Alex Rodriguez notched the 3,000th hit of his complicated major league career on Friday night, becoming the 29th player to reach the revered milestone and the only one to do so after serving a yearlong drug suspension.
Hit No. 3,000 came in the bottom of the first inning at Yankee Stadium, with much of the crowd standing and urging him on as he strode to the plate and then roaring even louder when, true to form, he lofted the first pitch from Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander into the right-field bleachers for a home run. It was the 13th home run this season for Rodriguez, and, more significantly, the 667th of his career.