Swing and a miss – Twins high strikeout games

strikeoutTwins batters wore themselves out yesterday swinging and missing Tanner Roark pitches at Nationals Park when they whiffed 18 times and were shutout by the Washington Nationals 2-0 in 2 hours and 39 minutes. This is the second time in Twins history that they have struck out 18 times in a nine inning game. Their high water mark of striking out 19 times has been achieved three times in extra inning games.

The Minnesota Twins have struck out 15 or more times in a game on 46 occasions and their record in those games now stands at 10-36.

 Twins high strike out games

Rk Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H BB SO Attendance
1 2013-07-10 MIN TBR L 3-4 51 50 3 12 1 19 12,757
2 1968-07-03 MIN CLE L 0-1 36 35 0 6 0 19 21,135
3 1967-08-09 MIN WSA L 7-9 80 75 7 17 4 19 16,901
4 2016-04-23 MIN WSN L 0-2 33 29 0 2 4 18 35,974
5 1995-09-13 MIN SEA L 4-7 36 33 4 6 2 18 16,469
6 2014-09-13 (1) MIN CHW L 1-5 32 30 1 4 2 17
7 2013-09-23 MIN DET W 4-3 50 44 4 14 5 17 24,647
8 1993-08-31 MIN CLE W 5-4 85 78 5 17 7 17 17,968
9 1986-06-09 MIN TEX W 3-2 40 37 3 9 3 17 10,782
10 1972-09-30 MIN CAL L 2-3 35 32 2 5 3 17 5,901
11 1967-08-22 (2) MIN DET L 1-2 43 39 1 7 3 17 40,921
12 2015-10-03 MIN KCR L 1-5 36 32 1 6 4 16 30,181
13 2015-08-23 MIN BAL W 4-3 46 46 4 7 0 16 35,144
14 2015-05-10 MIN CLE L 2-8 31 29 2 2 2 16 13,769
15 2013-09-29 MIN CLE L 1-5 34 32 1 5 1 16 30,935
16 2013-08-07 MIN KCR L 2-5 39 35 2 10 4 16 20,198
17 2012-05-26 MIN DET L 3-6 34 34 3 8 0 16 37,360
18 2000-09-28 MIN CLE W 4-3 41 34 4 7 6 16 42,821
19 1999-08-24 MIN BOS L 1-7 31 30 1 5 1 16 12,332
20 1998-08-02 MIN TOR L 4-6 37 36 4 9 1 16 40,096
21 1997-09-27 (1) MIN CLE L 6-10 42 41 6 14 1 16 42,854
22 1997-08-23 MIN BAL L 4-5 39 35 4 8 3 16 48,263
23 1973-09-27 MIN CAL L 4-5 49 42 4 10 7 16 9,100
24 1972-08-10 MIN CAL L 1-3 36 32 1 5 4 16 7,865
25 1972-05-12 MIN MIL L 3-4 92 77 3 17 12 16 8,628
26 1968-09-09 MIN CLE L 1-6 35 32 1 5 3 16 7,042
27 2015-08-26 MIN TBR W 5-3 42 39 5 13 1 15 9,205
28 2014-09-21 MIN CLE L 2-7 35 34 2 7 1 15 24,451
29 2013-08-09 (1) MIN CHW W 7-5 42 34 7 7 8 15 17,439
30 2013-07-26 MIN SEA W 3-2 48 45 3 8 2 15 23,162
31 2013-05-06 MIN BOS L 5-6 49 42 5 10 6 15 31,088
32 2009-05-30 MIN TBR L 2-5 37 34 2 6 3 15 36,052
33 2003-05-15 MIN KCR L 5-9 60 49 5 12 9 15 17,219
34 2000-08-01 MIN BAL L 0-10 32 30 0 1 2 15 35,107
35 1997-05-10 MIN TOR L 4-6 37 35 4 10 1 15 20,932
36 1995-06-28 MIN CHW L 3-4 38 33 3 7 4 15 15,982
37 1995-06-18 MIN SEA L 1-2 37 31 1 5 5 15 24,707
38 1995-05-04 MIN KCR L 0-6 35 34 0 7 1 15 11,935
39 1993-05-22 MIN TOR L 0-7 36 33 0 6 2 15 50,510
40 1982-05-30 MIN NYY L 6-8 46 38 6 7 8 15 16,352
41 1980-08-07 MIN CAL L 2-4 63 58 2 16 4 15 24,195
42 1975-06-30 MIN CAL L 3-10 37 34 3 8 2 15 7,033
43 1974-09-28 MIN CAL L 0-4 35 27 0 0 8 15 10,872
44 1973-08-30 MIN TEX W 5-2 45 37 5 7 6 15 4,012
45 1965-06-20 (2) MIN NYY W 7-4 41 38 7 10 3 15 71,245
46 1964-10-01 MIN KCA L 4-5 54 46 4 13 6 15 2,728
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/24/2016.

UPDATE: So what happens the day I post this blog? Later that afternoon the Twins play the Washington Nationals and lose 6-5 in the 16th inning and they strike out 20 times, just a day after striking out 18 times. I watched the entire 5 hour and 56 minutes of the game on TV. Boxscore