Kershaw becomes Dodgers' all-time strikeout king

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw became the franchise's all-time strikeout leader with 2,697 after sitting down Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning Saturday.

Kershaw passed Don Sutton (2,696) with his fourth strikeout of the game. Don Drysdale sits third on the all-time list with 2,486, while Sandy Koufax registered 2,396.

The three-time Cy Young winner earned a lengthy ovation for an achievement that'll likely one day be immortalized on his Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown.

"I didn't really expect it," Kershaw said of the ovation, according to The Associated Press. "I understand that the Dodgers are a historical franchise and they've been around a long time. So the guys that are on that list that I was fortunate enough to pass, it's a big deal. But I didn't know that fans would know or honestly care that much. So, it was special for me. It was cool to see.

"I tried to kind of brush it off and keep going, but they would not let me, so it definitely meant a lot, for sure."

The 34-year-old Kershaw needed 2,475 innings to complete the historic feat.

The eight-time All-Star and former MVP finished with seven strikeouts and one earned run over six innings versus the Tigers, pushing his career total of punchouts to 2,700.

Coincidentally, Kershaw's milestone achievement comes against the Tigers, one week to the day after Miguel Cabrera reached 3,000 career hits. Like Kershaw, Cabrera also apparently wanted to carry on with the game rather than celebrate his latest accolade.

"To get that many strikeouts in this uniform, in this ballpark, he's one of the best that's ever done it," Detroit manager A.J. Hinch added. "Similar to Miggy, he just wanted to get the game on. He didn't really want to stop and celebrate, but I love that the fans gave him the recognition he deserved."

Kershaw has spent his entire 15-year career with the historic franchise. He tested free agency this past offseason before re-upping on a one-year, $17-million contract. Over 383 career games - including 380 starts - the lefty possesses a 2.49 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, both of which are the lowest numbers of any starter with at least 1,500 innings during the live-ball era (since 1920).