Angels’ Shorter Swings Cut Down Brewers, 7-6

After the Angels lost their third consecutive game Sunday, Manager Buck Rodgers said his team was trying too hard to win with home runs instead of base hits.

On Monday, the Angels heeded his advice.

Junior Felix drove in a career-high five runs with two doubles and two singles, and Jim Abbott won his sixth consecutive decision in a 7-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Leadoff hitter Luis Polonia, who bats ahead of Felix, also had four hits, plus a walk.

“That’s not too shabby,” Rodgers said. “Luis and Junior set the table all day, and Junior got some big hits. We don’t have a lot of speed on this club, so I like to get some rabbits at the top of the lineup. That way we can manufacture some runs.”

“I’m just hungry to play,” said Felix, who missed much of the season with a calf injury. “This is almost like spring training to me.”

Abbott (15-8) gave up three runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Bryan Harvey pitched 1 2/3 innings for his 34th save.

Milwaukee’s B.J. Surhoff had four hits, including his fourth homer.

Jim Gantner’s RBI single gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the second, but the Angels pulled ahead, 2-1, in the third on a single by Polonia and run-scoring doubles by Felix and Dave Winfield.

The Brewers regained the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the third on consecutive singles by Willie Randolph, Darryl Hamilton, Robin Yount and Surhoff.

The Angels chased Don August (9-7) in the fourth. Gary Gaetti hit a leadoff double and Donnie Hill singled, setting up RBI singles by Lance Parrish and Felix against reliever Darren Holmes.

August had a 5-0 record and 2.87 earned-run average against the Angels in his career.

Felix hit a two-run double in the sixth and singled home a run in the eighth to make it 7-3.