SEATTLE -- Nelson Cruz had been sitting on 999 career RBIs for five games when he came to bat in the fifth inning of the Mariners' 5-4 loss Wednesday.
That's when the designated hitter belted a mammoth solo shot to left field to earn career RBI No. 1,000.
"It is a huge milestone, no doubt," said manager Scott Servais. "It's really hard to get 1,000 RBIs in this league. You gotta be good for a long time, and he certainly has been."
The ball left the bat at 109.2 mph and traveled an estimated 430 feet into the upper deck at Safeco Field, according to Statcast™. Cruz is third in baseball in average exit velocity (93.8 mph) behind Aaron Judge (95.8) and Giancarlo Stanton (94).
"That was a bomb," Servais said. "He absolutely crushed that ball. It's a typical Nelson Cruz home run. We're used to seeing that here."
Cruz is now the 11th active player in the 1,000 RBI club, along with teammate Robinson Cano. He joins Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and three others as the only players to reach the milestone in a Mariners uniform.
"I never dreamed about it," Cruz said of reaching the mark. "I always tried to just play one game at a time, and make sure I battle every day and give my 100 percent for every game, and I guess good things happen when you do that."