イチロー不振説

イチローが今季不調の理由は年齢ではないという記事です。赤字の箇所を解説してください。（UG）
a beacon of consistency→To To TOくん
snap his streak of 10 consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits なぜsnapという動詞？→yori-moneyさん
the balls he puts in play　このputは？→Shoheiくん

The reason behind Ichiro's slump
Yes, Suzuki is getting older. But it's bad luck, not age, bringing his average down.
By Rob Burckhard

Since his debut in 2001, Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki has been a beacon of consistency. He's a 10-time All-Star who has recorded more than 200 hits and has batted over .300 every year of his career. He owns two batting titles, an MVP award and was named rookie of the year. This season, however, Ichiro seems to have started his decline. He's hitting just .271 and will surely snap his streak of 10 consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits.
Experts point to Ichiro's age, 37, as a reason for his ebb, but another explanation could be that Ichiro is the unfortunate recipient of superb fielding on the balls he puts in play.
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