Clayton Kershaw exceeds 300-strikeout milestone in Dodgers’ victory

The game Sunday had no influence on the standings or the postseason, but the fans inside Dodger Stadium were on their feet in the third inning, their cheers transforming into a collective roar when Clayton Kershaw unleashed a curveball that missed the bat of Melvin Upton Jr.

What looked like a familiar sequence was anything but ordinary: Kershaw had become the first major league pitcher in 13 years to strike out 300 batters in a single season.

Kershaw finished his regular season with 301 strikeouts. The Dodgers finished theirs with 92 victories, including a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres in the finale.

The Dodgers wanted Kershaw to reach the milestone, but not at the expense of what was ahead. With the Dodgers scheduled to open the postseason Friday against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw was on a pitch count of 60. He started the day six strikeouts short of 300.

He ended up striking out seven in 3 2/3 innings.

“Wanting to be fresh for playoffs was more important than 300 strikeouts, but it worked out,� Kershaw said.

While Manager Don Mattingly hasn’t officially named his starting pitcher for Game 1 of the National League division series, there were indications it would be Kershaw.

Catcher A.J. Ellis joked that while most of the Dodgers would stay home Monday, Kershaw would be working out and “getting ready for a Friday start.� Veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who managed in place of Mattingly as part of annual tradition, said that while removing Kershaw in the fourth inning, he told him, “Get ready for Friday.�

Kershaw’s last two postseasons ended with crushing defeats by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Asked if he felt any more prepared entering these playoffs, Kershaw smiled and replied, “I don’t know. We’ll find out.�

Kershaw finished his regular season with a record of 16-7 and an earned-run average of 2.13.

Kershaw said he was most pleased with how he was able to make 33 starts, something he failed to do last season when he missed the entire month of April because of a strained back muscle.

Kershaw pitched 232 2/3 innings this season, the most in the majors.

“If there is something to take pride in individually, that’s what I would take pride in,� he said.

But Kershaw conceded his season was less special than Zack Greinke’s, saying his teammate deserved to win the National League Cy Young Award.

Greinke was 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA.

“Best numbers,� Kershaw explained. “Lowest ERA, lowest WHIP. What else do you want?�

Kershaw was alone in downplaying his own dominance.

“Another special season,� Manager Don Mattingly said.

Kershaw entered his final start with 294 strikeouts, but Ellis said he and his longtime batterymate didn’t do anything special to prepare.

“We were just pitching to the game plan,� Ellis said. “Clayton’s game plan usually includes a lot of two-strike counts.�

Kershaw struck out two batters in the first inning, including Upton, the leadoff batter.

“I was counting from the first strikeout of the game,� Ellis said. “I knew what we needed to get to, and I knew where his pitch count was at.�

Kershaw struck out two more in the second and two more in the third.

His strikeout of Upton to end the third inning made history.

“I know it meant a lot to him, even though he probably lied and said it didn’t,� Ellis joked.

The last pitchers to record a 300-strikeout season were Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2002.

The only other Dodgers pitcher to do it was Sandy Koufax, who did it three times. Koufax set the all-time single-season franchise record of 382 in 1965.

“It’s a milestone we haven’t seen reached in over a decade,� Ellis said. “It talks about how difficult it is and how the game’s kind of changed a little bit over the last 10 years. He was able to overcome that.�

Receiving a standing ovation as he returned to the bench, Kershaw tipped his cap to the crowd.

“It’s definitely a cool thing,� Kershaw said. “Obviously not the most important thing in the world, but definitely something when looking back and your career’s said and done, you can say you did that once.�

Kershaw retired the first two batters of the fourth inning, including Yangervis Solarte by strikeout. He allowed a single to Jedd Gyorko, after which he was replaced by Joel Peralta.

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Twitter: @dylanohernandez