Andrew Heaney tied an American League record by striking out nine consecutive batters in Monday night's 11-2 win against the Kansas City Royals.

The Texas Rangers left-hander matched a record shared by Detroit Tigers reliever Tyler Alexander against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2, 2020, and Tigers reliever Doug Fister against the Royals on Sept. 27, 2012.

"I felt like I owed it to the guys, owed it to the fans, to myself to be better than what I was," Heaney said, referencing his rocky outing in his Rangers debut last week.

The major league record for consecutive strikeouts is 10, set by the New York Mets' Tom Seaver on April 22, 1970, and matched by the Philadelphia Phillies' Aaron Nola on June 25, 2021, and the Milwaukee Brewers' Corbin Burnes on Aug. 11, 2021.