Ichiro hits milestone

Ichiro Suzuki slashed a single the opposite way with his unique swing for the 4,000th hit of a career split between Japan and the major leagues. The 39-year-old Ichiro hit a liner off Toronto’s R.A. Dickey that bounced past diving third baseman Brett Lawrie in the first inning Wednesday for the milestone hit. Ichiro broke Lou Gehrig’s record when he got his 2,722nd major league hit in his 13th season. Ichiro amassed 1,278 hits in nine seasons with Orix of Japan’s Pacific League. Ken Griffey Jr., a former teammate with the Seattle Mariners, congratulated Ichiro with a message shown on the video board at Yankee Stadium. The Mariners tweeted a statement: “Ichiro’s historic milestone is testament to his position as one of the greatest hitters in the game of baseball.” – Associated Press