Angels Get OakChoked in Extras; Team Falls to 6-8

Build Me Up, Buttercup is ringing in my head, at a painfully clear tone.

Tax Day headaches didn't end for Angels fans once H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt and TurboTax were relieved of their duties. Despite Garrett Richards going 7 innings (although he allowed five runs and clung tightly to a one-run lead upon his exit), the game quickly turned into a Johnny Allstaff match once Joe Smith imploded. Jose Alvarez faced one batter and left, giving way to Michael Kohn, Fernando Salas and Ernesto Frieri, who all managed to keep the peace for an inning each until one Yoslan Herrera took the mound and promptly blew the game in five pitches.

Oakland's hero was Josh Donaldson, who hit the 11th-inning RBI double that drove home Jed Lowrie to hand them a 10-9 lead they wouldn't relinquish. So if it's any consolation, at least it wasn't the likes of Angel killer extraordinaires Brandon Moss, John Jaso or Coco Crisp delivering the death knell. Another consolation is that Herrera didn't blow the game WIDE open when there was a clear opportunity, questionably delivering an intentional walk to Alberto Callaspo with two out and Donaldson on second to bring up Derek Norris, who was 2-for-2 at the time.

Though the Halos had the top three of Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols back up to mount a comeback in the 11th, it wasn't enough. Calhoun was a quick out, but Trout singled and his mere presence on base was enough to rattle Jim Johnson on the mound, who threw two balls in the dirt and allowed Trout to steal his first base of the year. Pujols was then intentionally walked to get to Ibanez, who sacrificed both Trout and Pujols over a base each, leaving the duty to Howie Kendrick, who impatiently turned over on a ground ball to Lowrie to end the game ever-so anticlimactically.

You know the drill. Tip your cap, turn the page, and curse multiple Angels' names from the rooftops.