Deng Kaiwei pitched 2.2 innings in relief without allowing a hit or a run, lowering his ERA to 1.65.

After just one day of rest, Deng Kaiwei entered the game at a crucial moment today, striking out a batter to resolve the crisis, ultimately delivering a performance of 2.2 innings with no hits and no runs. However, after he left the game, the Houston Astros suffered a reversal, losing 5-8 to the Cleveland Guardians, who lead the AL Central division, on the road, failing to secure consecutive wins.

In today's game, Ryan Weiss started again, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing two runs before exiting. Colton Gordon then pitched one inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Gordon allowed two hits, and with one out and runners on first and second, the Astros, leading by only one run, handed the crisis to Deng Kaiwei.

After taking the mound, Deng Kaiwei first battled Angel Martinez, who had hit a solo home run in the second inning, through seven pitches, striking out Martinez with a middle fastball clocked at 95.2 mph, the fastest of the day. He then struck out pinch hitter Bo Naylor with a slider, consecutively striking out two left-handed batters to resolve the crisis.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Deng Kaiwei retired three left-handed Guardians batters in order. After the Astros added another run in the top of the seventh inning, in the bottom half, Deng Kaiwei initially walked Jose Ramirez but immediately induced a ground ball double play, continuing to shut down the Guardians' offense with another three-up-three-down sequence.

Ultimately, Deng Kaiwei used 31 pitches to complete 2.2 innings of relief, recording two strikeouts and one walk, with no hits or runs allowed. Despite the Astros bullpen collapsing again in the bottom of the eighth inning, allowing six runs in a single inning and suffering a reversal, Deng Kaiwei still secured his second relief success of the season.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada praised Deng Kaiwei after the game: "He performed really well, with stable control, able to throw a lot of good pitches."

Deng Kaiwei, who has now pitched three consecutive games without allowing a run, has appeared in ten games this season, pitching 16.1 innings, recording 16 strikeouts and 6 walks, allowing only seven hits and three runs, lowering his ERA to 1.65. In the Astros bullpen, which has the second-worst team OPS of 0.842 and ERA of 5.66 in the entire MLB since the start of the season, Deng Kaiwei is undoubtedly a standout.

Deng Kaiwei currently ranks fourth on the team with 16.1 innings pitched across ten appearances this season. He has pitched more than one inning in six outings this season, raising concerns about exceeding the normal workload for a relief pitcher.

Regarding the usage of Deng Kaiwei, Espada stated: "We certainly hope to reduce these long-inning appearances, but to achieve that, the starting pitchers need to last longer, at least completing five innings, so we can hand the ball to these relief pitchers without overusing them consistently."

The Astros' starting rotation has been severely impacted by injuries this season. Currently, the pitchers with the most innings on the team are Mike Burrows with 26.2 innings, Lance McCullers Jr. with 20.1 innings, and Weiss with 18 innings (including five relief appearances and two starts). Among the top four, only Deng Kaiwei is a full-time relief pitcher.