Which Major League Baseball (MLB) Chicago Cubs' pitcher in 1998 tied a MLB record with 20 strikeouts in a single game?

Kerry Wood who was born June 16, 1977 is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence in 1998 as a 20 year old rookie when he recorded 20 strikeouts in a one hit shutout against the Houston Astros, which some fans have argued may be the greatest single game pitching performance in MLB history.

This game made Wood the co-holder of the MLB record for strikeouts in a single game (20). It also earned him the nickname Kid K, and he was later named the 1998 National League Rookie of the Year.

Wood would go on to record over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003, and holds several MLB strikeout records. In particular, in MLB history, he is second only to Randy Johnson in career strikeouts per nine innings pitched.