Two challenges go Angels' way vs. Royals

ANAHEIM -- After review, umpires judged Mike Scioscia's 13th managerial challenge a lucky -- and successful -- one on Saturday night at Angel Stadium. Ned Yost's challenge an inning later was not as fortunate, but the Royals wound up 7-4 winners after 13 innings.

The Angels manager maintained that Royals left fielder Alex Gordon did not make a clean catch with a juggling act on Albert Pujols' fifth-inning drive following a solo homer by Mike Trout.

Scioscia's contention that the ball hit the fence before Gordon finally corralled it on the warning track was affirmed on appeal. The call was overturned and Pujols was awarded a double. Gordon's glove went over the wall and knocked the ball down, and he bobbled it several times before snatching it before it hit the ground while seated on the warning track. It was unclear whether the ball would have cleared the fence.

Pujols advanced to third base on David Freese's groundout to third base, and he scored on James Shields' wild pitch, giving the Angels a 4-3 lead.

"There was so much going on out there," Gordon said. "The ball was in my glove, then it came out when my arm hit the wall. It hit my hat, then my shoulder, but I knew where it was going. Did I know it hit off the wall? No. I didn't think it did when it happened. I saw the umpire take off his headphones and I knew they were going to change it. I've never caught a ball like that."

Scioscia has won seven of his 13 appeals this season.

An inning later, with the score still 4-3, Angels catcher Hank Conger stretched a one-out double to right field, testing the arm of Nori Aoki. He reached second base ahead of shortstop Alcides Escobar's tag, but slid past the bag and had to quickly reach back to beat a second tag.

Second-base umpire Mark Wegner ruled Conger safe, and Yost challenged. After a brief review, the call was confirmed. The double didn't hurt the Royals, however, as Shields retired the next two batters to escape the inning.

"The play we challenged, the phone [to scouting coordinator Bill Duplissea, who was monitoring video] didn't work," Yost said. "First time that's happened. I went ahead and challenged it because it was the sixth inning."