Shane Bieber stuck to his record-setting strikeout run, striking out 13 and knocking the Cleveland Indians past the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 on Sunday.
After getting routed Friday night and losing, then losing in the 10th inning Saturday when an error caused a tiebreak with two outs in the ninth allowed the Reds to extend the game, Cleveland manager Terry Francona was happy to hand the ball to Bieber on Sunday.
Bieber (2-1) is the first pitcher since 1893 to start the season with four starts in a row with at least 10 strikeouts.
The winner of the AL Cy Young Award this year has 48 strikeouts, equaling Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in the first four starts of a season.
Bieber has fanned at least eight for 16 games in succession, one fewer than Randy Johnson’s major league mark.
“We had some good at bats against [Bieber], but he got out of trouble by making really good pitches. My last at-bat against him [in the seventh inning], he made some unbelievable pitches. He’s a Cy Young winner, for sure,” said Cincinnati outfielder Jess Winker.