Kai-Wei Teng pitched 2.1 scoreless innings; American reporter reveals he wanted his rookie card but found it too expensive.

Kai-Wei Teng pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief today, helping the Houston Astros shut out the Athletics 11-0 on the road and securing Tatsuya Imai's first career MLB win. During the game, Astros sideline reporter Julia Morales revealed that Teng wanted his own rookie player card but decided not to buy it because it was too expensive.

After Teng recorded his third strikeout of the day to end the eighth inning and complete his pitching assignment, Morales said, "He told me he wanted his rookie card, but it was too expensive, so he didn't buy it. He checked the price and then thought, forget it."

Astros broadcaster Todd Kalas seemed surprised: "Kai-Wei Teng... we could raise funds for him, help him buy his own rookie card. He needs that card."

Today, Teng entered the game in the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, replacing Tatsuya Imai. He threw 33 pitches (22 strikes) over 2.1 relief innings, recording 3 strikeouts, no walks, allowing 2 hits and no runs, helping his team complete the shutout against the Athletics.

It's worth noting that before this game, Teng had never thrown a pitch at 96 mph in MLB, but today he threw 10 pitches above 96 mph, with the fastest reaching 96.8 mph. Moreover, while his velocity increased across all pitch types, he also achieved his best strike rate of the season at 67%, with 58% of his pitches entering the strike zone.