Bob Gibson Strikes Out 17 in the World Series

On October 2, 1968, Bob Gibson struck out 17 Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the World Series at Busch Stadium, setting a record that still stands. He allowed five hits, walked one, and shut out a lineup that had scored the most runs in the American League that season. The final score was 4-0.

Gibson had spent the entire 1968 season pitching at a level that defied belief. He finished the regular season with a 1.12 ERA, the lowest in the live-ball era, and threw 13 shutouts. He completed 28 of his 34 starts. When the postseason arrived, he was operating at a different altitude than everyone else on the field.

The Tigers sent 31-game winner Denny McLain to the mound to match him. McLain lasted five innings and gave up two earned runs. Gibson made him irrelevant. He struck out two in the first inning and three in the second, fanned Al Kaline three times across the game, and worked through the Detroit order with a fastball that hitters could see but not touch. His 17th strikeout came in the ninth inning when he blew a fastball past Willie Horton.

The record broke Sandy Koufax's mark of 15 World Series strikeouts, set in Game 1 of the 1963 Series. Gibson went on to win Game 4 as well, but the Tigers rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the championship in seven. Mickey Lolich outpitched Gibson in the deciding game, 4-1, ending one of the greatest individual postseason performances in baseball history. Gibson struck out 35 batters across three World Series starts that October.