which pitcher has the most strikeouts to start a game

Tom Cheney has fanned the most hitters in a start, with 21 strikeouts against the Orioles on September 12, 1962.

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

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Schedule
DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Thu
5/1
ATH ATH
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TEX TEX
2:35 PM
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SEA SEA
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TEX TEX
8:05 PM
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TEX TEX
7:05 PM
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TEX TEX
2:35 PM
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TEX TEX
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NL East W L PCT GB
Mets Mets
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NL Central W L PCT GB
Cubs Cubs
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Reds Reds
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DATE MATCHUP SCORE
Mon
4/14
NYM NYM
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MIN MIN
3-6
Tue
4/15
ATL ATL
@
TOR TOR
1-3
Tue
4/15
NYM NYM
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MIN MIN
3-4
Tue
4/15
DET DET
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MIL MIL
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Tue
4/15
HOU HOU
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STL STL
1-4

Schedule

DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Thu
5/1
CHC CHC
@
PIT PIT
12:35 PM
Thu
5/1
STL STL
@
CIN CIN
12:40 PM
Thu
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KCR KCR
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AZ AZ
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NYM NYM
1:10 PM
Thu
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MIN MIN
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CLE CLE
1:10 PM