100! Suzuki's monster homer sends Cubs slugger into Japanese-born history 

CHICAGO -- Seiya Suzuki’s slug has been on full display for the Cubs over the past week. But on Wednesday at a scorching-hot Wrigley Field, his power hitting placed him alongside a former World Series MVP, a Hall of Famer and a player who could probably start penning his Cooperstown acceptance speech right now.

Suzuki gave Chicago an early lead by blasting a three-run homer off Walker Buehler in the first inning of an eventual 23-3 drubbing of the Padres. The ball sailed well over the ivy in left-center field, officially marking the 100th Major League homer of Suzuki’s career. He finished 3-for-5 with a walk in Chicago's franchise-high-tying eight-homer day.

The Cubs’ right fielder became just the fourth Japanese-born big leaguer to reach that milestone, joining Hideki Matsui (175), Ichiro Suzuki (117) and Shohei Ohtani (298).

And, for good measure, he made sure to leave little doubt in reaching the century mark.

Two of Chicago’s first three hitters reached against Buehler, who then left a hanging 1-0 sweeper middle-away to Suzuki. The 31-year-old put extra emphasis on labeling it a mistake pitch, slugging it a Statcast-projected 426 feet over the wall.

The dinger was Suzuki’s third since Friday, when he became the only big leaguer to homer off Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski more than once. After slugging just .375 in his first eight games since tweaking his right knee in San Francisco on June 13, Suzuki entered Wednesday with a .714 slugging percentage over his past five contests.

It was only fitting, then, to cap a power surge like that with a blast that put him in rarified air.