BASEBALL/Taiwan's Teng Kai-wei, Astros lose to Pirates 5-1

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) Houston Astros right-hander Teng Kai-wei (鄧愷威), the only active Taiwanese pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB), suffered his fourth loss of the season as his team fell 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at home Thursday.

Teng allowed five runs over five innings on seven hits, including two doubles and a home run, while issuing two walks. He had only one strikeout, his lowest total in his last four outings.

The Pirates, who had scored at least nine runs in each of their previous four games, entered Thursday's contest averaging 5.16 runs per game, the fourth-highest mark in the majors.

They got off to a quick start in the first, getting a run on two hits off of Teng, but were shut out over the next four innings by the 27-year-old Taiwanese as he settled into a rhythm.

Teng's downfall came in the sixth, when he allowed the four batters he faced to reach safely. Ryan O'Hearn delivered the big blow for the Pirates, a two-run homer, giving his team a 4-0 lead.

Teng was then pulled, but the final batter he faced, Nick Gonzales, who reached in an infield hit, came around to score on an error, adding an unearned run to Teng's final pitching numbers.

Houston struggled offensively, going hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position. Its only run was an Isaac Paredes solo home run in the sixth inning, his eighth of the season.

Teng fell to 3-4 after the outing, with his earned run average rising to 3.06. The five runs and four earned runs were the most he has given up in any appearance with the Astros this year.

Pirates starter Jared Jones earned his first win of the season after allowing four hits over five innings.

The loss dropped Houston's record to 28-36, good for fourth place in the five-team American League West. The Astros sit three games behind the Athletics and Texas Rangers, who are tied for second place in the division behind the Seattle Mariners.