Dodgers hold on to defeat Angels, 2-1

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Dodgers starter Dan Haren delivers a pitch during the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers outfielders Yasiel Puig, center, and Carl Crawford, right, celebrate with their teammates after a 2-1 win over the Angels on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels center fielder Mike Trout reacts after striking out with a man in scoring position in the ninth inning of the team’s 2-1 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers center fielder Yasiel Puig gestures to his teammates heading into the ninth inning of the team’s 2-1 win over the Angels on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon throws out Angels baserunner Hank Conger (not pictured) during the third inning of the team’s 2-1 win Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers starter Dan Haren sits in the dugout during the team’s 2-1 win over the Angels on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford is congratulated by his teammates after scoring on a double by Andre Ethier (not pictured) against the Angels on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers designated hitter Matt Kemp hits a solo home run during the second inning of Wednesday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers designated hitter Matt Kemp celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the second inning of Wednesday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers center fielder Yasiel Puig, left, speaks with Angels first baseman Albert Pujols before the start of Wednesday’s game. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers teammates Adrian Gonzalez, left, and Yasiel Puig talk before Wednesday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers teammates (from left to right) Matt Kemp, Miguel Rojas, Andre Ethier, Juan Uribe and Carl Crawford celebrate the team’s 5-4 walk-off win over the Angels on Tuesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers pinch hitter Andre Ethier, left, celebrates with teammate Adrian Gonzalez after the Dodgers’ 5-4 walk-off win over the Angels on Tuesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers pinch-hitter Andre Ethier hits a bouncer to third base, allowing teammate Juan Uribe (not pictured) to score the winning run on a throwing error in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over the Angels on Tuesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe, right, celebrates next to Angels catcher Chris Iannetta after scoring on a walk-off error in the ninth inning of the team’s 5-4 win Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels teammates Josh Hamilton, left, and Mike Trout joke around before Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw delivers a pitch during the second inning of Tuesday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe reacts after his throw to first base is too late to force out Mike Trout during the first inning of Tuesday’s game. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels teammates Howie Kendrick, left, and David Freese, center, celebrate after scoring as Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis looks on during the second inning of Tuesday’s game. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels baserunner Mike Trout, left, shares a laugh with Dodgers right fielder Matt Kemp after being called out on a double play during the first inning of a game on Aug. 5. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe hits a three-run home run in the second inning against the Angels on Tuesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers fans cheer as Matt Kemp scores a run during the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels first baseman Albert Pujols hits a solo home run in the eighth inning of the team’s 5-4 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Garrett Richards is 12-4 with a 2.54 earned-run average. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels center fielder Mike Trout stretches before Monday’s Freeway Series game against the Dodgers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers center fielder gestures during batting practice before Monday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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A fan wearing a Mike Trout shirt and a Dodgers hat arrives at Dodger Stadium before the start of Monday’s interleague game between the Dodgers and Angels. (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)

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Dodgers and Angels players greet one another before the start of Monday’s game. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, left, and Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly meet at home plate before the start of Monday’s game. (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)

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Angels center fielder Mike Trout hits a run-scoring double during the first inning of Monday’s game against the Dodgers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick, center, scores past Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, left, as umpire Manny Gonzalez looks on during the first inning of Monday’s game. (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)

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Dodgers starter Zack Greinke reacts after giving up four runs during the first inning of Monday’s game against the Angels. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, left, congratulates center fielder Mike Trout after he scores a run against the Dodgers on Monday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers starter Zack Greinke sits in the dugout after giving up four runs in the first inning of Monday’s game against the Angels. (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)

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Dodgers batter Yasiel Puig can’t beat the throw to Angels first baseman Albert Pujols during the first inning of Monday’s game. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels pitcher Garrett Richards, left, speaks with catcher Hank Conger during Richards’ complete-game shutout over the Dodgers on Monday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers center fielder Yasiel Puig makes a catch during the sixth inning of the team’s 5-0 loss to the Angels on Monday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels starter Garrett Richards delivers a pitch during the first inning of the Angels’ 5-0 win over the Dodgers on Monday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

By Mike DiGiovanna

Aug. 6, 2014 11:32 PM PT

KEY MOMENT: With the Angels trailing, 2-0, Erick Aybar led off the eighth inning with a bunt single off Dodgers starter Dan Haren and took third on C.J. Cron’s one-out, pinch-hit single to left off reliever J.P. Howell. Brandon League replaced Howell and got pinch-hitter Chris Iannetta to hit a sacrifice fly to center and David Freese to ground out to shortstop, with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez making a nice scoop of Miguel Rojas’ low throw to end the inning.

AT THE PLATE: Matt Kemp led off the second by driving a full-count fastball from Angels starter Matt Shoemaker over the left-field wall for his sixth home run in nine games and 14th of the season. Carl Crawford followed with an infield single, stole second and scored on Andre Ethier’s double to right for a 2-0 lead. It was Ethier’s first hit since July 22.

ON THE MOUND: Shoemaker needed 52 pitches to get through two innings, striking out Dee Gordon with runners on second and third and one out in the second and getting Gonzalez to ground out to second with the bases loaded to end the inning. But he rebounded from the rocky start to blank the Dodgers on two hits from the third through sixth innings.

IN THE FIELD: Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick made a spectacular backhand, diving stop of Gonzalez’s one-hop smash and threw to first for an out in the first. Kole Calhoun made a nice diving catch of Kemp’s flare to shallow right in the eighth.

ELITE COMPANY: Angels center fielder Mike Trout turns 23 on Thursday. He joins Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Mel Ott as the only players to have multiple seasons of at least 25 home runs, 80 runs batted in, 100 runs and a batting average over .320 before the age of 23. He is also the only player with 80 or more homers and 80 or more stolen bases before age 23.

ROSTER MOVE: Utility player Chone Figgins, who hit .217 in 38 games with the Dodgers but had not played since June 13 because of a strained left quadriceps muscle, was designated for assignment Wednesday. Figgins made the team as a non-roster invitee to spring training, but the presence of utility infielder Justin Turner and Rojas’ strong defense at shortstop made him expendable.

EXTRA BASES: Freese tweaked his left patellar tendon on a sixth-inning strikeout Tuesday and was not in Wednesday’s lineup. He entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and expects to start Thursday.

UP NEXT: Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson (8-7, 4.74 earned-run average) will oppose Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-5, 3.39) at Angel Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m. On the air: TV: FS West, SportsNet LA. Radio: 830 AM, 570 AM.

Dodgers hold on to defeat Angels, 2-1

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