Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy recorded the 1,000th hit of his career in the sixth inning of Monday’s 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals, smacking a two-out, bases-empty double to straightaway center field off Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez, per MLB Stat of the Day.
Murphy got some help for his milestone hit, with the ball bouncing off the glove of Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who arguably benefited from favorable home-field scoring to avoid an error.
The hit was Murphy’s second of three in Monday’s game, and he also had an RBI groundout in the first inning.
After spending the first seven years of his major league career with the New York Mets, the 31-year-old second baseman has proved to be an excellent addition for the division-rival Nationals, tallying 34 hits in 24 games (and 89 at-bats) for his new team.
His .382 batting average ranks third in the majors among qualified hitters, with only Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado (.410) and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz (.403) holding higher marks.
Though he only has two home runs, Murphy’s nine doubles and two triples—in addition to 21 singles—leave him with an impressive .596 slugging percentage.
He’s also drawn eight walks, helping him post a .439 on-base percentage that ranks seventh in the National League.
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