Angels 4, Athletics 3 (10): Howie Kendrick delivered the walk-off sacrifice fly as Los Angeles took the opener of a pivotal four-game series from visiting Oakland.

Ryan Cook (1-2) came on with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and retired Mike Trout to send it into extra innings but walked Albert Pujols leading off the 10th before Josh Hamilton slipped a single up the middle. Kendrick followed and lifted a deep fly toward the corner in right to easily score Pujols from third.

Fernando Salas (5-0) picked up the win in relief for the Angels, who moved two games ahead of the Athletics in the American League West. Josh Donaldson hit a game-tying home run in the sixth for Oakland, which dropped to 8-5 against Los Angeles on the season.

The Angels grabbed an early lead with a three-run rally in the second inning. Erick Aybar delivered the third of three straight singles leading off the frame to plate the first run and moved up along with Kendrick on a wild pitch before Gordon Beckham’s two-run, two-out single capped the uprising.

Los Angeles right fielder Kole Calhoun had some trouble digging Geovany Soto’s double out of the corner in the fifth, allowing Brandon Moss to motor all the way around from first. Soto moved up to third on Calhoun’s error and came in on Crisp’s single to center before Oakland tied it up at 3-3 on Donaldson’s line shot down the line in left leading off the sixth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Aybar’s RBI single in the second extended his hitting streak to 13 games. … Oakland recalled RHP Evan Scribner from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned LHP Drew Pomeranz to Class A Beloit. … Sonny Gray started for the Athletics and allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings while Angels starter C.J. Wilson was reached for three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 frames.