Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski recorded the 2,000th hit of his career during the second inning of Wednesday’s 9-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox, becoming the first catcher to reach the 2,000-hit plateau since Ivan Rodriguez in 2004, per MLB Stat of the Day.
Pierzynski’s milestone hit wasn’t particularly noteworthy, as he merely deposited a one-out bloop single into left field off Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright, allowing Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman to advance from second base to third.
The next batter, Braves outfielder Kelly Johnson, singled Freeman home from third base to cut an early deficit to 2-1.
The Red Sox quickly responded with four runs in the bottom of the second inning, chasing Braves pitcher Bud Norris from the game after only four outs.
Pierzynski has started the season poorly along with the rest of his team, recording just 11 hits (10 singles) in 50 at-bats for an unsightly .220 batting average.
He also has a .291 on-base percentage and .240 slugging percentage for an Atlanta squad carrying an MLB-worst 4-17 record.
Regardless, Pierzynski has enjoyed an impressive career, with his longevity (19 seasons) making up for the reality that he has never quite been a star-caliber player.
Granted, the 39-year-old hasn’t gone completely without recognition, making two appearances in the All-Star Game (2002 and 2006) and earning one Silver Slugger Award (2012).
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