Lee Hao-yu sets Taiwanese MLB mark
HOMERS, HITS: Lin Tzu-wei and Yu Chang have had three-hit games in the MLB, but Lee topped them both and also went past Chang in home runs in a season
Staff writer, with CNA and Reuters
Detroit Tigers infielder Lee Hao-yu on Friday set Taiwanese MLB records for home runs in a season and hits in a game as he helped his team rally past the Chicago White Sox 11-8.
The 23-year-old went four-for-five with three RBIs and two runs scored, tying the game at 8-8 with a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
The blast was his 10th homer of the season, while his four hits set a single-game MLB record for a Taiwanese.
The Detroit Tigers’ Lee Hao-yu of Taiwan celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during their MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Friday.
Photo: AP
“When I actually saw it go out, I just blacked out,” Lee said in a post-game interview, recalling his reaction as the tying home run cleared the wall. “I don’t know what I said or did.”
The Tigers never gave up despite falling behind early, he said, crediting his teammates with responding to their manager’s call for quality at-bats.
Asked what fueled his energy on the field, Lee said: “I mean, I like to win. I don’t like to lose. I helped the team, that’s why I’m so happy.”
The Detroit Tigers’ Lee Hao-yu of Taiwan watches the ball fly in a two-run home run during their MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Friday.
Photo: AP
Lee’s 10th homer surpassed the previous Taiwanese MLB record of nine set by Yu Chang in 2021 and made him the first Taiwanese to reach double figures in an MLB season.
He also became the first Taiwanese to collect four hits in an MLB game.
Lin Tzu-wei and Chang had previously recorded three-hit games, while Lee had done so twice earlier this season.
The Detroit Tigers’ Dillon Dingler and Riley Greene celebrate during their MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Friday.
Photo: Matt Marton / Imagn Images
Batting ninth and starting at third base, Lee grounded out in the third inning before singling to right field off White Sox starter David Sandlin in the fifth and later scoring.
Detroit, who fell behind 6-1 early and trailed 8-5 after five innings, cut the deficit to 8-6 in the sixth when Lee doubled to deep center field off reliever Chris Murphy. The two-out hit was his 16th double of the season.
In the eighth, Eduardo Valencia was hit by a pitch with one out before Lee sent a pitch from Sean Newcomb over the right-field wall. The homer ignited a five-run inning in which Dillon Dingler delivered the go-ahead RBI single and Riley Greene added a two-run home run.
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr makes a catch during their MLB game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on Friday.
Photo: AFP
Lee singled again in the ninth to complete his four-hit game, raising his season batting average to .264.
The victory lifted the Tigers to 73-81, five games behind the 78-76 White Sox for the American League’s final wild-card berth with eight games remaining in the regular season.
At Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuna Jr and Matt Olson slugged two-run home runs, while deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle continued his exceptional pitching for the visiting Atlanta Braves, who secured a post-season berth with a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros.
The Atlanta Braves’ Michael Harris II celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run during their MLB game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on Friday.
Photo: AP
The Braves (90-64) lowered their magic number to clinch the National League East to three over the Philadelphia Phillies, who suffered a 6-3 road loss to the New York Mets earlier in the day.
The Braves have qualified for the post-season eight times over the past nine seasons.
Harris provided Mahle a 2-0 lead when he followed a one-out single by Matt Olson with an opposite-field blast to left off Astros starter Peter Lambert (8-10) in the top of the fourth inning.
Harris (three-for-five) drove a first-pitch slurve from Lambert 112m for his 26th homer of the year.
Lambert retired the Braves in order in the first and second innings, and stranded baserunners in the third, fourth and fifth. He departed with one out in the sixth after allowing singles to Olson and Harris before loading the bases with a walk to Ozzie Albies.
Astros reliever A.J. Blubaugh relieved Lambert and left the bases loaded, but Lambert extended his winless streak to 12 consecutive starts after allowing two runs, six hits and one walk while striking out six batters.
Acuna followed a one-out walk from Drake Baldwin with his 19th home run in the seventh, a line drive to left off Blubaugh that extended the lead to 4-1.
With one out in the ninth, Olson bashed his 40th homer of the season the opposite way to left off Astros reliever Enyel de los Santos.
Mahle (7-10) improved to 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA over eight starts since his acquisition from the Giants. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six innings.
Yordan Alvarez doubled leading off the fourth and scored when Isaac Paredes followed with a single to center. Alvarez finished one-for-two with two walks and had just one plate appearance with a runner on base. Paredes followed the second Alvarez walk in the eighth with an RBI single that plated LaMonte Wade Jr.
The Astros (77-77) threatened later in the eighth, but Acuna made a spectacular diving catch that retired Jose Altuve and stranded two baserunners.
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