Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, eight strikeouts shy of 3,000, faces Rockies Thursday at Coors Field

Kyle Freeland was a -year-old rookie pitching in Grand Junction when Clayton Kershaw painted his masterpiece against the Rockies On June at Dodger Stadium Kershaw pitched a no-hitter against Colorado that included strikeouts He came one play a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the seventh inning away from perfection I don t think I saw that meeting but I remember reading about it and I saw the highlights Freeland recalled It was an amazing championship from an amazing pitcher Thursday afternoon the -year-old Kershaw is scheduled to start against the Rockies at Coors Field He ll take the mound needing eight strikeouts to reach career strikeouts becoming the th member of that illustrious club Colorado lefty Austin Gomber will take the mound for Colorado Freeland wasn t sure he would ever see Kershaw pitch in person again at Coors Field but Kershaw enters Thursday s start pitching well with a - record and a ERA over seven starts Kershaw could pitch again at Coors when the Dodgers return for a four-game set from Aug - but there are no guarantees he ll ever compete again in the hitters paradise When I think of Kersh I think of his skill and also his longevity stated Freeland Colorado s -year-old lefty A lot of people thought his career was over four years ago but he s still going Hats off to him for grinding through a ton of pain tough conversations a lot of doubt and a lot of hope You have to give him all of the credit he deserves He s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and he s a career Dodger What s the one pitch that Freeland thinks about when he thinks about Kershaw Related Articles Rockies late rally falls short as Dodgers win again at Coors Field Rockies Tyler Freeman moves to leadoff as Warren Schaeffer looks for aggressive offense Renck vs Keeler Will Rockies follow Charlie Monfort s advice for change Mickey Moniak s three-run homer lifts Rockies to win over D-backs Rockies owner Charlie Monfort now sober says gang requirements new set of eyeballs The one that sticks out for me is that Cooperstown Curveball Freeland stated But his cutter slider that he throws down and in to righties is a special pitch Will Kershaw reach K s on Thursday His high strikeout tournament this season is seven at St Louis on June The lefty has succeeded at Coors Field but rarely dominated going - with a ERA over career starts He s averaged strikeouts per nine innings at Coors Kershaw spent the first two months of this season recovering from offseason surgeries to address toe and knee injuries that sidelined him for the Dodgers playoff journey last fall that culminated with a World Series title Want more Rockies news Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis