Braves stage a ninth-inning comeback in wild game with Angels, but fall in extras

After almost five hours (and one incredible comeback), the Braves lose a wild 13-inning affair with the Angels by a final score of 11-6.

Atlanta had base runners in every inning through six, but could never capitalize against Garrett Richards, who struck out 10 Braves and allowed just four hits. Their best chance against the Angels starter came in the fifth. Already down 1-0 on a sacrifice fly by Albert Pujols, Atlanta had two on with one out, but Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton both struck out swinging.

The Angels took advantage of that missed opportunity the following inning, as Trout and Pujols hit back-to-back homers against Gavin Floyd. Anthony Varvaro would walk in a run in the seventh following a long battle with Mike Trout.

Adding to the frustration was B.J. Upton again. He let a single by Howie Kendrick roll under his glove and all the way to the wall, allowing Kendrick to run all the way to third. Erick Aybar singled him home shortly thereafter.

Evan Gattis homered in the eighth to finally put the Braves on the board, and the Angels turned to Ernesto Frieri in the ninth hoping the four-run lead was big enough for him to hold. However, Simmons singled; Ryan Doumit singled; Jason Heyward singled home Simmons; B.J. Upton, whose error led to the Angels' fifth run, tripled to bring home two more. Now, it was a one-run game with Freddie Freeman batting. Hitless in his last 14 at-bats, doubled to score B.J. and tie the game. Frieri coughed up five hits and four runs, and left without recording an out. Unfortunately, the Braves couldn't push across the winning run, forcing extras.

Craig Kimbrel immediately ran into trouble in the 10th. Pujols led off with a double, and then Josh Hamilton dunked a single into left field, scoring Pujols and regaining the lead for the Angels, who turned to rookie Cam Bedrosian to close the game.

At first, Bedrosian appeared rattled. Tommy La Stella singled leading off and was balked to second; Ramiro Pena reached on an infield single before Heyward split his bat dunking a single into right field, scoring La Stella and tying the game yet again. Atlanta managed to load the bases with two outs, but a diving catch by Kole Calhoun preserved the tie.

David Hale held the Angels off the scoreboard for two innings, but ran into a mess in the 13th. A bunt single, a walk to pinch-hitter C.J. Wilson, and a hit batsman loaded the bases with nobody out. Wilson appeared to offer with a bunt with two strikes, but it wasn't called as such. Hale was left in, but then Calhoun singled home one run, Trout doubled home two and only after that did Hale get pulled for Shae Simmons, but the damage had been done. Pujols added a two-run single.

The Braves couldn't come back from this second big deficit, and it wasn't a good night for Justin Upton or Chris Johnson either. They were combined 0-12 and Justin left nine on base, four of them in scoring position while Johnson hit into a double play in the ninth.

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