Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Unwittingly Participates in Funny Crowd Moment While on Mound

And it is apparently the second time this has happened.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on June 20, 2025.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on June 20, 2025. / MLB / X / Screensho
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For what was apparently the second time in his career, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on Friday inadvertently timed the wind-up of his pitch with a group of fans doing the wave in the stands ... though it would probably be more apt to say the crowd timed their move to Kershaw's—not the other way around.

During the Dodgers' 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals, cameras caught a rapt group of spectators beginning "the wave" as Kershaw extended his arms in the air on the mound, preparing for his pitch. As a result of their smart timing, it looked as though Kershaw himself was participating in the crowd work ... and not just, y'know, doing his job.

Watch that funny moment below:

Better yet, this isn't the first time Kershaw was in sync with some eager fans. According to MLB, it happened in 2022, as well, when the Dodgers were playing the San Diego Padres.

But as fun as Friday's antics were, they definitely should not dwarf a much more impressive milestone upon which the left-hander is rapidly approaching: he is now just eight strikeouts away from becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 career K's. Going into Friday night's game, he was 12 away, but subtracted four from that total during the win.

The Dodgers win was the opener of a three-game series vs. the Nats. Washington will have the chance to even things up come Saturday night at 10:10 p.m. ET.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.