CHICAGO -- Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish struck out eight straight batters during Tuesday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds to set a franchise record for most consecutive strikeouts within a single game.
Darvish accomplished the feat from the second inning to the fourth inning, compiling 11 strikeouts overall in his first four innings.
"I didn't know that," Darvish said after the Cubs' 4-2 loss. "I knew I was striking out a lot of guys, but eight straight? I didn't know that."
Kyle Farnsworth, Kerry Wood and Juan Cruz also racked up eight consecutive strikeouts as Cubs pitchers, but they did so over multiple games.
Most of Darvish's strikeouts came after he allowed three runs in the first inning, when he gave up an RBI double to Joey Votto and a two-run home run to Aristides Aquino.
"I made a good pitch to Votto, but he's a great hitter so he hit the double," said Darvish, who finished with 13 strikeouts in seven innings. "That's fine. For Aquino I should throw a breaking ball."
Darvish tied Mark Prior and Rick Sutcliffe for most strikeouts by a Cubs pitcher over a two-game span (since 1900). He whiffed 14 in six innings against the San Diego Padres last Thursday, giving him 27 strikeouts in his past 13 innings pitched.
"That was the first time playing behind him since coming back," said second baseman Ben Zobrist, who returned to the Cubs on Sept. 1 after a four-month absence, "and, um, I mean, you don't have to do a lot out there."
Darvish whiffed the last two Reds in the second inning, then went on to strike out the side in the third and fourth innings, before Jose Peraza ended the streak when he lined out to lead off the fifth.
Darvish is the first pitcher to strike out 11 batters in the first four innings of a game since Chicago White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon did so in 2017.
Tom Seaver set the record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game when he struck out 10 straight in 1970.
Tuesday night's loss dropped the Cubs into a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers for the second wild-card position. That fact didn't sit well with Darvish.
"I'm in a pretty good place, but we lost today," he said. "I'm so frustrated."