Pirates Stack 7 Left-Handed Batters; Teng Kai-Wei Suffers Season-High Earned Runs

(Central News Agency, Los Angeles, 4th) Taiwanese star Teng Kai-Wei has secured a spot in the Houston Astros' starting rotation in Major League Baseball (MLB) thanks to his 'sweeper' pitch. However, the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates deployed a lineup with seven left-handed batters among the nine starters today, causing Teng to allow 5 runs over 5 innings, setting a new record for most runs allowed in a single game since his transfer.

The Houston Astros lost 1-5 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at home, with starting pitcher Teng Kai-Wei taking the loss. He held the game steady, allowing only 1 run through the first five innings, but in the 6th inning, he faced a barrage of hits, including a 2-run home run by Ryan O'Hearn, and allowed 3 more runs before being pulled.

When Teng left the game, he left one runner on base. After the pitching change, Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena committed an error, leading to the team's 5th run, which was charged to Teng.

Teng pitched 5 innings, throwing 87 pitches, allowing 5 runs (4 earned). Both figures are the highest he has recorded in a single game since joining the Astros this year.

Teng's primary weapon is one of the top 'sweepers' in the major leagues. He started the season in the bullpen but became a member of the starting rotation on May 10. Today's game was his 6th start of the season.

Before the game, the broadcast showed statistics indicating that batters had a batting average of just .185 against Teng, ranking 3rd in the American League, and his pre-game ERA of 2.57 was also of a high standard.

Teng is a right-handed pitcher with a non-typical high-overhand delivery, throwing from a three-quarter arm slot. His signature 'sweeper' generates significant horizontal movement.

To counter Teng's pitching style, the Pirates fielded a lineup with seven left-handed batters. Only the 5th hitter, Nick Gonzales, and the 9th hitter, Jared Triolo, were right-handed.

The Pirates' left-handed lineup proved effective. In the first inning, a double by Brandon Lowe and a single by O'Hearn brought in the first run. In the 6th inning, another double by Lowe sparked the rally, a broken-bat single by Bryan Reynolds added a run, and O'Hearn hit a 2-run homer to extend the lead.

Teng struggled against the left-handed lineup, recording only 1 strikeout. In his previous three starts combined, he had pitched 16 innings and recorded 20 strikeouts, but his strikeout ability was clearly not a factor today. He suffered his 4th loss of the season, and his ERA rose to 3.06. (Editor: Tien Jui-Hua) 1150605