DENVER, June 27 -- Losers of eight of their last nine games, the Colorado Rockies sent struggling lefthander Ron Villone and cash to the Houston Astros Wednesday for righthander Jay Powell.
On Sunday, Colorado obtained righthander Mac Suzuki and catcher Sal Fasano from the Kansas City Royals for catcher Brent Mayne.
Acquired from the Cincinnati Reds last November, Villone struggled in four starts for Colorado before he was moved to the bullpen at the beginning of May. He fared better in 16 relief appearances, going 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA and limiting opponents to a .217 batting average.
The 30-year-old New Jersey native is 1-3 overall with a 6.36 ERA in 22 games.
The Astros will be Villone's sixth team. He broke into the majors in 1995 with the Seattle Mariners and also has pitched for the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati.
Powell, 29, made a successful comeback after spending most of last season on the disabled list and undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder in August.
He led the Astros this season with 35 appearances and is 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA, although he is none for five in save opportunities.
Powell made his major league debut in 1995 for the Florida Marlins and was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.
