
Including the Division Series Games played last night (Oct. 9, 2015) there have been 113 postseason games in which a pitcher struck out 10 or more batters, a feat accomplished by 70 different pitchers. The most postseason 10-strikeout games by one pitcher is six by Justin Verlander followed by Randy Johnson, Bob Gibson and Cliff Lee, who each had five. A pitcher fanning 10 or more batters in a game has occurred twice in the Wild Card game, 26 times in a Division Series contest, 32 times in the League Championship Series and 53 times in the World Series.
When Jacob deGrom of the Mets and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers both fanned 10 or more batters in Game 1 of the N.L. Division Series, it was the second time in Major League Baseball playoff history that both starting pitchers struck out 10 or more batters. The first occurrence was in Game 5 of the 1944 World Series played on Oct. 8 between the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns. Mort Cooper of the Cardinals fanned 12 batters over nine innings while Denny Galehouse whiffed 10 for the Browns in his complete-game performance.
In the 113 postseason games in which a pitcher fanned 10 or more batters, the 10-K pitcher won 74, lost 22 and received a no decision in 17 of those contests. Cliff Lee and Bob Gibson won the most 10-strikeout performances with five while John Smoltz lost the most 10-strikeout contests with three, followed by Clayton Kershaw and Randy Johnson, who both lost two.
When Jacob deGrom of the Mets and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers both fanned 10 or more batters in Game 1 of the N.L. Division Series, it was the second time in Major League Baseball playoff history that both starting pitchers struck out 10 or more batters. The first occurrence was in Game 5 of the 1944 World Series played on Oct. 8 between the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns. Mort Cooper of the Cardinals fanned 12 batters over nine innings while Denny Galehouse whiffed 10 for the Browns in his complete-game performance.
In the 113 postseason games in which a pitcher fanned 10 or more batters, the 10-K pitcher won 74, lost 22 and received a no decision in 17 of those contests. Cliff Lee and Bob Gibson won the most 10-strikeout performances with five while John Smoltz lost the most 10-strikeout contests with three, followed by Clayton Kershaw and Randy Johnson, who both lost two.