It was the 3,000th hit of his major league career and came as the Miami Marlins roughed up Colorado Rockies starter Jon Gray and then held on for a 10-7 win in the rubber game of their series.
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Marlins’ Ichiro Suzuki is hugged by Dee Gordon after a seventh-inning triple gave him 3,000 Major League Baseball hits.
The 42-year-old Suzuki hit a long drive to right field that carried just beyond the reach of leaping Gerardo Parra. I can’t tell you how many times he told me he’d like to see him in a Yankees uniform.
Clayton Kershaw (back) resumed baseball activities with a game of catch as he continued his attempt to return to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season. “But after that hit, the burden was lifted off”. “For me, it’s been an honor to watch him play, an honor to have managed him”, Mattingly said.
“Congratulations to my friend and teammate Ichiro on joining the 3000 hit club”, Jeter, who played parts of three seasons with Ichiro as members of the New York Yankees, said in a statement.
Ichiro Suzuki has been in the MLB for 15 years, which is remarkable on its own, but when you consider that he entered the league at the age of 27, and he is now at the ripe old age of 42, then his current deeds look even that more impressive. While this may not be an official record, he may just break the Major League Baseball record as he has stated in the past that he plans to play 8 more years or until he reaches the age of 50. Nolan Arenado had three hits, including two home runs, and five RBIs for the Rockies.The loss left the Rockies 3-3 on a homestand that ends with two games with Texas. Machado hit another two-run homer in the third off Matt Albers. Colorado’s All-Star third baseman went 3-for-3 with his 28th and 29th home runs of the season, marking his fourth multi-homer game this season. In his first season with the Mariners he busted onto the scene hitting at a.350 clip with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases winning him the American League most valuable player award.
Ichiro had 1,278 hits for the Orix BlueWave in Japan’s Nippon Pro Baseball, where he began his career before moving to Seattle.
“More than the number itself, you saw my team mates come out and how happy they were and how warm the fans were”, Ichiro said.
Adam Conley (8-6) allowed six runs in five innings.
Starting the season, Ichiro needed only 65 hits to reach the 3,000 plateau, but has been a fourth outfielder and pinch-hitter most of the season. Also, for seven times (2001, 2004, 2006- 2010), Ichiro has been the league leader with the most hits. There are still very few. “Hopefully this 3,000th hit will bring that bridge closer, and maybe we’ll be able to have the Japanese players and have the fans understand Japanese baseball is good baseball”. One reason could be because the rest of the league is playing down to their level. Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.73 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants against Jose Fernandez (12-6, 2.87 ERA) in what should be a classic pitcher’s duel.
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Arenado responded yet again the following inning on a double, closing the gap to just two runs … again … but the Rockies failed to move any closer to the Marlins in this last game of the series; their seventh run was the final run of the game.
