Takahiro Arai reached 2,000 career hits as the 39-year-old helped the Hiroshima Carp defeat the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 11-3 in the Central League on Tuesday.

With the Carp leading 3-0 after consecutive second-inning solo homers, Arai doubled in a run in the top of the third before 26,593 at Jingu Stadium. He also singled in the seventh inning ahead of Seiya Suzuki's second homer of the game, a grand slam.

Arai began his career with Hiroshima in 1999 after the Carp made him their sixth-round draft pick out of Tokyo's Komazawa University, which plays its league games at Jingu. He left as a free agent after the 2007 season and played seven seasons with the CL's Hanshin Tigers before returning to the Carp last year. He is the 47th player to reach 2,000 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball.