With his second strikeout Tuesday, he surpassed the Phillies’ José Alvarado for the most strikeouts in a row by a pitcher since at least 1961. (Play-by-play data isn’t fully available before then, so it’s impossible to know the all-time record.) Estrada finished the night by tacking on a 13th straight, for good measure.

Estrada was at his own birthday dinner in early November when he received a call from his agent letting him know he’d been placed on outright waivers by the Cubs. His 2023 season, in no uncertain terms, was a rough one. Between Triple-A and the Majors, Estrada walked an unsightly 38 batters across 39 1/3 innings. A few days later, he was claimed by the Padres.

“We knew the stuff was there,” pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. “It was just a matter of how consistent he can be in the zone.”

Now? It feels like Estrada lives in the strike zone, with a 7-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season. All it took was a mechanical overhaul and a complete reinvention of his two offspeed pitches. No biggie.