which pitcher has the most strikeouts in a playoff game

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

NAMESODATETMOPPDECGSERACGSHOSVIPHERRHRBBHBPGFIBBTBFWP
1Bob Gibson
B. Gibson
17
10/2/1968
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
32
0
2Kevin Brown
K. Brown
16
9/29/1998
@
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
2
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
28
0
3Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
15
10/5/2019
vs
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.2
4
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
27
0
4Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
15
10/14/2000
@
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
30
0
5Livan Hernandez
L. Hernandez
15
10/12/1997
vs
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
1
2
0
0
0
31
0
6Mike Mussina
M. Mussina
15
10/11/1997
@
1
1.29
0
0
0
7.0
3
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
26
0
7Sandy Koufax
S. Koufax
15
10/2/1963
@
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
1
3
0
0
0
36
0
8Tarik Skubal
T. Skubal
14
9/30/2025
@
W
1
1.17
0
0
0
7.2
3
1
1
0
3
0
0
0
28
0
9Tim Lincecum
T. Lincecum
14
10/7/2010
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
30
0
10Mike Scott
M. Scott
14
10/8/1986
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
34
0
11Mike Boddicker
M. Boddicker
14
10/6/1983
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
3
2
0
0
36
0
12John Candelaria
J. Candelaria
14
10/7/1975
vs
1
3.52
0
0
0
7.2
3
3
3
2
2
0
0
0
29
0
13Joe Coleman
J. Coleman
14
10/10/1972
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
7
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
37
0
14Carl Erskine
C. Erskine
14
10/2/1953
vs
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
0
3
2
0
0
38
1
15Tarik Skubal
T. Skubal
13
10/10/2025
@
1
1.50
0
0
0
6.0
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
20
0
16Clayton Kershaw
C. Kershaw
13
10/1/2020
vs
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
27
0
17Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
13
9/29/2020
@
W
1
2.57
0
0
0
7.0
6
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
27
1
18Justin Verlander
J. Verlander
13
10/14/2017
vs
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
5
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
32
0
19Jacob deGrom
J. deGrom
13
10/9/2015
@
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.0
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
27
0
20Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
13
10/13/2013
@
1
1.29
0
0
0
7.0
2
1
1
0
2
1
0
0
25
0
21Cliff Lee
C. Lee
13
10/18/2010
@
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
27
0
22Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
13
10/5/1997
@
L
1
3.38
1
0
0
8.0
7
3
3
2
2
0
0
0
33
0
23Tom Seaver
T. Seaver
13
10/6/1973
@
L
1
2.16
1
0
0
8.1
6
2
2
2
0
1
0
0
32
0
24Bob Gibson
B. Gibson
13
10/12/1964
@
W
1
0.00
1
0
0
10.0
6
0
2
1
2
1
0
1
39
0
25Howard Ehmke
H. Ehmke
13
10/8/1929
@
W
1
0.00
1
0
0
9.0
8
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
36
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.

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