BASEBALL/Lee Hao-yu's MLB-best active hitting streak ends at 12 games

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Taiwanese infielder Lee Hao-yu's (李灝宇) 12-game hitting streak, the longest active run in Major League Baseball (MLB), ended Wednesday as the Detroit Tigers fell 10-9 to the Baltimore Orioles in 12 innings.

Starting at third base and batting third in the series finale at home, Lee went 0-for-2 with one RBI and two strikeouts.

The 23-year-old struck out on a 94.4 mph (151.9 kph) four-seam fastball in the first inning and was caught on a foul tip for another strikeout in the third, when Detroit scored three runs on three consecutive hits and a sacrifice fly.

Lee drove in the Tigers' fifth run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning before being replaced by Colt Keith in the seventh after Baltimore brought right-hander Anthony Nunez into the game.

Lee's batting average fell to .272. He has six home runs and 26 RBIs this season.

The Tigers built a 7-0 lead through six innings, but Baltimore rallied for five runs on four hits and two walks in the seventh.

Coby Mayo then hit a two-run triple in the eighth to tie the game at 7-7 and force extra innings.

Neither team scored in the 10th under MLB's automatic-runner rule. The Orioles went ahead with two runs in the 11th, but Spencer Torkelson answered with his 20th homer of the season, a two-run shot that again tied the game.

Colton Cowser delivered the winning run with a two-out single in the top of the 12th, and Detroit failed to respond in the bottom half.

Despite the loss, Wednesday's game was highlighted by Tigers ace Tarik Skubal reaching 1,000 career strikeouts by fanning Baltimore leadoff hitter Taylor Ward in the first inning.

According to MLB.com, Skubal reached the milestone in 857 innings, surpassing Max Scherzer's franchise record of 944 2/3 innings as the fastest Tigers pitcher to record 1,000 strikeouts.

He also became the fifth-fastest left-hander in MLB history to reach the mark, the report said.

In what could be his final outing for Detroit, the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings. Skubal left the mound to a standing ovation.

The loss dropped the fourth-place Tigers to 51-58, six games behind the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox.