Chasing the Record!

Lee Hao-yu hits another big one! Next homer ties the new Taiwanese record! Lee Hao-yu went deep again today! He launched a 408-foot blast in the 9th inning for his 9th homer of the season, tying the record for the most single-season homers by a Taiwanese player in MLB, held by Chang Yu-cheng. Now, he's just one homer away from becoming the first Taiwanese batter in history to hit double-digit homers in a single MLB season. The Tigers faced the Blue Jays today, with Lee Hao-yu batting third. He went hitless in his first two at-bats. In the 5th inning, he faced pitcher Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen shares a fateful connection with him. Before the 2023 trade deadline, the Phillies, aiming for the playoffs, acquired the then-20-year-old Lee Hao-yu, who was still in the minor leagues, in a trade for Lorenzen, who was an All-Star that year. Three years later, Lee Hao-yu is now in the majors with the Tigers, while Lorenzen has moved to the Blue Jays, and the two are now facing off in MLB. Against a 94.8 mph inside-high fastball from Lorenzen, Lee Hao-yu hit the ball to right field for a single. But the real showstopper came in the 9th inning. Facing Blue Jays lefty Joe Mantiply, Lee Hao-yu connected with a 79.4 mph inside curveball and sent it soaring to left field, another 'big one,' landing directly in the second deck. His 9th homer of the season! This blast tied Lee Hao-yu with Chang Yu-cheng's 2021 record of 9 homers in a single season, putting them in a tie for the most single-season homers by a Taiwanese player in MLB. And it's not just the homers.