Chicago, July 1 (Jiji Press)--Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki smashed his 100th home run of his U.S. Major League Baseball career on Wednesday, becoming the fourth Japanese player to achieve the mark. The milestone home run, which came during Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres, put Suzuki alongside Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani. The only right-handed hitter among the four, Suzuki, now in his fifth MLB season with the Cubs, described the achievement as a significant milestone. "One hundred home runs is a nice accomplishment," he said. "It has been a tough journey to get here," Suzuki said. "My teammates and everyone around me supported me and created an environment where I could focus on baseball." "I hope this achievement inspires other players to try playing in the MLB," he said. "I hope that people follow in my footsteps." END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]