The Houston Astros are looking to bounce back today as they wrap up a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m. CT, and both teams are eager to close out this matchup on a high note.
Right-hander Kai-Wei Teng takes the mound for the Astros, making just his second start of the season after spending most of the year in the bullpen. Teng has been impressive in relief, posting a 1.80 ERA over 13 appearances and holding opponents to a .183 batting average. He's allowed only 15 hits in 23 innings of work. In his last outing on May 4 against the Dodgers, he tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. His only start this season came on April 28 at Baltimore, where he gave up two runs on five hits over three innings.
Teng's journey to the big leagues is a story worth following—he became the eighth Taiwanese-born pitcher in MLB history to earn a win last August, and he's just the second Taiwanese-born player to suit up for the Astros, following Chien-Jen Lo in 2013.
The Reds will counter with left-hander Andrew Abbott, who carries a 5.13 ERA into today's contest. The Astros have a long history with Cincinnati, having faced the Reds 859 times—more than any other franchise. Despite a losing record in the all-time series, Houston took two of three from the Reds last season and picked up a key win on Friday night, their first victory at Great American Ball Park since 2012.
In other team news, infielder Isaac Paredes played in his 600th career game on Friday, becoming the 14th Mexican-born player to reach that milestone. The Astros have also been mixing things up at the plate—they've used 40 different batting orders in 40 games this season, with only Yordan Alvarez holding a steady spot in the lineup.
The Astros made a roster move yesterday, claiming outfielder Rhylan Thomas off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and optioning him to Triple-A Sugar Land. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, a right-handed pitcher was transferred to the 60-day injured list.