Howie Kendrick drove in three runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics in the rubber match of a three-game set on Wednesday.
Kendrick finished with two hits and Albert Pujols drove in a run and scored for the Angels, who have won 10 of their last 11 road games.
Hector Santiago (6-9) was solid over 5 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in his scoreless outing.
Josh Reddick finished 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored for Oakland, which entered the game tied with Kansas City for the American League's top wild card spot.
Jon Lester (16-11) was tagged for five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits with seven strikeouts over seven frames in the loss.
The Angels wasted no time getting on the board. Mike Trout hit a one-out single to left, stole second and came home on Kendrick's single to center.
Kole Calhoun got aboard with a one-out single in the third, Pujols doubled to the left-field corner and Kendrick brought them both in with a slicing liner down the right-field line for a 3-0 score.
Josh Donaldson reached third to start the fourth after his deep fly ball to right-center field went of the glove of Trout. After Jonny Gomes popped out to second, Derek Norris flied out to right. Calhoun's throw to catcher Chris Iannetta beat Donaldson to end the frame. The play was unsuccessfully challenged.
Pujols' sac fly with one out in the fifth scored Luis Jimenez, who hit a leadoff double.
After the A's stranded runners at the corners in the sixth, the Angels pushed across another run in the seventh for a 5-0 game. Gordon Beckham singled to lead off the frame and came home after Donaldson was off the mark with his throw to first on Collin Cowgill's bunt. Cowgill was thrown out at third on the play.
Oakland got within a run during the home half. Reddick's liner eluded a diving Cowgill in left for a two-run double and Nick Punto followed with an RBI triple. Joe Thatcher replaced Mike Morin and gave up Coco Crisp's run-scoring hit to left.
In the eighth, Jed Lowrie singled with two outs off Fernando Salas and was replaced by Billy Burns, who stole second base. Reddick, however, grounded out to end the frame.
Huston Street tossed a scoreless ninth for his 17th save of the season.
[SportsNetwork.com]
