Astros Manager Praises Teng Kai-wei's Growing Strength as a Starting Pitcher

Houston Astros pitcher Teng Kai-wei achieved a career milestone on Sunday, delivering his first quality start by pitching six scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs. The Taiwanese right-hander allowed just two hits, recorded six strikeouts, and issued three walks, ultimately securing his third victory of the season.

Astros manager Joe Espada lauded Teng's performance, highlighting his growing adaptation to the starting pitcher role. "He's getting stronger and stronger the more he pitches," Espada observed. "His pitches were still moving well later in the game, still getting hitters to miss, which is something we noticed around the 70-80 pitch mark. He was able to consistently hit his spots and keep the ball down, and his slider remained effective." Espada pointed to Teng's ability to maintain command and pitch effectiveness deep into the game as evidence of his developing comfort and mastery of the starting position.

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He's getting stronger and stronger the more he pitches. His pitches were still moving well later in the game, still getting hitters to miss, which is something we noticed around the 70-80 pitch mark. He was able to consistently hit his spots and keep the ball down, and his slider remained effective.

Teng's outing contributed to a strong recent stretch for the Astros' starting rotation, which has posted a 1.58 ERA over their last four games, including three shutouts. Espada emphasized the importance of consistent starting pitching for the team's success. "We're starting to throw quality start after quality start, and our offense is doing well today, but if we want to keep winning and build consistency, we need to perform on both sides of the ball, and it starts with the pitchers," he stated. Teng's performance is a key part of this developing stability for the Astros.

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We're starting to throw quality start after quality start, and our offense is doing well today, but if we want to keep winning and build consistency, we need to perform on both sides of the ball, and it starts with the pitchers.