The Houston Astros continued searching for answers in their pitching staff Tuesday night, turning to Kai-Wei Teng in an opener role against the Baltimore Orioles. The result was mixed, as Teng allowed early damage in the first inning before settling in, but Houston still fell short in a 5-3 loss.
With ongoing rotation struggles, the Astros used Teng, who has primarily served as a relief pitcher this season, as an opener against Baltimore.
Teng’s outing played out like two different appearances in one game. He ran into early trouble in the first inning, allowing two runs on three hits as the Orioles jumped on him quickly.
After he settled in, he responded with two scoreless innings, showing better command and keeping Baltimore off the board. He finished with three innings pitched and two earned runs allowed.
Ryan Weiss followed in relief and provided a longer look out of the bullpen, going 3 2/3 innings while allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out three. He gave up a home run to Pete Alonso, a pitch that ultimately proved costly in the loss, but otherwise delivered a steady outing and kept the Astros within reach, giving the offense a chance that never fully materialized.
While both Teng and Weiss provided length and moments of control, Houston is still searching for reliable answers as its rotation continues to take shape amid injuries, inconsistency, and a constantly shifting pitching mix early in the season.