DETROIT _ Tyler Alexander put on a pitching clinic Sunday and tied a Detroit Tigers and American League record by striking out nine straight batters.
But it wasn't enough for the Tigers, who fell to the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3, in the first game of what is believed to be Major League Baseball's first scheduled seven-inning doubleheader.
Alexander tied Doug Fister's strikeout mark against the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 27, 2012. The major league record is 10, set by Tom Seaver of the New York Mets on April 22, 1970, against San Diego.
Alexander struck out the entire Reds order, notching his ninth strikeout when he came back from a 2-0 count against Nick Castellanos and got him swinging on a curve.
The streak ended when he hit Mike Moustakas on the forearm on a 1-2 pitch in the sixth inning. He got his 10th and final strikeout when he struck out the next batter, Eugenio Suarez. He left the game after he walked Matt Davidson.
Alexander threw 55 pitches with 38 for strikes in 3? innings.
He entered the game in the third inning with no outs after starter Rony Garcia gave up a second home run to Castellanos that gave the Reds a 3-0 lead.
The Tigers tied it at 3 in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Victor Reyes hit a deep fly to right field that Castellanos dropped.
The Reds went ahead, 4-3, in the seventh on Shogo Akiyama's single off Joe Jimenez that scored Freddy Galvis from third. Galvis led off the inning with a double.
