The Los Angeles Dodgers finished out the 2022 regular season on a high note by defeating the Colorado Rockies to earn their 111th win of the season. They entered the game on a three-game losing streak.
With 111 wins, the Dodgers finished second all-time in wins by a National League team in a single season and it tied them for fourth-most in MLB history.
The Rockies jumped out to an early lead on a solo home run from Ezequiel Tovar in the second inning, but that was all they were able to do in the game. The home run was Tovar’s first of his career, and it came against Clayton Kershaw.
Colorado’s lead was short-lived as Freddie Freeman hit a solo blast of his own to tie the game in the third inning. He entered the day needing to go 4-for-4 to take the lead for the NL batting title, but he fell just short by going 3-for-4.
In the fourth inning, Kershaw got Brendan Rodgers looking for his 2,804th career strikeout, which moved him to 24th all-time while passing Hall of Famer Cy Young.
Freddie's ready. pic.twitter.com/3vYlHIzTUK
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2022
2,804
Congratulations @ClaytonKersh22 on passing Cy Young for 24th all-time in strikeouts! pic.twitter.com/Zz6KnUBV0w
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2022
100 RBI season for Trea! pic.twitter.com/buWRTqLfRc
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2022
Light work for Cody. pic.twitter.com/YjjdDJz8SJ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2022
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Trea Turner broke out of his slump in a big way, hitting a three-run home run to drive in Joey Gallo and Mookie Betts, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 lead. For Turner, it gave him 100 RBI on the season as he finished the day 2-for-4.
Cody Bellinger continued his hot-hitting in October with a home run of his own to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1. He went 2-for-4 and hit .375/.346/.625 over his last seven games.
While Freeman didn’t win the batting title, he did drive in his 100th run of the season with a single that allowed Miguel Vargas to score in the seventh, making the score 6-1.
Kershaw’s day ended after five innings, giving up one run and striking out nine, and following him, Yency Almonte, Chris Martin, Craig Kimbrel and Caleb Ferguson combined to pitch four scoreless innings.
Clayton Kershaw joins elite company in time with Dodgers
After recording his 2,800th career strikeout in the start, Kershaw became one of six pitchers in MLB history to reach that threshold with one team, joining Hall of Famers Walter Johnson (3,509, Washington Senators), Bob Gibson (3,117, St. Louis Cardinals), Steve Carlton (3,031, Philadelphia Phillies), John Smoltz (3,011, Atlanta Braves) and Phil Niekro (2,912, Braves).
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