Without Pence, Astros lose 4-0 to Brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP)—Hunter Pence(notes) was traded midway through the game, and the Houston Astros couldn’t score with him—or without him—against Milwaukee’s Randy Wolf(notes).

Pence went 0 for 1 with a walk before being removed in the fifth inning, and Wolf pitched seven scoreless innings, giving the Brewers a 4-0 victory Friday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Pence was removed midway in the fifth inning of a scoreless game, traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for three minor-leaguers and a player to be named.
“I really thank Houston for all the support they’ve given me,” Pence said after the game. “Ultimately, I want to give back as much as I can. When I look back on it, I know my team here, I played with everything I had. I learned a lot and I’m going to keep moving forward.”

Houston starter Jordan Lyles(notes) (0-6) had breezed through the first four innings, giving up only one hit and facing the minimum 12 batters.

“That was pretty outstanding,” Houston manager Brad Mills(notes) said. “He threw the ball extremely well. Wolf matched him and it was tough to scratch anything across.”

Immediately after Pence was replaced by Jason Michaels(notes) in right-field, Prince Fielder(notes) led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to the wall in right-center field. The Brewers strung three more hits in the inning, scoring twice for the only runs they would need.

“In the fifth, they made me pay for not dusting some curveballs,” Lyles said. “They weren’t bad pitches, but they put good swings on them. It was better hitting than the pitches I made. They didn’t hit me around too hard in that fifth, but didn’t hit them at people. Luckily, I got out of there with just two runs and kept our team close.”

Wolf (7-8) had not won since June 24, going 0-4 with a no-decision in five starts since then. The left-hander, though, had no troubles with Houston, scattering four hits and three walks while striking out five.

Takashi Saito(notes) pitched the eighth and Kameron Loe(notes) the ninth for Milwaukee, which limited Houston to four hits, all singles. The Astros have lost six of their last eight games.

Lyles, who entered the season as Houston’s top pitching prospect, is winless in 11 starts. He pitched six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out three.

Pence was batting .309 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs entering Friday. The Phillies gave up three prospects in first baseman Jonathan Singleton, right-hander Jarrod Cosart and right-hander Josh Zeid. Cosart is one of Philadelphia’s best pitching prospects and Singleton is considered their top hitting prospect.

Pence recorded his final putout on a routine fly from Ryan Braun(notes) to end the bottom of the fourth, tossing the ball into the stands behind the Astros dugout. He didn’t bat in the top of the fifth, and went out to right-field in the middle of the inning, but was replaced by Michaels before Lyles threw his first pitch.

Center fielder Michael Bourn(notes), also the subject of trade rumors, has played with Pence on the Astros since 2008.

“Phillies are getting a first-class player, a great addition to their team,” he said. “You hate to see a teammate like that go because I’ve been playing with him since I came over here, grew up together a little bit. I wish him the best.”

Mills said he was not sure who would get the bulk of playing time in right-field in Pence’s absence.

“Any time you lose somebody like Hunter it’s going to take something away from the lineup,” he said. “Any ballclub. Not just us.”

“Everybody has a lot of heart for Hunter and everything that he’s meant to this organization,” he said. “Everything he’s done for our fans and our fan base. He’s a special guy and a special player. He’ll do well there.”

Notes: J.D. Martinez, who has been playing at Double-A Corpus Christi will join the Astros to fill Pence’s spot on the roster. … Brewers relievers have not allowed a run in 12 1-3 innings.