It’s a big number for one of the biggest baseball stars of this generation — three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is closing in on 3,000 strikeouts.He needs just three more punchouts to reach the mark, meaning it likely will happen in front of an adoring home crowd at Dodger Stadium when Los Angeles hosts the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. Kershaw would become just the 20th pitcher in MLB history — and one of three active pitchers along with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer — to hit the milestone.It’s a time for celebration. It’s also a time for wistful contemplation.Are we nearing the end of these kinds of career celebrations — particularly for pitchers?Kershaw is one of the final holdovers from his generation, one that included guys who threw at least 200 innings year after year, piling up wins and strikeouts thanks to consistent excellence. In his prime from 2010 to 2015, the 6-foot-4 lefty led the National League in ERA five times, in strikeouts three times and wins twice.His peak arguably came in 2014, when he finished with a 21-3 record, 1.77 ERA and 233 strikeouts to win both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player in the National League.Kershaw, now 37, isn’t the same pitcher these days, though his success over the past month is a testament to the knowledge, grit and sheer willpower that only an 18-year veteran can possess. He is 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA through eight starts since returning from injury, providing an injury-riddled Dodgers rotation with a spark despite a fastball that barely hits 90 mph on a good day.“He has given us a shot in the arm,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We’re s …
