SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Ryan Vogelsong labored through five innings to regain the National League's best ERA, five relievers finished with four scoreless innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Saturday night.
Vogelsong (8-1) allowed two runs on seven hits in one of his least spectacular outings of the season, finding yet another way to win. The journeyman All-Star notched enough innings for his 2.10 ERA to qualify for the lowest in the league again.
Nate Schierholtz drove in two runs and Aubrey Huff delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth. Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his 30th save.
Randy Wolf (6-8) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings for the Brewers, who fell back into a tie with St. Louis in the NL Central.
Vogelsong, pitching a day after his 34th birthday, has become the most reliable pitcher in one of baseball's best rotations. Almost as remarkable, the right-hander's only blemish this season remains a 1-0 loss to Florida on May 26 - the day San Francisco found out star catcher Buster Posey was out for the year.
Even on a night he was hardly at his best, Vogelsong's mistakes were minor.
Ryan Braun hit the first pitch of the fourth inning over the left-field wall to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. The home run was Braun's 19th this season.
The Giants also backed Vogelsong with a trio of spectacular defensive plays.
Rickie Weeks was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Cody Ross later in the fourth, sliding in a toe late on a sharp tag by catcher Chris Stewart. After Yuniesky Betancourt singled, Stewart faked a throw to second and caught Casey McGehee heading for the plate from third for an easy out.
