DENVER (AP) — Chris Rusin was fine with being part of history. He would have liked to have gotten a win along with it, too.
Ichiro Suzuki tripled off the wall off Rusin for his 3,000th career hit in the major leagues, becoming the 30th player to reach the milestone as the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 10-7 Sunday.
The 42-year-old Suzuki got his big hit in the seventh inning. He became the first player born in Japan to reach 3,000, and joined Paul Molitor as the only players to hit the mark with a triple.
“Congratulations to him,” Rusin said. “All I ask for is a signed bat in return. It’s crazy to be a part of.”
Suzuki’s milestone overshadowed a big day from Nolan Arenado, who homered twice and drove in five runs for Colorado. Arenado leads the NL in home runs (29) and RBIs (87).
“I wanted to see him get it done but I wish we were winning by a lot and it was looper or something,” Arenado said.
Adam Conley (8-6) allowed six runs in five innings. Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his first save since coming to Miami on June 30 and 18th overall.
Jon Gray (8-5) was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Suzuki was hitless in his first three at-bats of the game before he tagged Rusin.
Suzuki launched a long drive to right field that carried just beyond the reach of leaping Gerardo Parra, and breezed into third standing up.
Third base coach Lorenzo Bundy hugged Suzuki as Miami players came out of the dugout to congratulate him. He waved his helmet to acknowledge the cheers at Coors Field.
Hitting coach Barry Bonds gave him a hug as the celebration at third base ended, and Suzuki got another round of applause when he scored on Jeff Mathis’ single, as well as a hug from manager Don Mattingly.
Suzuki gave the crowd a wave as he went into the dugout. He batted again in the ninth and drew a walk.
“I’m disappointed with giving up a triple,” Rusin said. “I’d rather it had been a single. It was cool that he got a hit but it wasn’t cool that he scored.”
The Rockies had trimmed an seven-run deficit to 8-6 before Suzuki’s triple and run made it 9-6. Gray struggled and had his shortest outing in three months.
“There’s nothing that went right today,” Gray said. “I pretty much lost us the game and lost us the series.”
Greeted with cheers every time he came to bat, Suzuki struck out in the first inning, hit a comebacker in the third and grounded out to short in the fourth.
At 42 years, 290 days he is the second-oldest player by three days over Ricky Henderson to reach the milestone. Only Cap Anson, who was 45 when he got his 3,000th hit in 1897, was older.
Rene Lachemann, Colorado’s catching coach, went over to give Suzuki a hug as he left the field after the game.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s a lot of hits in a relatively short period of time.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: Parra was activated from the 15-day DL and INF Rafael Ynoa was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. Parra played right field on Sunday while OF Carlos Gonzalez rested his sore left ankle.
UP NEXT
Rockies: Rookie LHP Tyler Anderson (4-3, 3.25) opens a two-game series against Texas. He will be opposed by Cole Hamels (12-3, 2.89).
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