Hank Conger blasts Angels past Brewers, 6-5

MILWAUKEE — Pinch-hitter Hank Conger came through with a two-run homer in the ninth inning off closer Jim Henderson that sent the Angels to a 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

Milwaukee had been 50-0 this season when leading after eight innings, the only team in the majors without a loss.

Henderson (3-4) retired his first two batters in the ninth before pinch-hitter Josh Hamilton doubled off the glove of sliding right fielder Caleb Gindle. Conger followed with his seventh home run, driving a 2-1 delivery to right.

BOX SCORE: Angels 6, Brewers 5

Dane Da La Rosa (6-1) pitched a perfect eighth for the win. Ernesto Frieri worked the ninth for his 29th save in 33 chances, giving the Angels seven wins in the first eight games of a nine-game trip.

Hamilton was held out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game because of a sore shoulder.

Jonathan Lucroy drove in four runs and scored another for the Brewers. He doubled in two runs in the first and singled home two more in the seventh to give Milwaukee a 5-4 lead.

With the Brewers trailing 4-3, pinch-hitter Norichika Aoki greeted Buddy Boshers, who relieved to start the seventh, with a single off the glove of second baseman Grant Green. With one out, Scooter Gennett was hit by a pitch. Michael Kohn relieved and Jean Segura reached on a single off the glove of shortstop Erick Aybar to load the bases. Lucroy followed with a two-run single to right.

The Angels scored three runs on five singles in the third to erase a 2-0 deficit. J.B. Shuck singled and moved to third on a single by Aybar. Mike Trout squibbed an infield single to the right side, scoring Shuck. Kole Calhoun followed with an RBI single to right, scoring Aybar from second and sending Trout to third. Luis Jimenez’s one-out single scored Trout to make it 3-2.

The Brewers tied it 3-all in the bottom half when Lucroy singled with two outs, stole second and Aramis Ramirez followed with a double down the right-field line. Chris Iannetta opened the fourth inning with his seventh home run, hammering a 1-0 pitch to left-center to put the Angels on top 4-3.