BASEBALL / Taiwan's Lee Hao-yu knocks two hits in Tigers' 7-4 loss to Orioles

Taipei, May 23 (CNA) Detroit Tigers infielder Lee Hao-yu (李灝宇), the only active Taiwanese batter in Major League Baseball (MLB), stayed hot with two hits in the team's 7-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a three-game series on Friday (U.S. time).

Lee was the only Tiger to record multiple hits, including his third major league double, while driving in a team-high two runs.

Both of Lee's hits came off Orioles right-hander Chris Bassitt, who replaced starting pitcher Keegan Akin at the beginning of the second inning.

Batting ninth and starting at second base, Lee came to the plate for the first time in the top of the third after Gage Workman led off with a double while Detroit held a 1-0 lead.

After taking a strike, Lee lined a high-inside sweeper into left field for an RBI double, extending the Tigers' lead to 2-0.

That lead was quickly erased in the next inning, however, when Orioles slugger Pete Alonso launched a three-run homer off Jack Flaherty to put Baltimore ahead 3-2.

Detroit responded in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 3-3 on back-to-back hits, including a ground-rule double by Spencer Torkelson, and an RBI fielder's choice by Zach McKinstry.

Lee came up as the sixth batter of the inning with runners on the corners and two outs. After taking a strike and a ball, he beat out a slow RBI grounder to Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo, who was unable to make a play.

Despite reclaiming a 4-3 lead, Detroit surrendered another three-run inning in the bottom of the fourth on a balk and a two-run homer by Jackson Holliday, his first home run of the season.

Lee struck out in his third and final at-bat, and the Tigers did not score again after the fourth inning.

Still, the 23-year-old Taiwanese player's performance during the game continued his strong recent form.

Since May 10, Lee has gone 7-for-19 (.368) over eight games while striking out only four times, raising his batting average to .222 from .159.

Before that stretch, Lee had 16 strikeouts over his first 15 major league games.

Meanwhile, Flaherty, who struck out seven over 3 1/3 innings, took his sixth loss of the season, though only three of the six runs he allowed were earned. The 30-year-old right-hander remains winless this season with a 5.94 ERA.

The Tigers, 20-32, sit last in the American League Central Division, 0.5 games behind the Kansas City Royals.