"It's my fault," Weiss takes direct hit from U.S. media! "Symbol of disaster," harshly criticized → Scheduled for demotion to minors

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryan Weiss (30, Houston Astros), known as the "Jesus of Daejeon" for leading the Hanwha Eagles to the Korean Series last season, hit a high wall in Major League Baseball (MLB). After celebrating the birth of his son, he took the mound against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, only to return with cold criticism from local media and a report card of "demotion to the minor leagues."

On the 5th (Korea time), Weiss appeared as the second pitcher after Steven Okert in a home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, effectively performing a starting role. However, he threw 95 pitches over 4⅓ innings and collapsed, allowing 8 hits (2 home runs), 4 walks, and 7 runs (6 earned runs).

In fact, Weiss's early game performance on this day was not bad. In the top of the first inning with one out and bases loaded, he escaped the crisis by striking out a batter with a 155.9 km/h fastball. However, from the second inning onward, he was helplessly overwhelmed by the Dodgers' offense. After allowing a solo home run to Alex Freeland to tie the game, he gave up a walk to Shohei Ohtani and a sacrifice fly to Will Smith, surrendering the lead. Especially in the third inning, he struggled as he was hit by a high fastball thrown to Kim Hye-seong, resulting in a hit, and continued a difficult battle.

According to U.S. sports specialty media The Athletic and Houston local media Houston Chronicle, after the game, Weiss said, "I know my abilities and my confidence is not shaken. It's my fault," conveying a resolve mixed with self-blame. However, the reaction from local media was as cold as Seoul. In particular, The Athletic defined Weiss as the "poster child for this catastrophe" of the Houston pitching staff, which has plummeted to the worst in the MLB.

The Athletic cited Weiss's ERA soaring to 7.62, 20.3 pitches per inning, and a batting average against of 0.315 as evidence of his miserable statistics, harshly criticizing that "Weiss being on the mound itself is a negative value for the team." In particular, they broadened their criticism to include the club's failure in pitcher roster management, which had secured a guaranteed contract worth $2.6 million (approximately 3.8 billion won).

Just a few months ago, Weiss was the key figure who led the Hanwha Eagles to their first Korean Series appearance in 19 years as a one-two punch for the team. Building on his performance in Korea, he nurtured his dream of becoming a Big League starting pitcher, but after the crushing defeat against the Dodgers, the club made a decision. The Athletic, citing sources, reported, "Ultimately, the decision was made to demote Weiss to the minor leagues." Although the club has not yet made an official announcement, he is expected to head to Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of Houston.

The Athletic stated, "It is true that there are many injured pitchers on the Houston staff, but while other teams are holding on, Houston is sinking," and predicted that Weiss's replacement should be the signal flare for revitalizing the pitching staff. Weiss, who had hoped for a rebound after returning from maternity leave amidst the joy of becoming a father, was once again forced by the cold reality of the MLB to pack his bags for the minor leagues.

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*This content was translated by AI.