Los Angeles, CA – Adrian Gonzalez went 4-for-4 with four runs scored as the Los Angeles Dodgers survived with an 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Dodgers overcame three errors and a poor start from Zach Greinke, who was tagged for six runs -- four earned -- and ten hits in four-plus innings. Juan Uribe did not start the game but finished 3-for-3 while Scott Van Slyke had two hits and a pair of RBI.
Ronald Belisario (3-4) earned the win by inducing a double play in the seventh inning while Brandon League picked up his 11th save for the Dodgers, who host Tuesday's clash before the series heads to Angel Stadium of Anaheim for the final two games.
Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick had three hits apiece to pace the Angels, who had an eight-game winning streak snapped.
Mike Trout singled with one away in the opening frame before Pujols lofted a pop up into center field. Matt Kemp tracked the ball down but it bounced in and out of his glove, ultimately landing on the grass next to him. Trout and Pujols ended up in scoring position and scored when Mark Trumbo struck out but advanced to first when Ramon Hernandez allowed a passed ball and made a poor throw to first.
Gonzalez and Van Slyke ripped consecutive doubles to start the home half of the second inning, putting the Dodgers' first run across.
Pujols doubled and scored in the third when, after Trumbo and Josh Hamilton were retired, Kendrick doubled to center to give the Angels a 3-1 edge.
Greinke's struggles continued in the fourth inning when Hank Conger led off with a single to left and advanced on C.J. Wilson's sacrifice. Erick Aybar doubled home Conger and Trout followed with his major league-leading sixth triple of the season. Pujols plated Trout with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center.
Hernandez's sac fly in the fourth plated Gonzalez to make it a 6-2 game.
The Dodgers chased Wilson from the game with a four-spot in the home half of the fifth. With one out and Luis Cruz and Nick Punto on the corners, Mark Ellis doubled in a pair of runs to bring the home team within two. Kemp whiffed for the second out, but Gonzalez singled in a run and Van Slyke followed with an RBI-double off the wall in left. Michael Kohn replaced Wilson on the mound and got Hernandez to pop out, ending the frame.
"We got a big lead early, but unfortunaley, C.J. (Wilson) couldn't make some of his pitches," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Give them credit, they came back."
A.J. Ellis hit a sacrifice fly with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Dodgers their first lead, but it didn't last long as Kendrick drove in Hamilton with a single to right the next time the Angels took the plate.
The home team finally pulled ahead for good in the bottom of the seventh when they got to Angels reliever Robert Coello (1-1), who hadn't allowed a run in 8 1/3 innings in relief this season. Coello fanned Kemp and Van Slyke around a Gonzalez single, but Andre Ethier drew a walk and Jerry Hairston Jr. drove in Gonzalez with a single to right before Cruz struck out.
"We got a lot of big hits tonight," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "A lot of good thigns happened. It didnt start pretty, but it was a good effort by us to come back."
League gave up a leadoff single to Pujols to start the ninth, but got Trumbo to hit into a double play then forced a groundout from Hamilton to end the game.
Game Notes
Wilson started for the Angels and surrendered six runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings ... Kemp went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts ... Both teams had four hits with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
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