Taiwan’s Yu Chang on Tuesday claimed his 100th major league hit with a single, which he later followed with a home run in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
The 27-year-old infielder’s single off an 82mph pitch from Red Sox lefty Rich Hill in the bottom of the second inning made Chang the first Taiwanese to reach 100 hits in the major leagues.
Chang, who has played in the US for nine years and in the MLB for four seasons, ran to first base with a bright smile on his face.
Photo: AP
He holds several records among Taiwanese MLB hitters, including the most home runs in a single season and career.
Earlier this season, he was out for nearly one month after being diagnosed with COVID-19 while with the Cleveland Guardians, who traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of May. He joined the Rays in early July.
As of Tuesday’s game, his batting average for the season was .207, with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
The Rays are an American League-best 22-10 since Aug. 4, and moved within 4 games of the American League East-leading New York Yankees. Tampa Bay is in a three-way competition for the division’s first wild card with the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays.
In Chicago, Hayden Wesneski allowed just two hits over five shutout innings of relief to win his major league debut, as the Chicago Cubs took advantage of 11 walks to beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-3.
Wesneski (1-0), a 24-year-old right-hander acquired from the New York Yankees on Aug. 1 for reliever Scott Effross, struck out eight and walked one.
He relieved Wade Miley, who returned from a shoulder injury to make his first start since June 10. Wesneski retired 13 of the first 14 batters around a walk before Spencer Steer doubled with one out in the ninth and Aristides Aquino singled. Wesneski struck out Jake Fraley and Jose Barrero to end the game.
In other games on Tuesday, it was
‧ Braves 10, Athletics 9
‧ Pirates 8, Mets 2
‧ Orioles 9, Blue Jays 6
‧ Rockies 10, Brewers 7
‧ Dodgers 6, Giants 3
‧ Cardinals 4, Nationals 1
‧ Phillies 3, Marlins 2
‧ Guardians 4, Royals 1
‧ Rangers 4, Astros 3
‧ Padres 6, Diamondbacks 5
‧ Angels 5, Tigers 4
‧ Mariners 3, White Sox 0
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