BASEBALL/Tigers fall to Pirates despite Lee Hao-yu reaching base three times

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Detroit Tigers infielder Lee Hao-yu (李灝宇) reached base three times Wednesday, but his team fell 4-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates and lost the three-game series 2-1.

Lee, batting ninth and starting at third base, singled and drew two walks in his first three plate appearances before striking out in the ninth inning.

The 23-year-old Taiwanese infielder reached base in both plate appearances against 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

Lee led off the third inning with a single and advanced to third on a hit by Colt Keith before scoring Detroit's first run on Kevin McGonigle's sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1-1.

In the fifth, Lee drew an eight-pitch walk after Max Clark opened the inning with a double. Both later scored as the Tigers took a 3-2 lead and knocked Skenes out after 4 1/3 innings.

Skenes allowed three runs on four hits and four walks.

Lee drew his 14th walk of the season in the seventh against a Pirates reliever, moving within two of Yu Chang's (張育成) single-season walk record for a Taiwanese Major League Baseball player.

On Monday, Lee surpassed Chang's record for the most hits by a Taiwanese player in a single MLB season with the first three-hit game of his career.

Lee is also three home runs and nine RBIs short of Chang's single-season marks in those categories, but said breaking Taiwanese records was not his focus.

"My goal is not to be the best Taiwanese player. I'm trying to be a great player in America," Lee told MLB.com's Jason Beck in a report published Wednesday.

The Tigers carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Rafael Flores Jr. tied the game with a home run before Brandon Lowe followed with a walk-off home run to give Pittsburgh the 4-3 win.

Lee finished 1-for-2, lifting his batting average to .276. He also has a .319 on-base percentage and a .424 slugging percentage this season.

The series loss dropped Detroit to 61-66, 1.5 games behind the final American League wild-card berth.

The Tigers will next travel to Kansas City for a three-game road series against the Royals starting Friday.