Kai‑Wei Teng Throws 5 Scoreless Innings as Astros Power Past deGrom

The outing lowered Teng’s ERA to 2.61 and improved his season record to 2–3. Despite issuing four walks, he limited hard contact and consistently missed bats, allowing only two singles over five innings.

The strong start also demonstrated his versatility—Houston had primarily used him in relief earlier in the year before giving him spot starts as rotation depth.

Astros offense: four solo homers

Houston’s offense came almost entirely from the long ball. The Astros hit four solo home runs, tying their season high.

The homers came from:

• Jose Altuve – leadoff homer in the first inning
• Yordan Alvarez – solo shot later in the first
• Christian Walker – solo homer
• Zach Cole – solo homer

All four blasts came off Jacob deGrom, accounting for every Astros run in the game.

Jacob deGrom’s outing

Texas starter Jacob deGrom pitched six innings, but the home runs proved costly.

His line:

• 6.0 innings
• 5 hits
• 4 earned runs
• 4 strikeouts
• 0 walks

Allowing four home runs in one game is extremely rare in deGrom’s career and left him stuck at 99 career wins.

Why the win mattered for Teng in 2026

The victory was important for Teng’s evolving role with Houston. Earlier in the season he had been one of the Astros’ most effective bullpen arms, posting a 2.16 ERA in 11 relief appearances before the team began considering him for starting duties.

His performance against Texas showed he could handle a larger workload, strengthening his case as a swingman capable of shifting between relief and rotation roles depending on the club’s needs.

From Giants trade to Astros contributor

Teng joined Houston in January 2026, when the Astros acquired him from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for catching prospect Jancel Villarroel and international bonus pool money.

At the time, he was viewed primarily as a depth arm after posting a 6.37 ERA in 2025 with San Francisco. Houston’s plan was to use him as a flexible pitcher capable of covering multiple innings.

By mid‑season, that strategy was paying off. Teng had already:

• Made the Opening Day roster
• Established himself as a reliable long reliever
• Begun receiving spot starts when the Astros needed innings

His five‑scoreless‑inning performance against Texas was a clear sign that the under‑the‑radar offseason acquisition had become an important piece of Houston’s pitching staff.

The takeaway

Teng’s outing combined effective pitching with timely power hitting behind him. Five shutout innings and seven strikeouts helped Houston neutralize a Rangers lineup facing one of baseball’s best pitchers. Meanwhile, four solo homers ensured the Astros walked away with a 4–1 win and a standout moment in Teng’s breakout 2026 campaign.