Some numbers are etched in granite, others in greatness, and a select few leave even seasoned managers chewing their gum a little harder. When the mound becomes a measuring stick for legacy, nerves creep in, no matter how calm the dugout looks. Just ask the Los Angeles Dodgers, where anticipation is brewing, and Clayton Kershaw is about to turn a routine Thursday into something a little more historic—and a little more nerve-wracking.

The GOAT is back on the mound. Clayton Kershaw will be on the mound against the Rockies in game 3 of the series, and he is ever so close to breaking the doors of 3000 strikeouts. With everybody waiting for the record to be broken, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts weighs in on what he thinks about the anticipation in the clubhouse and with himself.

In a recent interview, Dave Roberts spoke about Clayton Kershaw taking the mound in game 3 and the mood in the clubhouse around the 3000 strikeouts. He said, “Well, I think right now Clayton’s preparing to win to prepare for the game… certainly being 8 away there’s a lot of anticipation uh in our clubhouse obviously with media the fans uh that are here that are not here… as we get a little bit closer I think my kind of uh anxiousness will start to build.”

Clayton Kershaw’s 2025 season has been a masterclass in patience and perseverance. After toe and knee surgeries delayed his debut until mid-May, he’s quietly gone 3-0 with a 3.31 ERA. He hasn’t pitched deep often—just one outing beyond five innings so far. But the command, poise, and curveball magic? Still very much intact.

So, is eight strikeouts a stretch today? Maybe not. The Rockies swing like they’re paid per whiff, averaging nearly 10 strikeouts per game. Their total strikeouts rank second-highest in baseball, trailing only the strikeout-prone Angels. That’s the kind of lineup even post-surgery Kershaw can carve through.

But this isn’t a Hollywood script—it’s Denver, and pitch count is the villain. Kershaw’s recent outings have been tightly managed to preserve his health. Dave Roberts knows history is calling, but so is the calendar—and October is the real prize. If the game gets dicey or his pitch count climbs, Roberts might pull the plug early.

There’s even temptation to stage this moment in front of Dodger Stadium’s faithful fans. A milestone like 3,000 deserves a roar, not scattered applause at Coors Field. So don’t be surprised if Roberts lets the moment marinate a bit longer. But if Kershaw starts punching tickets early, all bets are off.

So now the stage is set—thin Denver air, thick expectations, and one legend chasing history. Whether Clayton Kershaw seals the deal today or delays the drama for Dodger Stadium, one thing’s certain: greatness doesn’t check the schedule. Dave Roberts may hold the hook, but Kershaw holds the pen—and he’s still writing. And if you’re the Rockies? Maybe invest in contact hitting, or at least a group therapy session.

Pitcher Kyle Freeland reflects as Clayton Kershaw eyes 3,000 Ks vs. Rockies

Some matchups are more than just arms and innings—they’re snapshots of eras colliding. One pitcher is grinding through the grind, still bleeding altitude for every out. The other? He’s a walking plaque-in-progress, chasing milestones like they owe him rent. As Kyle Freeland scans the mound from the other side, he’s not just seeing Clayton Kershaw—he’s watching a living résumé unfold, one strikeout closer to Cooperstown.

On a summer night in 2014, Clayton Kershaw painted a masterpiece against Colorado—15 strikeouts, no hits, and one Hanley Ramirez error from perfection. Kyle Freeland, then a rookie in Grand Junction, wasn’t there, but the legend still reached him. “I remember reading about it, and I saw the highlights,” he recalled. “It was an amazing game, from an amazing pitcher.”

Now, more than a decade later, Freeland finds himself sharing the field with the myth in motion. Kershaw returns to Coors Field needing eight strikeouts to reach 3,000—a number etched in granite. “When I think of ‘Kersh,’ I think of his skill and also his longevity,” Freeland said. It’s a collision of past awe and present respect, with history waiting in the wings.

Freeland knows what pitch defines Kershaw—it’s not just velocity, it’s legacy wrapped in leather. “The one that sticks out, for me, is that ‘Cooperstown Curveball,’” he said. That looping hammer might someday sit in a Hall of Fame exhibit. And Freeland, like the rest of us, is watching—one pitch, one milestone at a time.

Freeland may be toeing the same rubber, but Kershaw’s shadow stretches far beyond 60 feet. This isn’t just another Dodgers-Rockies box score—it’s a chapter in a Hall of Fame documentary. If baseball is a game of inches, Kershaw’s career has been measured in monuments. And should he notch No. 3,000 in Denver, even Coors Field might have to admit: greatness doesn’t need altitude to rise.