Tom Cheney has struck out the most hitters in a game, with 21 strikeouts versus the Orioles on September 12, 1962.
Interpreted as:
MLB most strikeouts by a pitcher in a regular-season game by a player| NAME | SO | DATE | TM | OPP | DEC | GS | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | HBP | GF | IBB | TBF | WP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | T. Cheney | 21 | 9/12/1962 |  WSH | @ |  BAL | W | 1 | 0.56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 1 |
| 2 |  | M. Scherzer | 20 | 5/11/2016 |  WSH | vs |  DET | W | 1 | 2.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| 3 |  | R. Johnson | 20 | 5/8/2001 |  ARI | vs |  CIN | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 4 | | K. Wood | 20 | 5/6/1998 |  CHC | vs |  HOU | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| 5 |  | R. Clemens | 20 | 9/18/1996 |  BOS | @ | DET | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| 6 | | R. Clemens | 20 | 4/29/1986 | BOS | vs |  SEA | W | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 7 |  | R. Johnson | 19 | 8/8/1997 |  SEA | vs |  CWS | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 8 | | R. Johnson | 19 | 6/24/1997 | SEA | vs |  OAK | L | 1 | 4.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 9 | | D. Cone | 19 | 10/6/1991 |  NYM | @ |  PHI | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| 10 |  | N. Ryan | 19 | 6/8/1977 |  CAL | vs |  TOR | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 2 | |
| 11 | | N. Ryan | 19 | 8/20/1974 | CAL | vs | DET | L | 1 | 0.82 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 12 | | N. Ryan | 19 | 8/12/1974 | CAL | vs |  BOS | W | 1 | 2.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| 13 | | N. Ryan | 19 | 6/14/1974 | CAL | vs | BOS | 1 | 2.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 0 | |
| 14 |  | T. Seaver | 19 | 4/22/1970 | NYM | vs |  SDP | W | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| 15 |  | S. Carlton | 19 | 9/15/1969 |  STL | vs | NYM | L | 1 | 4.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 16 | | L. Tiant | 19 | 7/3/1968 |  CLE | vs |  MIN | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| 17 |  | C. Kluber | 18 | 5/13/2015 | CLE | vs | STL | W | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 18 | | B. Sheets | 18 | 5/16/2004 |  MIL | vs |  ATL | W | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| 19 |  | R. Clemens | 18 | 8/25/1998 |  TOR | vs |  KCR | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 20 | | R. Johnson | 18 | 9/27/1992 |  SEA | @ |  TEX | 1 | 2.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 21 | | R. Martinez | 18 | 6/4/1990 |  LAD | vs | ATL | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| 22 | | B. Gullickson | 18 | 9/10/1980 |  MON | vs | CHC | W | 1 | 2.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 23 | | R. Guidry | 18 | 6/17/1978 |  NYY | vs | CAL | W | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| 24 | | N. Ryan | 18 | 9/10/1976 | CAL | @ |  CWS | W | 1 | 2.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 25 | | D. Wilson | 18 | 7/14/1968 |  HOU | @ | CIN | W | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
Results may be incomplete. StatMuse has complete game-level data for strikeouts going back to the 1901 season.
Some of the information used here was obtained free of charge from Retrosheet.
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