Teng Kai-wei's Toughest Start of the Season: 'Got Too Anxious'; Manager Says 'Not His Best'

(Central News Agency, Lin Hong-han, Los Angeles, 9th) Taiwanese MLB pitcher Teng Kai-wei started against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, enduring his toughest start of the season. Manager Joe Espada said it was 'not his best outing' but praised Teng for pitching two extra innings to relieve the bullpen. Teng said after the game that his signature 'sweeper' pitch couldn't find the strike zone, causing him to get anxious. The Houston Astros lost 10-1 on the road. Teng pitched 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 5 walks, and 7 runs (5 earned), taking his 5th loss of the season. Manager Espada said after the game that Teng struggled early, couldn't get ahead in counts, and couldn't generate many swings and misses. However, he commended Teng for battling through the trouble and eating two extra innings to protect the bullpen. Teng's control was shaky from the first inning, issuing 2 walks and 1 hit-by-pitch. In addition to the hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, an infielder's error and a defensive miscue that prevented a double play led to 2 runs in the first inning without a hit. The Angels' offense exploded in the second inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, Wade Meckler hit a double for 2 runs, followed by a double from Jo Adell and a single from Nolan Schanuel, plating 5 runs in the inning. Teng threw 93 pitches over 4 innings, a season-high. Following his previous start against the Pirates (5 innings, 5 runs, 4 earned), this game's 7 runs (5 earned) were both season worsts. Teng said his biggest problem was frequently falling behind in the count. He stated that his sweeper wasn't entering the strike zone from the start, leading to him 'getting too anxious, which made my mechanics rushed and my release point inconsistent.' He calmed down between innings and regained control of his sweeper in the final two innings. He noted that because the opposing lineup had many right-handed batters and his sweeper was ineffective, he relied more on four-seam and two-seam fastballs to get ahead in counts, which may have made him predictable. (Editor: Tian Ruihua) 1150610