Angels 6, Brewers 5
MILWAUKEE -- Hank Conger's ninth-inning pinch-hit home run gave the Los Angeles Angels a 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday night in Milwaukee.
Brewers closer Jim Henderson (3-4) took over in the ninth having converted saves in each of his last 12 appearances. He quickly retired Grant Green and Chris Iannetta before allowing a pinch-hit double to Josh Hamilton.
Conger came on to hit for pitcher Dane De La Rosa (6-1) and drove a 2-1 fastball off the pole in right field for his seventh homer of the season.
Ernesto Frieri earned his 29th save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
Milwaukee had taken the lead in the seventh thanks in large part to two deflected ground balls.
Trailing 4-3 against left-hander Buddy Boshers, pinch-hitter Norichika Aoki singled off the glove of second baseman Peter Bourjos and moved to second on a Yuniesky Betancourt groundout.
Boshers put two on when he hit Scooter Gennett with a pitch and Angels manager Mike Scioscia called Michael Kohn from the bullpen. Kohn loaded the bases when Jean Segura's ground ball deflected off shortstop Erick Aybar's glove for a base hit and, on a 2-2 count, Jonathan Lucroy slapped a single down the right-field line to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs.
The hit capped off a 3-for-5 day for Lucroy who finished with four RBI and a run scored and is hitting .328 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI over his last 84 games.
Marco Estrada held the Angels to four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out eight while Angels starter Jerome Williams went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
A two-run double by Lucroy gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead, but Los Angeles tied the score in the third on four consecutive singles and took a 3-2 lead on Luis Jimenez's RBI single. The Brewers tied the score in the bottom of the inning on Aramis Ramirez's two-run double, but Chris Iannetta's leadoff home run in the fourth put the Angels back ahead 4-3.
NOTES: With many of their better prospects already in the major leagues, the Brewers don't expect to do much Sunday when roster limits expand from 25 to 40. RHP Donovan Hand will likely return to Milwaukee and RHP Johnny Hellweg could come later as manager Ron Roenicke considers moving to a six-man rotation to finish the season. ... Lucroys's first-inning RBI double snapped a string of 22 consecutive scoreless innings by Angels pitchers, who combined for a 1.91 ERA since Aug. 20. ... OF Josh Hamilton did not start for the second consecutive game because of a sore left shoulder, but he had a pinch-hit double in the ninth inning. ... Brewers LHP Tom Gorzelanny will work out of the bullpen for the rest of this season and will not compete for a rotation spot in 2014, Roenicke said.
