Hayato Sakamoto reached Japan's iconic 2,000-hit mark in the first inning of the Yomiuri Giants' game against the Yakult Swallows on Sunday, arriving at the milestone in his 14th season in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Playing in his 1,783rd career game, the Giants' captain doubled off Swallows starter Albert Suarez with two outs in the opening frame at Tokyo Dome. The hit in his 6,846th plate appearance tied Sakamoto with Kazuya Fukuura in the 52nd spot on Japan's career hit list.
"I wasn't in a rush but I did want to get a hit soon, so it's a good thing I got one in my first at-bat," said Sakamoto, who was hitless in three at-bats after getting No. 1,999 on Saturday night.