Yukio Tanaka got his 2,000th career hit but Takeshi Yamasaki stole the show with three home runs, leading the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to an 11-6 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Thursday.
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| Yukio Tanaka of the Fighters acknowledges to the fans by bringing up a plate to celebrate his 2,000th career hit after achieving the feat in the fourth inning at Tokyo Dome on Thursday. KYODO PHOTOS |
Tanaka, playing his 22nd season — all with Nippon Ham — became the 35th player in Japanese baseball history to reach the plateau when he lined an opposite-field single to right off Hiroki Yamamura in the fourth inning at Tokyo Dome.