mlb pitcher most strikeouts in a playoff game

Bob Gibson has struck out the most hitters in a postseason game, with 17 strikeouts in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series versus the Tigers.

NAME SO DATE TM OPP DEC GS ERA CG SHO SV IP H ER R HR BB HBP GF IBB TBF WP
1 Bob Gibson
B. Gibson
17
10/2/1968
STL STL
vs
DET DET
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
32
0
2 Kevin Brown
K. Brown
16
9/29/1998
SDP SDP
@
HOU HOU
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
2
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
28
0
3 Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
15
10/5/2019
HOU HOU
vs
TBR TBR
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.2
4
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
27
0
4 Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
15
10/14/2000
NYY NYY
@
SEA SEA
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
30
0
5 Livan Hernandez
L. Hernandez
15
10/12/1997
FLA FLA
vs
ATL ATL
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
1
2
0
0
0
31
0
6 Mike Mussina
M. Mussina
15
10/11/1997
BAL BAL
@
CLE CLE
1
1.29
0
0
0
7.0
3
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
26
0
7 Sandy Koufax
S. Koufax
15
10/2/1963
LAD LAD
@
NYY NYY
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
1
3
0
0
0
36
0
8 Tim Lincecum
T. Lincecum
14
10/7/2010
SFG SFG
vs
ATL ATL
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
30
0
9 Mike Scott
M. Scott
14
10/8/1986
HOU HOU
vs
NYM NYM
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
34
0
10 Mike Boddicker
M. Boddicker
14
10/6/1983
BAL BAL
vs
CWS CWS
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
3
2
0
0
36
0
11 John Candelaria
J. Candelaria
14
10/7/1975
PIT PIT
vs
CIN CIN
1
3.52
0
0
0
7.2
3
3
3
2
2
0
0
0
29
0
12 Joe Coleman
J. Coleman
14
10/10/1972
DET DET
vs
OAK OAK
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
7
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
37
0
13 Carl Erskine
C. Erskine
14
10/2/1953
BKN BKN
vs
NYY NYY
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
0
3
2
0
0
38
1
14 Clayton Kershaw
C. Kershaw
13
10/1/2020
LAD LAD
vs
MIL MIL
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
27
0
15 Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
13
9/29/2020
NYY NYY
@
CLE CLE
W
1
2.57
0
0
0
7.0
6
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
27
1
16 Justin Verlander
J. Verlander
13
10/14/2017
HOU HOU
vs
NYY NYY
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
5
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
32
0
17 Jacob deGrom
J. deGrom
13
10/9/2015
NYM NYM
@
LAD LAD
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
27
0
18 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
13
10/13/2013
DET DET
@
BOS BOS
1
1.29
0
0
0
7.0
2
1
1
0
2
1
0
0
25
0
19 Cliff Lee
C. Lee
13
10/18/2010
TEX TEX
@
NYY NYY
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
27
0
20 Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
13
10/5/1997
SEA SEA
@
BAL BAL
L
1
3.38
1
0
0
8.0
7
3
3
2
2
0
0
0
33
0
21 Tom Seaver
T. Seaver
13
10/6/1973
NYM NYM
@
CIN CIN
L
1
2.16
1
0
0
8.1
6
2
2
2
0
1
0
0
32
0
22 Bob Gibson
B. Gibson
13
10/12/1964
STL STL
@
NYY NYY
W
1
0.00
1
0
0
10.0
6
0
2
1
2
1
0
1
39
0
23 Howard Ehmke
H. Ehmke
13
10/8/1929
PHA PHA
@
CHC CHC
W
1
0.00
1
0
0
9.0
8
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
36
0
24 Michael King
M. King
12
10/1/2024
SDP SDP
vs
ATL ATL
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
26
0
25 Trevor Bauer
T. Bauer
12
9/30/2020
CIN CIN
@
ATL ATL
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.2
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
27
0
Results may be incomplete. StatMuse has complete game-level data for strikeouts going back to the 1903 playoffs.
Some of the information used here was obtained free of charge from Retrosheet.

More Cardinals Stats

Team Rankings

HR

35

18th

R

184

10th

SO

274

27th

ERA

3.97

16th

2025 Division Standings
TEAM W L PCT GB
Cubs Cubs
22
17
.564
Cardinals Cardinals
20
19
.513
2.0
Brewers Brewers
19
20
.487
3.0
Reds Reds
19
21
.475
3.5
Pirates Pirates
13
26
.333
9.0
Schedule
DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Sat
5/10
STL STL
@
WSH WSH
4:05 PM
Sun
5/11
STL STL
@
WSH WSH
1:35 PM
Mon
5/12
STL STL
@
PHI PHI
6:45 PM
Tue
5/13
STL STL
@
PHI PHI
6:45 PM
Wed
5/14
STL STL
@
PHI PHI
1:05 PM
Last Game
WSH Nationals

17 - 22

0

Final

10

STL Cardinals

20 - 19

Fri 9 May 2025

MLB 2025 Batting Leaders

MLB 2025 Pitching Leaders

MLB Fantasy 2025

MLB 2025 Betting

MLB 2025 Division Standings

NL East W L PCT GB
Mets Mets
25
14
.641
Phillies Phillies
22
16
.579
2.5
NL Central W L PCT GB
Cubs Cubs
22
17
.564
Cardinals Cardinals
20
19
.513
2.0
NL West W L PCT GB
Dodgers Dodgers
26
13
.667
Padres Padres
24
13
.649
1.0
AL East W L PCT GB
Yankees Yankees
22
16
.579
Red Sox Red Sox
20
20
.500
3.0
AL Central W L PCT GB
Tigers Tigers
26
13
.667
Guardians Guardians
23
15
.605
2.5
AL West W L PCT GB
Mariners Mariners
22
15
.595
Astros Astros
19
18
.514
3.0

MLB 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATE MATCHUP SCORE
Thu
4/24
PHI PHI
@
CHC CHC
0-4
Thu
4/24
NYM NYM
@
WSH WSH
4-5
Thu
4/24
TOR TOR
@
NYY NYY
4-2
Thu
4/24
LAA LAA
@
MIN MIN
4-11
Thu
4/24
HOU HOU
@
KCR KCR
0-2

Schedule

DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Sat
5/10
ATL ATL
@
PIT PIT
4:05 PM
Sat
5/10
NYY NYY
@
ATH ATH
4:05 PM
Sat
5/10
STL STL
@
WSH WSH
4:05 PM
Sat
5/10
MIL MIL
@
TBR TBR
4:10 PM
Sat
5/10
TEX TEX
@
DET DET
6:10 PM