Ichiro Suzuki of Orix went 2-for-4 and saw his batting average soar to .401 during the BlueWave's 13-4 loss to the Nippon Ham Fighters on Saturday at Green Stadium Kobe.
The six-time Pacific League batting champion went over .400 for the first time since July 1994, when he finished the season with a .385 average, the second-best mark in Japan Leagues history.
No one has ever ended a season over .400 in Japan. Former Hanshin Tiger Randy Bass holds the national record with a .389 average during the 1986 season.