K-Rod becomes 6th pitcher to record 400 saves

11:26 PM ET

DETROIT — Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez joined an elite group Tuesday night, recording his 400th career save in the Tigers’ 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, becoming only the sixth pitcher in MLB history to accomplish such a feat.

It was a milestone the 34-year-old reliever could have never imagined when he broke into the big leagues as an Angels prospect back in 2002.

“Never. When I came here to the States to the big leagues, I was just a kid with a lot of dreams, but [it] never, not even crossed my mind,” Rodriguez said. “One thing I want to make clear: I don’t play for numbers. I play this game because I love it. I’ve got it in my veins and that’s the only thing that, honestly, I know how to do well. It had nothing to do with records or anything like that.”

Rodriguez, who was wearing custom shoes decorated with the number “400” and the Venezuelan flag after the game, sealed the ninth inning for his 14th consecutive save of the season and in doing so, joined the ranks of Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), Lee Smith (478) and Billy Wagner (422) as relievers to reach that mark.

“I play this game because I love it. I’ve got it …

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