Mather Leads Braves Over Angels 5-4 In 12 Innings

ANAHEIM, CA – Joe Mather hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning with Atlanta down by four runs, and drove in the go-ahead run with a 12th-inning double to lead the Braves to a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

Trevor Bell (1-1), the eighth Angels pitcher, retired his first two batters in the 12th before Alex Gonzalez reached on an infield single up the middle and took an extra base as rookie second baseman Alex Amarista inadvertently kicked the ball into short left field for his first error in the big leagues. Mather then lifted a 1-0 pitch to right field that fell just inside the foul line and out of the reach of Torii Hunter as Gonzalez scored.

Scott Proctor (1-0) pitched a perfect 11th inning for Atlanta. The victory was the right-hander’s first with the Braves and improved his National League record to 6-0. The seven-year veteran is 11-10 in the AL. Rookie Craig Kimbrell got three outs for his 12th save in 16 chances.