Best Single-Game Performances in Baseball History

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 2, 2011

Best Single-Game Performances in Baseball History

Strikeouts in a major-league game: Tom Cheney, 21

The journeyman's performance was more a feat of endurance than one of domination. He needed 16 innings to reach the record mark with the Washington Senators in 1962. Cheney had 13 K's through nine innings and ended up tossing 228 pitches in the game. Roger Clemens set the record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 20 in 1986, a performance he repeated in 1996. It has since matched by Kerry Wood in 1998 and Randy Johnson in 2001.

Strikeouts in a professional game: Ron Necciai, 27

The 19-year-old minor leaguer recorded every out via strikeout in his 1952 no-hitter. It's believed to be the only nine-inning, 27-strikeout performance in professional baseball history. Necciai, playing for the Pirates' Class-D Appalachian League affiliate, followed it up with a 24-strikeout two-hitter in his next start. But he lasted less than two months in the majors, going 1-6 with a 7.08 ERA.

RBIs: Jim Bottomley/Mark Whiten, 12

Bottomley set the mark in 1924 and another Cardinal matched it 69 years later. Bottomley, later inducted into the Hall of Fame, went 6-for-6 on his big day with two home runs. Whiten never finished a season with more than 100 RBIs or 25 home runs, but in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds in 1993, he tied the records for home runs (four) and RBIs (12) for possibly the best single-game offensive performances in MLB history.

Home runs: 4

Fifteen players have accomplished the feat, including Lou Gehrig and Willie Mays. The most recent occurrence came in 2003 when the Blue Jays' Carlos Delgado did it against Tampa Bay in 2003. Shawn Green and Mike Cameron both did in 2002. Green set a single-game record with 19 total bases while Cameron nearly came up with the record-breaker in his fifth and final at-bat, hitting one to the warning track.

Stolen Bases: Carl Crawford, 6

The Rays outfielder tortured future teammate Jason Varitek on the base paths throughout a 5-3 win over his future team, the Boston Red Sox, on May 3, 2009. Crawford set the modern era (since 1901) record but fell one short of the all-time, mark -- George Gore (1881) and Bill Hamilton (1894) each stole seven bases in a game.

Triples: 3

In 2010, Twins outfielder Denard Span became the 43rd person to accomplish the feat in the modern era. He joined a number of Hall of Famers, including Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks and Roberto Clemente. In 1897, Bill Joyce hit four in a game, but that's never been matched. Two players have hit three triples twice: Jim Bottomley and Dave Brain.

Intentional Walks: Andre Dawson, 5

The 2010 Hall of Fame inductee racked up his record-setting total in a 16-inning game in 1990, a season in which he led the league in international walks with. Not surprisingly, Barry Bonds holds the record for most intentional walks in a nine-inning game with four, which happened twice in 2004.

Runs: 6

JIn 2004, the Royals' Joe Randa became the latest of seven players in the modern era to score six times in a game. Hall of Fame Giants outfielder Mel Ott is the only player to do it twice. Among the others to reach the plateau is Johnny Pesky, whose 1948 home run down the right-field line at Fenway Park led fans to call the foul pole "Pesky's Pole."

Hits: Johnny Burnett (inset), 9

The Indians utility infielder smacked hits in nine of his 11 at-bats in an 18-inning game against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1932. Pirates middle infielder Rennie Stennett (pictured) holds the record for most hits in a nine-inning game with seven -- in seven at-bats -- in 1975. He also scored five times in a 22-0 win over the Cubs.

Best Single-Game Performances in Baseball History