Monday 14th September, 09:58 AM JST
ARLINGTON, Texas —
Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro has added another milestone to his legendary career.
Ichiro became the first player in major league history to reach 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons when he had an RBI infield single in the second inning in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
The nine-time All-Star broke a tie with Hall of Famer Willie Keeler, who had eight consecutive 200-hit seasons from 1894-1901.
Under pressure to make history, Ichiro managed two hits in the rain-delayed doubleheader. It was not a perfect day for the man who has batted .300 in each of his past 15 seasons in Japan and the United States as he went 2-for-9 in two games. Ichiro received a standing ovation from a sparse crowd who braved the rain after he reached on an infield single for hit No. 200 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
He hit a slow grounder off Derek Holland to shortstop Elvis Andrus, who could not make a throw, allowing John Wilson to score from third with two outs.
‘‘I have finally put an end to the battle (to break Keeler’s record). It’s an unbelievable feeling to be free from such an enormous pressure,’’ Ichiro said after the game.
‘‘I just reached 200 before going back to Seattle. If I hadn’t missed those eight games in August (with a tight left calf), I could have hit my 200th in front of home fans earlier. I guess luck wasn’t on my side this time,’’ the 35-year-old said.
Ichiro finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double in a 7-2 Game 1 loss. He was 1-for-5 in Game 2 as the Mariners won 5-0 to earn a split.
It was his second major league record. In 2004, Ichiro broke George Sisler’s 84-year-old record of 257 hits and ended the season with 262.
Teammate Kenji Jojima went hitless in four at-bats in Game 1 and did not play in the second one. Rain delayed the start of the first game for 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Elsewhere, New York Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui went 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs in a 13-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Matsui broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run single in the sixth inning and added a three-run homer in the eighth off Chris Waters, his 24th of the season.
Boston Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima (6-0) picked up the win with a perfect eighth in a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a doubleheader. Chicago Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome went hitless in five at-bats in a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. He is 0-for-11 in the last three games.