Bieber strikes out 10-plus for record 4th straight time to open season

Shane Bieber claimed another couple of pieces of strikeout history on Sunday.

The Cleveland Indians right-hander struck out 13 batters over eight innings against the Cincinnati Reds, marking the first time any starter had recorded 10 or more strikeouts over each of his first four starts in a single season since at least 1893, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Additionally, the 13 punchouts gave him 48 on the campaign, matching Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan's record through a season's four opening contests set in 1978.

In his previous start, Bieber joined Ryan, Randy Johnson, Gerrit Cole, Rich Hill, and Sam McDowell as the only hurlers to ever notch double-digit strikeouts over three straight starts to begin a season. Now he stands alone.

Bieber left Sunday's game with the lead intact, and he currently has a 2.45 ERA through 29 1/3 innings across his four starts.