5q9X6
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 3, 2025
Potential season-altering injury.
Immediately after that, Kershaw came up and struck out Vinny Capra for strikeout #3000 and completed his outing: 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 100 Pitches.
Strikeout No. 3,000!
Clayton Kershaw becomes the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/mD7tM1POJC
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
Kershaw is one of 20 men with 3000 strikeouts, and only four of those are lefties, with only three having done it with one club. Ridiculous.
Taking over for Kershaw in the 7th was Lou Trivino, who got a clean frame on 13 pitches. Alex Vesia worked around a walk in the 8th for a scoreless inning, and Will Klein got a scoreless 9th to close the book on the White Sox.
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On the other side, the Dodgers put their runs on the board through a pair of solo homers, as Will Smith smacked his 11th of the year in the 1st…
That’s your 2025 NL All-Star catcher, Will Smith! pic.twitter.com/xQZZpsLW8u
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
…and Andy Pages hit his 17th of the year in the 2nd.
Andy for the lead! pic.twitter.com/Wm9qBV84wW
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
They then went quiet in the 3rd and 4th, and couldn’t cash in the chances they did have after that. They stranded an infield single and steal in the 5th, a HBP and single with nobody out in the 6th, and two singles with an out between in the 7th.
The 8th was just quiet, but the 9th was anything but. Michael Conforto started a rally by bouncing a single through the right side, then back-to-back walks to Tommy Edman and Kim loaded the bases. That brought up Ohtani, but he grounded to second and narrowly avoided a double play, trading a run for an out. Struggling Mookie Betts then came up and drove the first pitch for a sac fly to tie things up at 4-4.
With nobody out and the bases loaded, the Dodgers tie the game with an Ohtani RBI ground out and Mookie sac fly. pic.twitter.com/eURv3vVdRn
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 3, 2025
After Ohtani stole second, Will Smith then worked a (contentious) walk to put a pair on, and Freddie Freeman smoked the first pitch he saw into right for a walk-off 5-4 win.
Dodgers complete the comeback and walk it off on a Freddie Freeman single, plus celebration. pic.twitter.com/FpYxpXCLeE
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 3, 2025
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The series concludes tomorrow at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Dustin May looking to get something going against Aaron Civale.
