LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw achieved a significant milestone by collecting his 3,000th strikeout, while Freddie Freeman delivered the winning hit with a timely single, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers secure a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. The victory was sealed when Shohei Ohtani crossed home plate as a result of Freeman’s decisive hit.
Kershaw joined an elite list, becoming the 20th pitcher to reach this extraordinary milestone. This memorable strikeout came when Vinny Capra was struck out looking at a perfectly executed slider, marking the final out of the sixth inning.
The Dodgers found themselves in a challenging position, trailing 4-2 and momentarily unable to score since the second inning. Momentum shifted in the ninth when Michael Conforto led off with a single, followed by walks to Tommy Edman and Hyesong Kim, loading the bases with no outs. Ohtani narrowed the gap with a run-scoring forceout, while Mookie Betts further leveled the game by following up with a sacrifice fly off pitcher Steven Wilson, setting the stage for Freeman’s game-winning shot to right.
This comeback victory underscores the Dodgers’ dominance as they celebrated their 14th win in 17 games and clinched their seventh consecutive series victory.
Earlier, Andrew Benintendi gave the White Sox a brief lead in the game with a clutch two-out RBI single in the first inning. The Dodgers quickly responded with Will Smith’s 11th home run of the season, equalizing the score. The momentum initially tipped in favor of LA when Andy Pages launched his 17th home run leading off the second. However, the White Sox regained the advantage in the third thanks to Austin Slater’s two-run homer, giving them a 3-2 edge.
A notable moment in the match occurred when Dodgers’ third baseman, Max Muncy, was injured during a defensive play. Attempting to tag out Chicago’s Michael A. Taylor, who was attempting to steal, Muncy ended up stretched on the field in pain. The team reported he was experiencing discomfort in his left knee. Meanwhile, Taylor experienced a separate injury, a bruised left trapezius.
Kershaw’s effort on the mound was commendable, as he threw his highest pitch count of the season at 100 pitches, while conceding four runs and nine hits over the span of six innings. Among those he processed were key strikeouts of Miguel Vargas in the third and Lenyn Sosa in the fifth inning.
Looking ahead, Chicago plans to send Aaron Civale to the mound, who currently holds a 1-4 record with a 4.74 ERA, to pitch during the series finale on Thursday. For the Dodgers, right-handed pitcher Dustin May is expected to face the White Sox for the first time in his career.