5-year Marliniversary: Ichiro records 3,000th hit in win at Rockies

Throughout Major League Baseball’s illustrations history, only 32 players have managed to reach 3,000 career hits. Only one of them did so as a member of the Miami Marlins.

That player was Ichiro Suzuki and he did so on this day five years ago. Ichiro’s seventh-inning triple put him in the elite club as the Miami Marlins topped the Colorado Rockies, 10-7.

Ichiro was 0-for-3 with a strikeout and two groundouts as he came to the plate at Coors Field on Aug. 7, 2016. With Miami leading 8-6 and one out in the inning, Ichiro was able to get ahead in the count against Colorado lefty Chris Rusin, 2-0. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Ichiro was able to pull Rusin’s delivery deep to right field.

Colorado’s Gerardo Parra could only watch as the shot bounced high off the wall. Ichiro narrowly missed a home run, but was able to motor to third base for a history-making triple. The contest paused momentarily as Ichiro received the applause he deserved from the Colorado crowd.

As for the game itself, Miami never trailed. The Marlins erupted with four runs in the first innings, thanks to a two-run double from Christian Yelich and a two-run single from Jeff Mathis. Miami added four more in the fourth on a two-run double from Martin Prado and a two-run home run from Giancarlo Stanton.

Trailing 8-1 early, Colorado used a solo and three-run home run from Nolan Arenado to crawl to within two, but would get no closer. Following Ichiro’s triple in the seventh, Mathis singled him home to give Miami a 9-6 advantage. Arenado and Yelich traded RBI doubles over the next two half-innings.

With the win, the Marlins took the series and improved to 59-52, but the day belonged to Ichiro as he became the 31st player to join the prestigious 3,000-hit club. It happened on this day five years ago.