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Conger lifts Angels with pinch-hit homer in the ninth

Sep 1, 2013 - 5:25 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Hank Conger's two-out pinch-hit home run in the top of the ninth inning lifted the LA Angels of Anaheim to a 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to take the first two of a three-game set from Miller Park.

After Jim Henderson (3-4) retired the first two batters he faced, Josh Hamilton ripped a pinch-hit double to right before Conger put the Angels on top with his seventh blast of the season.

"I throw a lot of fastballs...and I left it over the plate," Henderson said.

Dane De La Rosa (6-1) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win behind Jerome Williams, who held Milwaukee to three runs on eight hits over six innings.

"He (Williams) really settled in and pitched six strong innings for us," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "That's the way he can pitch. He has a quality in him to get it done like that."

Jonathan Lucroy went 3-for-5 with four RBI while Scooter Gennett had three hits and scored twice for Milwaukee, which has lost three of four.

Milwaukee strung together three straight hits to start the home half of the first. Gennett and Jean Segura singled to center before Lucroy plated the pair with a double to deep right.

The Angels responded with three in the third to take a lead. Mike Trout plated the first run when he reached on an infield single to second. Kole Calhoun then singled to right, scoring Erick Aybar, before Luis Jimenez singled home Trout with a poke up the middle.

The Brewers tied the score at 3-3 in the home half of the third on an Aramis Ramirez double to right. Lucroy, who singled and stole second, scored without a throw.

Chris Iannetta led off the top of the fourth with a home run to break the tie.

In the bottom of the seventh, Segura loaded the bases with an infield single for Lucroy, who plated Norichika Aoki and Gennett with a single to right. Segura advanced to third on Calhoun's fielding error, but Ramirez and Carlos Gomez struck out.

After LA took the lead in the top of the ninth, Ernesto Frieri pitched around a Gennett single to retire the side to earn his 29th save.

Game Notes

The Angels are winners in seven of their last eight games ... Marco Estrada started for Milwaukee and surrendered four runs on nine hits in seven innings while striking out eight ... Lucroy stole his sixth base of the year, second best among NL catchers behind Russell Martin's nine.