BASEBALL/Tigers' Lee Hao-yu sets MLB single-season hits record for a Taiwanese

Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) Detroit Tigers infielder Lee Hao-yu (李灝宇) set the record for the most hits by a Taiwanese player in a Major League Baseball season Monday after getting three hits in an 8-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Lee entered the series opener at PNC Park tied with Yu Chang (張育成), who recorded 54 hits for the Cleveland Guardians in 2021.

Starting at second base and batting sixth, Lee surpassed Chang in his first plate appearance, grounding an RBI single to right field off Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski to give Detroit a 2-0 lead.

The 23-year-old reached the milestone in his 80th game and 205th at-bat, faster than Chang, who played 89 games and had 237 at-bats in 2021.

Lee singled to left with one out in the third before drawing a walk from reliever Isaac Mattson in the fifth.

He walked again with the bases loaded against Yohan Ramirez in the sixth to force in Detroit's sixth run, then added an infield single off Gregory Soto in the eighth for his first three-hit game in the majors.

Lee finished 3-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. His batting average rose to .275, while his season hit total increased to 57.

He is also within reach of Chang's single-season MLB home run mark for Taiwanese players at nine. Lee has six so far this season.

The victory snapped the Tigers' three-game losing streak and improved their record to 61-64. Following the Minnesota Twins' loss Monday, Detroit moved into a tie for the American League's final wild card spot with two other teams.