Kershaw has achieved victories in three consecutive starts, nearing his career milestone of 3000 strikeouts. Ohtani has recorded RBIs after a three-game drought.

The Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed over the Washington Nationals 6-5 at home today, achieving their ninth victory in the last twelve games. Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw has now won three consecutive outings, just a strikeout away from becoming the 20th pitcher in Major League history to record 3000 career strikeouts.

Kershaw pitched five innings today, recording four strikeouts and two walks, allowing five hits. Despite giving up two home runs, he only surrendered two runs, ultimately claiming his third win of the season and his 214th career victory. With these four strikeouts, Kershaw's career total now stands at 2992, just eight away from joining the 3000K club in Major League history.

However, it may be challenging for the 37-year-old Kershaw to reach this milestone in his next start. His highest strikeout game this year was on June 9, when he struck out seven in five innings, and his last game with at least eight strikeouts was on June 9, 2023, when he struck out nine in seven innings.

Of course, if he stays healthy, Kershaw still has a strong chance of becoming the third active pitcher to reach 3000 career strikeouts, joining Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, marking the first time in the last 15 years that three pitchers with 3000 career strikeouts are playing in the majors at the same time.

The Dodgers' lineup produced six runs on nine hits today. In the third inning, Enrique Hernandez started a three-hit, two-walk, three-run rally that led to the comeback victory. After Ohtani's hit brought in a run in the fourth inning, Miguel Rojas hit a two-run homer in the sixth, driving Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore out of the game after he allowed six runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings.

The Nationals also recorded nine hits. After scoring with solo home runs from Amed Rosario and Riley Adams in the first five innings, Luis Garcia Jr. hit a two-RBI double with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh inning. CJ Abrams also homered in the ninth, but they ultimately lost by a single run.

Japanese pitcher Ohtani from the Dodgers went 3-for-5 with one hit and one RBI, along with two walks, slightly breaking out of a slump where he had only one hit in twelve at-bats with no walks and six strikeouts over the previous three games.