Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) tips his cap to the crowd after recording his 3,000th career strikeout against Chicago White Sox’s Vinny Capra during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)AP
Clayton Kershaw hit a milestone Friday night, pitching the final regular-season home game of his 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was welcomed and sent off with standing ovations a day after announcing his decision to retire at season’s end.
Kershaw’s longtime warmup song, “We Are Young” by Fun, blared as fans held up camera phones to capture the moment as the game began and he took the field by himself at first. The cheers quickly turned to boos when San Francisco Giants leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos turned on an 86-mph slider for a 431-foot home run.
“I was grinding out there, working way too hard to get people out,” he said.
But the cheers returned after Rafael Devers took a called third strike leading off the fifth. Manager Dave Roberts came to the mound and hugged Kershaw as his teammates on the field, in the dugout and in the bullpen joined the sellout crowd of 53,037 in applauding the 37-year-old left-hander as he departed.
Kershaw kept the ball and got no argument from Roberts.
“I said, ‘You can do whatever you want, it’s your night,’” the manager said.
Kershaw left with the Dodgers trailing 2-1. He gave up two runs and four hits, struck out six and walked four in 4 1/3 innings on 91 pitches, 56 for strikes.
The defending World Series champion Dodgers rallied for a 6-3 victory to clinch their 13th consecutive postseason berth.
“We got a win, we clinched a playoff berth, I got to sit on that mountain one last time,” he said. “I just can’t be more grateful.”
Kershaw waved as he walked off, blew a kiss toward his family and then wrapped his arms around himself in a hugging gesture to the crowd. Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani stepped forward to hug Kershaw, one of many he received from everyone in the dugout. With fans clamoring, Kershaw came out for a curtain call, slowly turning around and soaking in the scene.
“I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “Perfect night.”
Fans donned No. 22 jerseys in a salute to Kershaw, although Ohtani’s No. 17 was prominent as usual.
Kershaw was surrounded by teammates, his pregnant wife Ellen, who was in tears, their four children, friends and fans who’ve watched him work his way through the Dodgers’ farm system to reach the majors at age 20 and go on to win three Cy Young Awards as well as two World Series championships and throw a no-hitter in 2014.
“Having things to celebrate is only as good as the people you have to celebrate with,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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