Clayton Kershaw is poised to become the first pitcher to record his 3,000th strikeout against the White Sox.
The sure-fire Hall-of-Famer enters his start vs. the Sox tonight in Dodger Stadium three strikeouts shy of the coveted milestone.
That means the traditionally late-arriving crowd in Tinseltown will have to be punctual to make sure they see Kershaw become the 20th member of the 3,000-strikeout club.
While the Sox have never been a 3,000th strikeout victim, they have come oh so close.
Like, they couldn’t have come any closer.
Walter Johnson entered the Sox game in Washington on June 15, 1923 sitting on 2,998 strikeouts.
With the “Big Train” on the brink of his 11th strikeout crown coming on with one out in the seventh, 3,000 seemed inevitable.
It did not happen.
In fact, the Sox recorded as many homers as they did strikeouts against Johnson.
The big righty gave up a three-run blast to Willie Kamm, the first batter he faced, to help the Sox get to within 7-6.
Johnson got out of the inning by getting Harry Hooper, another future Hall-of-Famer, to pop out and Harvey McClellan to ground out to first.
Johnson got through the eighth unscored upon but with no strikeouts.
He opened the ninth by striking out Kamm, leaving him one shy of 3,000, which is where he would stay until his next outing.
After yielding a single to Ray Schalk, another future Cooperstown resident, Johnson secured his third save with a lineout and a fly out and the then-named Nationals had a win at Griffith Stadium.
No. 3,000 came for Johnson in his next start when he whiffed Cleveland’s Lou Guisto to start the third.
Johnson finished his career as the all-time leader with 3,509 strikeouts — 549 of which came against the Sox, which were his most against any foe.