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10K: Rarer Than A Walk-Off Win

Didn't realize this until just a few moments ago (thanks, Baseball-Reference), but Johan Santana's 10+ strikeout game was the 300th REGULAR SEASON double-digit strikeout effort by a pitcher in franchise history. They've also had 3 such efforts in postseason. So we've had 47 fewer such games than we've had walk-offs.

* Your all-time leader in Mets 10+ K games: No surprise, Tom Seaver with 62.

Most 10+ strikeout games
Mets history

Tom Seaver 62 (including 2 in postseason)
Dwight Gooden 47 (including 1 in postseason)
David Cone 33
Sid Fernandez 31
Jerry Koosman 24
Nolan Ryan 14
>> Mets broadcaster Ron Darling ranks 10th with 7

* 49 different Mets pitchers have struck out 10 batters in a game. Among the others who, like Santana, have exactly one.

Charlie Puleo
Roy Lee Jackson
Randy Tate
Dennis Ribant
Pat Zachry

* The most surprising name on the list of 10+ K Mets pitchers: How about Tug McGraw?
The Tugger had 10 in six innings in an 8-5 walk-off win over the Astros, in the second game of a doubleheader on September 22, 1967. Jerry Buchek won the game with a 3-run walk-off home run.

* The Mets are 216-84 (.720 win percentage) in the regular season, when one of their pitchers strikes out 10+, but only 1-2 in postseason.

* It was the 47th time that the Mets had a pitcher strike out 10+ Phillies in a game. The Mets are "only" 30-17 in those games (.638 win percentage).

* All 303 games of 10+ K were recorded by starters. The most strikeouts by a Mets reliever in a game is 9 (in 4 innings), by Tug McGraw, against the Padres on August 10, 1971.

* It was Johan Santana's 40th regular-season game with 10+ K. That ranks 22nd among pitchers in the "BB-Reference.com PI" era (back to 1956). Next up: Kerry Wood and Camilo Pascual, with 41. Nolan Ryan leads the list with 215.

* This was the 41st time a Mets pitcher struck out 10+ and walked none (including once in the postseason). Tom Seaver leads the way with 11 of those (including 1 in postseason). Johan Santana has as many 10+ K, no walk games as a Met as Ron Darling (1).

* Johan Santana also has a 10+ K game against the Mets. He has as many 10+ K games against the Mets as last Thursday's Nationals starter John Lannan (1). There have been 254 10+ K games against the Mets (249 in regular season, 5 in postseason). Steve Carlton leads the way with 10. Oddest name on the list? Bob Bruce, with 5. He averaged 5.9 strikeouts per 9 innings for his career.

Among those with 1 10+ K game against the Mets

Scipio Spinks
Al Santorini
Santiago Guzman
Joe Hesketh
Balor Moore

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