PHOENIX - The word "bittersweet" kept coming up when Randy Johnson talked about reaching 4,000 career strikeouts.

Johnson joined Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens and Steve Carlton as the only pitchers to reach the milestone, and still couldn't change the Arizona Diamondbacks' luck.

The Diamondbacks lost their franchise-record 11th straight game, 3-2 to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

"I just really wanted to enjoy this as much as I did the (perfect) game in Atlanta, but it's very hard to enjoy something when you lose a ballgame, because that's all I live for now," Johnson said.

He struck out eight and reached 4,000 strikeouts faster than Ryan (5,714), Clemens (4,200) and Carlton (4,136).

Johnson (9-6) fanned Jeff Cirillo for the second out of the eighth inning, reaching 4,000 in 3,237 1-3 innings, a strikeout-to-inning ratio of 11.12. None of the others had a double-figure ratio, with Ryan's 9.55 the next-best based on 3,844 2-3 innings.

"Those are three of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game, and Randy's right there with them - right where he belongs," Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly said.

Khalil Greene homered off Johnson with one out in the eighth, providing the winning margin for the Padres, who won for the seventh time in eight games.

Greene got all of a fastball and hit it just far enough to bounce off the fence into the grandstand.

"It's just a testament to him and what he's done is pretty cool in itself," Greene said.

Arizona closed within a run on Danny Bautista's solo homer in its half of the eighth off Akinori Otsuka, but again fell short. The Diamondbacks stranded 10 runners to San Diego's two, leaving the bases loaded in the sixth and eighth.

"I don't think I swung at a strike all night," said catcher Robby Hammock, whose third strikeout ended the eighth. "I wish I would have been able to help him win."

After Terrence Long doubled, Johnson threw three sliders to Cirillo to reach a 2-1 count before blowing a fastball by him to make it 2-2. He missed with a slider to run the count full, and recorded his last strikeout with an 87 mph slider low on the outside corner as Cirillo took a half-swing.

Long was thrown out by Hammock attempting to steal third on the play to end the inning. Johnson tapped fists with Hammock as they walked back to the Diamondbacks dugout, and the big left-hander waved his cap to the crowd twice, once to his left and then right.

He received high fives in the dugout, but went into the clubhouse tunnel later, missing cries from the crowd for a curtain call.