Well, this isn't something you see every day -- or every year, for that matter.
During the Arizona Diamondbacks' game against the visiting Chicago Cubs on Sunday, D-backs pitcher Zack Godley recorded four strikeouts in the first inning alone.
Godley became just the second pitcher in D-backs history to record four strikeouts in a single inning. Oliver Perez did the same Sept. 20, 2014 at the Milwaukee Brewers. It was the first time the feat had happened to the Cubs since Oct. 4, 2015.
According to Baseball Almanac, it marked just the 49th time in National League history and 87th time in Major League Baseball history that a pitcher recorded four strikeouts in a single inning. It was just the eighth time in MLB history and third in National League history that the feat occurred in the first inning of a game.
So, how did it happen? Well, with two outs in the inning, Godley threw a wild pitch on a strike three and fell down as he delivered the pitch. This allowed the batter, Cubs catcher Victor Caratini, to reach first base and Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant to score all the way from second base.
Here's how that @Cubs run scored on Caratini's strikeout. @godleyzt fell off the mound, and Bryant scores from 2nd. https://t.co/2OUtMBhXO6 pic.twitter.com/Rc8IOhITzf
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) August 13, 2017
Welp, that was weird. @godleyzt ties all-time baseball record with 4 Ks in the first, but Cubs get a run. https://t.co/2OUtMBhXO6 pic.twitter.com/al77WcTCkF
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) August 13, 2017
Godley turned in a strong overall performance as he allowed just two runs and struck out eight batters in 5 2/3 innings of work. But D-backs relief pitchers combined to allow five runs and the Cubs went on to win by a 7-2 score.
As fate would have it, only four pitchers have struck out four batters in an inning on more than one occasion. Godley's teammate Zack Greinke is one of them: He accomplished the feat in 2012 with the Los Angeles Angels and in 2014 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
