Jon Lester rediscovered his curveball last year, and it has been a helpful addition to an already impressive repertoire. Coco Crisp had two hits and drove in a run, supporting another strong outing by Lester, and the Oakland Athletics defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 on Friday night to regain the top spot in the chase for AL wild cards. During the second half last year I kind of figured out how it works and have been able to drop it in there.'' Derek Norris and Eric Sogard also drove in runs for Oakland, which moved a half-game ahead of the Kansas City Royals, who were beaten by the Detroit Tigers earlier Friday. Ryan Howard hit a home run for the Phillies, who have lost five of six. More...