Brewers Remain in Race, 6-5 : August Beats Angels, Moving Milwaukee Within 3 1/2 of Boston

The Milwaukee Brewers kept an eye on the scoreboard and their attention on the Angels.

B.J. Surhoff hit a two-run double, and Don August scattered 7 hits in 6 innings Tuesday night, helping Milwaukee score a 6-5 victory over the Angels and pullingl the Brewers within 3 1/2 games of the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox, who lost to Toronto, 15-9.

Chris Bosio, who notched his fifth save despite allowing a run in the ninth, said the Brewers were well aware of the Boston score.

“We were watching TV before we went out there today and saw the big inning Toronto had,” Bosio said. “We just used it as incentive. We went out and we were ready to go before the first pitch was thrown.

“We’re still in it. What have we got, four games left? Why not, let’s think big.”

August (13-6) allowed 3 runs on 7 hits for his sixth straight victory. He struck out 3 and walked 4 over the final 1 innings.

The Brewers led, 6-0, before the Angels scored 4 runs in the seventh inning, keyed by Johnny Ray’s 3-run homer. Ray, who went 4 for 5 with 4 runs batted in, added a run-scoring single in the ninth to make it 6-5.

“They’re in a pennant race,” said Angel interim Manager Moose Stubing. “We’re down, 6-0, we come back to make it 6-5 with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. It was kind of nice to see the guys hang in there.”

The Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the second off starter Willie Fraser (12-12). Greg Brock doubled with one out and Jeffrey Leonard walked. After Joey Meyer struck out, Surhoff doubled to left-center, scoring Brock and Leonard.

Milwaukee added a run in the third on Rob Deer’s RBI single.