Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu Hits Second MLB Homer in Tigers’ Narrow Victory Over Rays

Detroit: Detroit Tigers second baseman Lee Hao-yu, the only active Taiwanese batter in Major League Baseball (MLB), hit his second major league home run in his team's 10-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. According to Focus Taiwan, Lee batted eighth in the three-game series opener at Tropicana Field and went 2-for-5, contributing a solo homer, two runs scored, and an RBI. This performance helped Detroit snap a four-game losing streak. After going hitless in his first two at-bats, Lee blasted a solo shot in the top of the sixth inning, extending the Tigers' lead to 8-2. He later led off the eighth with a single and scored Detroit's ninth run of the game. The homer marked Lee's second in the majors and was Detroit's fifth of the game. Facing an 0-2 count, the 23-year-old drove a 94.7-mph four-seam fastball from Trevor Martin over the right-field wall. The Tigers initially built a commanding 6-0 lead, highlighted by consecutive home runs from Dillon Dingler, Kerry Carpenter, and Riley Greene in the t hird inning, with Dingler adding another solo home run in the fifth. Tampa Bay mounted a comeback, scoring three runs in the sixth inning and four more in the eighth to cut the deficit to one run. However, Detroit managed to hold on and secure the victory. Lee's performance raised his batting average to .205 after the game. Reliever Tyler Holton earned his first win of the season, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Despite the win, the Tigers remained fifth in the American League Central Division at 23-38. The Kansas City Royals also won on Monday, leaving Detroit a half-game behind Kansas City.