what pitcher has the most strikeouts in a game

Tom Cheney has struck out the most batters in a game, with 21 strikeouts against the Orioles on September 12, 1962.

Interpreted as:
What pitcher has the most strikeouts in a regular-season game?
NAME SO DATE TM OPP DEC GS ERA CG SHO SV IP H ER R HR BB HBP GF IBB TBF WP
1 Tom Cheney
T. Cheney
21
9/12/1962
WSH WSH
@
BAL BAL
W
1
0.56
1
0
0
16.0
10
1
1
0
4
0
0
0
62
1
2 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
20
5/11/2016
WSH WSH
vs
DET DET
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
33
0
3 Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
20
5/8/2001
ARI ARI
vs
CIN CIN
1
1.00
0
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
29
0
4 Kerry Wood
K. Wood
20
5/6/1998
CHC CHC
vs
HOU HOU
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
29
0
5 Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
20
9/18/1996
BOS BOS
@
DET DET
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
32
1
6 Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
20
4/29/1986
BOS BOS
vs
SEA SEA
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
30
0
7 Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
19
8/8/1997
SEA SEA
vs
CWS CWS
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
35
0
8 Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
19
6/24/1997
SEA SEA
vs
OAK OAK
L
1
4.00
1
0
0
9.0
11
4
4
2
0
0
0
0
37
0
9 David Cone
D. Cone
19
10/6/1991
NYM NYM
@
PHI PHI
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
31
0
10 Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
6/8/1977
CAL CAL
vs
TOR TOR
1
0.00
0
0
0
10.0
6
0
1
0
5
0
0
1
41
2
11 Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
8/20/1974
CAL CAL
vs
DET DET
L
1
0.82
1
0
0
11.0
4
1
1
0
5
0
0
0
41
0
12 Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
8/12/1974
CAL CAL
vs
BOS BOS
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
7
2
2
0
2
0
0
0
36
1
13 Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
6/14/1974
CAL CAL
vs
BOS BOS
1
2.08
0
0
0
13.0
8
3
3
1
10
0
0
0
58
0
14 Tom Seaver
T. Seaver
19
4/22/1970
NYM NYM
vs
SDP SDP
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
2
1
1
1
2
0
0
0
31
0
15 Steve Carlton
S. Carlton
19
9/15/1969
STL STL
vs
NYM NYM
L
1
4.00
1
0
0
9.0
9
4
4
2
2
0
0
0
38
1
16 Luis Tiant
L. Tiant
19
7/3/1968
CLE CLE
vs
MIN MIN
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
10.0
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
36
0
17 Corey Kluber
C. Kluber
18
5/13/2015
CLE CLE
vs
STL STL
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
26
0
18 Ben Sheets
B. Sheets
18
5/16/2004
MIL MIL
vs
ATL ATL
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
31
0
19 Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
18
8/25/1998
TOR TOR
vs
KCR KCR
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
30
0
20 Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
18
9/27/1992
SEA SEA
@
TEX TEX
1
2.25
0
0
0
8.0
6
2
2
0
4
0
0
0
34
0
21 Ramon Martinez
R. Martinez
18
6/4/1990
LAD LAD
vs
ATL ATL
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
31
0
22 Bill Gullickson
B. Gullickson
18
9/10/1980
MON MON
vs
CHC CHC
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
4
2
2
0
2
0
0
0
33
1
23 Ron Guidry
R. Guidry
18
6/17/1978
NYY NYY
vs
CAL CAL
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
4
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
33
0
24 Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
18
9/10/1976
CAL CAL
@
CWS CWS
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
2
2
0
9
0
0
0
41
0
25 Don Wilson
D. Wilson
18
7/14/1968
HOU HOU
@
CIN 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.

More Rangers Stats

Team Rankings

HR

175

18th

R

684

22nd

SO

1,344

19th

ERA

3.47

1st

2025 Division Standings
TEAM W L PCT GB
Mariners Mariners
90
72
.556
Astros Astros
87
75
.537
3.0
Rangers Rangers
81
81
.500
9.0
Athletics Athletics
76
86
.469
14.0
Angels Angels
72
90
.444
18.0
Last Game
CLE Guardians

88 - 74

9

Final

8

TEX Rangers

81 - 81

Sun 28 Sep 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
Phillies Phillies
96
66
.593
Mets Mets
83
79
.512
13.0
NL Central W L PCT GB
Brewers Brewers
97
65
.599
Cubs Cubs
92
70
.568
5.0
NL West W L PCT GB
Dodgers Dodgers
93
69
.574
Padres Padres
90
72
.556
3.0
AL East W L PCT GB
Blue Jays Blue Jays
94
68
.580
Yankees Yankees
94
68
.580
AL Central W L PCT GB
Guardians Guardians
88
74
.543
Tigers Tigers
87
75
.537
1.0
AL West W L PCT GB
Mariners Mariners
90
72
.556
Astros Astros
87
75
.537
3.0

MLB 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATE MATCHUP SCORE
Sun
9/14
ATL ATL
@
WSH WSH
11-3
Sun
9/14
TOR TOR
@
TBR TBR
2-1
Sun
9/14
BAL BAL
@
CWS CWS
4-1
Sun
9/14
NYY NYY
@
MIN MIN
0-7
Sun
9/14
CIN CIN
@
STL STL
11-6

Schedule

DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Sun
10/5
DET DET
@
SEA SEA
8:03 PM
Mon
10/6
LAD LAD
@
PHI PHI
6:08 PM
Mon
10/6
CHC CHC
@
MIL MIL
9:08 PM
Tue
10/7
SEA SEA
@
DET DET
4:08 PM
Tue
10/7
TOR TOR
@
NYY NYY
8:08 PM