Houston: Houston Astros right-hander Teng Kai-wei, the only active Taiwanese pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB), experienced his fourth loss of the season as his team succumbed 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at home on Thursday. Teng allowed five runs over five innings on seven hits, which included two doubles and a home run, while issuing two walks and recording only one strikeout, his lowest total in his last four outings. According to Focus Taiwan, the Pirates, who had been on a scoring spree with at least nine runs in each of their previous four games, entered Thursday's game averaging 5.16 runs per game, the fourth-highest in the majors. They quickly got on the scoreboard in the first inning with a run on two hits off of Teng. However, the 27-year-old Taiwanese pitcher managed to shut them out over the next four innings as he found his rhythm. Teng's struggles resurfaced in the sixth inning when he allowed all four batters he faced to reach base safely. Ryan O'Hearn struck the decisive blow with a t wo-run homer, extending the Pirates' lead to 4-0. Teng was subsequently pulled from the game, but the final batter he faced, Nick Gonzales, reached on an infield hit and eventually scored on an error, adding an unearned run to Teng's final pitching stats. The Astros encountered difficulties on offense, failing to secure a hit in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position. Their only score came from an Isaac Paredes solo home run in the sixth inning, marking his eighth homer of the season. Following this outing, Teng's record fell to 3-4, and his earned run average rose to 3.06, with the five runs and four earned runs being the most he has allowed in any appearance this year with the Astros. Pirates starter Jared Jones secured his first win of the season, allowing only four hits over five innings. The loss resulted in Houston's record dropping to 28-36, positioning them fourth in the five-team American League West. The Astros are currently three games behind the Athletics and Texas Rangers, who share sec ond place in the division, trailing the Seattle Mariners.