Ichiro is tearing it up

Ichiro, meanwhile, now has 40 career four-hit games. No big deal to him. Except that only one other active player, Houston catcher Pudge Rodriguez, has more (42), and he's been at it 19 seasons compared to Ichiro's eight.

A game like Thursday's would be a career for many players. He led off the game with a home run, a rocket 15 rows deep into the right field bleachers. He added a double and single, then had two more shots at the elusive triple for a cycle. The first try was a ground out, but the second was a sort of Ichiro triple -- three bounces, plus about 20 feet, a dribbler up the third base line. Naturally, he beat it out for his final hit.

Just as naturally, Ichiro deigned to wax eloquent about the day, or the season. Not that we earnest scribes didn't try. Asked whether he is more locked in at the plate than ever before, he demurred. "It's impossible to prove that," he said through his ever-present interpreter. "Please analyze it among yourselves. I cannot."

Seattle PI