Angels come up big in extra innings over Atlanta Braves, 11-6

KEY MOMENT: Erick Aybar drew a walk to open the 13th inning, and with pitcher C.J. Wilson squaring to bunt, took second on Gerald Laird’s passed ball. Wilson drew a walk, and Chris Iannetta was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Angels then unloaded on what was left of the Braves bullpen, as Kole Calhoun hit an RBI single to center, Mike Trout hit a two-run double to left, and Albert Pujols hit a two-run single to center for an 11-6 lead.

AT THE PLATE: Pujols drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and he followed Trout’s solo homer in the sixth with a homer to left-center, his 16th of the season and 508th of his career. The four RBIs gave Pujols 1,539 for his career, moving him ahead of Joe DiMaggio for 45th place on baseball’s all-time list. Trout also had four RBIs, including a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, and Aybar had three singles, including an RBI single that gave the Angels a 5-1 lead in the eighth.

ON THE MOUND: Garrett Richards delivered his third straight superb start, holding the Braves to four hits in six scoreless innings, striking out 10, a career high, and walking three. Kevin Jepsen threw a scoreless seventh and has not allowed a run in 16 appearances, a span of 12 1/3 innings in which he has given up five hits, struck out 12 and walked five. Joe Smith gave up a solo homer to Evan Gattis in the eighth. Fernando Salas threw a scoreless 11th and 12th innings, and Cory Rasmus retired the side in order in the 13th.

IN THE FIELD: Aybar robbed his counterpart, slick-fielding Braves shortstop Aldrelton Simmons, of two hits, leaping to grab a line drive that appeared headed to left field for the last out in the second and sprawling toward the hole to make a back-hand, diving stop of Simmon’s one-hop smash and throwing to second for an inning-ending force out in the fourth.

EXTRA BASES: Tyler Skaggs, on the disabled list because of a right-hamstring straing, played long-toss Saturday and is scheduled to resume throwing on a mound Sunday. The left-hander said the hamstring “feels better,” and he is confident he will be ready to return when his DL stint is up next Saturday.

UP NEXT: Left-hander Hector Santiago (0-6, 4.15 ERA) will oppose Atlanta left-hander Mike Minor (2-4, 4.31 ERA) at Turner Field on Sunday at 5 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: ESPN. Radio: 830 AM.