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Astros top Padres; Wells given rude welcome back to majors

Jun 27, 2012 - 6:07 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Jordan Lyles spun 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball on Tuesday as the Houston Astros downed the San Diego Padres, 5-3, in the second installment of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Lyles (2-4) scattered six hits and walked four while striking out four to snap a personal three-game slide. Brett Myers recorded his 17th save despite giving up a pair of hits in the ninth.

J.D. Martinez crushed a two-run homer and Jed Lowrie added a solo blast and scored twice as the Astros earned their third win in their last four games.

Kip Wells (0-1), who last appeared in the majors on October 1, 2009 with the Cincinnati Reds, took the loss for San Diego after giving up five runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and three walks over five full frames.

Will Venable clubbed a solo home run and Chase Headley added a two-run single for the Padres, who had won their last four meetings with the Astros.

Venable led off the third inning with a solo shot to right that umpires originally ruled a triple as it bounced back into play. The crew of umpires elected to review the play and decided it cleared the wall in right, awarding Venable with his sixth home run of the year to give the Padres a 1-0 lead.

Lowrie responded in the bottom half with a leadoff blast of his own as he launched a fastball into the Astros bullpen in right-center field to knot the game at 1-1.

Houston broke the game open with a four-run fifth to jump in front for good.

Lowrie singled to start the frame before Brian Bogusevic reached first on Wells' throwing error two batters later to put runners on the corners.

"Obviously from an individual standpoint, you realize that you kind of shot yourself in the foot a little bit," Wells admitted.

Wells then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Lowrie to scamper home before Chris Johnson ripped a single through the left side to plate Bogusevic from second and give the Astros a 3-1 lead.

After Jason Castro flied out, Martinez belted a two-run shot into left-center field to cap the four-run frame and give the home team a 5-1 lead.

"He's getting back into that hitter that we all saw last year," said Houston manager Brad Mills about Martinez. "He's on a little roll here and we surely hope that that can continue."

Lyles pitched into the seventh inning before Fernando Abad held the Padres hitless over his 1 2/3 innings of work. David Carpenter started the ninth, but issued a one-out single and a subsequent walk to mark the end of his night.

Myers entered for Carpenter and got Carlos Quentin to fly out deep to center field before Headley stroked a base hit through the right side to plate a pair and trim the deficit to 5-3.

John Baker singled to put the tying run on first and Everth Cabrera was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Myers got Alexi Amarista to ground out weakly to shortstop as the Astros escaped with victory.

Game Notes

Wells signed a minor league contract with San Diego on May 8 and went 1-4 with a 4.97 earned run average in seven starts for Triple-A Tucson...San Diego also recalled pitcher Nick Vincent from Double-A San Antonio while optioning infielder Andy Parrino and pitcher Brad Boxberger to Tucson. Pitcher Joe Wieland was transferred to the 60-day disabled list...Vincent made his Major League debut in the sixth and allowed just one walk while striking out two in two scoreless innings of work...The Padres wore patches with the number 48 in remembrance of bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds who passed away Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer...Lowrie now has 14 home runs on the season which ties him for second in franchise history for home runs in a season by a Houston shortstop with Miguel Tejada who hit 14 in 2009...Dickie Thon hit 20 in 1983 for the franchise record.